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Nuvi 1490T Bluetooth problem

Former Member
Former Member over 14 years ago
Hi all,

I've had a 1490T for some time now and like it a lot. Unfortunately, lately, it has started doing weird things, coinciding with the installation of the latest firmware (4.30). It won't stay paired to my phone (RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700) after it (the nuvi) has been shut off. The "Friendly Name" on the nuvi is erased (blank) every time I check, and it doesn't remember my phone (the button is "Add" instead of "Change"). Disabling/re-enabling Bluetooth does nothing. Adding the phone again works about 10% of the time, if I delete the nuvi's profile from my phone first. To boot, when it is having this problem, there is no sound (voice or keypress tone) from the nuvi. Rebooting it may make it work in 1 time out of 6 or 7 tries. I've checked the diagnostics pages (accessed via the speedometer) and other than "Abnormal Powerdown" reported a few times, there's nothing I can really see that jumps out at me.

On the About page, in Software Versions, I have GPS ver 4.30, Text ver 4.20 (American English), Keyboard ver "Unknown", Audio ver 2.60 (American English-Jill), and Bluetooth ver "Unknown". Doing a reboot (holding down the power key until it goes off, restarting so the Garmin splash screen comes up) - over and over until I get a beep from pressing "Agree" - when I go back into "About", I get still Keyboard - Unknown, but Bluetooth - 1.73. At that point, going back to the Bluetooth setup page, it still has forgotten my phone, but the proper "Friendly Name" is back.

My email to technical support received a less-than-helpful reply. I got exquisitely detailed instructions on how to download and run WebUpdater to make sure I have the latest version of firmware - despite the fact I mentioned in my email that I already have the latest firmware, and wanted instructions on how I might download/reinstall it, and perhaps the Bluetooth firmware as well. I was also told that my phone may be too new to be compatible with the nuvi. Well, true enough, it's not shown on the website as being compatible, but it's been working with the device day in and day out for months prior to the latest firmware update.

I thought that WebUpdater used to allow you to reinstall the existing firmware if there was no new update to be had. I tried running it just now, and all I get is "There are no new updates. Press Next to look for other updates like voice and text" etc.

Anyone got any advice? Either 4.30 is badly screwed up and needs a bugfix (and judging by the frequent reboots going back to the normal map from the traffic map, this is probably true) or I need to reinstall 4.30 and/or the BT firmware. I'd love to do it, but I can't find a way to do so.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
  • 0 over 14 years ago
    Nuvi 1490T Bluetooth problem

    I deleted the .db file and pairing my phone was no problem. I have the ecoroute and that too paired w/o any problem (was as problematic as pairing the phone).

    I have noticed a pattern with mine, if I pair a second phone (i.e. my wife's) to my Garmin T1490, the next time I will switch on the GPS, the problem will be back. Seems to me that adding a second phone screws up the mlg_history.db file.
  • 0 over 14 years ago
    I have noticed a pattern with mine, if I pair a second phone (i.e. my wife's) to my Garmin T1490, the next time I will switch on the GPS, the problem will be back. Seems to me that adding a second phone screws up the mlg_history.db file.


    In my case, I'm only pairing with one phone,

    Corentin
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 14 years ago
    I was experiencing a problem connecting to my phone (HTC Evo). I disabled the file transfer/sharing and it worked! I was able to make a bluetooth connection!

    No contact info is being transfered, but at least I can accept calls through bt.
  • 0 over 14 years ago
    My 4 month old 1490t also reboots every time the phone rings, just like all the others.

    Sad!

    I ran with my Nuvi 660 for YEARS... Blootoothed to many different phones with never a problem or issue. It even pulled Text Messages and let me answer them.

    The detail on the maps was 100% more information.

    But - it finally crapped out, and so I am stuck with it's replacement - this thing!

    So far I am quite unimpressed... I do love the big bright screen, and thin platform. About everything else I am dissatisfied with.

    But this Rebooting every time I get a phone call is a TOTAL PAIN... So I have to leave my phone out so I can "Answer" the call and use it until the 1490 reboots and comes back on line taking over the phone. and it is not the phone - this thing reboots on every phone, no matter the make or model.

    Of course :: Like many of you... I called Garmin and get patient and helpful techs who say the same thing - "Wait for an Update"!

    So this problem has obviously been around for a least 7 months (First post on this thread dated June 2010). And Garmin programmers haven't been able to make a fix yet? I am thinking it is time to refresh their programming staff with some fresh minds because the ones they have aren't doing it!

    I actually feel bad for the CC Agents to have to field calls on something Garmin should have fixed at least 3 months ago.

    Hell - - maybe put the old Bluetooth 7.1 drivers out there as an update!

    Too bad my 1490 can't run on the software that drove my 660... much more information on the map, and never a Bluetooth issue.

    Oh yea - the mounting of my 660 was also, Vastly better then the downgraded way my 1490 hooks up. But, I suppose the downgraded mounting hardware helps Garmins bottom line.

    Garmin is teaching me something positive with this experience! They are teaching me to be Patient and Tolerant. While I wait for the fix, that never comes.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 14 years ago
    My 4 month old 1490t also reboots every time the phone rings, just like all the others.

    Sad!

    I ran with my Nuvi 660 for YEARS... Blootoothed to many different phones with never a problem or issue. It even pulled Text Messages and let me answer them.

    The detail on the maps was 100% more information.

    But - it finally crapped out, and so I am stuck with it's replacement - this thing!

    So far I am quite unimpressed... I do love the big bright screen, and thin platform. About everything else I am dissatisfied with.

    But this Rebooting every time I get a phone call is a TOTAL PAIN... So I have to leave my phone out so I can "Answer" the call and use it until the 1490 reboots and comes back on line taking over the phone. and it is not the phone - this thing reboots on every phone, no matter the make or model.

    Of course :: Like many of you... I called Garmin and get patient and helpful techs who say the same thing - "Wait for an Update"!

    So this problem has obviously been around for a least 7 months (First post on this thread dated June 2010). And Garmin programmers haven't been able to make a fix yet? I am thinking it is time to refresh their programming staff with some fresh minds because the ones they have aren't doing it!

    I actually feel bad for the CC Agents to have to field calls on something Garmin should have fixed at least 3 months ago.

    Hell - - maybe put the old Bluetooth 7.1 drivers out there as an update!

    Too bad my 1490 can't run on the software that drove my 660... much more information on the map, and never a Bluetooth issue.

    Oh yea - the mounting of my 660 was also, Vastly better then the downgraded way my 1490 hooks up. But, I suppose the downgraded mounting hardware helps Garmins bottom line.

    Garmin is teaching me something positive with this experience! They are teaching me to be Patient and Tolerant. While I wait for the fix, that never comes.


    Mine doesn't reboot and calls ring "through" just fine; but, my contacts NEVER show up, now-at first, they showed up 50% of the time.

    Other than that, I love mine.
  • 0 over 14 years ago
    Have just found this forum and thread,glad to see it is not just my 1490 playing up [It is the TV version which I got courtesy of a free competion on a well known Speed camera forum]
    Initialy I had the phone book showing on the phone as well as the call history,now no phone book and when the history icon does appear there is no "history" being shown,have contacted Garmin Europe,the reply was to make sure firm ware is updated which it is and the phone (Blackberry 9105] software is up to date it is.but alas nothing, although the BT pairs straight away.
    I am now on Software version 4.9 and Blue tooth version 1.74.
    I have sent another e-mail to Garmin telling them the ins and outs of what I have done and now wait a reply.
  • 0 over 14 years ago
    Have just found this forum and thread,glad to see it is not just my 1490 playing up [It is the TV version which I got courtesy of a free competion on a well known Speed camera forum]
    Initialy I had the phone book showing on the phone as well as the call history,now no phone book and when the history icon does appear there is no "history" being shown,have contacted Garmin Europe,the reply was to make sure firm ware is updated which it is and the phone (Blackberry 9105] software is up to date it is.but alas nothing, although the BT pairs straight away.
    I am now on Software version 4.9 and Blue tooth version 1.74.
    I have sent another e-mail to Garmin telling them the ins and outs of what I have done and now wait a reply.


    Had a further reply from Garmin they requested I did a master reset whichI have done................yes at the moment phone book and call history now on the phone........................but for how long ?????????
  • 0 over 14 years ago
    After using and returning 3 of these models to Sam's Club because of all the problems we experienced which have already been mentioned, we finally just went ahead and upgraded to the 3700 series that Sam's carries. What a relieve!
    The 3700 series works flawlessly, which is what you expect when you spend this kind of money for a GPS.
    Garmin needs to wake up and address all this issues or recall all of the 1490 junk that is out there. What a hassle it has been dealing with a POS like the 1490s.
    Later...
  • 0 over 14 years ago
    Garmin needs to wake up and address all this issues or recall all of the 1490 junk that is out there. What a hassle it has been dealing with a POS like the 1490s.
    Later...


    I couldn't agree more. When they get around to fixing one issue, another one pops-up (my unit now displays half the map of the US in normal mode. I have to zoom in like crazy).
    All that makes me suspect though that it's not a hardware issue. It's the firmware that's buggy as hell. I had my unit exchanged once and it didn't make any difference. The Sound issue for instance was fixed in a recent firmware release.

    Corentin
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 14 years ago
    Same BT pairing problems here...

    I can't believe that more than seven months since this was first posted Garmin still haven't been able to put it right!

    From the start I had a bit of a temperamental BT connection with my HTC phone (although most of the times it seemed to work, particularly if I had the HTC bluetooth active well before I started the nuvi). Then, on day I made the stupid mistake of agreeing with updating the software to v 4.30. Then, DISASTER! I lost all BT connectivity, never to recover it. My HTC sees everything, but the Nuvi 1490T. Tried pairing them from phone, from Nuvi... nothing works. Contacted tech support and guess what! they recommended re-install software and ...master reset... needless to say that didn't work. Done it three times, re-installed maps, master resets (lost count) and NOTHING!!!!!

    For what I can see in the forum, this has no prospects of being solved, so I'll give them the choice of a replacement or a full refund. What a joke!