Always Have a Back-Up Plan -- Problem Continued....

To isolate the problem, you've got to try every device (GPS unit, cradle and DC power adapter GTM20). How about taking your GPS unit to Best Buy. Hook it up to one of their cradle on display. See if that works.

Yes, great idea! I will bring it to Best Buy in the morning and see if it works there. That would test the unit function and narrow it down.

Thanks!!!!!

Have you checked the fuse in the power cord(s)?

If it's saying the External device is requiring power, then it means that the connection between the cord, cradle and the unit is working, otherwise it wouldn't recognize the Traffic cord.

If I'm not mistaken, the traffic receiver actually gets it's power back from the GPS. That's the reason for the message, so you don't run the GPS battery down.

Your cradle, or the actual GPS may have a bad pin. You need to use a magnifying glass and examine both parts of the cradle plug and the plug on the GPS itself.

You may need to replace the cradle.

This is great information. I looked at the pins but they looked okay to me. Nothing bent that I could see, but I will look again more closely tonight when I get home from work.

Thanks!!!

One thing you don't mention, on the menu screen, the one with WhereTo and View Map, when the cord is plugged in, do you see a battery symbol in the upper right hand corner?

If not, the 12v is not getting through the cradle to the GPS.

With the cords all plugged in to the cradle and the unit in the cradle, but not plugged in to the power point, does the led on the plug closest to the cord light? The one that indicates the available signal. It should start yellow. The led closest to the end of the plug indicates whether 12v is available to the plug.

If it does light yellow, then it says that the OUTBOUND power from the GPS battery is getting back to the plug.

Putting your unit in the cradle at a Dealer should tell you if your cradle is bad or not. If the battery symbol disappears when you connect it, then it means you are getting power to the unit and your cradle is bad. If you still don't get power, then the connector on your GPS is bad.

You can get a cradle from Garmin, but the plug on the unit will require sending the unit in for replacement if it's under warranty.

Be sure to document all this so you won't have to hem and haw when you talk to Garmin support.

I'm at work now and don't have the unit in front of me, but I'm pretty certain the battery indicator was displayed in the top right corner of the "Where to" and "View Map" screen when the unit was locked in the cradle and plugged in to the 12v. outlet. But, I will double check this when I get home, as well as look at the lights on the plug.

Thanks so much for you help and the great information!!!!

That would definitely indicate the power isn't getting from the cord to the unit. Now to eliminate the cradle as the problem.

Thanks phranc,

I will be at Best Buy first thing tomorrow, Nuvi in hand. I hope it is the cradle, as I don't want to send my unit in and get a different, refurbished one as a replacement from Garmin. This unit has worked great for the 6 months that I've it, and I don't know what I may get in return.

Thanks again for your help. I will post what I find tomorrow.

Clean the contacts on the bottom of the unit! If the 12v input contact is dirty you can have this problem. The contacts are quite exposed and if someone has something on a finger and rubs it over those contacts........

It was the cradle!

I went to Best Buy this morning to try hooking it up there, but found out that they don't use the cradles. They have the units attached (glued?) to a display post and wired with a USB power cord. Also, all the Garmins they had were broken off of their displays and stolen! The sales person said people steal the non-functioning display models all the time. Crazy!

After returning from there I was talking to my neighbor and telling him about it. He told me that he has the same unit I do, so I asked him if I could borrow his cradle to try it out. Sure enough, as soon as I plugged in his cradle and attached the unit, it fired right up. He also said I could borrow it for my trip since he won't be using it next week. Cool! So now I will be on the phone to Garmin for a new cradle.

Thanks to phranc and everyone else who responded to my post with great suggestions to help. This site is truly one of, if not THE best GPS site on the internet. I visit The POI Factory several times a week and always learn something new. I am continuously amazed at the knowledge of the people who post here as well as the community spirit and the willingness to help others and answer questions.

I agree with your statement

Probably some idiots who think they're real GPS. Btw, Best Buy in Southern California displays their GPS with the cradle (if I remember correctly) and they're fully functioning GPS units, not some dummy non-working GPS.

More importantly, thank your neighbor. You got a great neighbor.

You are entirely welcome. Sometimes it's hard to see the forest for the trees, and a little nudge in the right direction always helps. Have a safe, fun, trip.