Garmin Colorado and water

July 16, 2008

Has anyone else had problem with the Colorado's and splashing water on them? I have had mine two weeks and the wife spilled the melted ice from a fast food cup on the unit. It is now shot. I thought they would resist more than that. Now to top it off, Garmin is charging me to fix it and were rude about it besides. What's a good Lowrance unit to buy?? I have always had great luck with their customer service and will probably never own a Garmin again.

July 16, 2008

Fight them on it…..that GPSr is supposed to be IPX7. If a $450 device claims to be IPX7 then it should be.

An IPX7 designation means the GPS case can withstand accidental immersion in one meter (3ft in American) of water for up to 30 minutes.

Edited July 16, 2008 by ryleyinstl

July 16, 2008

Has anyone else had problem with the Colorado's and splashing water on them? I have had mine two weeks and the wife spilled the melted ice from a fast food cup on the unit. It is now shot. I thought they would resist more than that. Now to top it off, Garmin is charging me to fix it and were rude about it besides. What's a good Lowrance unit to buy?? I have always had great luck with their customer service and will probably never own a Garmin again.

Check out this old post of mine. It says it all!:

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...ater+resistance

July 16, 2008

Fight them on it…..that GPSr is supposed to be IPX7. If a $450 device claims to be IPX7 then it should be.

An IPX7 designation means the GPS case can withstand accidental immersion in one meter (3ft in American) of water for up to 30 minutes.

Garmin is aware of the problem and should replace the unit for you. Mine got moisture in the battery compartment just spraying the liquid used to install an invisible shield. I managed to clean it out and there was no damage to the unit. I did talk to Garmin about the problem and was told to make sure the case was closed tightly. As previously stated the Colorado is rated IPX7 and definitely isn't. I carry mine in a ziplok bag anywhere around water, that means even light rain or heavy fog. I'd be interested in seeing how they resolved this problem in the Oregon, if they actually did....

2.6k · July 16, 2008

Garmin is aware of the problem and should replace the unit for you.

Yes, somehow I don't think we are getting the whole story here.

July 16, 2008

Has anyone else had problem with the Colorado's and splashing water on them? I have had mine two weeks and the wife spilled the melted ice from a fast food cup on the unit. It is now shot. I thought they would resist more than that. Now to top it off, Garmin is charging me to fix it and were rude about it besides. What's a good Lowrance unit to buy?? I have always had great luck with their customer service and will probably never own a Garmin again.

You colorado is under a year old. They have to fix the unit regardless of what happened to it. It does carry a IPX 7 rating and make sure you mention that and then ask to talk to a supervisor if they don't budge.

July 16, 2008

Garmin is aware of the problem and should replace the unit for you.

Yes, somehow I don't think we are getting the whole story here.

That is all that happened. The unit had fallen on the floor in front of the console and when my wife hit the brakes the cup flipped and landed on the gps. I hadn't even gotten the thing in my boat yet when I found what had happened.

I just emailed Garmin to tell them how extremely upset with them I am. If they can't build something better, I am done with them. I don't know the total specs on the IPX7 but if less than a half cup of water will bring this thing to its end, then it is not the unit for me. The part that is really fuming me right now is how rude the rep was on the phone and how their web support wouldn't work. Probably was overloaded from people having problems.

July 16, 2008

Garmin is aware of the problem and should replace the unit for you.

Yes, somehow I don't think we are getting the whole story here.

That is all that happened. The unit had fallen on the floor in front of the console and when my wife hit the brakes the cup flipped and landed on the gps. I hadn't even gotten the thing in my boat yet when I found what had happened.

I just emailed Garmin to tell them how extremely upset with them I am. If they can't build something better, I am done with them. I don't know the total specs on the IPX7 but if less than a half cup of water will bring this thing to its end, then it is not the unit for me. The part that is really fuming me right now is how rude the rep was on the phone and how their web support wouldn't work. Probably was overloaded from people having problems.

July 16, 2008

I have no complaints yet, but I must admit that I'm puzzled about the design that leave a very considerable gap between the rubber and the silver bit at the bottom front of the unit.

9.2k · July 16, 2008

Garmin is aware of the problem and should replace the unit for you.

Yes, somehow I don't think we are getting the whole story here.

That was my thought as well. This has the smell of "just the facts that support my story".

July 16, 2008

Has anyone else had problem with the Colorado's and splashing water on them? I have had mine two weeks and the wife spilled the melted ice from a fast food cup on the unit. It is now shot. I thought they would resist more than that. Now to top it off, Garmin is charging me to fix it and were rude about it besides. What's a good Lowrance unit to buy?? I have always had great luck with their customer service and will probably never own a Garmin again.

You colorado is under a year old. They have to fix the unit regardless of what happened to it. It does carry a IPX 7 rating and make sure you mention that and then ask to talk to a supervisor if they don't budge.

Actually, that's not completely true. Customer misuse will void your warranty no matter how old the unit is. Water damage is considered as misuse by the manufacturer. Granted it's supposed to be water resistant but the final determination is at the discretion of the manufacture. I'd send it to them and let them make the determination prior to taking any other action. They will probably take care of it. Just my 2 cents...

July 16, 2008

Has anyone else had problem with the Colorado's and splashing water on them? I have had mine two weeks and the wife spilled the melted ice from a fast food cup on the unit. It is now shot. I thought they would resist more than that. Now to top it off, Garmin is charging me to fix it and were rude about it besides. What's a good Lowrance unit to buy?? I have always had great luck with their customer service and will probably never own a Garmin again.

You colorado is under a year old. They have to fix the unit regardless of what happened to it. It does carry a IPX 7 rating and make sure you mention that and then ask to talk to a supervisor if they don't budge.

Actually, that's not completely true. Customer misuse will void your warranty no matter how old the unit is. Water damage is considered as misuse by the manufacturer. Granted it's supposed to be water resistant but the final determination is at the discretion of the manufacture. I'd send it to them and let them make the determination prior to taking any other action. They will probably take care of it. Just my 2 cents...

I called Garmin to ask them this same question and they told me that if the unit had a IPX grade that if the unit was under the specification of the IPX grade and it failed that they would replace it. I even used the example if I spilled water on my colorado from a cup and if I accidently dropped it in a stream. They said yes.

July 16, 2008

FYI --

Most of the back of the unit is not waterproof. Water can get between the back of the unit and the case either through the holes around the latch or around the top edge of the case. There are two separate seals which are supposed to keep water out of the inside of the unit where it matters. One of these surrounds the battery compartment on the back of the unit. The other surrounds the SD card slot, etc. on the bottom of the unit.

In order for the seals to be effective, you have to be sure the back is on correctly. It's pretty hard to screw this up with regard to the seal around the battery compartment. But it's easy to mess up the bottom seal. Latching the back does not draw the cover up tight against the bottom of the unit. That's why the rep reminded you to push the back on tightly.

That said, there have been a lot of posts which indicate that the seals have problems even when the back is properly seated. For example, there have been reports that the seal around the battery compartment can come out of its groove because of friction when you close the back. Clearly, that's going to cause problems.

Another common problem is that water does get between the cover and the back of the unit outside the seals. If you don't drain this thoroughly, you can easily get it inside the battery compartment or the SD slot when you open the unit. And, of course, your very first inclination after getting it wet is to open it and dry it out!

I have not seen any posts reporting problems with water incursion through the button membranes or the RnR. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

As somebody else said, the concensus is that the Colorado does not come close to living up to IPX7 standards. I too carry a plastic bag just in case I get rained on. If I were taking the unit on the water, I'd probably invest in a floating waterproof case...

July 16, 2008

What I do with my colorado 300 is slide the case on like normal and while the clip is up I push up on the clip with a little but of pressure and the gap at the top is even smaller. My corners still have gaps but the top of it is just about flush.

July 16, 2008

What I do with my colorado 300 is slide the case on like normal and while the clip is up I push up on the clip with a little but of pressure and the gap at the top is even smaller. My corners still have gaps but the top of it is just about flush.

I do basically the same thing, but after I lock the clip in the battery cover just slips back a little bit (the gap gets a little wider again). I think it's because the o-ring around the SD slot is a little too snug for things to fit completely well, but hopefully that creates a tight seal. I removed the SD slot o-ring temporarily and the battery cover fit more snugly.

July 17, 2008

For those of you that think I am mis-stating my case to my side of the story, I am not. This is what really happened. After reading and snooping more about this unit I now realize that this is a major malfunction of this unit. If I do keep the thing, I will never again be without a bag. Does anyone recommend a water proof case that has worked?

July 17, 2008

For those of you that think I am mis-stating my case to my side of the story, I am not. This is what really happened. After reading and snooping more about this unit I now realize that this is a major malfunction of this unit. If I do keep the thing, I will never again be without a bag. Does anyone recommend a water proof case that has worked?

Yeh we understand what happened. You should have tried talking to another CSR. The unit is advertised as waterproof. The unit is less than a year old. You should not have to pay for the unit to be fixed. Talk to a supervisor. I would have fought it till I won.

There aren't any FORM cases available for the Colorado yet, probably because its still too new or because it supposively waterproof.

You can also dispute the case with your credit card company about the purchase. Credit card company will reimburse you if garmin refuses to fix it under their warranty. Most credit card companies have purchase protection policy.

Edited July 17, 2008 by storm180

6.4k · July 17, 2008

It is important to understand that YOU got a FAULTY unit and t should be replaced. They do not "normally" leak.

As stated, make sure you push the cover on tight before latching. The latch does not pull it tight by itself.

July 17, 2008

For those of you that think I am mis-stating my case to my side of the story, I am not. This is what really happened. After reading and snooping more about this unit I now realize that this is a major malfunction of this unit. If I do keep the thing, I will never again be without a bag. Does anyone recommend a water proof case that has worked?

It sounds to me like you were a jerk to the CSR if you called them up and 'told them how angry you are'.

If you call up all angry, then they aren't going to help you.

If you call up nice and ask what they can do for you, you'll be helped.

Garmin's CS is incredibly good - they send my geobuddy 2 free rubber top replacements on his 3 year old etrex, and replaced my 60csx no questions asked when it had issues, and replaced my other geo buddy's 60csx no problem when he tore the top off of it while riding his motorcycle.

July 17, 2008

For those of you that think I am mis-stating my case to my side of the story, I am not. This is what really happened. After reading and snooping more about this unit I now realize that this is a major malfunction of this unit. If I do keep the thing, I will never again be without a bag. Does anyone recommend a water proof case that has worked?

It sounds to me like you were a jerk to the CSR if you called them up and 'told them how angry you are'.

If you call up all angry, then they aren't going to help you.

If you call up nice and ask what they can do for you, you'll be helped.

Garmin's CS is incredibly good - they send my geobuddy 2 free rubber top replacements on his 3 year old etrex, and replaced my 60csx no questions asked when it had issues, and replaced my other geo buddy's 60csx no problem when he tore the top off of it while riding his motorcycle.

I have it on good authority (a high-level Garmin insider), that when the initial run of Colorados were released from the factory in Taiwan, they were all fitted with the wrong size o-rings surrounding the SD card slot on the unit's bottoms.

Garmin soon discovered this issue and replaced a huge number of them. This o-ring did not provide an adequate seal when the unit was slid into the back battery cover. You must have gotten one of these early units that slipped through!

6.4k · July 17, 2008

I have it on good authority (a high-level Garmin insider), that when the initial run of Colorados were released from the factory in Taiwan, they were all fitted with the wrong size o-rings surrounding the SD card slot on the unit's bottoms.

Garmin soon discovered this issue and replaced a huge number of them. This o-ring did not provide an adequate seal when the unit was slid into the back battery cover. You must have gotten one of these early units that slipped through!

Then they should recall those units. It is not fair to the owners to find out in the middle middle of a 2 week backpack trip that their $600 GPS is not waterproof.

2.1k · July 17, 2008

Personally I think the Colorado's battery setup is of questionable design anyway. It takes alot of force to remove that back cover sometimes, something my wife can't do without my help. Now, whenever I see a 60CSX and how they implemented it's battery cover I'm a little mystified as to why Garmin went with the design of the Colorado. Completely mystified!

I could wash the 60 under the tap with soapy water and have absolutly no concerns about water entering the unit. My first Colorado (of four) got washed and the SD slot was inundated. Garmin replaced it

You know, I do alot of backpacking and just have a feel for adequate gear. When I had my 60CSX I felt pretty darn good that even in a downpour, I could navigate worry free back to camp. I could fall in a creek, take a detour through a swamp and my CSX would be just fine. I don't have that feeling about the Colorado series. I just wish the Oregons screen was daylight readable because the design seems to have improved in this series. It's my feeling that as the handheld GPS market "improves" it mey be getting away from what really matters to hardcore GPS users; clear and readable screen, tough-rugged watertight design, and accuracy. Gaocaching features be darned.

All my humble opinion of course.

Edited July 17, 2008 by yogazoo

19k · July 17, 2008

I have it on good authority (a high-level Garmin insider), that when the initial run of Colorados were released from the factory in Taiwan, they were all fitted with the wrong size o-rings surrounding the SD card slot on the unit's bottoms.

Garmin soon discovered this issue and replaced a huge number of them. This o-ring did not provide an adequate seal when the unit was slid into the back battery cover. You must have gotten one of these early units that slipped through!

I don't suppose your contact could provide a serial# range for us? I would much rather find out ahead of time that my unit might have a problem, then after it has actually had water damage!

In response to the issue at large, Garmin needs to realize that there IS a PROBLEM here. It cannot simply write it off as users not securing the back sufficiently. If the back is capable of being securied insufficiently, then THERE IS A PROBLEM. Closing the latch needs to use cam action to draw the unit up tightly enough to meet the ISO standard.

July 17, 2008

I have it on good authority (a high-level Garmin insider), that when the.........

If you have inside connections…..when will the HCx "drift" issues be fixed? What is causing them? What is with releasing new GPS units that aren't readable in the sun light? How can I program my Legend to remind me about my wedding anniversary?

DISH!

Edited July 17, 2008 by ryleyinstl

19k · July 20, 2008

An additional problem I have regarding making the back cover watertight is that when I draw it up all the way, it can be almost impossible to get the battery cover off again. I have already lubricated the rails with petroleum jelly, but that doesn't help when its fully tightened.

This problem is not caused by the o-ring around the SD slot, but by the o-ring around the battery compartment. I can actually see the cover attempting to stretch the o-ring as they make contact. I'm afraid that petroleum jelly will cause the rubber in the o-ring to eventually fail. What can I safely lube it with?

Edited July 20, 2008 by knowschad

July 21, 2008

An additional problem I have regarding making the back cover watertight is that when I draw it up all the way, it can be almost impossible to get the battery cover off again. I have already lubricated the rails with petroleum jelly, but that doesn't help when its fully tightened.

This problem is not caused by the o-ring around the SD slot, but by the o-ring around the battery compartment. I can actually see the cover attempting to stretch the o-ring as they make contact. I'm afraid that petroleum jelly will cause the rubber in the o-ring to eventually fail. What can I safely lube it with?

Silicone based lubricants should be OK. The one I picked up says rubber and plastic safe on the back of the can. By the way, I was able to pick up several o-rings at the hardware store that look to be suitable replacements for the SD card slot o-ring if the need arises.

July 22, 2008

I took my 400i biking just after a heavy rain and it performed just fine. It was attached to the bike mount on the handle bars and got some decent splash back off the front wheel with every puddle I went through. I also took it kayaking and it got some big drips on it from the paddle. No problems yet :unsure:

Garmin Colorado and water

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