Garmin Zumo Repair Recommendations

[Spanky]

Need a new screen and battery installed in my 550. Anyone have a place they have used and can recommend?

[maxtog]

Need a new screen and battery installed in my 550. Anyone have a place they have used and can recommend?

Surprise!  Over the weekend, the touchscreen on my Zumo 450 went defective (the 450 and 550 are identical except the 450 lacks bluetooth).  It acted like something was ALWAYS touching one part of the screen, so there is no way to control it anymore.  I thought I would be stuck buying something new and my research shows the newer Zumos are just as insanely expensive, and yet no faster or much better.

So I tried researching repair.  Bingo- it seems it is VERY common for the Zumo digitizers (the touch screen part IN FRONT of the LCD screen) to go bad.  And you can obtain them cheaply from several international sites and also Ebay.  This thread in ADVrider explains it all:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=528905

I am experienced with electronics repair, so I dove right in to see how it works.  The good news is I got it apart and then just now successfully removed the digitizer from the LCD just like the thread shows.  I have ordered a new digitizer from Ebay, from a USA-shipping source (the international stores will take a month to ship from China) for $11.98!!   Ordered from "zdq20100818" with a feedback of 13077 98.8% positive:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-shipping-NEW-Touch-Screen-Digitizer-for-Garmin-Zumo-450-550-79-64mm-/220986998001?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3373d9fcf1

It should arrive next week, at which time I will update the thread with the results of the repair.  $12 vs $500+  Hmmm.....  certainly worth a shot.

If you need a whole new screen and digitizer, that can be had on Ebay too for around $40-$67.  Need a battery too?  $17-$20 on Ebay.  Wow!

[Daytona_Mike]

I have replaced 2 digitizers on my 550 over the years using the ones from that ebay link.   I used  one of thhe metal blades from a disposable razor to separate the screen from the digitizer.  Was  not hard to do.

[sherob]

I had Garmin fix mine for $150 several years ago... not an option anymore.

Found these guys...

http://satnavrepairservice.com/repair-satnav/garmin-repair/garmin-zumo-550-repair/817.html

[B.D.F.]

That totally and absolutely sux! My all- time favorite Zumo and I was banking on having it swapped out by Garmin if (when?) the time comes- I guess they finally ran out of new ones floating around to swap them with. Too bad- the last of the 'good' Zumo series as far as I have seen; the newer ones, at least the 66X series (I also have a 665 Zumo) are not nearly as legible in daylight as the 550 is. I have not yet seen a 590 in direct sunlight so I do not know how they compare.

Brian

I had Garmin fix mine for $150 several years ago... not an option anymore.

<snip>

[maxtog]

That totally and absolutely sux! My all- time favorite Zumo and I was banking on having it swapped out by Garmin if (when?) the time comes- I guess they finally ran out of new ones floating around to swap them with. Too bad- the last of the 'good' Zumo series as far as I have seen; the newer ones, at least the 66X series (I also have a 665 Zumo) are not nearly as legible in daylight as the 550 is. I have not yet seen a 590 in direct sunlight so I do not know how they compare.

Yep, the reviews I read said the newer ones were just not as nice as the 450/550 in many ways (two of them I remember off hand being the screen dimmer and lack of physical buttons on the sides).  Hopefully this repair of mine will work and spare me not only the crazy money, but the disappointment of something "new".

[B.D.F.]

The lack of any buttons seems worse than it is because the 665 actually does have one button- the ON / OFF button, if pressed one time, acts as a switch to bring up the brightness and volume controls. Not as nice as the 550 but adequate to control the unit if it is used to play music or audio books.

But overall, yeah, we get to pay considerably more money for a lesser product IMO. The 665 is actually a very nice unit but again, the lower visibility in direct sunlight is a very serious problem. Also hard to understand since Garmin knows very well how to make a fantastic all- condition screen.... look at any of the 276 / 376 marine devices; they are just fantastic. That same screen should be available on an $800 motorcycle unit (maybe it is on the 590LM).

Brian

Yep, the reviews I read said the newer ones were just not as nice as the 450/550 in many ways (two of them I remember off hand being the screen dimmer and lack of physical buttons on the sides).  Hopefully this repair of mine will work and spare me not only the crazy money, but the disappointment of something "new".

[MizzouMike]

The battery is easy, I replaced mine just a few weeks ago so this is my third battery since 2008??.  I ordered this off of Amazon, works fine:
http://www.amazon.com/2600mAh-010-10863-00-Battery-Motorcycle-receiver/dp/B00838CMVQ

I don't know much about the screen, but this is how I fixed a missing button:



I just used electrical tape across the top, and then filled in the back of the buttons with some flexible silicone.  So far so good, about 3 months ago.




I also have a ZUMO 665, and I miss the side buttons (especially the home button as you can see from the one which was worn out) as it will just take you back to the map from wherever you have navigated too within the menus on the device.   

[maxtog]

Surprise!  Over the weekend, the touchscreen on my Zumo 450 went defective (the 450 and 550 are identical except the 450 lacks bluetooth). [...]I have ordered a new digitizer from Ebay, from a USA-shipping source (the international stores will take a month to ship from China) for $11.98!!   [...]It should arrive next week, at which time I will update the thread with the results of the repair.

The Ebay digitizer arrived today and I installed it and it works!!!!!!!  YAY!!  Plus, I had never updated the maps so it was 7 years outdated (bought it in 2008).  I didn't realize it included a free one-time map update, so I dragged out my only ancient MS-Windows machine from a closet (dual boot with Linux, of course) and updated it.  Looks like no software updates though (latest is 5.00 which is what I had).

So I am even in better condition than before all this.

[maxtog]

The Ebay digitizer arrived today and I installed it and it works!!!!!!!  YAY!!  Plus, I had never updated the maps so it was 7 years outdated (bought it in 2008).  I didn't realize it included a free one-time map update, so I dragged out my only ancient MS-Windows machine from a closet (dual boot with Linux, of course) and updated it.  Looks like no software updates though (latest is 5.00 which is what I had).

So I am even in better condition than before all this.

And now the digitizer failed AGAIN.  And the same way.  Acts like something is pressing the screen over and over in the lower right corner.  That was a lot of work for just 4 months of operation.  AND my "+" button fell off.  I repaired the + button with silicone from behind.  But taking it apart twice and trying to tweak things did not help with the touchscreen.  So now I am in exactly the same boat again.

Damnit

[VirginiaJim]

Replace the battery.

[MAN OF BLUES]

2610 updates... yeah, right... pealed off the screen, aplied new vynyle plastic, all good, well after 3 more years, not toooo good, but hell, its a garmin.... WOOHOOO

analnretententive response.

[MAN OF BLUES]

Replace the battery.

2610 still has that awesome "huge" smartcard.......

I can install a 32 gb in my phone...
crap, cray computers anly had howmny bits, and required super cooling? with nitrogen..




meh

[maxtog]

I can't believe I am actually seriously looking at the Zumo 590 now.  Hmm.  Even more unbelievable is the $900 price tag.  Garmin told me they would give me a $180 credit (20% off) if I trade in my Zumo 450.  That is $720.... still a huge amount of coin (and apparently doesn't include traffic subscription).   Or do I buy yet another replacement digitizer screen.

I bought the Zumo 450 for $530 7.5 years ago...

[Superzuki]

I saw a 660 on Amazon for $334. If I needed one I'd seriously consider that....

[maxtog]

And now the digitizer failed AGAIN.  And the same way.  Acts like something is pressing the screen over and over in the lower right corner.  That was a lot of work for just 4 months of operation.  AND my "+" button fell off.  I repaired the + button with silicone from behind.  But taking it apart twice and trying to tweak things did not help with the touchscreen.  So now I am in exactly the same boat again.

The "+" button repair was successful (and I had cracks in two others which I sealed with pure silicone sealant).

I went ahead and ordered yet another digitizer from Ebay for $11.98 which INCLUDED shipping:   http://www.ebay.com/itm/221845507595?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

It arrived yesterday and I installed it tonight in 15 min and it works properly again.  And I just went online and ordered a third time to have a spare (at $12, it seems crazy not to have one).  I now just need to know what CAUSES the digitizer to fail.  Perhaps I should remove it from the bike when I am home.

[yohammer]

Maybe this can help for the buttons

http://www.ebay.nl/itm/Garmin-Zumo-400-500-550-Replacement-Rubber-Keypads-Buttons-/281899730216?hash=item41a2888528:g:hYQAAOSw5IJWfTLV

[maxtog]

Maybe this can help for the buttons

http://www.ebay.nl/itm/Garmin-Zumo-400-500-550-Replacement-Rubber-Keypads-Buttons-/281899730216?hash=item41a2888528:g:hYQAAOSw5IJWfTLV

Neat!  But 44 Euro!!  Isn't that like $60 or something?  Ouch    My method of using pure silicone sealant has worked perfectly so far (knock on wood).  Thanks for the info.

[Landon]

I've repaired my screen in the past. If I lose a button I will probably just upgrade to a newer model rather than put more money into my old 450.

[maxtog]

I've repaired my screen in the past. If I lose a button I will probably just upgrade to a newer model rather than put more money into my old 450.

That is what I looked at doing... until I checked out the price and the specs of what they currently offer.  Garmin has done little to really improve the products and yet the prices are even more insane than ever, AND they removed the physical/tactile buttons.  $900???  Are they out of their minds?  And that DOES NOT INCLUDE their stupid "subscription service" to get traffic info.  I bet it still can't even play music when running on battery (yep, that is standard for the Zumos).  My conclusion was to just repair the 450 again (which, thankfully, is cheap and fast) and wait/experiment....

In the meantime, I am also going to experiment with using a smartphone and sewing touch-screen thread on the tips of the gloves' index finger and thumb.  I am tired of being a prisoner to the Gamin products.  Phones have their own issues (not rugged nor waterproof, often data-dependent, lack of physical buttons, conductive screens, not terribly bright, etc), but at least they are something I will already have spent money on, I can load any app I want, get regular updates, and have TONS more possible functionality.  The phone "X" mount and conductive thread arrived several weeks ago, I just haven't done anything with it yet.