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I can't get my Garmin Nuvi to turn on and operate when plugged in. It only operates on battery. I charge it in the car, then can only use it when I unhook it and use it on battery. Took it to Geeks Squad . . . . they tried it and couldn't help, either.
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Holding the switch does not always work. The problem is that the Garmin batteries wear out very quickly and if you don't charge them every few days they drain completely and the voltage drops to zero. The problem is the brilliant Garmin engineers designed the Nuvi 700s so that the charging circuit doesn't activate when you plug it in if the battHolding the switch does not always work. The problem is that the Garmin batteries wear out very quickly and if you don't charge them every few days they drain completely and the voltage drops to zero. The problem is the brilliant Garmin engineers designed the Nuvi 700s so that the charging circuit doesn't activate when you plug it in if the battery voltage is zero. See the Catch 22? Also, even if you replace the battery, if the new battery is not already charged, you are in the same boat!
I solved it by taking the Nuvi apart and zapping the battery with 5 volts across the red and black terminals. It's very difficult because the plug has tiny holes smaller than a typical pin. You have to be very careful too because the lithium polymer battery could catch on fire or explode! I used a very low current to lessen the chance of this. After doing this for about a minute and raising the battery voltage to about 3 volts, I plugged it back in, put it back together, and it was able to charge.
Try to charge your nuvi properly and full, or for at least 2hours before registering it. If the source of power connected to your nuvi is not strong enough, the nuvi might go off during an operation. Secure that the battery is well charged, then the source supplying the power is good enough to supply your nuvi with power before starting an operation.
Hope this helps.
The unit should still operate and turn on even with a dead battery when connected to an external power source such as the DC car charger, AC wall charger or USB cable (connected to a PC).
Your car adapter may be broken. try unscrewing the top of it to check the fuse inside the cable. that can easily be replaced. other than that it could be the cradle (if your cable plugs into your cradle) or the back port of the unit in a worst case scenario
Your Garmin nuvi 5000 will never charge because it has NO internal battery. The only time it will operate is when it is plugged into a 12 volt power source. I have one and it really doesn't bother me at all. I bought a second cradle and a 12 volt adapter for use in the home.
To charge a nuvi, use one of the following methods:
Connect the nuvi to the suction cup mount and the vehicle power cable.
Connect the USB cable to the nuvi and the computer. The computer will charge the nuvi as long as the computer is on. However, the unit will be in Mass Storage Mode and normal operation is not possible.
Connect the AC power cable and the nuvi to a wall outlet.
Please note: All of the nuvi series will come with a suction cup mount and vehicle power cable to charge the nuvi. However, only some of the nuvi models will come with an AC power cable and/or USB cable. If they did not come with the nuvi, they would be optional cables and would be a separate purchase. Garmin only recommends using an AC power charge that is purchased from Garmin. Third party power cables may not charge the nuvi. These cables may be purchased from Garmin or Garmin's dealers.
If you are trying to use your unit in the car via the USB port and not the supplied cable, it will not work. You must use the bracket that came with the unit or the specific charger that came with the unit. The pins in the Garmin USB charger only use two pins whereas a regular charge cable uses 4.
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