GPS V plus. Screen goes blank except for one thin horizontal line. Unit becomes unresponsive. Have to pull the batteries. After that the unit restarts and resumes working as if nothing had happened.

Accordingto Garmin, this problem can be fixed by disabling the WAAS feature in teh set up menu. There is an incompatibility between the old Garmin software and latest WAAS upgrades. Later software from Garmin is supposed to fix this problem.

Firmware needs to be upgraded on these units because the atellites are changing every so often so does the programming in these units, check to see if there is a firmware upgrade to fix these problems, the line in the middle of the screen is because it either hung during the process or the units lcd is going bad.

Btw, I’m available to help over the phone in case u need at https://www.6ya.com/expert/edwy_1a56970cf1ea4620

There is a firmware upgrade from Garmin that appears to address this problem for units still running Version 3.2 or earlier. If your problem only occurs when WAAS is enabled, you might try upgrading. To find what firmware version you have, from the main menu: Setup, System, then select the (options) icon on the top row, to the left of the 'X'.

I had the same problem (blank screen, vertical line). After speaking with Garmin, I was told to make sure I was using the latest software version, and to turn off the WAAS function. Disable it for now, because the WAAS signal, coming from the satellite, has changed, and Garmin has not yet published a remedy to correct this problem. A fix should be out in a software update, sometime in the future, hopefully. I also did the software update, to the latest version 4.0. The unit performs perfectly now, however, the accuracy is not quite as good, due to the lack of WAAS. Good Luck!!

The problem is that your software version needs updating. A recently added satellite creates a glitch in the older software. Go to the Garmin website, load WebUpdater if you haven't already done so, and the updated version (3.8) will automatically install to your Garmin unit. I had the same symptoms, they have now disappeared and my Etrex Vista is back to normal.

I had the same problem (blank screen, vertical line). After speaking with Garmin, I was told to turn off the WAAS function. Disable it for now, because the WAAS signal, coming from the satellite, has changed, and Garmin has not yet published a remedy to correct this problem. A fix should be out in a software update, sometime in the future, hopefully. Just so you'll know, I also did a software update, to the latest version 4.0. The unit performs perfectly now, however, the accuracy is not quite as good, due to the lack of WAAS.

What you said does make sense. When you have your unit in simulator mode, the GPS receiver is turned off, so it is not receiving signals from the satellites. The strange signal from the WAAS satellite must be what has been messing things up. Good Luck!

I have run into the same problem and it may be related to the WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) feature. Try disabling this feature (under MAIN MENU / Setup). I used this receiver overseas (Asia and Europe) last year for 35 days straight with no problems. During this time WAAS was disabled as none of these satellites are visible overseas. The problem occurred intermittently prior to the overseas trip, and has reoccurred after returning. I was running into the same problem this past weekend and noticed the screen blanking out (with the vertical line) shortly after differential corrections were applied to the GPS signals. I disabled the WAAS and let the receiver run for over an hour. The problem did not return. Hope this helps.

http://www.fixya.com/support/t451333-garmin_gps_v_freezes_up

If this pertains to a GPS-V.

Give a good healthy "tap" to the Garmin Logo on the front of the case. Garmin battery connections are renowned for their crappiness!

I believe they fixed this problem with a firmware upgrade. Use Garmin's web updater to perform the updates.