k_statealan Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I have a Garmin Legend (the blue one) and the rubber piece that runs around the outside and has some of the buttons on it has come off after the glue wore out. I asked Garmin what it would take to replace it and they sent a form letter back that it would be a flat fee of $125. This isn't worth it for $3 worth of rubber and glue. I could almost buy another unit for that amount. Does anyone have any suggestions of what kind of glue would be a good one to affix the rubber onto the plastic? I tried rubber cement once but that didn't work. Quote Link to comment
+Rich the Bushwhacker Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I'd give Garmin a call. The rubber piece coming unglued is a recurring issue with the Legend. My sister had 2 replaced so far with a rebuilt unit after the warranty expired. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I agree. Give them a call. Often they will repair the unit even if it isn't under warranty, esp. for a known problem like this one. Even if the rep says no at first , press a bit and you might get results. Failing that, there have been a few posts in the GPS Units and Software forum (where this one actually belongs) where this issue was discussed. A few people had good luck repairing it theirselves using a certain glue. I forget which one, but if you post this there I'm sure somone will helo you out. Quote Link to comment
+the hermit crabs Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I have a Garmin Legend (the blue one) and the rubber piece that runs around the outside and has some of the buttons on it has come off after the glue wore out. I asked Garmin what it would take to replace it and they sent a form letter back that it would be a flat fee of $125. This isn't worth it for $3 worth of rubber and glue. I could almost buy another unit for that amount. Does anyone have any suggestions of what kind of glue would be a good one to affix the rubber onto the plastic? I tried rubber cement once but that didn't work. This comes up frequently in the GPS Units & Software forum. This link shows some of the posts with some solutions to the problem. (I have the same issue -- the rubber gasket on my Vista C has detached in a couple of spots, and the glue is leaking out in other spots. And it's about 2 months past its warranty expiration, so I'll be fixing this myself too ) Quote Link to comment
+Dread Pirate Roberts of TX Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Saw this issue discussed in a regional forum: Members there sugested a double circuit of plain old Scotch double stick tape, or E6000 clear adhesive (found at the hobby shop) and it worked for awhile (two months). Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I have the same issue -- the rubber gasket on my Vista C has detached in a couple of spots, and the glue is leaking out in other spots. And it's about 2 months past its warranty expiration, so I'll be fixing this myself too I still say give Garmin a call first. I've had this problem fixed for free on my out of warranty Vista. Quote Link to comment
+Urubu Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 FWIW, I had the same gasket & button problem with my Etrex. Even though it was about 6 months past the warranty period, Garmin replaced it free of charge. I did have to ask twice. They initially said "Yes, for a fee". But when I said something like "Gee, I thought you might fix it free since this is a well-known manufacturing defect" and gave them a serial number, they agreed to a free repair. As it turned out, they simply replaced the unit. I recommend that you ask again, maybe with a serial number or (even better) a receipt. It can't hurt. Good luck. Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 (edited) I have a Garmin Legend (the blue one) and the rubber piece that runs around the outside and has some of the buttons on it has come off after the glue wore out. I asked Garmin what it would take to replace it and they sent a form letter back that it would be a flat fee of $125. This isn't worth it for $3 worth of rubber and glue. I could almost buy another unit for that amount. Does anyone have any suggestions of what kind of glue would be a good one to affix the rubber onto the plastic? I tried rubber cement once but that didn't work. Here's how I fixed my eTrex Vista. That was 2 years ago, and it's still in place. BTW, the $125 isn't just for replacing the band. That's their flat fee for a complete refurbishment. They'll check and fix (if necessary) the loose LCD connector problem, replace the screen (if scratched), and do whatever else is necessary to bring it up to the specs of when it was brand new. I know it seems like overkill to charge $125 for what seems like a simple fix. But from their point of view, it makes sense. They don't send any unit back to the owner that they don't know is working 100%. That eliminates the unscrupulous people who send in their broken units in for something trivial, and then complain that Garmin broke it, and demand it be replaced for free. Edited July 17, 2006 by Prime Suspect Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 (edited) I have a Garmin Legend (the blue one) and the rubber piece that runs around the outside and has some of the buttons on it has come off after the glue wore out. I asked Garmin what it would take to replace it and they sent a form letter back that it would be a flat fee of $125. This isn't worth it for $3 worth of rubber and glue. I could almost buy another unit for that amount. Does anyone have any suggestions of what kind of glue would be a good one to affix the rubber onto the plastic? I tried rubber cement once but that didn't work. Here's how I fixed my eTrex Vista. That was 2 years ago, and it's still in place. BTW, the $125 isn't just for replacing the band. That's their flat fee for a complete refurbishment. They'll check and fix (if necessary) the loose LCD connector problem, replace the screen (if scratched), and do whatever else is necessary to bring it up to the specs of when it was brand new. I know it seems like overkill to charge $125 for what seems like a simple fix. But from their point of view, it makes sense. They don't send any unit back to the owner that they don't know is working 100%. That eliminates the unscrupulous people who send in their broken units in for something trivial, and then complain that Garmin broke it, and demand it be replaced for free. True they do a complete refurbishing, or send you a refurbished unit, but $125 (actually Garmin's website says $99 for the Legend) is a bit steep for a unit that you can buy new for $120. Edited July 17, 2006 by briansnat Quote Link to comment
+Isonzo Karst Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 A friend of mine whined about the $99 he was quoted for this repair and got it adjusted to $50 - they did the total refurb and FedExed it back to him. It pays to talk with them. Quote Link to comment
+Harry Dolphin Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Send it back for repairs, and be without theGPS for a week?!? Withdrawal symptoms at the thought of it! The black rubber band around my Etrex is loose. A few drops of Super Glue (being careful not to get it anywhere near the buttons) seems to have resolved the problem, at least temporarily. Quote Link to comment
+TEAM 360 Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Man, I bet liquid nails or JB Kwik would hold that sucker on forever... Quote Link to comment
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