DriveLuxe 51 Challenges

I have two 3597's and one DriveLuxe 51. They are all excellent devices and the DriveLuxe is a good replacement/backup for a 3597 IMO, although I prefer the 3597.

The DriveLuxe 51 had a reputation of high failure rate when it was still being sold. The first one I purchased (as a factory refurb) failed within the first week of use and was replaced by the seller. The second one has been problem free. I think most failures occurred early in the life of the unit, so at this late stage, if the device is working properly, you are probably reasonably safe.

Did you by chance look at the listing?
I was wondering if anybody who had purchased refurbs if this one looked complete and from a reasonable source.

Quoting “All Amazon Renewed purchases will come with accessories that may not be original but will be compatible and fully functional. No headphones or SIM card will be present. Amazon Renewed products will be packaged in either original packaging or in a new and clean cardboard box. The products will have batteries which exceed 80% capacity relative to new. Product will be restored to its original factory settings and will be in one of the following conditions:”

One issue I see is the condition isn’t defined, or perhaps I missed it.

Be aware, one review states
“Only tracks traffic if you use your phone connection and data to do so.”

What in the box (as supplied by Garmin” can be seen at https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/552012. Of note is Garmin supplies a magnetic mount. That would give me issues as not much in my car is magnetic and I’m not one to glue things to the dash.

Magnetic is unit to mount, not mount to car.

Might be some better deals. And in my onetime experience, I could not tell a “refurb”unit I purchased from new. See https://www.gpscity.com/refurbished/&p=1&a=0&c=3&t=automotiv...

Decided that Amazon is my best shot at returning if it is a total disaster.
Let you know what I get.

Like alandb, I have both.

Your later post shows that you've ordered one, cassel. Good move. I think you'll like it.

I've used my DL 51 as my primary GPS rather than the n3597 for the past couple of years or more. Mine was a used ebay purchase.

Here are my thoughts. As alandb pointed out, the DL 51s had issues when they first came out. I did see some random reboots of mine early on but its performed flawlessly for at least a couple of years now through very hot summers and cold winters. I don't think there was any firmware update, so I haven't figured out how it "cured" itself.

Since you're buying from Amazon, you have the free return choice. This would be the thing I'd check upon its arrival. Make sure the magnetic mount is part of the purchase. The mag mount clips into the ball socket of the Garmin dashboard mount and is tightly held by the GPS device itself. The back of the GPS is a slightly rounded flush surface while the black mag mount, about 3/4" by 3", sticks out the back and is removable with a firm pull. The reason I'm saying this is that the photos of the Amazon refurb really don't show the back but one photo shows a hint of the top of the mount. What bothered me was the listing's statement:

Mounting Type Dashboard Mount, found in image

rather than just saying all is included.

As originally offered by Garmin, the DL 51 came with a GTM60 traffic/power cable. (This is also true for the nuvi 3597.) If FM traffic is desired, make sure you didn't get a generic power cord without traffic. However, if using the Smartphone app which is so much better than FM or HD traffic, I wouldn't worry.

The DL51 can receive updates directly from Wi-fi but can also use a cable-connected-to-computer with Garmin Express for updates. Make sure if using the cable update method that the cable is connected to the DL51's USB socket, not the mag mount's USB socket.

We'd love to hear what you got and how you like it.

Later: Oops, rereading the listing, I see:

Premium 5.0-Inch Capacitive touch GPS navigator with an elegant metal design and secure magnetic mount for easy stow and go

so I assume the mount will arrive with the device.

Amazon delivery showed up late yesterday. Unboxed this morning, total disaster. The box wasn't a Garmin original but was labeled DriveLuxe 51 NA LMT-S. Inside was a DriveSmart 51 with all the correct cables and mounts. Battery was dead so I charged it while on the phone.

Spent over a hour on the phone with 2 Amazon CS reps, then tech support who disconnected not understanding the issue. Call back from elevated CS rep who said another DL would be sent to arrive next Tue. Asked if it could be sooner with no assurance except "I'll check if Amazon policy will allow". She said I could keep the DS until it arrived.

Decided to go ahead and check out the DS. Found the maps were 2019.10 and firmware was quite dated as well. Updated maps/firmware all successfully. In playing around with it I found several changes from my 3597. Orientation is not automatic is my biggest concern. Is that also true on the DriveLuxe? The low quality screen shouldn't be an issue if a DL is provided.

My 2nd vehicle is 2014 without a backup cameras. I miss it sometimes. I bought a BC-40 from local WalMart as a closeout for less than $100 a while back. I had planned to use in landscape mode when starting up and switching to portrait mode(my preferred orientation) for navigation. Kind of a pain to go through all the steps to change orientation on the DS.

Are there any other differences from those of you that have had both 3597 and DriveLux? Does anybody know off hand if DriveLuxe 50 is compatible with a BC-40?

Has anyone run across "Enterprise Devices"? See this Garmin page https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=BkImnytVPJ3L6ugUAVeP0A...
Turns out the DriveSmart 51 Amazon sent me is an Enterprise Device device and Restricted Mode can't be disabled. Making it pretty useless for navigation.
Is Enterprise referring to the rental car company?

It’s been a couple of years but I’ve heard of a Garmin GPS where the restricted device setting is disabled by Garmin. The instance I heard of was where the device was supplied by Garmin to a car rental company. It will be severely hampered in its capability. In addition to your link, see https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=MWKA62V1tO2tnHK7qI6hY8.

I would wait it out until the 2nd unit arrives on Tuesday. Hopefully you will get a fully functional unit.

This by the way is why I don’t buy “renewed" (or refurbished) from Amazon. I’ve done so twice and in both instances there were issues. Personally I can’t help but think they do not much more than wipe off fingerprints, turn things on for 10 seconds, and box it up, hopefully with the original accesories.

I've ordered and resold many 3597's and DL 51's on eBay. I currently have 3 of each model. I usually travel with both booted at the same time, one with north up orientation and the other with track up. Using two units allows me to navigate to side locations without interrupting my primary route.

I think the 3597 and DL51 are the best units Garmin has produced to date. I wish the mag mounts were compatible though. I do prefer the 3597's green shaded topography and the external speaker in the mount but I like the Wi-Fi update capability of the DL. The DL is also compatible with my BC40 camera.

I've had much better luck buying refurb GPS units on eBay than Amazon. The only advantage is, Amazon has a faster return policy.

The safest way to buy refurbs, when they are available, is from a reputable source like GPS City.

I'll wait and see what arrives tomorrow but I'm doubtful. The seller did contact me first thing this morning and is going to investigate their inventory. Offered to check on other options if the next unit arrives incorrect.

I loaded European open maps on my 3597 when I went to Spain. They worked surprisingly well, except I couldn't get them to route me on the road I wanted to take. After a while it finally desisted in trying to turn me around and recalculated the route I wanted.
But I guess it works the same in the US. I just don't try to take a different route. Well, that isn't always true. But it seams to get me on the route I want quicker.
Anyway, it worked to get me there.

New unit arrived Weds but I was travelling until today. Amazon sent another box labeled DriveLuxe 51 with a DriveSmart 51LMT in it. This one also appears to be an Enterprise version. I'm not even going to bother and charge it up.
I'm waiting on hold with Amazon CS now.

This doesn't let us have much confidence in the Amazon Renewed Store. I wouldn't be surprised if every Amazon Renewed DriveLuxe is really a lesser DriveSmart.

I wonder if Amazon has its own Renewed staff or if it's contracted out.

Amazon Renewed is the equivalent of Best Buy's open box sales. They only make sure everything is in the box and is working. So, purchasing Amazon Renewed products always has an element of risk, and sometimes it doesn't work out, like in this case.

My experience with getting a GPS off Amazon was a bit different. My DriveSmart 65 came in an official Garmin refurb box with everything it needed to work. The key difference between my experience and cassel's is that while both devices were bought off Amazon, mine was sold by a third party rather than Amazon itself.

With Best Buy you can usually get a "hands on" experience. I have purchased open box at Best Buy and have had positive experiences in all cases except one. I usually check the item carefully in the store for my own satisfaction but I did have one device that would power off randomly, but after an extended period of time. I returned it to the store, dealt with the manager, and he simply provided me with a new product.

The OP's purchase was supplied by New Life Deals. If you explore their "Storefront" and further narrow it down to GPS's, you will find that they also sell a few products labeled as "Certified Refurbished".

Hopefully the OP will leave an appropriate review that can prevent the next buyer from having a similar issue. I note at the moment that (5) are shown in stock.

I was offered a replacement by New Life Deals. I'l see what that is before leaving a review.

I'm not sure I'd give them the opportunity of a 3rd chance.

A response from New Life Deals simply stated they couldn't provide the unit listed.
I'm looking at used ones but leary of amazon.
Researched the DriveSmart line and feel it is a step backwards from 3597 and the DriveLuxe series. ie no magnet mount, downloading waypoints and routes from Mapsource or BaseCamp seems to be a challenge for many.

There is/was a thread on this forum back in 2018 mentioning then that it was difficult to acquire a refurbished DL 51. So if you find a DL 51 now, used on eBay, check the pictures carefully and also check the seller’s other items. I personally feel better buying from an individual as opposed to some seller with hundreds of items.

There's a Seller with 97.8% feedback with a DL51 right now. I would probably avoid sellers with this low rating but the DL51 that the Seller's been trying to sell for ages is especially a no-go. There is no charger or mount provided. The device may be useful as a backup to someone already using a DL51, but not as a complete and useful unit. Also, the $100 Buy It Now is too high, which the Seller should have realized after not selling for many many weeks.

Since the seller has had the item posted since January 2023 I wonder if you contacted him/her and offered something like $25 + a reasonable shipping, say $10, if they would part with the unit. I would specifically point out the need to further purchase the mount and charger.

By the way, the seller also has 38 items of consumer electronics available. This is the type of seller I'd be cautious of. What are his sources? Goodwill perhaps, where I have seen GPS units for $10!

Before buying units like this on eBay that have missing parts, ask the vendor for the serial#. Then check with Garmin to see if it was reported stolen. If the serial# is on the Garmin stolen list, you will not be able to register the unit and get map updates.

Ask me how I know.

Bought a used DriveLuxe 51 LMT-S it arrived and it was too old to update maps. Amazon shipped a second one it arrive a couple hours ago and voila, it updated to 2024.1 & acquires satellites. Now will just have to check out connecting to BC40 and it will be a success.
Can't believe I have gone through all this for a backup.

Big congrats to you for your success

Your message also confirms that Garmin's "lifetime" definition may in fact be enforced on Garmin devices that haven't been updated in two or more years.

The old adage "Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch" came true.
Paired up to BC40 but started acting up with the screen not responding. After hard reset 4th one is acting reasonably normal but time will tell. No Galileo sats showing up even though firmware is 6.70.
Is erratic behavior a common failure on these?

I don't have or use a BC40, so I can't answer whether there are issues on the DriveLuxe 51 with that.

Early failure of the DriveLuxe 51 was reported by numerous POI Factory members, but I don't recall that any of them were tied specifically to using the BC40. Usually, the device would lock up and fail to reboot sucessfully. It happened to me within the first week of owning my first DriveLuxe 51 refurb. The seller (the GPS Store) replaced the defective unit and the replacement has worked well for the most part, although it does occasionally go bonkers and has to be rebooted. It has never been as stable as my good ol' nuvi 3597's. If I ever need to replace it, I would probably look for a used 3597 rather than another DriveLuxe.

I can't address the random behavior but on the Galileo satellite(s) situation, Galileo is a European system. Would it even be able to be received in the States? There is a coverage map at https://www.gsc-europa.eu/system-service-status/galileo-perf... but I have never seen it show anything except Europe, regardless of time of day. Another point, see the content at https://galileognss.eu/why-galileo-is-not-seen-in-united-sta... and read specifically the section titled "Mystery solved."

I'd also add that about 18% of the reviews on Amazon are in the "1" or "2" category; not exactly stellar. That essentially means 1 out of 5 buyers weren’t terribly happy with the purchase. Many commented "do not buy" or "would not buy again".

See:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/49504

I also found a nice coverage map at https://in-the-sky.org/satmap_worldmap.php. You can check off exactly what type of satellite you want to see, then hit F5 (refresh) or Enter (at least on my WIn10) laptop, and the map updates showing your selections. It updates every few seconds and at present shows a few Galileo satellites over the continental US.

The issue receiving satellites was resolved after a call to Garmin support. They also were very helpful on reinstating map updates.
I now have 2 DL51s that I'm testing to see if all functions work and reliability.

Common on both
2024.10 Maps
Linked to BC40 no issues.
Link to iPhones no problems

A few anomalies in the units.

DL51-1:
Has a 1st fix date of April 14, 2019 2:57:35 PM.
2 partitions show when connected as mass storage on a PC. A "Garmin DriveLuxe" partition and a "GARMIN" partition. No SD Card installed.

DL51-2:
Doesn't have a date in GarminDevice.xml file.
1 partition named "Internal Storage"
Has Settings> Driver Assistance> Proximity Alerts not on DL51-1

Trying to decide on keeping 1 or both.

Given the issues you had trying to buy a DL51, and thinking that the era of Garmin's On The Road devices will never make another model as good as the nuvi 3597 and DL 51, there's some peace of mind in having a backup unit, even if it's never needed.

I have two DL51s and to keep each up to date with maps, custom POis, software, and battery charge, I alternate them monthly, one in use and the spare stored in my trunk...or whatever the back of a Crosstrek is called. I also use Garmin Express Utility's backup and transfer/restore feature when I add a Saved Place to the one in use.

PS: I am curious as to the solution to the Galileo issue Garmin gave you.

The release notes for software version 6.00 state (in part)

“Ver. 6.00 - 03/27/2019
Enabled Galileo satellite support.”

There are also some indications that you can access a satellite screen by pressing the signal strength indicator for three or more seconds. Perhaps that will lead you to a screen to verify the feature is enabled.

I've had 2 calls with Garmin support in the last week or so and both have been exceptional.

The first call was basically to understand DL51 capabilities. That was solved with an email follow up with in-depth details beyond the User's Manual.

When I determined my 51s were not performing to full capabilities I called a second time. The agent had me try numerous reboots on both then I was instructed to look at the files and delete GarminDevice.xml.

After another set of reboots both 51s are fully up to date. A comment was made "we did a little bit on our end".

Going for a drive today to try them both out.

I'm curious about where Amazon is sourcing these DL51's. They obviously aren't Garmin refurbs. It appears some are returns from Enterprise but not all.

Years ago, Garmin abruptly discontinued the DL51 series within a year of their original release. There were many rumors as to why, but many agree it was due to erratic behavior.

FWIW, I bought a lot of ten 51's shortly after they were discontinued and resold them on eBay. I received no buyer complaints or return requests.

Several years after they were discontinued, Garmin released a flood of factory refurbished 51's through outlets like GPS City and GPS Depot. Like Alan and a few others here, I bought two. One proved to have the erratic behavior. I returned it to GPS City and a replacement was shipped. Both have been functioning normally for several years, including use with a BC40 camera.

For now, it appears one might be better off buying from eBay rather than Amazon.

A few days ago you mentioned that of the two DL51’x only one had an “iFix” entry in the Garmin Device.xml file. Now you’ve mentioned you were told to delete the GarminDevice.xml file. Two questions; was the file recreated and if it was does it have an iFix entry?

The GarminDevice.xml was recreated in both units and still doesn't have an iFix entry in DL51-2.

I found GE will not transfer Favorites from my 3597s to the DL-51s.
I ended up uploading the Waypoints(Favorites) from a 3597 to Mapsource and then downloading the Waypoints(Favorites) to both DL51s. That worked just fine but DL51s don't support the same Symbols on the map on downloading.
Is the nomenclature or definition of Favorites different from the 2 models?

Back from my drive. Used each DL51 for about 2 hours.
Updated Notes:
DL51-1
Preformed without incident.
Haven't found a way to test whether Proximity Alerts make any difference as I haven't used them in the past.

DL51-2
Lost Bluetooth connection with iPhone on every restart. Also lost BT occasionally while driving.

Touch screen gets flakey(sp) and lags occasionally. Noticed this more while attaching and disconnecting it to my PC. During both phone calls with Garmin, the reps mentioned more than once the battery in the DL51 was a problem and might be accounting for some of the errors while we were working with them.

Has anyone else seen this problem? Is a battery replacement difficult or even possible?

I've done a battery replacement on a DL50 some years ago. From what I can remember, getting apart was half (3/4) of the challenge. I recall using a half inch wide tool to pry down between the display and case at the left/right ends (held in landscape mode). The rest seemed fairly simple.

Unit still works today (or did last summer when I did the last road trip). Haven't gone anywhere this summer, and not likely to.

I’ve replaced the battery in numerous Garmins and most are very easy to do. Get your replacement battery from “Newpower” because it comes with the tools you’ll need. A video can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqx7UHmHfVk

I’ve replaced the battery in numerous Garmins and most are very easy to do. Get your replacement battery from “Newpower” because it comes with the tools you’ll need. A video can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqx7UHmHfVk

I also have 3597s as well as DL51s. I'll have to check and see if the GE transfers fail for me too. I'm not sure that I've ever tried going from nuvi to Drive or D to N.

My Android smartphone Bluetooths to the Garmin for GPS things and connects to the car's audio system/screen for phone calls and texts. I did have some pairing and remembering settings issues early on but they seem to have resolved themselves. I can't rule out human error early on.

I really miss the old battery replacements involving a few screws. The use of a spudger tool always fills me with fear but it seems to be the way that cell phones and GPS devices are going. At least this YouTube doesn't indicate the need to heat up the device before spudging to soften glue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLZmV1ZvU5Y

DL 51’s had a fair number of complaints about the USB port being intermittent. Unfortunately a new replacement port isn’t easy to find so the typical attempt at repair is re-soldering the connections to the circuit board. Give the port a good blast of compressed dry air and then retest before opening it for a USB port repair attempt.

The mini USB charge port is soldered to a board so you will need some soldering skills and tools to effect the repair. You will also have to source a compatible mini USB port as a replacement and that isn’t easy. Not all mini USB ports are the same as they can vary as to the number and position of the mounting lugs on the case of the port. These lugs are used to secure the port to the board and have to match the lug soldering point positions on the board they are being used on. I also seem to remember that there are two differing types of USB port depending on the device vintage.

Another possibility is the battery but a replacement isn't needed.

Given that Garmin tech support suggested some of the issues could be due to the battery and that cassel just received the two DL51s, it could just be a lack of charge.

Cassel, unless you've already done this, if using a AC adapter to charge the devices, let it run at least overnight. And if charging in a vehicle via the "cigarette lighter" port, let it charge for a couple/few hours.

Even after a full 24 hrs in car charger TS was failing so DL51-2 went back to amazon. I'll keep working with DL51-1 for now.

Did you swap the cable between the two units to insure you don't have a defective traffic cable?

I tried 2 GM60s and a USB cable to a wall plug. Did find that the USB cable that was shipped with DL51s won't transfer data to my PC, they will only charge the device.
I've contacted Amazon since I still have one of the DL51s. Hopefully they will supply a compatible cable.

Amazon took over 3 weeks but did supply a new USB cable that transfer data and charges. At first the CS Rep wanted to send me a Garmin OEM cable from Amazon UK. She sent a message back that the seller wouldn't ship to US so offered an Amazon branded cable. All works now.

There are as mentioned here two types of USB cables; power only and power + data. But beyond that, some “generic” cables don’t work well with Garmins’ because the OEM cable for many models incorporates a resistor between pins 4 & 5. That enables the device to detect what it thinks is a genuine OEM cable. See http://cooperbaker.com/home/other/garmin%20usb/ for one type of hack that overcomes the issue.