4 Tips to Keep Your GPS from Falling off the Windshield
There are a lot of GPS mount styles out there, and anyone who has read my reviews knows that it’s something that I comment on when I don’t like them. I have gotten a lot of email lately about GPS units falling off windshields, and people ask about how to keep that from happening. My personal favorites are cam lever action mounts, like Garmin and Mio, but even those can fall off the windshield if you don’t take care to get a good connection. Here are some tips to keep the GPS on the windshield:
1) Clean the suction cup - make sure dust and stuff isn't on it; I stuff my GPS units under the seat and the suction cup collects lint on it. I wipe it off before mounting.
2) Clean the windshield - gunk on the windshield will make it not stick as well.
3) Mount the mount alone - I notice that with some models I cannot mount the mount well when pushing on the GPS AND mount together. I lose leverage, do the mount and then add the GPS. This is especially true for TomTom units with their press on mounts.
4) Push HARD - I have noticed that the TomTom mounts seem to adhere in 2 stages - lightly adhered and locked on. Push lightly and the thing may fall off, but push hard and I am pretty sure it will stay on. For other cam lever ones, keep the mount firmly against the windshield to get a good clean mount as you engage the cam lever to lock it to the windshield.
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Posted by Scott Martin at October 12, 2007 7:55 AM
I had my Garmin Nuvi 350 for approximately 7 or 8 months when I decided to take it with me on a flight to California. The suction cup was fixed to the windshield so strongly only by using something sharp could I pry it off. Naturally, some of the rubber stuck to the windshield, and after that the suction did not work. I finally applied Vaseline to the cup, and the seal worked perfectly. Furthermore, the unit now comes off whenever I need to move it.
I have a Garmin too and the suction cup leaves residue in the hot sun, which makes the suction cup useless when removed. Complain to customer support and Garmin WILL mail you a new suction cup free of charge. They are sending me my 3rd one.
Cold weather also results in poor suction. I have had luck warming the suction cup in my hand for a few moments prior to sticking it on, and that seems to help. Air conditioning, especially if the cold air is hitting the windshield, also tends to break the suction.
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