New Battery for my 255W

to hear you were able to keep the old gal working!

My 265W (basically a 255 with traffic cable) still works but I don't use it much anymore. I did a battery replacement about 6 years ago and bought a good set of jewelers screwdrivers for the task. It's amazing how many different sizes there are. You need an exact fit for those little devils or you risk damage.

Yep. Stripping the screws was pretty much my own fault rather than a mechanical problem. Rather than using my jewelers screwdrivers, I used what I had nearby and was too lazy to use the proper tools. I paid the price.

The good news is that the two screws in the bottom aren't very necessary. The case snaps back together just fine without them.

Others trying to keep their older GPS units going. I have a Nuvi 765 that I really liked, so much so that when the original one got stolen, I found a used one to replace it on eBay. I replaced batteries on them too. But, then tragedy struck... the glass screen suddenly cracked, with no direct cause like after dropping it. This time after scouring the internet, I was not able to find a way to get it repaired or replaced. Replacement screens, or even full units, are just no longer in stock anywhere that I could find. I still have it, and would use it if ever I could find a way. I have since moved on to a Drivesmart 55, which I like a lot now too... but I still miss some of the unique features on the old 765, like the built in mp3 player.

One example, just short of $40 including shipping can be found at https://www.ebay.com/itm/115445335712. Several other units “best offer” for less.

Keep an eye out at Goodwill or other thrift shops. I occasionally see old GPS devices for ~$5. I've already got a spare 255W in case mine breaks, but I've seen other nicer units as well.

Indeed. My Drivesmart is a refurb, but the nüvi 65 I have I purchased from a thrift store and rehabbed. It's now my backup device.

Which brings me to one other topic: map updates. I purchased some five different units from thrift stores. Apparently no one knew or cared that they had at least one free map update.

Garmin at this time doesn't care how old your device is when it comes to map updates. In addition to the nüvi 65 (2014) I had purchased from the thrift store a 1450 (2010?), 255W (2008?), 205W, and 200W (2006). Every single one received their one free updated map (2023.20), and some of these units are 15 years old. In the nüvi 65's case, this was its first map update.

Thanks Strephon for sharing your experience with map updates on old dormant Garmin devices. It confirms my suspicion that Garmin does not aggressively enforce their 2-year update policy. I suspect they might pull the trigger on that policy if support is required, especially if the user raises a fuss.

If I needed to replace one of my old Garmin devices, I would take my chances on a reasonably priced used unit that originally had lifetime map updates, even if that unit has not been updated for a long time.

I've purchased & resold quite a few older Garmins and have never had any problems with map updates.

I do know of a fellow eBay vendor who had a problem but it turned out the GPSr was reported to Garmin as stolen.

Pawn shops were also a good place to find used, cheap GPSr's. I used to browse in these shops regularly but their supply has been dwindling in the last few years, likely due to low prices.

The advent of smartphones and in dash navigation has cut into the market.

If you had a unit that didn't have lifetime updates and really needed a map update, the maps from OpenMapChest (using OpenStreetMap data) work reasonably well, though search does need some work. I actually use OpenMapChest for Central America, since Garmin's definition of North America stops at the southernmost point in Mexico when the accepted definition actually extends down through Panama.

Until I got my Drivesmart, the 65LMT was the main unit and my 1300LM the backup. Now the 1300LM - with a new battery - sits in its box, while I wait patiently for a chance to pick up a 1300-series for dirt cheap so I can harvest its shell as a replacement for the cracked one my 1300LM now carries.

Agreed upon on your wishes but wanna to add more:

- New GPS don't show all information. You have only Headup option only which is limited ONLY 3 options That's not enough to say

- New GPS don't have ECO mode as Old one, you need separate cable which is useless and it need to open Bluetooth option but old one did it nicely within their cable, except old one don't have option for Hybrid car

- New GPS cannot use at any direction except super big one as 8 inches now and don't have camera. That means lot of redundant options to have more.

- New GPS still slow somehow despite of very small upgrade in tech

- 3D terrain and building is very limited in new GPS while old one can show lot of more

- The OLD's can have traffic without Internet but new one need to have telephone with APPs installed to get more info, that's lot of stressful option to sit in the car and prep to have the right connection, don't say yet if somewhere as the place in I-95 lot of mountain and don't have yet internet, you're out of luck and it's showing some irrelevant route, that's terrible.

Lot of more and that's why we do love classic OLD one while it last, except very hard to find batteries to replace!

I got nearly more than 10 GPS within Garmin and Tomtom, but somehow as you said earlier: got to love new tech and missing th nice Old tech in last many decades!

Yours!

I agree that it is becoming more difficult to find replacement batteries. I'm not sure how compatible the batteries are amongst varying models, but this is where I got the replacement battery for my 255W, for a total of $7.80, shipped:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832875120294.html

I have a pair of nüvi 760s that I've kept alive all these years. Nothing newer will play my audio books through the stereo and then pause the book, give me directions, and resume the book. Battery replacement wasn't difficult so I just kept them going. I looked online last year "just because" and found a 760 for sale that purported to be "new". Hardly seems likely...

Replacement batteries are readily available on Amazon. I purchased the replacement battery for my 1300LM there, though that battery also fits the 2x0, 2x5 series and more.