Nuvi 2589 Battery Won't Hold A Charge

Many of the newer Garmin nuvi's go into "sleep mode" by default when you shut them down. This allows for a fast boot up, but they do continue to draw from the battery while in sleep mode. You can do a full power off by pressing and holding the power button untill you get the prompt to power down.

I concur with Alan. Check to make sure you are actually powering the unit down rather than putting it to sleep.

Today's Garmin GPSs use more power than previous units. The screens are bigger with higher resolution and many more features have been added. The processors are hotter. All this requires a lot of power.

Alandb is correct. The older nuvis had no "sleep". When they were off they were really off. Turn off the 2589 before storage by holding the power button for 5 seconds. A popup appears - touch "turn off."

Car cigar lighter outlets do not appear to have any standard. They are notoriously troublesome. If one is intermittent, replace it.

In colder areas, GPS or cell phone batteries are just like car batteries - when cold, their capacity is reduced 50 percent!

Get a Garmin wall charger. Use it every time you put the nuvi back in service. A computer USB port or an off-brand wall charger will probably be limited to 500 mA (or 1/2 an amp) while the Garmin will supply one amp. See Cyberian75's FAQ for the reason why:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/46169

dobs108

If Car charger won't charge and USB cable does... (Though battery doen't hold charge long) you may have 2 problems....

I agree battery is one of them.... My 660 ended up needing a battery after 5 years... It was painful to change, but do-able.

But for kicks check to see if car charger has a fuse it it, and maybe it's blown?

On my Nuvi 2597 I will occasionally get a low battery notification as the vehicle starts. Mine is hardwired and stays in the vehicle most of the time. I am assuming it is due to the cold (-15 C or lower) in my garage and the battery indication comes on before the car provides charging power. The battery icon always shows full??

I agree with Alandb, DorkusNimrod, and Dobs108 statements regarding Sleep Mode.

From Garmin Manual of the 2689:
Entering Sleep Mode
You can use sleep mode to conserve battery power when your device is not in use. While in sleep mode, your device uses very little power and can wake instantly for use.
TIP: You can charge your device faster by putting it in sleep
mode while charging the battery
Press The Power Key

Exiting Sleep Mode
1-Hold the power key until a prompt appears on the screen.
The prompt appears after five seconds. If you release the power key before the prompt appears, the device enters sleep mode.
2- Select Off.

Keep in mind if the battery is in a weak state the GPS will shut down since it won’t complete he boot cycle. Also, sometimes the battery is so weak it may shut down EVEN THOUGH you have it plugged into the car when traveling on a route.

It would be smart to invest in a Garmin wall charger since it charges faster than a USB connector from your PC . USB connects only at .500 amps, the Garmin wall charger charges at 1 amp.

There is probably nothing wrong with the 2597. A car battery's normal operation is to stay at about 12.5 volts when the car is not running. When the engine is cranked for starting, the battery voltage drops as low as about 10 volts for as long as it takes to get started.

It could be that this normal voltage drop is being sensed by the 2597. But there is a possibility that the car battery is weak or its connections are faulty, so the voltage drop is bigger than normal.

Your mechanic can do a cranking voltage test by connecting a voltmeter across the battery terminals and crank the engine for 15 seconds. If the cranking voltage is as low as 9.6 volts at 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) think about replacing the battery.

If the battery is at least 4 years old consider replacing it anyway. Also check both wires that go to the battery terminals, and the other end of those wires at the starter and engine block (ground). The ground is an often-neglected connection that may not be easily visible.

If you own a late-model car don't think you are immune to these possibilities. Manufacturers have been shrinking the terminals and the battery size and using advanced battery designs such as AGM, which in my opinion does not live up to its billing. I have installed the best lead-acid (traditional) battery I can find in my car.

dobs108

Been a while since I've been on site, but just wanted to say thanks for all the helpful replies.

Small li-ion, ni-cad batteries etc. will not function adequately at very low temps. Even car batteries are effected but as long as they are healthy will continue to perform due to their size and power. Cell phones, GPS's, laptops etc will not work at those temps.

My Garmin 2555lmt still work fine. 70% of the time plug in while driving. Never let the battery empty when store for long time.

I have two 2460's that won't hold a charge for more than a couple minutes but do work fine when powered through the mount/cable. I've never really used them without being mount powered and have often wondered if that's why the batteries no longer hold a charge.

Costco is great for returns.
Every time my sister mucks up her Nuvi (usually after a map update) she returns it.