Slashdot Mirror
Garmin Recalls 1.25M 'Fire Risk' Satnavs
Barence writes "Garmin is recalling 1.25 million of its nüvi satnavs after batteries overheated. According to Garmin, the issue only affects devices containing batteries manufactured within a set date range by a third-party supplier and that have a specific printed circuit board design. 'It appears that the interaction of these factors can, in rare circumstances, increase the possibility of overheating, which may lead to a fire hazard,' the company said in a statement. 'Although there have been no injuries or significant property damage caused by this issue, Garmin is taking this action out of an abundance of caution.' Perhaps Garmin should also issue a software update that diverts drivers to their nearest fire station?"
(in guide voice) ...Take a left turn in 500ft. ...Take a right turn in 2.5 miles. ...Pull- Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow. I am on fire, please shut me off.
Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
Perhaps Garmin should also issue a software update that diverts drivers to their nearest fire station?
Lamest joke ever.
Kudos to Garmin for proactively recalling their own unit before anybody dies or they have a growing public relations nightmare on their hands. It's much better stewardship of their brand and care for their customers than we ever see from car companies or medical device manufacturers.
Of course, it's also disheartening that the appropriate minimum response to discovering a serious flaw in one's product now feels extraordinary and laudable when viewed in the context of other major American manufacturer's current behavior.
I used to shoot a lot of panasonic cameras; and about a year or two ago, pany changed their 3rd party battery story so that new models use chipped batteries (pulling a sony, so to speak) and this locks out most 3rd party batteries.
their reason: safety. they claim that 3rd party batteries are less safe than the oem's.
then we see essentially ALL companies who make battery power (li-ion mostly) devices have this or that battery recall. its not if, but when. I'm not sure a single vendor has escaped.
they claim their own choice of batteries is safer but each recall BY the vendor whittles this trust away bit by bit.
--
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
1960s: Carry a fire extinguisher in your car, in case the electrical goes berserk.
2010s: Carry a fire extinguisher in your car, in case the electrical goes berserk.
Head south.
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. This comment may not be copied in any way including, but not limited to caching.
According to the Dutch site tweakers.net ( http://tweakers.net/nieuws/69349/garmin-roept-nuvi-navigatiesystemen-terug.html ), the supplier of the battery will take on the cost of replacing the battery. So it seems there's at least an issue with that battery and who knows if other devices may also be affected.
It also mentions, however, that Garmin will be adding a spacer between the battery and the PCB.
So, speculation time... 1. the battery's casing may not have been up to spec and under some circumstances can lead to a conductive area that is -not- one of terminals being exposed and 2. the battery's proximity to - possibly direct contact with - the PCB actually made this into an issue simply because a soldered pin may end up touching the exposed area and shorting the battery or otherwise causing a too high draw bypassing the safety systems usually in place. Wouldn't be the first time.. but, again, speculation.
Garmin has provided a site to check if yours is one of the affected units: https://my.garmin.com/rma/recallLanding.faces.
'Although there have been no injuries or significant property damage caused by this issue, Garmin is taking this action out of an abundance of caution.'
Its right there in the article and the summary.
Mine was recalled. Its on its way back already. I'm hoping they just send a replacement unit, as satellite lock time was starting to increase beyond reason. Various forums indicate this is due to some small antenna connection that develops over time.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
What model did you have? Some 200 series units have the satellite lock time issue fixed with a GPS firmware update that you can do yourself with a tool available from their website.
Garmin Geko circa 2003, ran 20 hours on two non-exploding AAA cells. When they go flat, swap in another pair, and charge the flat ones up when you get home.
Garmin Nuvi 205W circa 2010, runs 4-5 hours on internal proprietary lithium cell, non-removable. When it goes flat, you are hosed and can't use the unit until you can find a place to charge it. And that's assuming it didn't explode.
Lithium batteries are just a fucking scam. I buy AA or AAA powered devices (digicams, portable audio, etc) when I can possibly help it, and use Sanyo Eneloop NiMH cells which have no self-discharge problems (the usual excuse for lithium). The slight size/weight penalty is more than worth it to avoid the damn proprietary battery and charger and explosion hassle, and there is also a huge cost savings.