Stinger HEIGH10 Issues

[theskyhorse]

Good Day all,

We recently bought a 2015 Rubicon and decided to go with a Stinger Solutions HEIGH10 Stereo. We had it professionally installed by Tint World #066 in Port Charlotte about 12 days ago. Since getting it back we've had it quit working twice. Took it back up and they supposedly fixed it. The first fuse blow out was after 6 days. The second was after 2 days. When it goes out it takes the Inverter and the Hazard lights with it. They also apparently wired something wrong as we have no bluetooth audio for the phone. Matt at Stinger helped me troubleshoot that over emails and he determined Tint World wired it wrong because we have the optional 9 speaker Alpine system with the all weather subwoofer. So it has to go back up to them for that fix regardless. Shane, from TW says he's installed countless Stingers in Jeeps and has never seen one keep blowing fuses. To the best of my knowledge this Jeep's previous owner installed no after market wiring except the underhood cables going to the winch on the bumper. Everything inside appears stock. He did have an aftermarket back up camera but that was the cheesy one you plug into your 12v and suction cup the screen to your windshield. Has anyone had any issued with HEIGH10s blowing fuses and what is the repair solution? Thanks!

 

[JerryD]

I don't have that android head unit, but if I were you, I'd get a refund from TW and go somewhere else (if you can't do it yourself). Once is a fluke, twice though?

 

[JeepJeezy]

Good Day all,

We recently bought a 2015 Rubicon and decided to go with a Stinger Solutions HEIGH10 Stereo. We had it professionally installed by Tint World #066 in Port Charlotte about 12 days ago. Since getting it back we've had it quit working twice. Took it back up and they supposedly fixed it. The first fuse blow out was after 6 days. The second was after 2 days. When it goes out it takes the Inverter and the Hazard lights with it. They also apparently wired something wrong as we have no bluetooth audio for the phone. Matt at Stinger helped me troubleshoot that over emails and he determined Tint World wired it wrong because we have the optional 9 speaker Alpine system with the all weather subwoofer. So it has to go back up to them for that fix regardless. Shane, from TW says he's installed countless Stingers in Jeeps and has never seen one keep blowing fuses. To the best of my knowledge this Jeep's previous owner installed no after market wiring except the underhood cables going to the winch on the bumper. Everything inside appears stock. He did have an aftermarket back up camera but that was the cheesy one you plug into your 12v and suction cup the screen to your windshield. Has anyone had any issued with HEIGH10s blowing fuses and what is the repair solution? Thanks!

The Heigh10 is a plug and play unit. Ive installed 1 in a friends Jk. For it to be blowing fuses like this, I'd say there is a hot, 12v + wire, that got nicked somewhere or is not capped off and grounding itself to metal brackets in the dash and causing the fuse to blow. Here's a uTube video on how easy it is to install this radio.

 

[Taghkanic]

I don't know about these being “plug and play.” More like “struggle and pay” so far for me...

I recently had the Horizon 10 installed in my 2013 Brute DC (JK Rubicon base) and I’ve already spent hours on the phone with Stinger and the installer. I’m unable to hear callers, though they can hear me, whether through CarPlay or just straight Bluetooth connections with CarPlay turned off... I’m pretty tech savvy, and have diligently read all the install manuals, updated all firmware on both my phone and the Stinger, checked all settings repeatedly, etc...

Calls work fine on my 2023 Toyota, btw.

It has been a deeply frustrating experience so far, considering the cost and the amount of time I’ve had to devote to this post-installation. 90% of the functions are as advertised—I just can't hear anyone I’m speaking with on the phone, though they can hear me. I also can't hear Siri when it attempts to read messages to me, fwiw. Otherwise I can play music, use the backup camera, use maps, use the various instrument panels, etc.

Neither the company nor the installer seems very good at absorbing the details of the problem, which leads to them misdiagnosing the issue. For example, I have had to explain repeatedly that I can't hear the caller / the person I called, though they can hear me... “Oh, it must be a problem with the microphone setting!” they reply... No. Again, they can hear me fine. The microphone is picking up my voice. I can't hear them. Their voice is completely suppressed.

The tech I spoke with at length at Stinger was all over the place.

After taking a good 10 minutes to grasp the problem, first he theorized that it was probably an integration problem with CarPlay—and that they had had a couple similar complaints recently, and that it would be 3-5 weeks until they had a software fix. He said to just keep checking back on their website for a new firmware update. I asked if I could be notified when it was ready rather than checking over and over again, and he said they didn't have any way of doing that. So, just sit around and hope maybe there is an update eventually and that it fixes things.

Then, when I reiterated that the problem also occurred using non-Carplay (Bluetooth only) call functions of the unit, he pivoted to suggesting that some of the elements installed in the dash behind the head unit might have outdated firmware, separate from the Horizon10. (I guess he must have meant the radio/PAC elements). I asked how I could check in the install menus which firmware they were running, and he said you can’t—owners can only check the Horizon10 head unit’s status, not the other supplied components.

I asked when was the last firmware update for the component he was referring to, and he said... *** 2018 ***. Incredulous, I said, “This unit was ordered last week from you. Surely you aren't shipping units whose firmware dates back to 2018, right? Oh no, he said, we still have some inventory going back to *** 2012 ****. I didn't know this company existed back then, but OK. He then blamed the installer, saying he should have hooked all those other elements up to a laptop before installation to check that their firmware was “current,” i.e. up to date as of... seven years ago.

And of course, it will require (he thinks) taking apart the dash etc. to find out if that's the problem.

Meanwhile, the installer (after claiming the microphone was preventing me from hearing the other caller) pivoted to “Oh, it’s probably just a wire I need to switch over, it will only take 30 minutes or so, bring it in tomorrow.” OK, that would be nice. I will be shocked if this is a half-hour job, and if I leave with a fully-functioning Horizon 10 tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

The installer is a full hour+ drive away away... If they can't figure things out tomorrow I’ll just demand they refund my money and have them put the old crappy head unit back in, and then try a different brand and installer. This is all the more frustrating, because I had originally asked for a different brand to start, but the boss of the place insisted the Hoirzon10 was their preferred model and I’d be much happier with it. He even mocked people who try to install these themselves and then come to them to get their mistakes corrected...

 

[Taghkanic]

OK, the problem is solved after 48 hours of unnecessary hassles. The issue (not identified by Stinger in my long conversation with their techs) or my phone back-and-forth with the installer turned out to be very simple.

These “radios” can be installed older JKs one of two ways: with a subwoofer, or without. Mine does not have a subwoofer, but it was installed as if it did. Apparently fixing this was relatively quick, though it did involve opening the whole thing up again.

So as of today this is working as advertised, and I am now pretty pleased. That said, I was not too happy with the runaround from Stinger, who was suggesting two other major causes which turned out to be totally irrelevant. Glad I persisted and the installer finally figured it out.

 

[JeepJeezy]

OK, the problem is solved after 48 hours of unnecessary hassles. The issue (not identified by Stinger in my long conversation with their techs) or my phone back-and-forth with the installer turned out to be very simple.

These “radios” can be installed older JKs one of two ways: with a subwoofer, or without. Mine does not have a subwoofer, but it was installed as if it did. Apparently fixing this was relatively quick, though it did involve opening the whole thing up again.

So as of today this is working as advertised, and I am now pretty pleased. That said, I was not too happy with the runaround from Stinger, who was suggesting two other major causes which turned out to be totally irrelevant. Glad I persisted and the installer finally figured it out.

Glad you got it resolved. Thanks for the update!