Explorist 500 looses consciousness.

[+PIERRE46]

This has happened three times with my 6 week old unit. My 500 LE slowly fades to black and it shuts down with no warning message. It doesn't seem to loose any data and picks up where it left off when I power it back up. The battery was only down about 20% the last time it happened. Do I have a hardware issue? Anybody else had a similar problem?

[+embra]

That sounds like unusual [and unwanted] behavior. Unless it's associated with some kind of power-saving setting--which should tell you at some point that it's powering off--I'd exchange it or get it repaired.

[+EScout]

Always try the basics first. Clean the contacts on the battery and the unit with contact cleaner and Q-Tip, and make sure the contacts are sprung out. Check the voltage of the battery with your VOM.

 

Check the Power Off setting in the Power Management menu. There are 5, 10, 30, 60 minute settings, as well as Off, which I recommend using.

[+ace862]

Yes! I have noticed the same thing. I have had my unit just as long too. I've had it happen a couple of times while out caching with the GPSr firmly in my hand. I've also noticed it happens when the unit has slid off my lap down to the centre console while I'm driving. Not a huge fall, maybe 6 inches at most. I think it has something to do with the AAA battery clip. When I was changing the batteries the other day I noticed that one off the contacts needed to be pushed back in. I have a LIon battery on order. I'm waiting to see if this makes a difference.

Thanks though. I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who has seen this.

 

Bill

[+PIERRE46]

I e-mailed Magellan customer support with my problem and they told me I needed to send my unit in for repair. Just to cover my bases, I also called customer support and the help guy said to clear the memory from the service screen and that would fix it. So I did and I guess time will tell if it worked. To clear the memory, with the unit off press Power and Nav at the same time. Toggle "32" in the box and press enter. The unit will shut off. When you power back up you'll have to re-enter all the data you did when you first got it. Good Luck.

What was interesting to me was the guy said he was located in India. I wonder if they're in the same bulding as MicroSoft's customer support.

 

By the way, the last time it happened, I had the Li-Ion battery installed.

Edited July 17, 2007 by PIERRE46

[+ace862]

I haven't had it happen to mine recently. Thanks for the info though. I will keep it in mind in case it decides to act up.

Cheers!

 

Bill