Warning for Garmin Car Chargers (GTM 20)
Thu, 02/21/2008 - 9:29pm
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Recently while moving my streetpilot c550 between cars, the tip of the charger exploded and pieces went flying. After searching my grass and driveway (for an hour ) I found 2 of the parts; the silver tip and the threaded black plastic part. I never did find the spring. I was, however, able to successfully use the spring from an ink pen after stretching it to size. But I still find myself in the yard occaisionally looking for the original spring.
I guess the moral of the story is: Periodically check the tip of your GPS car charger to the see that it's tight and hasn't worked loose. Since the unit is still under warranty, do you think Garmin will send me a replacement spring?
I'd think they would
I'd think they would "spring" for one!
I've had that type of spring loaded tip give problems. Really can get hot. A partial solution is to stretch the spring slightly to give better contact. When possible I try to mechanically hold the plug into the socket to keep it from working out.
Garmin nüvi 1390
...same thing happened to me.
Garmin sent a complete charger.
ouch
Recently while moving my streetpilot c550 between cars, the tip of the charger exploded and pieces went flying. After searching my grass and driveway (for an hour
) I found 2 of the parts; the silver tip and the threaded black plastic part. I never did find the spring. I was, however, able to successfully use the spring from an ink pen after stretching it to size. But I still find myself in the yard occaisionally looking for the original spring.
I guess the moral of the story is: Periodically check the tip of your GPS car charger to the see that it's tight and hasn't worked loose. Since the unit is still under warranty, do you think Garmin will send me a replacement spring?
Should have been 4 parts...where is the fuse? You probably have some of those springs around the house or local Radio Shack. All connectors that plug into the cig lighter have the silver tip thing, a spring and a fuse.
........Garmin StreetPilot c550 / Nüvi 765...........
No deadly shrapnel
Recently while moving my streetpilot c550 between cars, the tip of the charger exploded and pieces went flying. After searching my grass and driveway (for an hour
) I found 2 of the parts; the silver tip and the threaded black plastic part. I never did find the spring. I was, however, able to successfully use the spring from an ink pen after stretching it to size. But I still find myself in the yard occaisionally looking for the original spring.
I guess the moral of the story is: Periodically check the tip of your GPS car charger to the see that it's tight and hasn't worked loose. Since the unit is still under warranty, do you think Garmin will send me a replacement spring?
Glad to see that the explosion did not cause any deadly shrapnel
"Ceterum autem censeo, Carthaginem esse delendam" “When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”
Same thing happened to me as
Same thing happened to me as well with the c340. Hubby went to one of the local stores and bought a car charger, took off the entire piece that plugs into the vehicle and attached it to the Garmin charger and waaalaaa, I was back in business. I was so worried I was going to have to wait up to a week and 10 days for Garmin to replace it but thanks to hubby's quick thinking, I was back up and running in no time.
On your mark, Get set.....wait a minute......D-A-N-I-E-L..........now we can GO.... (Garmin c340)
Use a magnet and a string
Use a magnet and a string and sweep the lawn. You'll pick it up.
Go Blackhawks
Same thing happened to my
Same thing happened to my MSN Direct charger... I traced my steps and was able to find the pieces in the garage and laundry room.
nüvi 680, nüvi 770, Garmin Mobile XT, etc...
mine broke to pieces too i
mine broke to pieces too i was about to pack it in my suitcase and the pieces were all over my bedroom, luckily i found them all. i guess it juts got loose over time, but that pretty much sucks for such an expensive charger.
I will check mine
Thanks for the heads up. I will check mine since I often move from one car to the other. I have not see this yet... Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the 'tip'
I just checked my car charger and the metal tip was loose. If it flew off in my driveway or yard, I doubt if I would ever find it at this time of year seeing as how there is a couple of meters of snow (6 feet) on the ground!
Car charger/MSN receiver
I noticed the same thing with the one that came with my 680. It too was loose and I had to tighten it.
Keep an eye on it!
USB charger
does anyone know how to use GPS while connected to computer via USB. Mine is going in to lockout mode
.
Dont drink and drive. Be aware of low flying aircrafts. Drive as fast as you can and go to Jail.
Garmin's response (jaymink read this)
So I'm NOT the only one after all! Garmin's response was an RMA to send the entire charger/receiver to them for a down time of 1 to 3 weeks.
But thanks to HornbyP I can deal with it since he explains how to use and charge the unit from the Diagnostics and Fleet Mgmt modes.
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/8156
And of course this had to happen one week after I renewed my traffic subscription.
Oh well, 'Que sera, sera'.
sewisdom - Drive carefully. The life you save... may be someone who owes you money!
.
But thanks to HornbyP I can deal with it since he explains how to use and charge the unit from the Diagnostics and Fleet Mgmt modes.
That technique works for the C5xx ... and I read somewhere else, maybe the Nüvi 7xx?
The Nüvi 2xx and 3xx seem to respond to having the USB unplugged (after it's entered mass-storage mode) and then plugged back in, as it starts to reboot.
As for, C3xx, Nüvi 6xx & Zümo ... anyone know?
------------------------ Phil Hornby, Stockport, England ---------------------- http://GeePeeEx.com - Garmin POI Creation made easy »
No problem on the c3xx...
But thanks to HornbyP I can deal with it since he explains how to use and charge the unit from the Diagnostics and Fleet Mgmt modes.
That technique works for the C5xx ... and I read somewhere else, maybe the Nüvi 7xx?
The Nüvi 2xx and 3xx seem to respond to having the USB unplugged (after it's entered mass-storage mode) and then plugged back in, as it starts to reboot.
As for, C3xx, Nüvi 6xx & Zümo ... anyone know?
The c3xx don't show as mass storage devices, so the usb will charge them just fine with no special instructions
Daniel
Garmin StreetPilot c580 & Nuvi 760 - Member 32160 - Traveling in Kansas
Phil, did you mean the c3xx
Phil, did you mean the c3xx or the nuvi 3xx?
On the nuvi 350, I just plug it in and let it go to the mass storage and then just eject and it goes into a usable mode.
Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -
Can you use the GPSr while charging?
The c3xx don't show as mass storage devices, so the usb will charge them just fine with no special instructions
Daniel
But can you still use it as a GPSr while charging via USB? That is the question.
sewisdom - Drive carefully. The life you save... may be someone who owes you money!
Same thing happened on my Nuvi 660
Same thing happened on my Nuvi 660. When not using my GPS I leave the charger in the car glove box. Mine came apart in the glove box but I was lucky I found all the parts. Now I always check that the end cap is properly screwed on every time I take it out.
Garmin DriveSmart 61
:doh:
The c3xx don't show as mass storage devices
I'd forgotten - again
------------------------ Phil Hornby, Stockport, England ---------------------- http://GeePeeEx.com - Garmin POI Creation made easy »
Anyone know the fuse rating?
Out of curiosity, does anyone know the fuse rating?
sewisdom - Drive carefully. The life you save... may be someone who owes you money!
Yes
The c3xx don't show as mass storage devices, so the usb will charge them just fine with no special instructions
Daniel
But can you still use it as a GPSr while charging via USB? That is the question.
Since they don't show as mass storage, the usb cable will charge them and you use them as normal. When you do a poiloader it will say "loading" or something and then reboot when finished.
Daniel
Garmin StreetPilot c580 & Nuvi 760 - Member 32160 - Traveling in Kansas
Just checked
Just checked mine and its tight, but I will put it on my periodic "to do" list.
TomTom built in and Garmin Nuvi 1490T. Eastern Iowa, formerly Southern California "You can check out any time you like...but you can never leave."
Charger
Mine is so bloody tight I'd need a pair of pliers to remove it.
******************Garmin Nüvi 1300T****************Member 6523*******************
New Charger from Garmin
...Same thing happened to me.
Garmin sent a complete charger.
Like FPichon, Garmin sent me a new charger complete with 1 full year of traffic subscription! Turnaround time was about a week. Not bad at all. Another satisfied customer!
sewisdom - Drive carefully. The life you save... may be someone who owes you money!
GTM 20 tip breakage
i had the plastic portion break off with the thread portion remain inside the trasmitter body. I unscrewed out the damaged part and e-mailed Garmin & TMC, but no reply - so i fixed it by using a different tip that doed not have the flat disc at the end, but rather a rounded end from an older cigarette lighter connector. It works now better than before.
marnoldi Nuvi 680 & Nuvi 2797LMT
charger
My charger has not yet misbehaved but I'm sure this thread will save many people heartache. Those tiny pieces are no picnic to find if it falls apart. I'll be checking regularily.
Charger Parts...
I need a spare charger for my nuvi 350.
Any idea where I should go to find one?
Charger
I thought Best buy and Circuit City sell them
rhamona
My charger broke as well. I am unable to put the things back. I bought a refurbished unit and the fuse was actually in the box (and not in the cigarette lighter unit). I think something was wrong with it. Since I am under warranty I am trying to get a replacement. However, I would like to know how I can move this assembly into another unit (like rhamona has posted). Also, where does the fuse go? I can't believe that this flimsy unit sells for over $150.
dindoliya
The fuse in my unit was a 3 amp AGC fast blow that goes into the tip of the cigarette lighter part. Like lsmonop posted, there should be 4 parts. The silver contact, the threaded molding, the fuse, and the spring. The spring should be soldered to a stranded wire deep inside but can break loose from metal fatigue (as I believe was my case). Next, insert the fuse. Then the threaded molding with silver contact screws on last. It would be prudent to periodically check that the tip is screwed on tightly as it can work loose.
sewisdom - Drive carefully. The life you save... may be someone who owes you money!
That happened
to us while travelling in the RV, only it was the plug for the braking system for the "toad" vehicle. Couldn't find the parts in the campground so I was without power to my Brake Buddy.
Now driving in Oregon over hills, winding roads, on the coast with drop-offs to the ocean below, pulling a 3500 pound vehicle behind the RV w/o a braking system is a ride I don't want to do again.
So now I always check the cigarette plug-in to make sure it is very tight and I now carry extra fuses too! The same applies to my Nuvi 650, always check the cigarette plug after removing from the socket. 
Garmin Nuvi 650, Garmin eTrexLegend, Magellan 360
Spare Charger
I need a spare charger for my nuvi 350.
Any idea where I should go to find one?
Try eBay, GPSGeek might have one.
Garmin Nuvi 650, Garmin eTrexLegend, Magellan 360
Spare chargers
I get mine on eBay, cell phones and my GPS
Spare Charger
I need a spare charger for my nuvi 350.
Any idea where I should go to find one?
Try eBay, GPSGeek might have one.
Also try www.gomadic.com
Sandman --------Nuvi 370
Got a new C550. The car charger is borken when I open the box.
Recently while moving my streetpilot c550 between cars, the tip of the charger exploded and pieces went flying. After searching my grass and driveway (for an hour
) I found 2 of the parts; the silver tip and the threaded black plastic part. I never did find the spring. I was, however, able to successfully use the spring from an ink pen after stretching it to size. But I still find myself in the yard occaisionally looking for the original spring.
I guess the moral of the story is: Periodically check the tip of your GPS car charger to the see that it's tight and hasn't worked loose. Since the unit is still under warranty, do you think Garmin will send me a replacement spring?
Thanks -
Thanks for the info. I'll be checking mine for tightness in a few minutes. I don't care if it is dark outside. Uh, maybe I will check in the morning when it's a little bit lighter.
CHARGER
that sucks - my buddy did that to his also but got a new spring from a cheap plug from a accessory from murrays
Heads Up.
While I was driving the other day, my 260 went into mass storage while it was plug into the 12 volt outlet. I shut the unit off and it said it was charging. I unplug the unit from the 12 volt outlet and rebooted it and it worked fine on its internal power. I looked at the tip of the charger and it was pushed in with no movement to it. This charger has been in the outlet since I bought it in May without any problems. I called Garmin and told them what had happened and he told me that they were aware of that problem and would send me out a new 12 volt charger that had been updated at no charge
Paul..... Nuvi 765T
Thanks
Thanks for posting this. I just checked mine and sure enough, I could tighten it a quarter-turn.
I'm sure I will be checking it more often from here on out.
Exploding Car Charger
I had the same thing happen to a cellphone car charger a few years ago. I noticed that it had loosened up also. Good tip. Thanks.
I had the same thing happen
I had the same thing happen to mine. Garmin had one to me in about a week.
Steve
I'm sensing a pattern here.
I'm sensing a pattern here. I had the same experience a few weeks ago, but mine happened inside the car. I found all the parts and was able to screw the tip back on.
New Nuvi 660
arrived with the tip broken in the box. Since we were out of town, I went to Best Buy and bought a regular charger without the traffic thing. Later called Garmin and got a RMA to send the thing back and they returned a new one. So far no problems with that but it's no better made than the first one. I did get a 15 month subscription to the traffic thing with the new one which is no big deal out here in Iowa. No one broadcasts within 200 miles or more. I'm not even sure Des Moines has any broadcasts.
NUVI 660, Late 2012 iMac, Macbook 2.1 Fall 2008, iPhone6 , Nuvi 3790, iPad2
Note to sewisdom
have you checked the garage and laundry room ):
As a matter or fact...
As a matter or fact... I still find myself looking for those pieces
sewisdom - Drive carefully. The life you save... may be someone who owes you money!
Thanks!
I guess the moral of the story is: Periodically check the tip of your GPS car charger to the see that it's tight and hasn't worked loose.
Thanks much for this tip! Checked mine as soon as I read this, and sure nuff - it was loose!!
Joel
"Sometimes, when I look at my children, I wish I had remained a virgin". Lillian Carter (Mother of Jimmy Carter)
Thank you. I hope I have found a solution.
Recently while moving my streetpilot c550 between cars, the tip of the charger exploded and pieces went flying. After searching my grass and driveway (for an hour
) I found 2 of the parts; the silver tip and the threaded black plastic part. I never did find the spring. I was, however, able to successfully use the spring from an ink pen after stretching it to size. But I still find myself in the yard occaisionally looking for the original spring.
I guess the moral of the story is: Periodically check the tip of your GPS car charger to the see that it's tight and hasn't worked loose. Since the unit is still under warranty, do you think Garmin will send me a replacement spring?
Dear Sewisdon,
Thank you for this information. After reading your posting, I plugged my GARMIN cord into my multiplier (I am sure that is the wrong name for the device -- it allows me to plug two items into the same socket at the same time). I hope I shall be able to avoid the problem you had by leaving the head encased in my "multiplier".
david
nüvi 1490T, V1, Sanyo PRO-700a, maps, sunglasses, hot co-pilot, the open road
good idea using a
good idea using a multiplier. I currently had to RMA one back due to the black piece at the tip of the charger breaking sending everything flying all over my car
Thank you.
good idea using a multiplier. I currently had to RMA one back due to the black piece at the tip of the charger breaking sending everything flying all over my car
Thank you, Kloony. It seemed a good idea as I had been leaving it attached to my Valentine One and this approach seemed a natural extension. I just leave the second socket available for the V1.
david
nüvi 1490T, V1, Sanyo PRO-700a, maps, sunglasses, hot co-pilot, the open road
I basically do the same thing
I basically do the same thing with my DC splitter. Hopefully it will keep the parts from loosening.
sewisdom - Drive carefully. The life you save... may be someone who owes you money!