triplnikl

My NUVI 260 automobile power cord brings up the screen icon indicating the unit is connected to my computer, and the maps do not load. If I disconnect the cord, the maps load just fine, but disappear again, with the computer screen icon again appearing in a black screen. I've tried to contact Garmin via the website, which was a total waste of time. It said it was down for maintenance or overloaded...as usual. The instruction booklet with the 260 is useless. Any ideas what my problem is? I have downloaded the 260 software update via my computer with no problem. Now, it wants to think it is still connected, I guess. HELP!

Max

EDIT: Editing post - I misread the model of Nuvi...please stand by

Max

Ok I just read the manual for the device, I was confusing it with one of the console model nuvi's that didn't use a USB device for power.

Is this behavior the same with your power switch on or off?

I don't have a 260 myself, but is the behavior the same when you plug it in to your PC as when you plug it into your car?

If you could try and post the results below, it might help me figure out why it's doing this:
(just replace the ?? with the behavior that occurs when performing the desired activity)


-no external power source - power switch on (??)
-no external power source - power switch off (??)
-unit switch off - plug into computer (??)
-unit switch on (let it boot) - plug into computer (??)
-unit switch off - plug into car (??)
-unit switch on (let it boot) - plug into car (??)

Thats a start...

triplnikl

Thanks for the reply. The unit works fine, with no external power, loads the maps, etc., and works 100%. But, when I plug the power plug into the cigarette lighter, with the unit off or with the unit on, it will begin to load the maps as usual, but won't finish because the screen is then replaced with the black screen and the icon representing the computer hook-up. I even re-downloaded the update (a November update) from the computer again, using a Garmin adapter cord, hoping that maybe something got fixed. No go. Same results when I try to use the NUVI with a power cord. It also will charge fine from a power source. It just won't do anything else until I remove the power source. It seems to think the power cord is the computer adapter cord. If there was a way to check it and reset it, I would. But, there is nothing anywhere in the unit's instructions that addresses this. Thanks for any help.

Max

This is really weird...if I can I'll try to get my hands on a 200/250/260 today and see if the same thing occurs.

Any other Garmin 260 owners here yet?

rapriebe

I have a new 260, just got it for Christmas. According to the update site, it has the latest software (when I try to update, it says no updates are available so I assume that's what it means). Mine works fine with or without the vehicle power cord. Until I get the Garmin one, I'm using the USB cable from my wife's Kodak digital camera to download POI's etc.

So I don't think I can offer any assistance other than to try Garmin support again. They are generally very good about handling problems (at least when compared to Magellan). Maybe try to phone them?? This sounds like a service Issue. The other solution I can think if is to do a total reset. I've read about it, but never needed to try it on my unit. Something about holding your finger on one corner of the screen for 10 seconds while powering up the unit brings up the reset menu? If you call support, that is probably the first thing they will have you do.

triplnikl

Will Try Garmin by phone on Monday. Website is full of gremlins(yesterday at least). By the way, the Garmin website should have a download called WebUpdater which you should download. It will truly tell you what is available for your 260 or any other one. The update I got for mine, and I received it for Christmas too, was an October or November update, and it also allows you to download some other voices if you desire. Download that updater (it's exe file is:C:\ Garmin\webupdater.exe) before you assume that the one you are using is correct. The one with Mapsource does not work properly...even the Garmin tech told me not to rely on it. Thanks for all the inputs.

hrustich

I just bought a Nuvi 260 for my father-in-law for Christmas. He is having exactly this same problem out of the box. The GPS was never connected to a computer. I tried searching the Garmin support web pages, but get the down for maintenance or overloaded message before I can find any info. Sigh... Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Max

Actually for those of you having issues with the strange power cord issue - have you guys tried a hard reset of the unit to see what occurs?

Max

From the garmin manual...this is what I was speaking about:

hrustich

Hi Max,
Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I did the hard reset. It came back up exactly the same. First it says loading maps, then it just goes to the 'computer connection' icon.

Max

Darn! Well at 3am eastern tonight Garmin EU support should be open or you can call usa support in the AM...they should have a fix for this forthcoming I would imagine, sounds like a glitch in their firmware.

hrustich

Just got off of the phone with Garmin. They are sending me a new power cable. The tech claimed that the Nuvi units are very sensitive to the pin length in the cable. If the fit is not just right, then they will go into the download mode. Waiting for the new cable to see if it makes a difference....

Max

That is actually a good suggestion and may be the culprit.

I was thinking about this today when I went to charge a bluetooth headset I have (Motorola mini-usb style). I have a mini-usb splitter I gave up using because when I plugged it into my phone the phone always said "invalid charger". I thought it might be related and the only thing I could tell was the difference in the actual charger end to the splitter's end was the pins were closer to the edge in the charger...I wonder if this thing would generate the same issue with your Nuvi

...do you have a Motorola phone charger (ie: RAZR KRZR SLVR, etc) handy? If you did - they take the same type of charger/power adaptor...

rapriebe

Thanks for the webupdater tip. I was one update behind... got it and worked great. Much oliged.

triplnikl

As the originator of this thread, I'll close out my part now. I finally swapped my unit for another at BEST BUY, where the original came from. It works fine! No power problems. However, I did get an EMail from Garmin concerning my original unit problem. They stated they would send me a new power cable to replace the original, so this may be a more common problem than was known. Good luck, I think the power cable swap will probably work. Thanks for all the help, and I hope the person who had the problem with the "no street names" was able to figure out my "fix". As long as you use an "SSP" voice, it should work. The other voices evidently were the original ones designed for the NUVI 250. Thanks again.

Max

Nice work and thanks for the followup , did you notice any difference in the hardware versions of the old and new units?

Glad to hear you are powered up and working ok again

triplnikl

The difference I noticed was the tip of the power cord. The old unit's cord was a straight USB connector like you see for cellular phones, etc. This one on the replacement unit looked like a longer connector with a 90 degree angle to make it more secure when pushed in. I imagine that was probably the problem all along. My original unit may have been an earlier version of the NUVI 260. Anyway, my new one works flawlessly, and I can now find my way out of the driveway without fear of losing power along the way. Thanks again for the support!

hrustich

I received my new cable for my Nuvi 260. The USB end was nearly identical to the previous one that I had (both were 90 degree connectors). The car end of the cable was slightly different. Unfortunately, the new cable didn't make any difference. I called Garmin again and they agreed to replace the whole unit. Shipped my old one back, and now I'm waiting for the new one.

triplnikl

I guess maybe it was the unit after all, and not the power cord...although I get the same type of reaction from the new unit when I try to plug in the charging cord for household current(the one I use for my cell phone). It indicates that the unit thinks it is in computer download mode. The Garmin people told me, when they offered to send me a new power cord for the car before I swapped the unit for a new one, that it sounded like I was not getting enough power to the unit. Anyway, I am not going to pursue it any further...as far as trying to charge from household current. The new unit works fine in the car, but not on household current. I'm not going to the expense of purchasing the household power cord to check it out.

rapriebe

Are you talking about the USB connector to the computer or the actual AC wall outlet adapter? It is supposed to be that way on the USB charger. It is only usable in mass storage mode when powered up this way, although it charges the battery as well. You just can't use it for route planning or anything.

When I connect to the to the AC wall outlet charger or the auto power cord, it comes up to the starting menu in nav mode, with all functions available.

Pumba

Trying to integrate Nuvi charger cable into car. Because of Garmin's heavy and rather rigid cable (especially if cold) I decided to try after market units. First one would put out a 5.1vdc charge but put the unit into the unwanted data transfer mode, second type I tried boasted that it would not freeze Nuvis and this was initially true, it seemed to perform just like the original Garmin cable and put out 5.02vdc but had a desirable thiner coiled cable. Now the real mystery is when I opened its casing and removed the tiny circuit board and simply extended the 12v source wires and installed it in my car. Then came the bad part: when I turned it on, it now decided to freeze my unit in data mode, yet it was working fine when first obtained. I know enough about electronics to assure you that I did not do anything wrong,polarity, short, etc.
I am now quite baffled!
If this keeps up I might simply demolish the sealed Garmin cable unit to get the job done.
It simply does not add up!

Pumba

Something else that I just found that at first glance seems to explain every thing. It has to do with a resistor between pins 4 and 5 that needs to be around 18Kohm instead of 200K ohm to put Nuvi in charge mode. Now my problem is that after market cables only have 2 conductors and the actual plug is molded plastic. Maybe that AXD adaptor mentioned by another might just have that built in except that I can not find it.
Read the following link for resistor details: Garmin Nuvi GPS Power Connector pinout and signals @ pinouts.ru

I hope that this helps us all.

Now - Fast forward a few months later:
I can now confirm that the above solution is correct because it is now running fine in my car in navigation mode. Several micro USB male connectors (with 5 pins) can actually be snapped open with a tiny jewelers screw driver. There are 4 very tiny tabs that can be released open. Once inside I found a 200K resistor between pins 4 and 5 which explains why unit would only come up in its data transfer mode.
First I had to find a place that would accept selling tiny 1/8th of a watt resistor by the unit, as opposed to a special order for several hundreds. Most places do not carry smaller than 1/4w, which would be too bulky . With a .5mm tipped welding iron and a super steady hand and clamps, I was able to join both a conductor and the resistor to pin 5 then slip on a shrink tubing and weld opposite end to pin 4.

Everything snapped back together and all works great now in Navigation mode. My 250w is mounted immediately to the right of my rear view mirror which enabled me to put he 5vdc regulator inside the map lights in the ceiling console and ravel the coiled wire around factory wires going to chromatic mirror, then directly to my Nuvi. End result is a nearly invisible cable that when not used is retained behind the mirror with velcro.
Best of luck to anyone willing, and able, to put as much effort into obtaining such a nice result. I am glad I did!

hueipei

Hello everybody,

New to the forum here and new to the world of GPS with a Nuvi 260. So far it has been working quite well with some only minor idiosyncratic behavior that I got used to rather quickly.

On to the power cord issue, I have an opposite experience. No problems with the supplied automobile charger cord.

One of the first things that I tired was to update the software when I got the 260. I connected it to a laptop using a USB cable off a USB hub/flash card reader combo. The Nuvi behaved as if it is connected to a power cord only, i.e. runs in the charge mode with all GPS functionality. The computer does not acknowedge the 260 at all. I thought I got a defective unit. :-(. Then I tried a USB cord off my Canon digital camera. Viola! It was recognized right away and I updated the software through the Webupdater without incident.

Maybe, as Pumba pointed out, the USB cord of my USB hub has low impedance between pin 4&5 to make the 260 function in the GPS mode. Kind of nice in a way. Now I have a choice to run the 260 either in the charge or the data mode when connected to a computer. And I don't even have to any additional charger or USB cord from Garmin.

Cheers.

Max

Welcome to the site and interesting behaivor with the hub...I'll have to try the same with my Zumo and see what occurs with the hub.

Is your usb hub powered?

hueipei

Thanks for the welcome. Glad to be here. It would be interesting to see how your hub cable behaves. My hub can be powered, but I run it without. Come to think about it, I do not remember where the power wart is.

davidlandin

I've had the same problem, with the Nuvi 300 where you plug it in to the USB port and it goes straight into computer mode - with the computer hookup logo, and can get to any data maps etc.

I have found a simple solution that seems to work. When it is in Computer hookup mode, unplug the miniUSB and then plug it right in again, and the maps come up.

hueipei

Thanks for the tip.

I found another technique that have been working also so far.
Plug in the USB and the Nuvi goes into the datacom mode. Slide the power switch to lock (either before or after the Nuvi is plugged in). Click on the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon on the Toolbar (Windows) and select the Nuvi Drive(s). The Nuvi will reboot and switch over the the GPS mode. To switch back to the datacom mode: just unplug and plug back in the USB cable.

dav

hueipei, that is quite clever... but doesn't "safely remove hardware" turn off the current to the USB port? You wouldn't be charging anymore.

I do not know for certain. That is simply what I thought the purpose of the "safely remove hardware" was.

hueipei

Thanks Dav,

I stumbled upon the trick accidentally. Now, I use this method regularly to avoid draining the battery when I am mocking with the Nuvi 260. The Nuvi appears to be getting charged in the GPS mode as long as it is connected to the USB port.

If I then use the power switch to turn it off, the Nuvi displays "Charing battery. Slide the power key to turn on." for a few seconds and then the screen goes blank. The unit is not turned off actually, only the screen. When I slide the power switch to turn it back on, the display screen comes back to life instantaneously, and the Nuvi is ready to be used without going through the booting sequence.

It appears that "Safely Remove Hardware" disables only the USB data lines and leaves the power lines active. The Nuvi is somehow "tricked "to think it is re-connected to a charger and reboot into the GPS mode when the power switch is in the "lock" position. In the normal position, the Nuvi would just shut down.

I think, disconnecting and reconnecting the USB cable reactivate the data lines and Nuvi switches back to datacom mode.