Just over a week a ago I sent my Garmin 820 off to have a new battery fitted. I got it back last Friday and used it for the first time around the Malvern Hills on Sunday. But did my new battery revive it?
I originally got it back in 2018 when I rode a 6 day tour into Wales and back. My previous Garmin gave up the ghost on Day 5 and my parents (I was staying with them that day) graciously bought me a new one while I panicked trying to unbrick my old one.
My Garmin 820 Explore does exactly what I need. It records my rides and tells me which way I need to go. I don’t need or want anything else really. It has it’s wobbles occasionally but that’s par for the course. Fast forward nearly 6 years and the Li-ion battery has gradually worn out. The symptoms are simply a reduced charge capacity. Mine had begun going into low-battery mode within the hour so it was time to do something about it.
Initially I was considering purchasing a new unit which would have set me back around £200 or so. Then I stumbled on a Garmin repair specialist online with good reviews which gave me the impetus to chance it and give it a go. The service cost me just under £40 including postage both ways. The basic battery replacement service is £29.99. It seemed quite cheap so I looked online to see how it was done. There are plenty of YouTube videos but to be honest, at that price it wasn’t worth the faff.
The process is simple. Purchase the service online and then send the head unit off with a copy of the order. I got email notifications of receipt, the repair being processed and when it was completed. It was sent back tracked and well packaged in a small box.
The real test was to try it out. So before, the battery would be almost empty within the hour. On Sunday with riding to the train station, riding around Malvern then riding back home from the station I was in the saddle for around 3.5hrs and my Garmin battery level was still 86%….and no tech sent to landfill too. Result!
Check them out, they do watches too
https://satnavspecialist.co.uk/product-category/garmin-repairs