Garmin Quest is dead or dying

[StinkyPete]

My old Garmin Quest froze on the way home to Adelaide from Horsham today.   Apparently I am in northern USA, the device is on, the screen has frozen, and all buttons are inoperative, so I can't turn it off.
A hard reset is done from the "Off" position, but see my comments above.
Plugging into the computer just confused the computer which does not recognize the unit.
Does the software shut down after 10-12 years, to force me to buy another GPS?

[saaz]

Is there a hard reboot option via a small hole using a paper clip?  A few of my GPSs have had this, with a reset label next to the hole.  Removing the battery may do the trick as well, if it can be removed. I had to do this to my laptop one time as nothing else would work.

[StinkyPete]

I managed to find a reset instruction on the interweb.  Hold "Power" and "In" button at the same time.   The unit shut down.  On restarting, it has gone back to default settings.  ie  Map is the USA, and it can't find any satellites.  Very Odd.    It still wonder if it has a factory "bug" that has killed it to make my buy another.  (I'm in Foil Hat mode)

[saaz]

I reckon the aliens are finally coming, but to SA first!  Good luck...

If it is like the bike Garmin I have, there is a base worldwide map, and within that you purchase various country maps to make up the detail to get it to work.  Any way to do a software/map restore, as the Australia map might be corrupted? May be a memory problem, software glitch etc.  May also be a hardware issue.

[StinkyPete]

Aussie Maps are still present as I can zoom right in to street and business level in Adelaide.  The Quest is no longer supported by Garmin.  System software has reset to default, and it still cant find any satellites.  Neither can I, so it's no smarter than a tiny 35x50mm paper map at the moment.  I'm suspecting I'm in the market for a new GPS.   Oh well, it's served me very well for around 13 years, but I'm still annoyed.

Any suggestions on what to get?

[saaz]

For not much money you can get all sorts with lifetime maps, big screens etc etc.  For bike specific I have only used the Garmin 660 (also does duty in the car) but it is pricey compared to how cheap the car ones are now.  But it comes with car and bike cradles for charging and integrating in with comms systems. I use it in the car as a hands free device as well.  It has its glitches with mapping and instructions, as do all GPSs.

I just checked a choice test on car ones, and the Navman EZY200 was the best performing cheapest ones, the best ones were TomTom VIA 260, TomTom VIA 280 and TomTom VIA 620 ($179, $199 and  $249 respectively, all with the same score)  For some reason the TomToms all had Borderline Victoria regional performance and the Navman  poor NSW regional performance.

[Marcus]

My TomTom rider does Vic very well

[Pezzz]

Is there a hard reboot option via a small hole using a paper clip?  A few of my GPSs have had this, with a reset label next to the hole.  Removing the battery may do the trick as well, if it can be removed. I had to do this to my laptop one time as nothing else would work.

Saaz, for future reference, rather than the hassle of taking battery out on laptop. Hold power key for show count to 5 sane with desktop computers. Programed in BIOS to power of pc unless changed.
As far as gps units, don't forget most phones now have gps with offline maps available that will happily chat through your headset in helmet with no special gear needed.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[saaz]

Marcus, that trick did not work so it was really frozen for some reason.

Is there a hard reboot option via a small hole using a paper clip?  A few of my GPSs have had this, with a reset label next to the hole.  Removing the battery may do the trick as well, if it can be removed. I had to do this to my laptop one time as nothing else would work.

Saaz, for future reference, rather than the hassle of taking battery out on laptop. Hold power key for show count to 5 sane with desktop computers. Programed in BIOS to power of pc unless changed.
As far as gps units, don't forget most phones now have gps with offline maps available that will happily chat through your headset in helmet with no special gear needed.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk