Garmin eTrex Legend Side-Grip Problems

[+brianweeks]

The adhesive (gummy stuff) under the rubber side grip on my Garmin is slipping off. I need some ideas for adhesives to try to get it to hold in place. This is difficult because I am trying to get soft rubber to stick to hard plastic. I tried rubber cement (peeled right off) and model cement (stuck a little better but was peeled off in no time). I would just remove or cut off the rubber strip, but this rubber strip has the button covers that do the functions (Critical feature). I've got a wide rubber band now holding things in place which will work OK for a while, but I need a more permanent solution to the adhesive problem. Maybe an auto supply has a gummy gasket sealer or something.

 

Any ideas? Anybody have the same problem and find a solution that works for the long-haul?

 

Thanks--

--brianweeks, Hayward, CA

[+coggins]

Gorilla glue, water proof and heat resistant.

[+scottch]

I don't have time to grab the threads but I think if you do a quick search for eTrex Rubber gasket you will find several thread discussing how to reattach it including getting a free repair kit from garmin (I think I read that). I will try to find it in a bit and post the thread.

[+brianweeks]

Gorilla glue, water proof and heat resistant.

Wouldn't gorilla glue crack or does it form a flexible adhesion? I think I need something stickier or gummier.

[+brianweeks]

The adhesive (gummy stuff) under the rubber side grip on my Garmin is slipping off. I need some ideas for adhesives to try to get it to hold in place. This is difficult because I am trying to get soft rubber to stick to hard plastic. I tried rubber cement (peeled right off) and model cement (stuck a little better but was peeled off in no time). I would just remove or cut off the rubber strip, but this rubber strip has the button covers that do the functions (Critical feature). I've got a wide rubber band now holding things in place which will work OK for a while, but I need a more permanent solution to the adhesive problem. Maybe an auto supply has a gummy gasket sealer or something.

 

Any ideas? Anybody have the same problem and find a solution that works for the long-haul?

 

Thanks--

--brianweeks, Hayward, CA

 

Temporary solution: double-sided, fabric-mesh carpet tape. Seems to stick well enough for now...

[+wkmccall]

Gorilla glue, water proof and heat resistant.

Wouldn't gorilla glue crack or does it form a flexible adhesion? I think I need something stickier or gummier.

 

I used it on mine and worked like a charm and that was probably about a year and a half ago. I recommended it to someone else and got an email they had the same results as I did.

Nope, Gorilla glue didn't crack.

Also, one of the reasons for the problem is the heat. I wouldn't think tape (of any kind) would solve this problem since heat pretty much has the same effect on tape.

Edited May 26, 2009 by wkmccall

[+Styk]

Gorilla glue, water proof and heat resistant.

Wouldn't gorilla glue crack or does it form a flexible adhesion? I think I need something stickier or gummier.

 

I used it on mine and worked like a charm and that was probably about a year and a half ago. I recommended it to someone else and got an email they had the same results as I did.

Nope, Gorilla glue didn't crack.

Also, one of the reasons for the problem is the heat. I wouldn't think tape (of any kind) would solve this problem since heat pretty much has the same effect on tape.

 

Ok, so if you want to open up the unit for any reason, how do you overcome the gorilla glue? I have a unit that has a broken USB connector but i don't want to seal it up permanently when I reassembly it.

[+Jeep4two]

Gorilla glue, water proof and heat resistant.

Wouldn't gorilla glue crack or does it form a flexible adhesion? I think I need something stickier or gummier.

 

I used it on mine and worked like a charm and that was probably about a year and a half ago. I recommended it to someone else and got an email they had the same results as I did.

Nope, Gorilla glue didn't crack.

Also, one of the reasons for the problem is the heat. I wouldn't think tape (of any kind) would solve this problem since heat pretty much has the same effect on tape.

 

Ok, so if you want to open up the unit for any reason, how do you overcome the gorilla glue? I have a unit that has a broken USB connector but i don't want to seal it up permanently when I reassembly it.

 

There are two clear rubber seal strips that wrap around your eTrex unit under the rubber grip outer piece. The 2nd (outer) clear seal is double-sided sticky, this is the part that fails (adhesive).

 

If you use gorilla glue and need to later disassemble your unit (say to reseat a loose display ribbon cable?) you are going to have to replace those clear rubber seals to get your unit safely water proofed again.

 

Garmin makes a kit that includes all three pieces, designed to be installed if/when the unit has to be disassembled. Careful disassembly may enable you to put it all back if the adhesive is still good. . . but its a crap shoot.

[+gardengorilla]

We have this problem too. I'll try to find gorilla glue....hope they have it here in OZ.

[+coggins]

We have this problem too. I'll try to find gorilla glue....hope they have it here in OZ.

HomeDepot carries it.

[+brianweeks]

Gorilla glue, water proof and heat resistant.

Wouldn't gorilla glue crack or does it form a flexible adhesion? I think I need something stickier or gummier.

 

I used it on mine and worked like a charm and that was probably about a year and a half ago. I recommended it to someone else and got an email they had the same results as I did.

Nope, Gorilla glue didn't crack.

Also, one of the reasons for the problem is the heat. I wouldn't think tape (of any kind) would solve this problem since heat pretty much has the same effect on tape.

 

I will give Gorilla Glue a try, my brother has some. Also, I don't think heat was the problem to begin with. I live (and geocache) in the Bay Area of northern California. It is generally mild to warm concerning temperatures year-round (seldom over ninety F here).

 

What happened in my case was that I took a fall on a slippery hillside going after a cache down near a creek and the GPSr in my right hand scraped along the ground and underbrush as I slid downhill. When I got to my feet to dust off and check the GPSr for damage, I saw that some dirt had worked its way underneath the rubber band. It made a sticky, dusty mess of the adhesive and I cleaned a lot of it out.

 

I used an adhesive remover-soaked pad that I got at the hospital where I work: it has citrus oil, aloe and deobase extract. I didn't want to use Goof-Off with its strong chemicals, might melt the plastic or get inside the GPSr.

 

So, after using the adhesive remover and wiping it all off, the rubber band just kind of hung off the unit loosely since the adhesive strip had been obliterated and removed. After doing the carpet tape repair, I took the GPSr out for a quick trial run yesterday with the carpet tape fix and found four local caches: three park n' grabs and one that was about a mile hike. Everything stayed put for that, so this will probably work for the short-term until I can drop by my brother's and fix it for good. If it worked for others for a year-and-a-half, it should do the trick for me too.

 

Thanks to everybody who responded and gave me helpful suggestions! I do appreciate this forum!

[+mooseman70]

Gorilla glue, water proof and heat resistant.

Wouldn't gorilla glue crack or does it form a flexible adhesion? I think I need something stickier or gummier.

 

I used it on mine and worked like a charm and that was probably about a year and a half ago. I recommended it to someone else and got an email they had the same results as I did.

Nope, Gorilla glue didn't crack.

Also, one of the reasons for the problem is the heat. I wouldn't think tape (of any kind) would solve this problem since heat pretty much has the same effect on tape.

 

I will give Gorilla Glue a try, my brother has some. Also, I don't think heat was the problem to begin with. I live (and geocache) in the Bay Area of northern California. It is generally mild to warm concerning temperatures year-round (seldom over ninety F here).

 

What happened in my case was that I took a fall on a slippery hillside going after a cache down near a creek and the GPSr in my right hand scraped along the ground and underbrush as I slid downhill. When I got to my feet to dust off and check the GPSr for damage, I saw that some dirt had worked its way underneath the rubber band. It made a sticky, dusty mess of the adhesive and I cleaned a lot of it out.

 

I used an adhesive remover-soaked pad that I got at the hospital where I work: it has citrus oil, aloe and deobase extract. I didn't want to use Goof-Off with its strong chemicals, might melt the plastic or get inside the GPSr.

 

So, after using the adhesive remover and wiping it all off, the rubber band just kind of hung off the unit loosely since the adhesive strip had been obliterated and removed. After doing the carpet tape repair, I took the GPSr out for a quick trial run yesterday with the carpet tape fix and found four local caches: three park n' grabs and one that was about a mile hike. Everything stayed put for that, so this will probably work for the short-term until I can drop by my brother's and fix it for good. If it worked for others for a year-and-a-half, it should do the trick for me too.

 

Thanks to everybody who responded and gave me helpful suggestions! I do appreciate this forum!

 

I have the same issue with my Etrex Legend C. I just pulled the old gasket off, as I received a new one from Garmin, free of charge. However, I'm not sure how to adhere the new gasket without any of the double sided tape that I pulled off of my GPS.

 

Maybe I'll give the Gorilla Glue a try. I believe mine came undone due to the heat exposure from sitting in it's windshield mounted cradle while I have been caching. Gasket warms up and the adhesive loses its tackiness.

[+CASM327]

Gorilla glue, water proof and heat resistant.

Wouldn't gorilla glue crack or does it form a flexible adhesion? I think I need something stickier or gummier.

 

I used it on mine and worked like a charm and that was probably about a year and a half ago. I recommended it to someone else and got an email they had the same results as I did.

Nope, Gorilla glue didn't crack.

Also, one of the reasons for the problem is the heat. I wouldn't think tape (of any kind) would solve this problem since heat pretty much has the same effect on tape.

 

I will give Gorilla Glue a try, my brother has some. Also, I don't think heat was the problem to begin with. I live (and geocache) in the Bay Area of northern California. It is generally mild to warm concerning temperatures year-round (seldom over ninety F here).

 

What happened in my case was that I took a fall on a slippery hillside going after a cache down near a creek and the GPSr in my right hand scraped along the ground and underbrush as I slid downhill. When I got to my feet to dust off and check the GPSr for damage, I saw that some dirt had worked its way underneath the rubber band. It made a sticky, dusty mess of the adhesive and I cleaned a lot of it out.

 

I used an adhesive remover-soaked pad that I got at the hospital where I work: it has citrus oil, aloe and deobase extract. I didn't want to use Goof-Off with its strong chemicals, might melt the plastic or get inside the GPSr.

 

So, after using the adhesive remover and wiping it all off, the rubber band just kind of hung off the unit loosely since the adhesive strip had been obliterated and removed. After doing the carpet tape repair, I took the GPSr out for a quick trial run yesterday with the carpet tape fix and found four local caches: three park n' grabs and one that was about a mile hike. Everything stayed put for that, so this will probably work for the short-term until I can drop by my brother's and fix it for good. If it worked for others for a year-and-a-half, it should do the trick for me too.

 

Thanks to everybody who responded and gave me helpful suggestions! I do appreciate this forum!

 

I have the same issue with my Etrex Legend C. I just pulled the old gasket off, as I received a new one from Garmin, free of charge. However, I'm not sure how to adhere the new gasket without any of the double sided tape that I pulled off of my GPS.

 

Maybe I'll give the Gorilla Glue a try. I believe mine came undone due to the heat exposure from sitting in it's windshield mounted cradle while I have been caching. Gasket warms up and the adhesive loses its tackiness.

 

I have the same problem and I did receive a replacement that is also having the same problem.

 

To put on the replacement you need to remove the protective discardable cover over the sticky glue. This is a thin clear piece of plastic.

[+ecanderson]

I have the same problem and I did receive a replacement that is also having the same problem.

The adhesive on the replacement units that Garmin ships isn't any better than the original. Per another thread here somewhere, I recommend removing the band, cleaning off all of the existing adhesive from both the band and the GPS with Goo-Gone or some similar mild solvent, and reapplying your existing band with a thin coat of RTV (aka Silicone Seal). Had to do mine about a year after I bought my first eTrex Summit HC, and haven't had to touch it since. The RTV remains pliable and isn't bothered by temperature. If it was as easy to apply as the double sided tape that Garmin uses (but it's not!), I'm sure they'd wise up and use it in production just to avoid the complaints. Edited May 6, 2010 by ecanderson

[+suhplar]

I have the same problem and I did receive a replacement that is also having the same problem.

The adhesive on the replacement units that Garmin ships isn't any better than the original. Per another thread here somewhere, I recommend removing the band, cleaning off all of the existing adhesive from both the band and the GPS with Goo-Gone or some similar mild solvent, and reapplying your existing band with a thin coat of RTV (aka Silicone Seal). Had to do mine about a year after I bought my first eTrex Summit HC, and haven't had to touch it since. The RTV remains pliable and isn't bothered by temperature. If it was as easy to apply as the double sided tape that Garmin uses (but it's not!), I'm sure they'd wise up and use it in production just to avoid the complaints.

 

i did exactly this last year and have had no issues at all, my vista hcx is better than new now i think. it's been in lake michigan a few times and has been buried in sand, dropped down hills onto gravel, and suffered various other abuses and i've had no problems with water or anything else getting under the band. i used permatex black rtv sealant.