Battery Replacement on your Nuvi?

It's safe to assume that Garmin doesn't make batteries. By the time their useful life starts fading, someone will take a screwdriver to the unit (voiding the warrranty, blah blah blah) drag out the calipers and the DVM and find the corresponding battery in the open market.

Apple will replace your battery for something like $75. On the open market, anyone with a little mechanical aptitude can replace them for under $15. Like the Ipod, the mechanical disassembly is likely to be the hardest part.

By the time their useful life starts fading, someone will take a screwdriver to the unit (voiding the warrranty, blah blah blah)

Void what?
The warranty should be a non-issue by the time that happens.
I did not have a battery in my previous Garmins (StreetPilots). How did I cope without them?
Amazing....

What Garmin didn't tell you is that the battery doesn't hold up too well when exposed to high heat levels (hello, it's on the dashboard of a car). This dramtically shortens the life of the battery. I won't by another product from Garmin unless the battery is owner replaceable!

I have a Nuvi 760 which would not hold a charge for more than 20 minutes. I wrote to garmin tech support. Minimum charge was $225. For a battery for God sake. I took the screw driver to the back of the unit which was actually quite easy to pop open. The battery you take out is a three wire battery. Green, red, black. The replacement battery on ebay is only two wires. red and black. The connector fits but will fit into a one/two or a two/three configuration. (one it towards the top of the unit) Do the one/two configuration. It works fine, charges, and runs for about 3 hours now without recharge. Total cost $26.50. I am so disappointed in Garmin selling a unit with a non replacable battery unit.

Well get this!
I have a Nüvi 660 (20 months), and the battery no longer holds a charge - 2 minutes and it's out. Part of the problem I think is that I've always had it in the holder and plugged in and the battery never in fact had to recharge.
I called Garmin's Canadian repair shop in Montreal and was told that Garmin has established a "standard repair rate" for Nüvis at $302,75 plus tax to replace the battery. Well I guess I'll just have to use it plugged in or try one of the trick I found on forums

I have an email from Garmin in front of me. It states that they will replace the battery in my 2.5 year old nuvi 350 for $175. Seriously.

Can anyone recommend a gps similar to the nuvi but with a user replaceable battery?

http://www.batteryship.com/htmlos/htmlos.cgi/batteryship/catalog.html?item=361-00019-11&model=Garmin+Nuvi+250

didn't check your model, but these people advertise a battery for my model

Nuvi 760 battery has original part number 361-00019-12 but i replaced it with a -11 battery and it is fine. Opening case is relatively straight forward - use a torx t5 to remove 2 screws then gently prise off the back. Original battery in mine was actually made by Samsung (SD1 plus lots of other numbers - have not been able to track this down on internet).

Here is my page with photos and instructions on replacing the battery in the Garmin Nuvi 350. It also cross-links another site with instructions.

www.dacust.com/nuvi350/index.html

The battery can be had in the US at Batteries Plus. I have had reports people are finding them cheaper on eBay. I paid just under $30.

-dan

my nuuvi 760 never held a charge; as soon as I disconnected it from power, the 'Low Battery' msg would come up. I got a replacement battery for less than $20 and a special screwdriver for another $15 #a whole set#. With help from comments here, I had no trouble replacing the battery and saving some $200. Just be careful when you pry the case open, do it slowly so to not rip off the two cables that go into tiny sockets on the board; a tweezer is helpful for putting them back in.
The new battery is still charging but it looks already better when I turn the Garmin on....

My Nuvi battery lasted for 9 month in Dubai, due too the excessive heat.

garmin is to produce accessible & replaceable batteries, so you can take your GPS to the wild or desert and take some batteries with you.

Can't plug it to a tree after all, that if u find one in the desert !

I just replaced my battery in my 680 not an easy job but can be done be careful - look under the ant and see two screws but start by disassembling the ant. pry cover off ant starting with the external ant connection. disconnect flat cable - the connection has a flip up lock - be very careful. case pries apart. I started with ant. side of case and worked around to the sides flipping it open - bat is in the very back - good luck!