NUVI 680 battery issues
Mon, 12/22/2008 - 1:46pm
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 15 years
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I received a Garmin 680 last January and about two months ago I noticed when I ran it just on battery power alone it would only last 1 hour. I normally run it on the MSN/car cable power. I sent it in to Garmin and they sent a refurbished 680. I noticed it only lasts 3 hours on battery power. I've tried different charging techniques (computer, AC) but still get the same results. Is there a known battery issue for the NUVI's or the 680's? Also if you constantly use the MSN cable will it deplete the life of the battery?
Thanks!
Ryan
680 Battery Life
Using the internal battery of the 680 to run both the GPS and the traffic receiver will reduce the total amount of time for the battery. They both draw power from the same source.
ɐ‾nsǝɹ Just one click away from the end of the Internet
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Battery life specs are always "optimistic", and your number is similar to my 660. Things that can be done to increase the battery life are:
Reduce the brightness of the screen.
Turn off WAAS
Turn off Bluetooth
Turn off FM transmitter
Reduce the timeout for backlighting.
Use an earphone vs speaker
Keep battery warm during cold weather usage
Lower antenna if using it as an mp3 player
Li-ion batteries do like to be exercised periodically, but constant usage on battery will deplete the limited number of cycles available.
Nuvi 660 -- and not upgrading it or maps until Garmin fixes long-standing bugs/problems, and get maps to where they are much more current, AND corrected on a more timely basis when advised of mistakes.
Battery
Ryan:
If I may ask what did Garmin charge you for the refurbished model? I have the same battery problem and they told me on the phone $225.00 for refurbished unit. They said it is the only way to take care of battery problem.
Stan
Officer I'm sorry I was going the wrong way on that one-way street but my GPS told me to turn left ... Oh, I'm still getting a ticket, okay then the GPS will see ya in court!
rhine1784 wrote: … Is
… Is there a known battery issue for the NUVI's or the 680's? ...
Ryan
I have a 680 and I am not aware there is such a serious issue with the battery. How quickly it drains would depend on the type of settings on the NUVI as highlighted in a post above. Claims about battery life are usually very optimistic, and most times not based on real-life usage.
Refurbished unit
Mine was still under factory warranty so they sent me a refurbished no charge. I have to say I'm a little disappointed in the battery life but I guess "it is what it is"
Three Hours?
I'm amazed you can eke out three hours on the battery. Notice the literature always uses those two magic words "up to" when it mentions 4 or 5 hours on a battery. To get that you'd have to turn off everything (especially Bluetooth) and crank the backlight down to zero. Probably the audio output too (amps use power).
I only get an hour and a half max from my 660 and haven't experimented with the 760. That's with Bluetooth on and backlight at max. I've never tried it with everything off.
Cheers
Garmin GPS III, GPS V, StreetPilot 2610, Mobile 10, Nuvi 660, Nuvi 760