Windshield mount falling off

 

I have a Nuvi 1680, and the mount suction cup is falling off the windshield every 2 days or so.

Garmin sent me another one when I complained about this, I installed it and a couple months later it's doing the same as the old one.

I contrast this to my Magellan suction cup which was stuck on the windshield for years without falling off. It was about half inch bigger. Not sure if that's the reason.

Yeah, I have cleaned it, I have tried everything.

This is just ridiculous.

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Dump the winshield mount....

Get a bean bag and stop worrying and wondering....

--
Bobby....Garmin 2450LM

Mount

Any 3rd party suction mounts out there?

Friction Mount

I've been using this http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Portable-Friction-Dashboard-Mou... for about a year with no problems. it folds easily to store when not in use.

I switched to a vent mount.

I switched to a vent mount. It stays put and is out of sight from the outside of the car.

The garmin suction cup is unsatisfactory.

rthibodaux wrote:

Going to own a GPS that cost over a $100, Invest in a GPS bean bag mount for around $25. Problem solve. As long as you will use the suction mount you will have the problem. Garmin is in the business of providing a product to the public.

I have a mount like that, I definitely don't like it. I am not looking for a workaround.

I want the suction cup mount to work, and the clear plastic small garmin version today is not very good. They sent me a new one and not much better, after a few weeks falling off like the last one.

It's a design and manufacturing problem.

since you want

Steevo wrote:
rthibodaux wrote:

Going to own a GPS that cost over a $100, Invest in a GPS bean bag mount for around $25. Problem solve. As long as you will use the suction mount you will have the problem. Garmin is in the business of providing a product to the public.

I have a mount like that, I definitely don't like it. I am not looking for a workaround.

I want the suction cup mount to work, and the clear plastic small garmin version today is not very good. They sent me a new one and not much better, after a few weeks falling off like the last one.

It's a design and manufacturing problem.

Since you want the suction cup to be a permanent mount and not a temporary one, may I suggest you dampen the suction cup disk with super glue before sticking it to the windshield.

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

I was thinking silicone...

But that's only got a 15-20 year guarantee.

--
Striving to make the NYC Metro area project the best.

?

GARYLAP wrote:

I switched to a vent mount. It stays put and is out of sight from the outside of the car.

If you live in an area where you need to turn on your heater wouldn't the GPS get too hot sitting in the vent flow?

--
. 2 Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S, Nuvi 2689, 2 Nuvi 2460, Zumo 550, Zumo 450, Uniden R3 radar detector with GPS built in, includes RLC info. Uconnect 430N Garmin based, built into my Jeep. .

Different People Have Different Preferences But

soberbyker wrote:
GARYLAP wrote:

I switched to a vent mount. It stays put and is out of sight from the outside of the car.

If you live in an area where you need to turn on your heater wouldn't the GPS get too hot sitting in the vent flow?

when I turn on the heat, I normally select it to come out the foot warmers and rise to warm the rest of the car. When the car is in cooling mode, I set the system to deliver air out of the vents.

Neither of those scenarios would tend to overheat a GPS when using a vent mount.

As they say, in regard to preferences YMMV . . .

- Tom -

--
XXL540, GO LIVE 1535, GO 620

Ours worked/works fine

But we keep it clean and clean attach area

I'm sure Garmin knows about the problem.

I am sure Garmin knows about the problem. They send out a lot of those mounts as free replacements. I got at least two and it's not much of an improvement.

None, really.

Mountek

How about his from Mountek, DW and I both have one for our Iphones however you have to have a CD player to use this. http://www.mountek.com/Mountek-nG6000g-Mount-Garmin-StreetPi...

--
Retired Street Pilot C550, Garmin Drive 50 USA+CAN LMT 5, I phone 12 pro.

Another vote for the bean

Another vote for the bean bag mount. Works good and lasts long time.

.

My personal feeling on the matter is this:

Garmin provides a suction cup mount with all nuvi units, meant to be used either directly on the inside of the windshield or on the dash (or other location) using the supplied dash disk. The suction cup mount should hold the unit securely, using both methods provided.

Garmin's suction cup mount is not reliable using either method (direct to windshield or dash disk) and will likely release on it's own, especially in hot weather which could likely damage the unit from the fall.

Magellan units also supply a suction cup mount with their automotive units which stays stuck, regardless of heat, cold & vibration. It's easy to remove and re-mount without sacrificing it's stability or integrity.

The solution to the Garmin user should not have to be to buy a different mounting system (bean bag mount, RAM Mount, etc) to hold their GPS securely. If Garmin includes a mounting system, it should work as expected and hold the unit securely, especially in the extreme elements of a car exposed to heat, cold, vibration, etc. I applaud Garmin for replacing the suction cup mount for those people who have had it fail, but this should not be happening in the first place. It seem as though Garmin would rather replace these faulty units (and have the fault return again due to the mount's design) rather than re-engineer the mount. If a design is faulty, it should be re-engineered to work correctly & reliably.

--
nuvi 760, nuvi 765T, nuvi 855, nuvi 3790LMT, nuvi 3490LMT - SoCal area

When my mount was falling

When my mount was falling off saliva worked for weeks at a time. I now have the new vent mount and would never use a window mount again. No more rings on the glass and easy to reach now.

I tried all the "tricks"

I tried all the "tricks" mentioned in this thread. Nothing worked for more then a day or two. I gave up and bought a bean bag (or was it friction?) mount on ebay.

Vent mount is also a solution.

Even the Krazy Glue?

lewc wrote:

I tried all the "tricks" mentioned in this thread. Nothing worked for more then a day or two. I gave up and bought a bean bag (or was it friction?) mount on ebay.

Vent mount is also a solution.

mrgreen mrgreen mrgreen mrgreen mrgreen mrgreen mrgreen mrgreen mrgreen mrgreen mrgreen mrgreen

--
Striving to make the NYC Metro area project the best.

windshield mount falling off

Bean Bag mount is the way to go, at least for me. Extemely easy, solid, can put anywhere, not just on the dash.

My daughter has a mount that locks into the DVD player that will hold cell phone or GPS. She really likes it.

--
Dudlee

It's just not good enough.

Now it falls off every couple days like clockwork.

It is hot, for sure so that may be part of the problem.

But let me say this ain't my first rodeo, I have had Magellan and I never had this problem, I stuck that on the windshield and it stayed there until I removed it, something the garmin suction cup does not do.

Garmin has replaced it. I have cleaned it, cleaned the windshield, licked it, used nose grease, you name it. Everything.

It's just not good enough. They could indeed re-engineer it or use a slightly softer plastic for the molding, but they have not as far as I can tell.

You'd think an industry leader like Garmin would fix this problem.

Garmin Friction Mount

Had the same problem as you, so I decided to go
with the Garmin Friction Mount. Ever since purchasing this I never had a problem again plus I could see more from out the windshield.

I used velcro on mine

I attached velcro to the cup and put it on the windshield. Also used a little piece of styrofoam to prop it up a little so it doesn't wiggle. Problem solved!

--
Nuvi 2460LMT.

Bean Bag Mount after 3 years

The pedestal became separated from the bean bag on our recent trip. I bought some glue at Walmart & fixed it good enough to get home. Will get a new one from Amazon on my next order.

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1490LMT 1450LMT 295w

original mount

My observation is that original Garmin mount is of poor quality. Rubber sucking cup (this that touches windshield) with time develops cracks and is loosing its integrity, even if you don't remove mount from windshield at all. In addition this rubber is softening a lot when windshield is exposed to sunlight and temperature in locked car is raising. As I saw many other suction mounts that don't have this problems it must be poor choice of rubber that Garmin is using for its mounts.

my thoughts

I'm not sure about the mount losing integrity over time but I have noticed that it doesn't work well on my parents Mazda 3 compared to my Mitsubishi Lancer. I am not sure if it has to do with the curvature differences in the windshields or what but the suction cup refuses to stay on the Mazda. It stays fine on my Mitsubishi.

Friction mount

My wife got a new car and said I may not attach anything when we took it for a trip. So I got a friction mount and I rather like it. But the Garmin fell off that too. Several times in that first week. I put some vaseline on the suction cup and it's been OK since then. It's just a crummy suction cup.

Window mounts

Do your parents use any particular kind of window cleaner on the Mazda? If so it might leave a residue that the mount won't stick to.
Some people use a cleaner that stops fogging and that may not let the mount stick for long.

--
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things!

shape of windshield

might make a difference. To my eye it looks like some windshields have different curvatures. Suction cup might (more or less) work with some windshields but (almost) never with others.

My first Garmin was one of the Palm based units. It came with a dash mount. Later models switched to suction cup.

Suction cup must work for more people then we think.

I either didn't see

the krazy glue "suggestion" or assumed it was a joke. Not sure how to put icons in a post.......

I'm sure the glue sold in the auto part stores, used to attach a rear view mirror to a windshield, would work great.

edited to add That would probably make it hard to steal the GPS unit....Unless the thief didn't mind taking a small piece of windshield with the unit. Of course that would not only requiring using adhesive to attach the mount the the windshield but also to attach the GPS to the mount.

I found using the circle

I found using the circle that attaches to dashboard works much better than the windshield. occasionally it will come off if it is in direct sunlight but the GSP just falls over.

My mounting cup might fall

My mounting cup might fall off the windshield twice a year. I live in Dallas where the temperature often gets well over 100 degrees and in the direct sun it can be 130 degrees, with even higher temps inside the car.

I believe there are two key reasons why I rarely have my mount fall off the windshield.

First - I clean the interior of my windshield using only water and dry it with a soft cotton towel until all moisture has evaporated. No Windex or any type of cleaner or degreaser...because I hate it when after only a few days or a week you see streaks of the cleaner that was left behind. I only have to clean the interior of my windshield twice a year...and I am very particular about having a spotless windshield that does not have streaks.

Second - I add one drop of contact lense saline solution to the mounting cup before installing it onto the windshield. For some unknown reason [many years ago] I noticed when using saline solution that the rubber seal touching the glass is wider (meaning more contact area touching the glass). And the suction cup stays sealed. At least it does for me...

--
Politicians and Diapers must be changed often for the exact same reason...

Garmin mount is substandard.

You'd think an industry leader like Garmin would make a mount that works at least as good as Magellan, which is not Magellan anymore BTW, they are Mitac Digital, the company that made those cheap MIO units. They bought Magellan.

Admittedly I haven't had a Magellan post Magellan. So i can't say if those work OK anymore.

I have a Serius radio on a beanbag mount and it moves on the dash. Not trying to get another of those. Very unsatisfactory.

or...

farrissr wrote:

Get a bean bag and stop worrying and wondering....

Bean bags work well - I like vent mounts, very inexpensive on ebay, do have to be careful that you don't dammage your vent fins.

--
Garmin Drive Smart 61 NA LMT-S

.

Throughout this topic, there have been numerous suggestions (buy a bean bag mount) for bypassing the suction cup mounting system that Garmin provides. This is all fine and dandy but if the suction cup mount is not reliable, it should be re-engineered to be so. Using the provided suction cup mount and having your GPS fall to it's potential doom otherwise is not very reassuring. Plain and simple, the problem should be corrected in a way NOT requiring the end-user to have to purchase something else for the reliability. If other manufacturers (Magellan, TomTom, etc) can create a reliable suction cup mount, Garmin should take a cue from them because Garmin clearly does NOT have a reliable suction cup mount.

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nuvi 760, nuvi 765T, nuvi 855, nuvi 3790LMT, nuvi 3490LMT - SoCal area

True

Quote:

Plain and simple, the problem should be corrected in a way NOT requiring the end-user to have to purchase something else for the reliability.

I have purchased new pickups with poor shock absorbers. In both cases the factory swapped them out for new ones that were not any better. I bought new ones from Monroe that worked great. For a few extra bucks I was happy with the trucks, just like my Garmins with the bean bags.

--
1490LMT 1450LMT 295w

Windshield mount falling off

spokybob wrote:
Quote:

Plain and simple, the problem should be corrected in a way NOT requiring the end-user to have to purchase something else for the reliability.

I have purchased new pickups with poor shock absorbers. In both cases the factory swapped them out for new ones that were not any better. I bought new ones from Monroe that worked great. For a few extra bucks I was happy with the trucks, just like my Garmins with the bean bags.

Very well said.

--
3790LMT; 2595LMT; 3590LMT, 60LMTHD

Mine might fall off only once or twice a year.

DorkusNimrod wrote:

Throughout this topic, there have been numerous suggestions (buy a bean bag mount) for bypassing the suction cup mounting system that Garmin provides. This is all fine and dandy but if the suction cup mount is not reliable, it should be re-engineered to be so. Using the provided suction cup mount and having your GPS fall to it's potential doom otherwise is not very reassuring. Plain and simple, the problem should be corrected in a way NOT requiring the end-user to have to purchase something else for the reliability. If other manufacturers (Magellan, TomTom, etc) can create a reliable suction cup mount, Garmin should take a cue from them because Garmin clearly does NOT have a reliable suction cup mount.

I leave my GPS mounted on the windshield 24/7/365. I'll take it off the windshield two times a year to clean the windshield. Mine might fall off the windshield only once or twice a year. What is causing it to fall off more often for others?

--
Politicians and Diapers must be changed often for the exact same reason...

.

koot wrote:

What is causing it to fall off more often for others?

I think a lot of that depends on the vehicle and it's windshield. Windshield shape/curvature would, in my opinion, be a pretty big factor with flatter shapes having less of an issue. I personally think that Garmin's design is flawed because of the much stiffer black (heat absorbing) material used in the cup. Compare that to the very flexible and clear silicone designs that don't absorb *and retain* heat like black does, causing the air under the cup to expand much more than the clear silicone, causing premature release situations.

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nuvi 760, nuvi 765T, nuvi 855, nuvi 3790LMT, nuvi 3490LMT - SoCal area

Maybe I just have a very clean and very flat windshield

DorkusNimrod wrote:
koot wrote:

What is causing it to fall off more often for others?

I think a lot of that depends on the vehicle and it's windshield. Windshield shape/curvature would, in my opinion, be a pretty big factor with flatter shapes having less of an issue. I personally think that Garmin's design is flawed because of the much stiffer black (heat absorbing) material used in the cup. Compare that to the very flexible and clear silicone designs that don't absorb *and retain* heat like black does, causing the air under the cup to expand much more than the clear silicone, causing premature release situations.

May be... But like I've said, I don't have any problem with my black Garmin OEM suction cup using it here in Dallas with many 100+ degree days every summer. Maybe I just have a very clean and very flat windshield where my Garmin stays suction cupped year-round.

--
Politicians and Diapers must be changed often for the exact same reason...

the rubber rips away from the plastic

The only problem that I had occurred when the suction cup started ripping from the plastic that it is attached to. I suspect that many of the people also seeing problems are also experiencing a ripped suction cup base, but they read past the suggestion that they look into this and just complain or start becoming prophets of the bean bag. I guess that works for them, but I prefer fixing the problem. Last March I punched out the pin on my Garmin suction cup, dissembled it, glued the suction cup back onto the mount with a decent quality adhesive, let it set for 48 hours and reassembled it. My GPS has not fallen off the windshield since I repaired it properly, including a 3500 mile cross country trip.

That's not intended as an excuse for Garmin. The design is pretty poor to allow the suction cup base to rip away from the plastic in the first place. It might be made worse by people who don't use the little tab on the rubber to break the suction and apply excessive force. But I used the tab properly and still experienced a tear, although after about 3 years, not the couple of weeks that at least one other reported.

@ Frovingslosh...

Well said.

--
nuvi 760, nuvi 765T, nuvi 855, nuvi 3790LMT, nuvi 3490LMT - SoCal area

Falling Off

Time to go with the bean bag mount. It always works anywhere you put it.

--
Dudlee

I'll stick with usefulness and convenience

Dudlee wrote:

Time to go with the bean bag mount. It always works anywhere you put it.

Perhaps if you have arms like a basketball player then it might work, sort of. But I'm average height and if I put my GPS receiver on the dash, in the center so it isn't blocked by the steering wheel, it is too far to easily and safely reach or even see well. When I mount it with a suction cup to my windshield I place it nice and high, next to the rear view mirror. Because of the slope of the windshield, the receiver is much closer in this position and easier to reach and see.

I personally don't trust the bean bag mount to not become a flying hazard in a collision, and from experience do trust the windshield mount (particularly since I wrap the power cord around the mirror post twice "just in case"), but even if I believed the bean bag mount was safe I don't believe it can be as convenient.

Epoxy Works

Try using epoxy if all else fails.

When you sell the cars buy another mount.

--
romanviking

As others have said, specs of dust are the enemy of suction

So a quick swab of alcohol or cleaner to your windshield and the cup should increase the sticking time to a few weeks before it will fall off again. And usually as you are driving down the highway.

black Garmin OEM suction cup

DorkusNimrod wrote:

May be... But like I've said, I don't have any problem with my black Garmin OEM suction cup using it here in Dallas with many 100+ degree days every summer. Maybe I just have a very clean and very flat windshield where my Garmin stays suction cupped year-round.

You said black garmin OEM suction cup. Mine is clear plastic.

Is yours really black plastic, the suction cup itself I mean? If so we might be onto something.

Why doesn't my Garmin suction cup fall off?

I keep reading posts from people as if everyone's (repeat - EVERYONE'S) Garmin suction cup falls off their windshield. Does anyone care to explain why my Garmin suction cup doesn't fall off?

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Politicians and Diapers must be changed often for the exact same reason...

???

koot wrote:

I keep reading posts from people as if everyone's (repeat - EVERYONE'S) Garmin suction cup falls off their windshield. Does anyone care to explain why my Garmin suction cup doesn't fall off?

Better spit?

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

Read what I have said

Read what I have said about how to clean the windshield and using contact lense saline solution. My Garmin stays on the windshield 24/7 for six months at a time oftentimes in 100+ degree 'outside' temperatures that can get 160+ degrees inside. I clean my windshield every six months. My OEM Garmin suction cup might fall off once in six months...doubtful but maybe.

--
Politicians and Diapers must be changed often for the exact same reason...

I have used the suction cup

I have used the suction cup and the bean bag. I'll take the bean bag anyday over the suction cup.

Each vehicle/mounting strategy (for us) is different:

We have three vehicles in our family. Each is Nuvi capable; each employs a different mounting strategy. Not one vehicle's suction cup is set up as a windshield mount.

Some vehicles like the Subaru have a flat dash surface above the console stack, late model Nissans require some improvisation. Some creative use of thick LHS double stick mounting tape + a 20 yr piece of sheet acrylic cut just a little larger than the suction cup works in one vehicle, a mounting low on the center stack glove compartment works in the other. Regardless, not one of us would consider obscuring a windshield w/a 5" GPS, let alone risk it falling off from there while driving.

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