fixing a dead yellow eTrex

[Guest WaylandersMA]

My yellow eTrex failed to turn on a few weeks back so it was a good excuse to run out and get the eTrex Legend.

 

This yellow one is sitting on my desk and I popped it open and looked at all the transistors/connections and nothing seems obvious. So now I'm on hold to Garmin for the "return authorization" because they will fix "no matterr what" for $59.00.

 

I'm still on hold.

 

While I am there, has anyone "fixed" a dead eTrex? Is there something easy I could try poking? I do have circuit tester.

 

I'm trying this pathway since in the Top Ten post Artful Dodger lists:

 

6) You can dis-assemble and re-assemble a Garmin Etrex in under 30 seconds.

 

So what can you do when you're in there?

 

Oops, almost forgot symptoms:

 

1) About a month ago upgrade yellow eTrex to 2.1

2) One week later eTrex will not turn on.

End of story. i doubt whether 1 and 2 are related but you never know.

 

thanks, Paul

[Guest topografix]

So how did you get it open? Can it go back together again without any damage?

 

I'd start by checking that there isn't a solder break where the battery terminals enter the unit. Mechanical failure is probably more likely than electronic failure.

[Guest WaylandersMA]

There is a flexible black rubber collar that runs around the edge of the eTrex. By pulling slowly on the tab that covers the PC connector and then loosening the sticky tape below this the rubber collar comes right off.

Sticky tape that seals top from bottom then comes off.

There are 5 or 6 indentions that when pushed by a paper clip release the cover.

Pop, it's open.

There is amazingly little inside this thing. One circuit board. The 4 buttons mount on the edge of it.

Nothing obviously wrong with the buttons they all click the same way.

The screen folds out of the way with a ribbon cable. Connections from board to batteries seems OK.

 

I thought if I got it running I could replace the ribbon cable with a much longer one and hard wire the unit into my truck with the screen on my dash.

Two months past the one year warranty which I suppose is a tad voided.

Very nice construction. The whole unit snaps right back together.

 

Paul