8
Repair
Service for Mackie products is available at a factory-
authorized service center. Service for Mackie products
outside the United States can be obtained through local
dealers or distributors.
If your S218s needs service, please follow these
instructions:
1. Review the preceding troubleshooting suggestions.
Please.
2. Call Tech Support at 1-800-898-3211, 7 am to 5 pm
PST, to explain the problem in detail. They will ask
you all sorts of impertinent questions in the hope of
sorting out the problem. If it appears that the S218s
needs repair, you will be given a Service Request
Number. Have your subwoofer’s serial number
ready. You must have a Service Request Number be-
fore you can obtain service at a factory-authorized
service center.
3. Keep this user’s manual. We don’t need it to repair
the subwoofer.
4. Pack the subwoofer in its original packaging,
including protective wrap, endcaps, and box. This
is VERY IMPORTANT. When you call for the Service
Request Number, please let Tech Support know if
you need new packaging. Mackie is not responsible
for any damage that occurs due to non-factory
packaging.
5. Include a legible note stating your name, shipping
address (no P.O. boxes), daytime phone number,
Service Request Number, and a detailed description
of the problem, including how we can duplicate it.
6. Write the Service Request Number in
BIG
PRINT
on top of the box. Product shipped with-
out the Service Request Number will be refused.
7. Tech Support will tell you where to ship the sub-
woofer for repair. We suggest insurance for all forms
of cartage.
8. We’ll try to fix the subwoofer within five business
days. Once it is repaired, we’ll ship it back the same
way in which it was received. This paragraph does
not necessarily apply to non-warranty service.
Note: You must have a sales receipt from an Autho-
rized Mackie Dealer to qualify for a warranty repair.
SERVICE INFORMATION
Warranty Service
Details concerning warranty service are spelled out
on page 11 of this manual.
If you think your subwoofer has a problem, please do
everything you can to confirm it before calling for service,
including reading through the following Troubleshooting
section. Doing so might save you from being deprived of
your Mackie subwoofer.
Of all Mackie products returned for service (which is
hardly any at all), many are coded “CND”—Could Not
Duplicate—which usually means the problem lay some-
where else in the system. The following troubleshooting
tips may sound obvious, but here are some things you
can check:
Troubleshooting
No sound
•Are the level controls on the mixer or amplifier
turned all the way down? Follow the procedures in
the “Quick-Start”section on page 4 to verify that
all the volume controls in the system are properly
adjusted.
•Is the signal source working (and making union
scale)? Make sure the connecting cables are in good
repair and securely connected at both ends.
•Make sure the mixer does not have a Mute on or a
Processor loop engaged. If you find something like
this, make sure the volume/gain is turned down
before disengaging the offending switch.
Poor bass performance
•Check the polarity of the connections between the
mixer and all the loudspeakers and subwoofers.
You may have your positive and negative connec-
tions reversed at one end of one cable, causing one
loudspeaker to be out-of-phase.
Poor sound
•Is it loud and distorted? Make sure that you’re not
overdriving a stage in the signal chain. Verify that
all level controls are set properly.
•Is the input connector plugged completely into the
jack? Make sure all connections are secure. It’s a
good idea to periodically clean all electrical con-
nections with a non-lubricating electrical contact
cleaner.
