Evening all Im looking for someone that has had the above a while and can comment on whether the battery is still any good? I had the 346/396 for just over a year and have just sent it back as the battery is shot and wont charge. Bought the same model as i have 2x mounts, wiring kits etc to the tune of £90 and straight out the box, it wont charge. Garmin support confirmed these were last made in 2019. So if i spend £200 more on the XT, and christ knows how much more on a 2nd set of mounts and wiring, is the battery going to be no good after a year and put me back to square one? Thanks in advance. Andrew
You have to keep batteries maintained in good condition to keep its recharge state. For lithum you only need to half charge them as this slows down the depletion effect, rather than in full-filled charge state. My zumo 660 is about 8years old & has gone through two batteries. If you are not going to use stuff for a long period you still need to turn it on for an hour or two, then turn it off every week. Don't charge it or worry but if you fill deplete fill deplete because of extended periods of time. This kills batteries very quickly. Lots of videos about the types of batteries & how to keep them in good condition. Frankly don't even have the battery connected to the GPS if you not going to use it for a month or longer...it will still deplete but much more slowly. Drone flyers learn the hard-way (fiscal loss) due to not comprehending the instruction which are usually very simple. About charge state & long term store advice.
If you have not used a battery for a long-time, it can take a couple of minutes to ignite the process. When charging new batteries use main electricity for its first time charge & then discharge it too then allow it too cool, then fully recharge again. This is how many laptop batteries are properly conditioned. Depending on the battery chemical make up, don't freak out if the light doesn't show. Leave it alone for a good hour, unplug then quickly replug it in. This usually triggers the chemical state if the temperature range is okay. Argh, you might of fallen fowl of the memory effect by not fully depleting the battery's, forgot about that. Keep turning the device on until its not responding to like a fuel range on a motorbike, zero the counter before filling & maxing its range again.
I am watching this video & I know techquickie are okay for information but its not overly complex. Here's another..
I will take a punt that you've swallowed your pride & realized that the battery was quite possible fine. But you've created layers of memorized dead zones & instead of keeping pressing the device to empty the battery back to zero (through many silent none responsive presses), slowly but surely like a layered summer fruit-salad cake. Those zones of power & dead finally got to the top. Whereby you declared a perfectly fit item fucked. It's okay, I'm going to take it all back & that everything I've bothered to post is a waste of time. And that Garmin who makes ton's of devices several of which I own & have done for some ten years plus! Just sent you the bad ones because they are german & innately evil (this is sarcasm for americans & German readers). I'm not trumatized by your lack of responce or declared ph'd level of education. A bit of thanks would of been nice but I've completely gone off the rails thinking your rationale was not informed enough over these matters I've laid bare for all & sundry. I'm the eejit for demonstrating peoples lack of knowledge with modern batteries, admin please delete this thread! oh shite,...its not my thread to call for that'
Sorry dude, as soon as i posted I went out for a ride then came home and cleaned the bike. I do appreciate your responses and the insight into batteries. This unit was brand new today and just won’t fire up, even after garmins own helpdesk gave me all the options to bring it to life so it’s going back. It had been sat in a box unused since 2019. These things aren’t cheap and i hoped it would last more than a year, hence asking for experience of people with the newer XT.
Not sure if it might be a problem with the connector, this was an issue on my 590 and this trick fixed it. https://www.totally4bikers.com/blog...90-run-on-its-battery-for-only-a-few-minutes/ I now have an XT and have no battery problems, but it is hardwired in to the bike. I di have a problem with the screen changing views in heavy rain, but Garmin switched the unit (not used in heavy rain again yet though)
