GPS doesn’t charge

[donandlin]

Our Garmin GPS won’t charge with the original installation on the motorhome. I’ve attached picture. I can use a 12V cord or 110V charger and it will charge. Is there a fuse somewhere? We have a 2014 Holiday Rambler Ambassador.

 

[SeilerBird]

Have you checked the output of the connector with a volt meter?

 

[Kirk]

Since I own a Garmin much like yours, I am assuming that you have a power plug such as this one?

Have you checked the outlet as suggested or possibly tried it in anothter vehicle? How old is the Garmin? The batteries do fail in time and stop accepting a charge. If you always operate it with the cord plugged in the batteries usually fail more quickly.

 

[Martian]

Maybe this explains it.

 

[Daffy]

Garmin's require a Garmin charge cord, not sure why but all of mine do. If you are using a Garmin charge cord then I'd check the source with a volt meter.

 

[Ex-Calif]

I don't know if there is a fuse but if the unit is working fine with a separate cord you may have to get under the dash and trace the line.

As Daffy says you might start with a meter on the stock cord.

 

[John From Detroit]

I'm' guessoing that cable that comes out of the mount and plugs into the Garmin IS a charge cord.

And yes there is a fuse. and at lest one connector (two minimum) and other possible breaks.

 

[phil-t]

Does it operate but not charge? OP's PIC looks like an OEM Garmin setup installed on/in the dash of the RV. I would trace the cable under the dash to see where it goes. Maybe with an in-line fuse. OP has a separate charge cord that works.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The last Garmin I had like that model had a fuse in the 12v charger plug.

 

[Kirk]

OP's PIC looks like an OEM Garmin setup installed on/in the dash of the RV.

It sure does and I think that most of us missed that. I am thinking that it is not a recent model either. It might help if we knew a bit more about what it is exactly.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Not necessarily OEM, but certainly permanently installed (power cord routed thru top of dash). That pedestal and adhesive disc have come with the last 2 or 3 Garmins I bought, so could easily be a DIY or aftermarket install.

 

[Kirk]

Not necessarily OEM,

What makes me think that it is OEM is the way that it is pressed down through the padding of the dash. I too have had those stick-on discs that Garmin supplies for you to put a suction cup attachment on, but this has no lever for the suchtion and doesn't appear to be stuck on top of the dash.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Garmin makes a number of different cords. If the GPS allows manual updates and route uploads it may have a plug in somewhere else in the RV dash.

Otherwise it might just be a "permanent" install cord with an inline fuse.

 

[phil-t]

And, the end of that power cable connected to the garmin - it is exactly the same as my Dezl 770. I'm sure there are aftermarket cables but like Kirk, I'll go with OEM mount as well. Or, at least RV manufacturer had Garmin in mind for this application.

 

[donandlin]

Lots of good input here. It is an OEM Garmin in our 2014 HR Ambassador which we purchased new and used to charge fine on the dash where it was mounted. It does charge using our other chargers ( like Kirks pic) and also a Garmin charger that goes from unit to 110 outlet. No problem with GPS, just with the convenient dash mount wire that plugs in and should charge it. We have a multimeter and assume that I check the end of the connection that plugs in the GPS but can someone tell me how or what I am supposed to set it at?

 

[donandlin]

It’s a Dezl 760LM

 

[Kirk]

The voltage to the Garmin should be 5V. It may be difficult to get into the plug to measure it. Possibly use a paperclip?

 

[donandlin]

I found a broken inline fuse and replaced it and it still won’t charge(with the dash mounted connector). I’m attaching pictures from the bottom of the gps under the dash to the harness that goes down to who know where! Everything looks good .. If we need to replace some wire, where do we begin and with whom?

 

[Contributor]

first thing I would do is to verify you have 12 VDC at the fuse. Pull the fuse, set the voltmeter to 20 VDC. Make sure the voltmeter is working by measuring across a battery. Then take the black lead and touch a metal part of the chassis and the red lead to the fuse connector.

If no 12 volts, then there is another fuse somewhere before the one you replaced. If 12 Volts, then go up the wiring to the garmin.

 

[Contributor]

I downloaded the owners manual for a 2013, 2014 is not available at the rambler website. Anyhow, it shows a fuse for the NAV SYS on the front electrical panel and looks like fuse location 4