Garmin 850 Battery Problem
  15 years
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The battery on my 850 will fully discharge while turned off for several days. I can charge it fully with the Garmin external charger, disconnect the charger, turn it off, set it aside on my desk, and then it won't power up after sitting for a few days.
I connect it back to the charger and it it shows fully discharged. It's behaving like the switch turns the unit's display off, but there's still something drawing enough current that it fully discharges in just a few days.
Garmin sent me a new battery, but that didn't solve the problem. Garmin then replaced the unit and it seemed to have solved the problem, but again today after sitting on the desk for 4 days, it's fully discharged again.
Is anyone else experiencing this problem with the 800 series?
Garmin 850 battery problem
According to the 850 Owners manual, you can put the nuvi in the "sleep" or "Suspend/Resume" mode by sliding the power key to the left. Slide the power key to the left again to resume operation. It also says that to completely turn off the nuvi, remove the battery. Normally you would think that the power switch turns the unit off and on. It does on my 760.
I would talk to Garmin support about this. If enough people complain, they may offer a software update that causes the power switch to turn the unit off and on. Until then, one way to get a little more time between charges is to turn off bluetooth before putting it in the sleep mode.
Garmin 850 battery
Same with Nuvi 880.
There nothing wrong with the battery. Sliding the power switch only put the unit to standby. So the only way to conserve the battery is take it out.
Garmin 850 Battery Problem
Thanks for the replies.
Note to self: Read manual!
Note also to Garmin Support: Read manual!
On neither call to Garmin did they tell me that the 850 behavior was normal - would have saved them the cost of replacement.
Now that I understand, I don't like this "feature". I don't need a standby mode as it starts up quickly enough for me from a full power down mode. And, removing and replacing the battery is a hassle. I will write to Garmin.
Marketing driven design
Now that I understand, I don't like this "feature".
I don't understand the design philosophy of (all?) the GPS makers (assuming that they actually HAVE one). Seems to me like the new, higher numbered models should have EVERYTHING that the lower models do PLUS.....something. Not so with GPS. You have to read very carefully....and then sometimes guess because the documentation is not complete. Often features you grew to know and love are absent on an "upgraded" model.
Many of the older models had a choice of standby or total off; definitely a step backwards. At least the battery is user replaceable.
SIGH!
Magellan Maestro 4250// MIO C310X
Garmin 850 Power Suspend Mode
What's also confusing about the 850's power off model is that if you remove the 850 from an external power source such as the dash mount, you get a message,
"External power lost. Continue on Battery?" The option buttons are "Power off" or "Stay on".
At least it should really power off or the button should read, "Sleep"