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Garmin iX, C3x0 and C5x0 Systems

C320 Battery replacement – DIY

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[quote][i]Originally posted by MrTim[/i]
[br]Suggestions for a C340 Battery Replacement & Faster Satellite Locating

I have an older 2005 Garmin StreetPilot C340 whose battery would no longer hold a charge.  I've been following this particular forum with interest because I wanted to replace the battery myself. It's been helpful to find out about the different websites that offer replacement batteries and to read about the various problems people have encountered replacing their old battery, especially the mysterious "green wire."

I'm writing to tell of my experience and offer a possible solution to some of those problems.  After looking at all the various battery websites, I ended up ordering a replacement battery from www.megacapacity.com.  They have exact replacement batteries for all StreetPilot models and also several optional ones with higher current ratings (mAH) than the original battery.  I ordered the 2600 milliampere-hour (mAh) rated model, which has the over/under charge protection (PCB).  It cost $25 with free shipping, was shipped directly from Hong Kong, and arrived in about 10 days. I was surprised to find that it had the extra green wire and also had the exact same white plastic electrical connector as my original 2-wire battery.  Except for a slight difference in the labels and the green wire, the two batteries were exactly the same, right down to the different lengths of the brown and white speaker wires (the left speaker wires longer than the right ones).  Being an exact match to the original battery, my guess is they are Garmin’s battery source.

Because my original battery didn’t have a green wire, I wasn’t quite sure if I really needed that wire or not, but decided to leave it, since it was already fitted to the plastic electrical connector.  The good thing was that with already having the battery leads and speaker wires all connected to the one plastic connector plug, I didn’t have to worry about soldering the battery leads and possibly overheating the battery.  Using a 600-watt Weller soldering gun, I first de-soldered the two old brown and the two old white wires at their speaker connections and then soldered the new respective ones in their place.  All the soldering  took a total of about a minute.  I then plugged the new battery into the circuit board using the plastic connector, reassembled the entire unit, and then plugged it into my computer for charging using the Garmin USB cable that originally came with the GPS.  The battery quickly charged up to 100% in about an hour (probably already had a partial charge to begin with).  As soon as I unplugged the GPS from the USB cable, I noticed that the battery strength meter in the upper right of the screen had returned.  With the old worn out battery, the unit would only operate using the cigarette lighter power cable, but it would immediately turn off as soon as I’d unplug it.  When operating the unit using the power cable, the battery strength meter is apparently not displayed.  Now the unit will run for many hours on battery power, especially with its high mAh rating.

As far as the extra green wire is concerned, since I didn’t have one to begin with and nothing seems to be any different with it, I’m guessing it doesn’t serve any necessary function for my C340 and that I probably could have eliminated it.

Before replacing the battery, I also had a problem with the unit being very slow to acquire satellites.  When I turned it on, it would take 5 minutes or more before it would finally locate one and be ready to navigate.  By then, I would have driven many miles.  It wasn’t always slow, but seemed to get slower with age.  While trying to find a reason for this, I happened to read the FAQ section on the Garmin website and noticed a question about doing a “master reset” of StreetPilot models.  In the answer giving the instructions on how to do this master reset, it gave a warning that all data would be lost, including almanac (satellite) data.  I started to wonder if maybe years of adding more and more locations (over 120 of them in My Locations) had filled up its memory or maybe the almanac data was a problem or had gotten corrupted.  It sounded like the master reset was similar to reloading the operating system onto your computer after it had gotten all garbaged up and starting out fresh again.  The instructions said to first turn off the unit, then press firmly on the lower right corner of the screen while pressing the power button.  Then, as soon as the screen turns on, immediately release the power button and a message will pop up asking if you really want to delete all the date.  Well, I tried this process about 20 times trying to get that message to pop up, but it never did.  Instead, the unit would just start up and go directly to the opening menu.  Finally, I emailed Garmin Support asking them what I was doing wrong.  I got a reply back the next day saying I should use the eraser-end of a pencil to press firmly on the lower right corner of the screen instead of using my finger.  They said the C340 screen is very picky as to exactly where you press on the screen.  So, I tried a pencil eraser and it worked the very first time I tried!  The question popped up, I said yes, and all my data was erased.  Now, when I turn the unit on, it only takes 10-15 seconds to acquire a satellite – wow, what a huge difference.  In addition, after I use it to drive to a location and turn it off while I’m parked, it’s instantly ready to navigate without any wait at all when I turn it on again to leave.  It appears a master reset is the way to resolve the problem of slow satellite locating.  One last suggestion – if you do a master reset, first write down a list of all your important locations (My Locations), so you can re-enter them later after all your data has been wiped clean.  I didn’t think to do this and I could only remember a handful of my locations afterwards.  But, I really didn’t care because my C340 works just like it did when it was brand new and it was an easy fix that only cost me $25.

One last point - you should note that there is a difference between the "reset" that is described in the C340 manual and the "master reset" that I've explained above, which I've only found described in the FAQ section of Garmin's website.  The "reset" is performed by first removing the plastic face plate surrounding the screen, and then pressing the "reset" button next to the screen on the right side.  Judging from the description in the manual, this reset is only used to free up a unit that has locked up and stopped responding, and does not delete any location data or the satellite almanac data like the "master reset" does.

[img]http://www.gpspassion.com/upload2/MrTim-1.jpg[/img]

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[img]http://www.gpspassion.com/upload2/MrTim-3.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.gpspassion.com/upload2/MrTim-4.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.gpspassion.com/upload2/MrTim-5.jpg[/img]
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T O P I C R E V I E W
Kris2005	Posted - 29 sept. 2006 : 21:38:11 DISCLAIMER. Information provided here is based on my experience. I take no responsibility whatsoever if following this instructions damage to the equipment or bodily injury occurs. If you decide to perform the battery replacement on your own you are responsible for all your actions. I have 30+ years of experience with electrical/electronics equipment so this task was very easy for me. In my opinion every weekend hobbyist can do it. Now what to do. 1. Order a new battery. I have ordered replacement battery from this site: http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1139. It was LG Li-Ion 18650 3.7V 2400 mAh Rechargeable Battery with Tabs. Original battery is 1,800 mAh so the replacement should last longer. 2. Take the screen cover (faceplate) off and unscrew 4 screws. You will need small Philips head screwdriver. 3. Pull off the front of the GPS (see pic. Be carefull with the GPS antenna. Make sure you remember its position so it is easier for you to assemble it later. 4. Unscrew 2 small screws holding metal strip. The battery is behind it. Pull battery out and disconnect it from the board. 5. Cut the heat shrink tube the battery is in and de-solder the joint. 6. Solder new battery. A small 15W soldering iron will do the job perfectly. Make sure not to overheat the battery. If needed use heatsink or place a small paper piece between the joint and battery. 7. Insulate the joints. 8. Put the new battery inside a heat shrink tube. You can get it from HomeDepot. It is ¾ inch diameter. 9. Use a heat source (I used a gas lighter) to “shrink” the tube. Again be careful not to overheat the battery as it may explode. 10. Put battery back into instrument and screw the metal band back onto the battery. 11. Assemble everything back together. It took me approximately 15 min and I was taking pictures for this board! So it was worth it. Enjoy . Some people asked to post photos of the antenna. Here they are. Added on April 17, 2007
15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
kel789	Posted - 07 mars 2012 : 05:07:47 checking if anyone has a solution for the common problem after changing the battery of getting "locate satellite" message on the top of the screen. was done: -soft reset -hard reset -checked the connections from and to the chip thanks.
redcloud	Posted - 10 juil. 2011 : 23:45:06 Looking for an extra cradle if anyone has one.
CatC320	Posted - 11 nov. 2010 : 21:18:53 Replaced C320 battery w/the great help from this forum over a year ago...still plugging along just fine. Updated map about the same time. Although I mainly use a newer Nuvi, this is still a very servicable unit for 2d car, the sound quality is actually better on the 320 & I feel no need to replace.
redcloud	Posted - 11 nov. 2010 : 19:50:13 I update my NT navigator maps every 2 or 3 years, so as long as I can do that with my C320 working, I don't feel a need to get a new navigator. Plus new navigators keep rolling out every year. The battery was not difficult to replace, and I will keep it off the windshield when I'm not using it from now on.
rs6er	Posted - 10 nov. 2010 : 22:30:50 My son stil has his C320 and I still have my C330. His original battery still works.
redcloud	Posted - 10 nov. 2010 : 22:23:29 Today, I replaced battery in my C320 with the LG Chem Li-Ion 18650 Cylindrical 3.7V 2600mAh Rechargeable Battery with tabs from Battery Superstore with postage for $13.21. Does anyone besides myself still have a C320,330, or 550? If not, this post may, in fact, be dead.
rs6er	Posted - 09 juil. 2010 : 15:49:52 quote: Originally posted by Kris2005 I do not believe this thread is still alive! Good to see so many contributors. The power of the Internet never ceases to amaze me! Search is your friend :)
Kris2005	Posted - 09 juil. 2010 : 15:33:28 I do not believe this thread is still alive! Good to see so many contributors. The power of the Internet never ceases to amaze me!
cdelatorrejr	Posted - 12 mai 2010 : 23:23:12 Krist2005, Thanks for your original post, it gave me the confidence in replacing the battery myself for my Garmin StreetPilot c330. I was pleasantly surprised when my battery came. It had the connector directly to the motherboard. All I had to do was solder the 4 points (white and brown) wires to the speakers. For those newbies to soldering, it is less dangerous by far. The replacement battery also came with a nice screw driver set and faceplate remover which I will keep for other small electronics. Here's the link to the battery. At the time of order it was priced at $17.99 with free shipping. 2200mAh Li-ion Replacement Battery for Garmin StreetPilot C330 - CS-GSC320SL-C http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=211497853 Again, thanks for your original post. Now I have functioning and relatively new GPS. -cdelatorrejr
jmbearden	Posted - 04 mai 2010 : 14:21:46 Should have added that I also upgraded maps & firmware from Garmin's site at no cost. Although I'd purchased the unit new, it appears I'd never registered, but had no issues at all in registering & downloading. In addition to the Nuvi my wife has most recently purchased, we have another (small screen) Nuvi & a Garmin handheld I use in both boat & car, so this isn't our primary GPS. But if I get another couple of years out of it (even as a spare or backup) I'll be a very happy camper.
jmbearden	Posted - 04 mai 2010 : 13:58:09 My thanks to everyone having posted in this thread, especially cafeexpress4 for his recent guidance on the "mystery" green wire. My wife's been using a c340 for several years until the battery died & it got too painful to re-acquire its position each time. She's since replaced it w/a widescreen Nuvi & not coming back, but I hated to toss the c340. I've replaced the suction cup mount w/the 3-legged friction/dashboard version & just yesterday did the battery swap as described in this thread. I'd checked before ordering & discovered I had the green wire, so took cafeexpress4's suggestion to order from ebay (SMAVtronics). Replacement came w/green wire included in harness & circuit protection chip (shipping free) for $16.95 (ordered Friday, arrived Monday). Including soldering, total time to swap was 20 min. Re-charged while attached to USB port before unplugging to see how long a new charge would last & it's been on just shy of 8 hours at this point, & still has 1 bar on the battery indicator. I'm happy...
unix_commando	Posted - 03 mai 2010 : 16:57:36 I've performed this repair twice using this thread as a guide and I've found that I can a step, time, and potential danger. Don't shrink the shrink wrap tubing. I cut it to length, slide it over the battery then screw it back in place. A day or two in the car on a hot day and the tubing will shrink tight to the battery and give you that factory look. The heat in the car is high enough to shrink the tubing without the fear of heating the battery to the exploding point.
fenderbender	Posted - 02 janv. 2010 : 22:46:59 BobaTom, If you will read all the posts on this thread you will see that nobody ever responded with what to do with the green wire, except to do what I did on 12/15, removing the circuit board and connect all three wires. Larry
BobaTom	Posted - 02 janv. 2010 : 21:30:29 All of this info is great. I just opened my Garmin to find a black, red and green wire to the battery. What do I do with the green wire. It is not shown in the pictures here. I assume it is a ground wire, but where should I ground the battery? I know the black and red are the positive/negative wires.
ward2up	Posted - 26 déc. 2009 : 17:40:08 I don't care if my c330 runs only when it's plugged in but I'm nervous about continuing to keep the dead battery inside the unit. (I have the two-wire battery connection version.) If I simply remove the battery will the device and speakers continue to work properly when plugged in or do I need to reconnect those two wires somewhere to maintain the closed circuits? Thanks.

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