Intermittent power supply

[gv550]

With my 395 mounted in the bike cradle with the power leads connected directly to the battery, my GPS frequently (2-3 times a week) looses power and begins the shut-down routine, but usually powers up again within a minute. I've cleaned the contact buttons and spring-loaded pins with contact cleaner but the problem persists.
I bought a second cradle and harness (new, from Garmin) for my second bike and it's actually worse, shuts down several times in an afternoon ride.
What do I need to do to make reliable contacts?

[advnzer]

i may be completely of base here but does the 395 have a replaceable battery pack like the Montana.That unit has trouble with the battery pack contacts to the unit and the fix is to make sure the battery pack is held tight(think of a foam earplug) within the cavity once the "door" is closed.

[gv550]

The battery doesn't appear to be serviceable or removable, like it was in my 660. There is no access cover on the GPS, and the owners manual makes no mention of the battery whatsoever.

[kernowing]

Is this the same problem as here? :- viewtopic.php?f=8&t=255

[gv550]

Thanks for the replies.
I read the other post and that appears to be a problem with the battery not holding a charge, where my issue is more with the GPS not making/keeping contact with the bike power supply while mounted in the cradle. If I remove my GPS from the cradle it will remain on for quite a while so I think my battery and internal connections are OK.
I did remove the rear cover from my GPS anyway, just to see if anything was loose. Nothing obvious to me. BTW, the 10 screws require a torx T6 driver.

[lather]

I have also had this problem with my first 390. I cured the problem by adding some electrical tape to the Zumo where it fits in the cradle, shimming it for a tighter fit against the electrical contacts. THis cured the intermittent loss of contact. However on a trip (in fact the first day of a 7 day trip )
I hit a rough spot in the road and the Zumo flew off. I did not notice for about 1/4 mile as I was scanning the road surface to try to avoid the harsh bumps, By the time I backtracked and forund it it had been run over by an automobile. Apparrently tape cure made the mount less secure. I have replaced the broken Zumo with another 390. The new one does not have the intermittent contact issue yet. However, if it does I will use a similar cure but add a safety teher or some addition method to insure the Unit does not go astray.


By the way, I sent the damaged 390 to Short Tronics in Minnesota for repair and it is working again after a screen replacement.

[lather]

I am still having this problem on one bike but not the other. I bought cradle and wire harness for my Ducati. I swap the ZUMO 390 from one to the other. The Disconnect ONLY occurs on the Kawasaki, which has an older cradle and harness, otherwise they are identical. So I took the old one apart and examined it closesly and cleaned ithe connections and treated them with two different producats that are supposed to enhance electrical contacts and prevent oxidation. No joy, disconnects are as frequnt as ever. Yesterday I rode the Ducati for 115 miles with ZERO disconnects. Today I rode the Kawasaki for 70 miles with more disconnects than I could count, nearly every half mile. I paid careful attention and think it is related to road bumps. Also, if I put thumb pressure on the ZUMO at the contact area, no disconnects. As far as I can see with the naked eye the two cradles and rubber pieces with the contact numbs are identical. However I have to assume that the older cradle was either manufactured with two much clearance or has worn.
I am attempting to shim the connector with liquid electrical tape in hope that it creates a tighter fit that resists bumps. I will report when I get a chance for a test ride. Thanks for reading.

[lather]

I made a 40 mile test ride today with the ZUMO in the cradle shimmed with liquid electrical tape. No disconnects!

[Controlu]

I used to have the same problem with a TomTom that also used the spring loaded pins for electrical contact. I cured the problem by connecting the unit via USB power just like you would for connecting it to your computer. NEVER had a problem again. However, the USB port was easier to get to on the Tomtom. You might want to rig something up to power the Garmin via the USP port and see if the problem goes away.

[gv550]

I believe my problems with intermittent power is resolved. My GPS and both cradles were still in warranty so I contacted Garmin about this, and another problem I was having with the screen freezing while navigating. Garmin first replaced the GPS which eliminated the freeze-up issue but I still had the power interruptions, they then replaced both power cables. I've been riding both bikes with the new equipment for 6 weeks with no more intermittent power problems at all. The last person I spoke to at Garmin was very familiar with the problem and told me the cable has been improved. With the original cables, I noticed the pins would often stick down after removing the GPS, never happens with the new cables.
To follow up Controlu suggestion, the USB port on the 39x is not accessible when the GPS is mounted in the bike cradle.