DS 65 Battery Needs Replacing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxyyRce93yg

I haven't watched this particular video, but I think I've seen one or two shortly after getting my DS65. Your biggest issue is going to be the screws. The video should clarify this but given it's from a battery vendor on Amazon it doesn't. If you don't get their full kit you will need a T5 Torx screwdriver and a plastic pry tool to open up the case.

It's easier just to get their complete kit as it provides the tools. However just the battery can be ordered if you're like me and have the tools.

First of all it should be noted that by specification Garmin says battery life is “up to one hour”. If the OP’s battery life is substantially less than that and If the OP is intimidated to DIY there is a nationwide company that is generally known for fixing phones but at least in my location they will fix a GPS. The website to find locations can be found at https://www.ubreakifix.com/store-locator. They have sources for the battery and it usually takes them 1 to 2 days to get it.

Thanks to Strephon_Alkhalikoi for the video link & John From PA, for the info about the one hour battery life.

I just had it fully charged and got just over one hour. The video showed me that it was more work, than I wanted to bother with in the first place. John's info showed me that even replacing the battery would gain me nothing.

I bought this about 3 years ago and I don't use it all that often. It's always plugged in if I do or if I'm playing around to plan out a trip.

I see by your profile that you live in Ontario but even so, when not in use, tuck it away somewhere that isn’t in direct sun. In the winter months, consider keeping it indoors. It’s temperature extremes that kill these batteries.

I simply must be lucky. I don't remove my GPS from my dashboard, and have never had a problem with batteries going belly up due to heat. In fact, to this day my ancient 200W is on the same battery that Garmin installed in it, and it was on my dashboard daily for years. Now, there's no way in hell that I'd ever get the estimated 2 hrs battery life out of a battery old enough to vote, but I simply have never had need to change it.

Just to clarify, I am the exception, not the rule! John is right in that to prevent thermal runaway you want to keep the battery away from excessive heat.

I guess I'm lucky, too, as my actions and results are the same as yours.

I do make sure to power down the GPS models I have when they're not in use, and 1-hr of battery life when not supplying external power is more than acceptable to me as I only use my devices in a vehicle with external power. The only time I let my Garmin to "sleep" is when I know I'll return to the car in the next hour or so.

My DS65 is permantly mounted and plugged into the ACC supply on my SUV. During the winter I do get occasionally "battety low" alarms when first starting my vehicle, but it does not "seem" to affect the operation.

I do have my DS76 on a beanbag mount, as Rhode Island is one of those states that is a bit picky about GPS mounts (non-transparent materials not allowed), but it is plugged in all the time. Apparently my car is one of those that does not cut power to the power port when the car is shut off, so I have to manually turn off the DS76.

Both my DS65 & NUVI 2555 LMT are kept indoors & in the bottom of a cabinet, better than 95% of the time. We only use it on when we go on an unfamiliar road trip, when I need help on the directions & traffic.

Only trips planned so far are to Pelee Island, in 2 weeks & Montreal, & Quebec City and rural Quebec Province, in September. Otherwise, I know how to get to any other Ontario destinations.

hello

On my DS55 when I charge the battery to 100% and then power it off, the battery is completely dead in about 7-10 days. Not sure what's killing the battery because I rarely use the GPS. Happens every time and it's kept on the house. Not going to bother replacing the battery because when it's in use, it's plugged into the car anyways. This doesn't happen on my 1390T or 2495LMT though.

Do you power it OFF or just put it into standby?

During the serious part of COVID with little driving I had a few episodes of low battery on my DS-51 and I learned to use shutdown rather than sleep.

OTOH why does the battery matter in an auto? I haven't had unreliable 12V since the first Peloponnesian War. A feature that I tried a few times is sending a waypoint representing where I parked to the phone app which takes 12 or 15 seconds. That is my only use for he battery and if I think I'll need navigation help back to the car I'll get out the handheld GPS.

I have on occasion programmed an extensive trip into the device while inside the house.

The only time I use the Nuvi without 12V power is to adjust settings or waypoint navigation without having the vehicle ACC switch on, maybe 5 minutes tops. I never leave units in standby and always power down when not in use.

When uploading maps, waypoints and firmware, the unit is inside, either on AC power or plugged into a USB computer port.

Over the Years, I have never had to replace a battery in any of my 20 or so GPSr's. Sure, some only stay booted for a few minutes, but that's all I need. Yes, there are some units that won't boot with a bad battery, and maybe I've been lucky, but I've never had that issue.

This is just my experience though, and I understand others may need longer battery life. YMMV.

I've got lots of experience outside the GPS world with old batteries swelling, leaking, and otherwise doing things you do not want happening inside a sensitive unit.

Does anyone think it may be wise to replace a badly age GPS battery in order to avoid that kind of trouble?

Powered off by holding the power button for 2sec or more and then pressing "Off".

It doesn't matter in the car when it's always plugged into but I find it odd that my DS55 goes completed dead in 7-10 days just sitting there.

…I’ve had a bulging battery in a Samsung phone cause a crack in the screen. The back of the phone was quite distorted so there was probably some warning which wasn’t visible due to a protective case.

There is some unsubstantiated evidence on the web that seems to support that if the GPS is truly OFF (via the power switch), the Bluetooth is still in some state of being on and looking for a connection. It is called Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). I know that on my nuvi 2689 the Bluetooth is disabled in settings and the device holds power well. Just to see I took it out of the car a few minutes ago and it shows a full charge and the last time it was used was Easter, some 5 weeks ago. My Bluetooth is disabled in settings.

Bluetooth on my DS55, 1390T and 2495LMT are all off. Only the DS55 battery always dies.

Bluetooth on my DS55, 1390T and 2495LMT are all off. Only the DS55 battery always dies.

Battery leakage isn't really an issue with Lithium Ion batteries. It's the swelling and increased potential for thermal runaway inside the battery itself. With virtually all Garmin devices, they have a lot of air space inside the casing, which makes it difficult to notice if the battery has swollen. The only thing to do in that instance is pay attention to the battery life, which given our GPSrs are connected to a power source, is difficult to detect.

Replacing the battery in older devices is the solution to ensure the battery doesn't ignite and take your car with it. It's not difficult to get into most devices, though I understand not everyone wants to go through the process. A select few devices are even easier than the norm, like my 3550LM. The back of that device pops off like a smartphone of the same vintage (2012-2013).

Replacing the battery also ensures the GPSr doesn't become e-waste.