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hacking the garmin streetpilot c340

Saturday Nov 3rd 2007

UPDATE: Get the Garmin StreetPilot and nuvi Power User’s Guide - tons of info, fully illustrated - a must have if you’re a StreetPilot or nuvi owner.

. . .

My primary GPS unit is the Garmin StreetPilot c580. The one previous to that was a c340 that I keep as a backup. Periodically I will plug in the c340 via USB to the computer, launch the Web Updater and let it update whatever it needs to. Seriously speaking, the Web Updater really does work and it’s stupidly easy to use.

The battery in my c340 is dead. Very dead. It absolutely will not hold a charge any longer and will only operate via the car charger or USB.

I read somewhere on the internet that it’s possible to replace the battery in the c340 if you’re willing to crack it open. I worked up the nerve and said Okay, let’s open this thing up.

Under the face plate are four small screws and the reset button. I loosened the screws. The bottom two come all the way out; the top two do not.

After opening it up, I saw a small white connector for the LCD screen, so I unplugged that. Now I could take the front bezel completely off.

In the rear bezel is the battery. There are two screws holding it down via a metal flap. I loosened those, and then..

Drat.

The battery appears to be soldered in place - and I don’t have the courage to break that solder to install a new battery. I totally admit I am no good with a soldering iron.

Also, I found that there’s an intermediary circuit board that is loose. It appeared to be attached to something before but I can’t tell what. In addition, I can’t tell what orientation it’s supposed to be in.

In true redneck tradition I said fuggit and pieced it back together in a way that seemed correct.

After that I plugged in the USB and powered it up, then smelled it to make sure that intermediary board wasn’t set up the wrong way (if it were something would have burnt instantly.) Didn’t smell anything so it appears to be back to the way it was.

So anyway, I was able to crack it open and see what’s in there, but I guess I’ll have to keep the dead battery unless I pony up and pay someone to install a new one. Not a big deal since I have the c580.

The only good thing that happened is that I found the c340 and c580 face plates are interchangeable. I think all the “c” series StreetPilot’s are designed that way.

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