Re glue Rubber on Garmin GPS

[thebigdog00]

I have an eTrex Venture Cx (Great Unit BTW) and the rubber around the outside has started peeling up or coming unglued. I know other people have had this problem but I was wondering if anyone had found a good fix or solution for it.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

-TheBigDog00

Edited March 16, 2010 by thebigdog00

[+Unobtainium]

I had a Legend HCx which did the same thing. I contacted Garmin who replaced it within days with a refurb for free 18 months out.

 

Garmin's customer service is second to none

[+ecanderson]

Eventually, the double sided tape that holds the new one on will fail, too. There's a whole thread about that around here somewhere.

 

One good solution, once your new one from Garmin starts to come loose, is to carefully remove all traces of the adhesive from your eTrex with mineral spirits or a similar mild solvent, and re-glue the band with any of a number of silicone based products (RTV). Ordinary clear silicone seal from any of the major manufacturers of these products will work.

 

No need to apply liberally -- just makes more of a mess to clean up. A thin coat is all that's required.

[+Prime Suspect]

I used archival quality double-backed tape (the acid-free type used for professional photographs). Much easier to work with than glue, and has held for several years now. Use a little isopropanol on cotton to clean off all the residual goo before applying anything new. When you replace the strip, start at the notch at the bottom, and work up both sides evenly. Don't stretch it, or the button nubs won't line up, and you'll have slack at the top.

[+Cowboy Camper]

My eTrex Venture HC has the same rubber strip and I've heard of this complaint too. This might be a 'cheap' idea, but wouldn't a regular super glue work?

 

I once had a plastic piece fall off a cell phone (antenna cover, FYI) and a couple drops of super glue has kept it place for... I dunno, almost a year now? Is there any reason that it wouldn't work on this rubber strip as well?

 

Just thinking here.

[+Jeep4two]

I like the sound of the double stick tape.

 

Remember however. The goo (ok, it's glue, but more goo once it starts to fail) is what you want to replace.

 

Try to keep the stretchy seal strip that is under the rubber seal in tact. That seal is what provides the water resistant seal giving your unit the IPX7 rating. If you remove that clear stretchy strip from the unit you will loose the water resistance it provides. I don't think standard double stick mylar type tape would make a good replacement for that part since it isn't' flexible enough. Just a thought.

 

I had a problem with the Joystick on my Legend, and had a friend bring me his Legend with a screen problem (lines in display, was a loose display ribbon cable inside the case). In both instances, I carefully removed the rubber surround (the glue was holding on both units) and then carefully removed the clear stretchy seal strip from around case before removing the screws to open the case. I stuck the clear stretchy seal strip on a large sticker backing that had already had the sticker removed to keep it from getting dirty or sticking to something else. I washed and dried my hands carefully before starting the process as well to avoid skin oils from deteriorating the adhesives on both the seal and the surround.

 

Ahh how I love to take stuff apart

 

Best of luck.

[+ecanderson]

One advantage of my silicone seal preference -- it provides a completely waterproof seal for the case.

[+Prime Suspect]

One advantage of my silicone seal preference -- it provides a completely waterproof seal for the case.

Except it already has one, of course.

[+ecanderson]

One advantage of my silicone seal preference -- it provides a completely waterproof seal for the case.

Except it already has one, of course.

Would have, but when I re-did my Summit HC, I started over from scratch, and stripped it right down to the case and started over. Wasn't sure how well things would adhere to the second layer, and that may indeed be part of the reason these things come off to begin with. Not that I suspect there's any significant difference, but I used some aquarium version silicone seal that I happened to have in the shop.

[+Max and 99]

I'm glad you are all working on solutions to this, because I may need to use one of those ideas. When our first unit did that, we called Garmin and they graciously repaired it for us. When it happened again, they sold us a brand new replacement unit for only $30 since they were being discontinued. I LOVE my unit, but that one problem of the side coming lose and getting my hand all sticky is annoying. I'll keep tabs on this discussion and will know what to do when my new new unit has the same problem.

[+Prime Suspect]

One advantage of my silicone seal preference -- it provides a completely waterproof seal for the case.

Except it already has one, of course.

Would have, but when I re-did my Summit HC, I started over from scratch, and stripped it right down to the case and started over. Wasn't sure how well things would adhere to the second layer, and that may indeed be part of the reason these things come off to begin with. Not that I suspect there's any significant difference, but I used some aquarium version silicone seal that I happened to have in the shop.

That doesn't make sense. The waterproofing isn't a an applied sealant. It's the clear band directly under the rubber grip band. You didn't take that off, did you?

[+ecanderson]

That doesn't make sense. The waterproofing isn't a an applied sealant. It's the clear band directly under the rubber grip band. You didn't take that off, did you?

Roger that. The problem seems to be that the adhesive Garmin is using is unable to maintain a grip on that material. Didn't see any point in working against that same material. Essentially, I replaced both the adhesive under the "grip band" and the clear band all in one step, the assumption being that I'd never be taking the entire case apart - I'd be replacing the unit if it ever came to that, although the silicone can certainly be removed with a bit of effort. So now I have the "grip band" adhesive and waterproof seal all replaced with a thin layer of silicone, and it's holding well in all respects.

 

It's not the kind of thing I'd expect them to consider at the factory. A process like that would be very difficult to replicate quickly on the line. However, they need to come up with a better adhesive for these older case designs that still make use of a double sided adhesive tape.

 

For others - I suspect (but can't say for certain) that the use of the silicone seal without removing the inner seal will probably work. I just don't know what that other material is nor what best would adhere to it, and decided to avoid the problem entirely.

Edited March 18, 2010 by ecanderson

[+Prime Suspect]

It's not the material the adhesive is being stuck to that's the problem, it's the adhesive itself. It breaks down over time, and heat (such as being left in a car during the summer) accelerates the problem. You removed the factory's IXP7 level waterproofing seal for no real reason. To each his own, but it's not something I would have done.

[+ecanderson]

It's not the material the adhesive is being stuck to that's the problem, it's the adhesive itself. It breaks down over time, and heat (such as being left in a car during the summer) accelerates the problem. You removed the factory's IXP7 level waterproofing seal for no real reason. To each his own, but it's not something I would have done.

Yeah, as I noted, it was probably overkill. My adhesive was still gummy, though - not dried out yet - just not getting the job done. I think you'll find a careful application of silicone seal is as good as any IXP7 barrier they can throw at it - just not a practical manufacturing solution. Heck, they use the stuff to hold aquariums together. I think it will do nicely for the little bit of water my Garmin ever sees. I'm familiar with the case and band materials, and know the RTV will stick to that, so while I was there -- it can't hurt, and will undoubtedly work better over the long run than just replacing with another Garmin supplied band with it's double sided tape. We know THAT doesn't work very well.

[+ClubMCR]

I'm with ecanderson. The silicone sounds like a great PERMANENT solution. The factory solution is only temporary as everyone with an etrex has found out. What are the chances of needing to disassemble the unit anyway?

[+Prime Suspect]

I'm with ecanderson. The silicone sounds like a great PERMANENT solution. The factory solution is only temporary as everyone with an etrex has found out. What are the chances of needing to disassemble the unit anyway?

It's not a matter of disassemble. It's a matter of losing its waterproofness. Garmin knows what parts need to be protected. You may not.

[+ecanderson]

It's not a matter of disassemble. It's a matter of losing its waterproofness. Garmin knows what parts need to be protected. You may not.

Providing my use of RTV is at least equal to the coverage of the waterproofing band, I see no reason to be concerned about this.

[+ClubMCR]

Yesterday I bought some clear silicone RTV to repair the rubber strap on my Etrex. After removing the rubber strap, I peeled off the double sided tape. It came off very cleanly, and I was surprised that there is another layer of clear tape (which showed no signs of loosening) under the double sided tape. I decided to leave that in place. I cleaned off the rubber strap with goof-off, applied two very thin beads of the RTV to the unit (one near each edge of where the strap would reside, and put it in place. The rubber strap had noticibly stretched so I secured it with two rubber bands until the RTV cured. Worked like a charm and it's like new again. And I'm confident that it will last a whole lot longer than the original.

Edited March 21, 2010 by ClubMCR

[WildHog]

What did you use to remove the old glue?

 

I just fixed my eTrex Legend with ultra-black RTV silicone gasket maker and I tried rubbing alcohol to remove the glue but that didn't work very well and it took forever. It looks like I'm going to need to fix my eTrex Vista HCx soon, I could send it in for a warranty repair but I'm going to have to fix with the gasket maker eventually.

 

The good news is I left my Legend in the car today, the sun heated it up and the silicone is holding perfectly.

[+ecanderson]

What did you use to remove the old glue?

 

I just fixed my eTrex Legend with ultra-black RTV silicone gasket maker and I tried rubbing alcohol to remove the glue but that didn't work very well and it took forever. It looks like I'm going to need to fix my eTrex Vista HCx soon, I could send it in for a warranty repair but I'm going to have to fix with the gasket maker eventually.

 

The good news is I left my Legend in the car today, the sun heated it up and the silicone is holding perfectly.

 

When you can't smell the "vinegar" with a close-up nose application, your cure is probably pretty well complete.

 

Rubbing alcohol isn't a very good solvent for this adhesive. At the same time, you want to avoid anything that will attack the case plastic - just in case you get a bit sloppy, which is pretty well inevitable. Goo Gone works pretty well, as does a light use of mineral spirits. I happened to have an old container of tri-chlor handy. Man, that stuff is getting hard to find thanks to California.

 

That Permatex you used will be good to at engine temperatures -- so it should manage the interior temperature of your car.

 

Brings to mind a disaster from the "old days", though. Permatex sold (and continues to sell) a whole range of gasket and adhesive products. A buddy of mine rebuilt a carb and picked up the wrong tube when he added a thin layer to the gasket between the body halves.

 

Permatex #1 (aka Form-A-Gasket) is designed for creating a decent gasket/seal where a better seal is needed than a paper gasket alone, or even by itself. However, it is a total bugger to remove, and makes a pretty doggone serious adhesive in its own right. Permatex #2 (also aka Form-A-Gasket) is designed for more or less the same purpose, but is designed to remain pliable and is easy to remove. Back in the day, the tubes were identical except for the number printed along with the logo and other stuff.

 

Guess which tube he picked up. I hope the guy who owned that vehicle later never had to pull that carb apart for another rebuild at some time in the future, because that bad boy was going to be a REAL bugger to get apart. My guess is that splitting the body would have really done some damage to the aluminum. Perhaps a couple of weeks of soaking in carb cleaner might have helped!

[WildHog]

Thanks for the tip. The goo gone worked very well and my Vista HCx is curing at this very moment. Hopefully I will be using to go caching tomorrow.

[+Jffok]

Thanks for the tip. The goo gone worked very well and my Vista HCx is curing at this very moment. Hopefully I will be using to go caching tomorrow.

 

I have read with interest all these posts on re attaching the rubber band to the garmin. I have the Vista Hcx and have had this problem from the start.

 

I am going to definite try the silcone. Thanks.

[+Cairngorm]

I had a Legend HCx which did the same thing. I contacted Garmin who replaced it within days with a refurb for free 18 months out.

 

Garmin's customer service is second to none

I confirm this. My Vista is ten months old and as soon as I asked about the rubber strip, Garmin immediately said they would exchange for a refurb. And they did it by email on the weekend when the support phone lines were closed. I'm very pleased and would... y'know... recommend Garmin to my friends, and all. I hope it works out. If you don't hear from me again, it did.

[+Cairngorm]

Garmin's customer service is second to none

I confirm this. My Vista is ten months old and as soon as I asked about the rubber strip, Garmin immediately said they would exchange for a refurb. And they did it by email on the weekend when the support phone lines were closed. I'm very pleased and would... y'know... recommend Garmin to my friends, and all. I hope it works out. If you don't hear from me again, it did.

Okay, it did work out, and you're hearing from me again anyway. I mailed in the old unit, scuffed and battered as it was, Monday morning. A shiny, working, refurb machine arrived by UPS Friday afternoon. They quote 7-10 days, but that's an untruth. I haven't missed a single weekend of use. I'm delighted with Garmin's service. This will guide my future GPS purchases.