Nuvi 660 Touch Screen Unresponsive... Ideas?

Kudos to Jim and the team at Sharcnet. A little over one week from my house and back again and the unit works perfectly!

Thanks again!

Geez, I missed this before.

I have a 12P Garmin 660 I got for Christmas in 2007 and the only thing that has gone bad is the battery because I left it in the pick-up during the summer. So I've got my fingers crossed.

When I do use the 660, I have to remember to use my fingernail as the 3597 uses a capacitive touch screen and that's what I'm used to now. Just now the 660 wouldn't take the pin until I remembered - use fingernail for 660.

Sharcnet is the way to go if you want to keep your 'old' GPS!

+1!

Be advised your '12p' WILL eventually become unresponsive...and likely at the most inopportune time!

Good luck.

Refer to http://www.poi-factory.com/node/11436

Every so often, maybe only once a year or so (I've had my 660 for about 8-years) the screen calibration throws a wobbly.
The touch being so far out that I can't set the address icon at the top of the screen, only the bottom-most icons in any option.
But I found by much trial and not much error, that accessing the root folders of the device on a PC, and unchecking the READ ONLY option in 'Properties' of the GARMIN folder (on the device), got things back to normal without loosing any data. Was it coincidence or a real fix? Who knows but it seems to have done the trick.

My touch screen failed about five weeks back.

I tried all the options that I could find on the web with no success.

Today I thought I would try one last thing and with a soft clean cloth and applying a UK product called ‘elbow grease’ (for removing oil and grease on car engines, cleaning kitchen sinks, oil stains on fabrics, )

I gave the screen a really hard good clean AND the screen now works as good as new.

(Elbow Grease Ingredients ... less than 5% Cationic Surfactants, None-Ionic Surfactants, Phosphates).

Before you throw your sat-nav away its worth trying grease removal ‘stuff’.

I tough Garmin they are not supporting MP3 anymore on all Garmin, they did not wanted to pay for any royalty fee.

My still working Street Pilot C550 still use MP3, infact I use
Mp3 audio files for my POI warning

Touchscreen failures are caused by the conductive silver ink along the outer edges within the touchscreen cracking/fracturing due to changes in temperature. I've heard people say running a credit card along the edges of the screen fixes the problem...or holding the unit in front of the A/C for several minutes. All of which I suspect temporarily closes the fractured joint of the ink. Most likely, the problem will return as reported by most, leading to the replacement of the touchscreen.

Jim,
Makes sense to me that temperature fluctuations are the source of the touch screen issue. I agree with you the possible remedies you mentioned by some users will be only a band-aid to fix the problem.

Here's a picture of the conductive ink/paint around the boarders of the touchscreen. There are (4) isolated borders and each boarder is connected to a specific pin on the touchscreen's ribbon cable. The ink/paint is very thin and susceptible to cracking due to to temperature. The (4) connections on the ribbon cable represent Y-UP, Y-DOWN, X-LEFT & X-RIGHT.

http://www.sharc.net/images/tch56.jpg

Just send it to Jim and let him make it a new one like he did mine. Reasonable and fast turn around time.

I've just replaced my screen on a nuvi670 but I've broken the antenna cord, can I get a replacement anywhere?

I have a 660 also. Someone told me there were two
Different versions of screens, and gave a serial number designation where the change happened. Later numbers were better screens. Apparently one touch screen was subject to suddenly dying. Hopefully someone will have that number.

Edit: That was posted after reading your post, but before reading the replies..... Glad to hear you are back up!!

Try http://www.sharc.net/

They might sell you one.

See link at http://www.sharc.net/discus/messages/6/579.html?1548963552

If the antenna isn't available, I'd go on eBay and pick up a unit there and cannibalize it for the desired parts. There are many units available, most around $20 (buy it now) plus $5 to $8 for shipping.

Here's one with accessories for $25 shipping included.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Garmin-Nuvi-660-NA-GPS-Navigation-U...

No accessories included for $11 + $5.75 shipping
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Garmin-Nuvi-660NA-GPS-Unit-Only-Tes...

muell9k wrote
Member John from PA made a few suggestions that I consider the best option you have. The link for a Antenna Repair Kit is no longer a cheap option since it can't be found.

Sharcnet USA does not sell parts- QUOTE> "Due to liability issues, we are not able to provide [DIY] (do-it-yourself) repair information or replacement parts.
In addition I check the site occasionally and I always see the message Repair "Schedule Full". so a repair may no longer be a option for you.
Check the site:
http://www.sharc.net/gps_repair_request_utility.htm

I would suggest this option that that John from PA posted for
No accessories included for $11 + $5.75 shipping on Ebay.

Another cheap I found was for a Nuvi 350 which would work for you since the antenna would be the same from a 350,660,or 670.

Give this a look:(3.50 plus 5.00 shipping) reliable seller.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Garmin-Nuvi-350NA-GPS-Unit-only-Por...

Best of luck for whatever you decide on.

When I had to have the screen replaced on my 660 I contacted Jim at sharc.net direct and he took it right in. His website always says they are full. He will work with anyone from POI factory

I see you mentioned that in this thread back in October 2017.

I honestly don’t think they exist or are active anymore. Nothing on the webpage is relatively new and the Facebook page is even worse as far as recent content.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community/Sharcnet-U...

Muell9k Wrote
I agree with you regarding Jim at Sharcnet USA is not repairing GPS’s any longer.Jim’s last post on the POI Factory site was on 5/30/18. I hope I’m wrong, but it will be a shame if that’s the case.

As for member “horse7” question about the replacing the Nuvi 670 antenna, I doubt he will replying to any suggestions made for (him/her). This was only the 2nd post made by him/her since joining the forum in almost 5 years.

Check out the only other post horse7 made. Both myself and member t923347 participated in this thread which horse7 never responded to confirming the map origin.
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/45243

This gps is about 15 years old and as far as I can recall they had a lot of screen problems.
Get yourself a used Garmin 2700 series and you are set.