255W not holding charge

 

Hello!

I used to use my 255W all the time, now I rarely use it because it won't stay charged for more than a few minutes. I've fully charged the unit while attached to my computer, that seems to hold the longest, but it's not long at all. Even if I have the car adapter connected it dies. Can anyone offer me any suggestions, other than throwing it in the trash confused

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Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

New battery.

You can pick up a new battery for your 255W on eBay for < $10. It is relatively easy to replace the battery. If you Google it, you will find Youtube and other videos showing the battery replacement process. Here is one example: http://www.newpower99.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=GAR...

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

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Myemerald wrote:

Hello!

I used to use my 255W all the time, now I rarely use it because it won't stay charged for more than a few minutes. I've fully charged the unit while attached to my computer, that seems to hold the longest, but it's not long at all. Even if I have the car adapter connected it dies. Can anyone offer me any suggestions, other than throwing it in the trash confused

What do you mean car adapter? Cradle? or just plugged into the cigarette lighter? If you are using the Cradle in the car and it still dies, then its a unit problem not the battery. The cradle has two functions but are separate. 1) it charges the Battery and 2) it runs the unit (bypasses the Battery)

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.

Speed2-just plugged into the

Speed2-just plugged into the cigarette lighter.

--
Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

Alandb-I didn't know I could

Alandb-I didn't know I could replace the battery, for some reason I thought it wasn't possible. Thank you, that was easy grin

--
Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

.

Speed2 is correct. Your 255W should operate when plugged in with the car adapter, even with a weak battery. It sounds like you may have a bad power adapter, a blown fuse in the tip of the power adapter, or possibly a blown fuse for your car's cigarette lighter socket.

You can do some troubleshooting by trying your GPS in another car and by trying some other devices in the cig. lighter.

Good catch Speed2.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

The cigarette lighter socket

The cigarette lighter socket works with other devices, so I can rule that out. I will try my power adapter in a different vehicle and see if it works there. If not, then I just need a new cable right? I just ordered a battery on ebay (thanks for the tip!) which I probably need anyway.

Oh wait. I just remembered trying my unit with my power adapter in a rental car a few months ago. I had the same problem. So....my solution is to buy a car charger like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Garmin-Car-Charger-Nuvi-200-... correct?

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Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

Maybe not.

Many of the power adapters have a small fuse in the tip, so it is possible the adapter is still OK and just needs a fuse. If you look at the part that plugs in the cig. lighter socket, you can probably figure out how it comes apart. Some of them have a threaded nut that screws off. Be careful when you take it apart as it is spring-loaded. Make sure the small parts don't fly off and get lost. Once you remove and identify the fuse, you should be able to get a replacement fuse at Radio Shack.

The item you linked to should work, but I would first try the fuse.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

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Myemerald wrote:

Speed2-just plugged into the cigarette lighter.

Hold on here. I had to look this thing up again. I used to own one. The cradle is just to hold the unit.
I forgot that this unit gets its power through the usb plugged into the side of the unit, unlike the newer ones where its plugged into the Cradle. No matter really. Same applies. I still stick with my conviction that you do not need a battery to run this thing in the Car. Double check to make sure the power adapter is working like alandb says. If it is then your unit has an issue. Either way, to be honest, I would be thinking twice before I would spend any money on this unit. You can buy units for under $200 that come with lifetime maps and traffic. Just a thought.

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.

Removed the fuse, very easy.

Removed the fuse, very easy. I will see if that's the problem. Would you mind looking at this one other adapter on ebay, just in case? It's very inexpensive and works at home and in the car.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/320818982518?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eba...

--
Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

I was a bit confused trying

I was a bit confused trying to figure out which cradle you referred to originally...lol. Now we're on the same page. Which units would you recommend? I may be unemployed soon, so I don't want to spend $200, but if there are any decent ones for less I would like to look at them.
Thanks!

Regardless the outcome, I'm learning a lot from both of you!

--
Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

you have to be careful

with generic adapters. They will charge the unit just fine, but some of them will put the unit in data mode (with the PC image on the screen) instead of operation mode. There is no way to know which generic adapters will work for operating the nuvi without trying them.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Best to stay with one from

Best to stay with one from Garmin then?

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Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

Yeah probably,

Or get one from a store where you can return it if it doesn't work properly. If you go to Radio Shack to get a fuse, they might be able to advise you on a replacment adapter.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Do you have any suggestions

Do you have any suggestions on a new unit as Speed2 mentioned?

--
Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

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Myemerald wrote:

I was a bit confused trying to figure out which cradle you referred to originally...lol. Now we're on the same page. Which units would you recommend? I may be unemployed soon, so I don't want to spend $200, but if there are any decent ones for less I would like to look at them.
Thanks!

Regardless the outcome, I'm learning a lot from both of you!

If your going to be unemployed, then hold off on spending any money on a new one. Check the fuse, and if its ok the your unit is hooped, if it isn't replace it and you should be back in business.

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.

I would agree

with Speed2. But if you decide to replace the 255W, the 1300LMT you were looking at in the other thread would be a good replacement as long as you don't need maps of Canada/Alaska. The 1300 has similar capabilities to the 255W and you would gain a Lifetime map update subscription and traffic service.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

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alandb wrote:

with Speed2. But if you decide to replace the 255W, the 1300LMT you were looking at in the other thread would be a good replacement as long as you don't need maps of Canada/Alaska. The 1300 has similar capabilities to the 255W and you would gain a Lifetime map update subscription and traffic service.

Hey...what's wrong with having Canadian maps? How is He or She going to visit us with out them? laugh out loud

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.

Ahhhh ... so true

smile Canada is a great place to visit, and a wonderful place to live, I'm sure.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

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alandb wrote:

smile Canada is a great place to go.

Considering I come down to Portland every year.

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.

I have visited your area

in BC twice Speed2, one time in the spring and once in the fall. I was lucky to have great weather both times and love it up there ... would like to come back again someday.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

I actually do want to visit

I actually do want to visit Canada some day! Alaska too!

--
Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

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Myemerald wrote:

I actually do want to visit Canada some day! Alaska too!

Then you better get the North America Maps

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.

3790LMT

Hopefully the fuse will fix your 255W. But if you do decide to buy another GPS, I think the best deal is the 3790LMT refurb from Walmart online for $160. Although a discontinued model, this was the top-of-the-line model in the previous generation and has lots of great features.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

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alandb wrote:

Hopefully the fuse will fix your 255W. But if you do decide to buy another GPS, I think the best deal is the 3790LMT refurb from Walmart online for $160. Although a discontinued model, this was the top-of-the-line model in the previous generation and has lots of great features.

And I can certainly provide you first hand info on that model Myemerald

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.

Speed2 I just looked at it

Speed2 I just looked at it on Garmin's website. It looks great. Can you send routes to it?

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Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

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Myemerald wrote:

Speed2 I just looked at it on Garmin's website. It looks great. Can you send routes to it?

Yes, and you can create your own with in it, easy as eating pie....lol
But again....don't forget to put your needs in front of your wants.

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.

Another possibility to consider

I do not have a Garmin, so I am not familiar with the charger and cable you are using, and the following comment may not be applicable.

Does the car charger you use have an integral cable, or are they separate? If they are separate, and especially if the cable is a USB cable, you may want to try using another cable. If you happen to be using a different cable than in the past, or if you have damaged the cable or one of its connectors, this could be preventing proper charging.

All USB cables are not identical in the way they work, even though they look the same. On a TomTom forum that I follow, it is quite common for people to have charging problems that turn out to be due to the cable. Most frequently the cause was that the user was using a different cable than in the past, but sometimes it was that the cable's connector had been damaged.

I've actually run into this myself, although I was fortunately able to recognize it before I wasted much time, thanks to having seen it mentioned by others. I have a surprising number of USB cables, acquired with various electronics equipment, and one day I grabbed one at random one day that turned out not to work correctly. After later testing all of my cables, I found that most of them work fine, but a couple of the cables work only with the hardware they originally accompanied. Those cables now have a bit of colored tape on them for identification.

With best wishes,
- Tom -

--
XXL540, GO LIVE 1535, GO 620

Thank you, that is very

Thank you, that is very sweet. I'm in no way a careless spender, the Lord has always blessed us with what we need (and this is not something we need), and I am a good steward of His money. grin

--
Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

Hello Tom, I am not familiar

Hello Tom, I am not familiar with what an integral cable is. Can you fill me in?

--
Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

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Myemerald wrote:

Hello Tom, I am not familiar with what an integral cable is. Can you fill me in?

Lets not make this difficult. Lets find out if your unit is actually broken or not, the fuse will tells us that. Most of us only need what it comes with. Unless one wants to make this thing portable and then you can get a power pack for it. But that's getting too deep and expensive.

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.

Nothing Exotic

Myemerald wrote:

Hello Tom, I am not familiar with what an integral cable is. Can you fill me in?

Nothing exotic, just a design where the car charger is permanently attached to the cable, as opposed to a design where the charger has a female USB connection into which a separate cable is inserted.

Older electronic equipment tends to use the chargers with permanently connected cables, and much of the newer hardware that might have a reason to "talk" to a computer uses a separate cable that can be plugged into your computer's USB port or into the charger. That lets them use one cable instead of two, thus saving the cost of one cable.

With best wishes,
- Tom -

--
XXL540, GO LIVE 1535, GO 620

The fuse, and the charger

The fuse is good.

Tom: The charger is an integral cable (charger permanently attached to cable).

My parents also have a 255w so I borrowed their charger today. It seemed to work better, although I'm not positive. It definitely stayed charged.

I think that tomorrow I will try my charger with my parent's gps. I wonder if the trouble could be at the other end of the charger, then end that plugs into the unit.

--
Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

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Myemerald wrote:

The fuse is good.

Tom: The charger is an integral cable (charger permanently attached to cable).

My parents also have a 255w so I borrowed their charger today. It seemed to work better, although I'm not positive. It definitely stayed charged.

I think that tomorrow I will try my charger with my parent's gps. I wonder if the trouble could be at the other end of the charger, then end that plugs into the unit.

Go ahead, but you will more than likely find the issue is not the charger, like i said, you could remove the battery from the unit and it should not have any effect on the unit performing in the Car

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.

Quite possible

Myemerald wrote:

My parents also have a 255w so I borrowed their charger today. It seemed to work better, although I'm not positive. It definitely stayed charged.

I think that tomorrow I will try my charger with my parent's gps. I wonder if the trouble could be at the other end of the charger, then end that plugs into the unit.

That is quite possible that the problem is the connector on the end of your car charger's cable, since it is one of the possible causes of the symptoms you describe. I have seen a number of people on the web report that problem with a variety of electronic devices.

A systematic elimination of possible causes, which is what you are doing, should help identify the source of your problem. It takes a little while, but can sometimes help prevent the user from getting rid of hardware that is actually still is good condition.

Good luck with your trouble-shooting efforts.

With best wishes,
- Tom -

--
XXL540, GO LIVE 1535, GO 620

Bad battery

Myemerald wrote:

Hello!

I used to use my 255W all the time, now I rarely use it because it won't stay charged for more than a few minutes. I've fully charged the unit while attached to my computer, that seems to hold the longest, but it's not long at all. Even if I have the car adapter connected it dies. Can anyone offer me any suggestions, other than throwing it in the trash confused

Those are great units. You can purchase a new battery for cheap on ebay, and find on Youtube instructions how to change it.

Or, if you use it in the car, just ignore bad battery and run it from cig. lighter socket.

Or, give it to someone instead of throw away.

Cheers!

UPS jack OK

Myemerald wrote:

I've fully charged the unit while attached to my computer, that seems to hold the longest,...

This part of your original post makes me think that your nuvi's UPS jack and charging circuit are OK, so that makes me think the problem is in the charger or battery or both. I have seen cases where a bad battery can cause the unit to not operate, even when plugged in. In these cases, completely removing the battery allowed it to operate while plugged in.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

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alandb wrote:
Myemerald wrote:

I've fully charged the unit while attached to my computer, that seems to hold the longest,...

This part of your original post makes me think that your nuvi's UPS jack and charging circuit are OK, so that makes me think the problem is in the charger or battery or both. I have seen cases where a bad battery can cause the unit to not operate, even when plugged in. In these cases, completely removing the battery allowed it to operate while plugged in.

I would go for that before you spend any money on this thing. Take the battery out. Try this Link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwAbKYOgiZg

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.

I will try to remove the

I will try to remove the battery today and run it with the car charger...what an adventure this has become...LOL

--
Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

Many excellent videos on

Many excellent videos on YouTube with step-by-step directions.

charge

I had a 660 that did the same thing

Quick update...I removed the

Quick update...I removed the battery and attempted to run it using just the car charger. It didn't work. I am now installing the new battery and will charge for a few hours and see what happens.

--
Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

Quick update...I removed the

Quick update...I removed the battery and attempted to run it using just the car charger. It didn't work. I am now installing the new battery and will charge for a few hours and see what happens.

--
Linda B. Garmin nüvi® 3597LMTHD, Garmin nüvi® 2460LMT (loved it, until I dropped it), Garmin nüvi® 255W

Just your own charger or

Myemerald wrote:

Quick update...I removed the battery and attempted to run it using just the car charger. It didn't work. I am now installing the new battery and will charge for a few hours and see what happens.

Did you also try using your parents' car charger?

With best wishes,
- Tom -

--
XXL540, GO LIVE 1535, GO 620

battery dying

this is not good news

Lots of very useful

Lots of very useful information listed here.

gradual loss of charge

I think there's a gradual loss of charge over time on mine too. Fortunately I still get about 2 hours plus or minus, these days, down from the initial 4 hours rating I think.

.

Did the new Battery work?

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.