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Montana 700i keeps turning off

I have a Montana 700i, actually it's my third unit and second cradle. Just after I bought my new 700i I found that it would randomly turn off. Sometimes this happens after a few hours, other times less than 30 mins. The other day it turned off twice in 30 mins. I have to press and hold the power button to turn it back on. When it restarts it just picks up where it left off. The unit has spent all of it's time so far in the car cradle in the car with the USB cable plugged into the 12v socket adaptor. 

The dealer has done all they could by replacing 2 units and the cradle so I've contacted Garmin AU, but that has been a frustrating process and I haven't gotten anywhere except to learn that someone else in Australia has the same fault.

Anyone else got the same issue ?

  • Just to chime in and say my unit seems to also power off for no reason and I wasn't charging it or using the powered mount. It was the first time really using it on a bicycle tour and it powered off twice in two days. I couldn't find a reason why.

    It's not the end of the world but i'm using it to record the route so it's annoying losing the stats for strava. You kinda expect a £500 device to be bombproof so super awkward this problem seems repeatable but unfixable by garmin.

    Edit - Just to add, I did find a setting which meant the unit will turn off when disconnected from external power. I was wondering if maybe moisture was getting in to the charging port, or even somehow triggering the side chargers?, and confusing the device.  I've turned that setting off but won't be cycle touring for a couple of weeks so won't know until then.

  • I believe that this is a known problem. There are multiple forum threads on the subject. Would not hurt to open your own support ticket. One more vote for fixing it sooner than later. And you will get notified if there is a fix.

    After reviewing this insanely long thread, all of the info (that I know of) is someplace in this thread. Garmin admits that there are two separate power-down problems - one related to the use of the rugged mount to power the device and one which is NOT related to power in any way. Garmin says you should open a ticket no matter which problem(s) you have. 

  • US Garmin Montana 700 owner here.  Very frustrated with the constant power down/shutoff incidents (and tracking cancellation) on my unit. Its a new unit with all updates, plugged into a powered motorcycle mount.  

    Three days adv riding in reasonably remote territory you need to be able to see and actively manage your route while in motion.  

    Sometimes you're on a trail unable to view the unit for a while while negotiating some difficult terrain then while in motion glance back to the unit to prepare for the next junction/ trail and the unit screen is dead and unresponsive. 

    Stop, turn unit back on, wait for the reboot, re-establish your position, the screen is going all crazy because it can't detect motion anymore and north/ south is swapping positions (yes its properly angled), figure out where you are, zoom, decide, curse, check that its recording (sometimes it stops recording), get going again.  Loss of confidence in the unit. 

    I still have two 6xx series units that have been solid as a rock over many years use.  The "upgrade" to the 7xx series was a planned out decision to gain the benefit of additional features (and accept some downgrades/ limitations - screen responsiveness, screen legibility) but it's unusable in its current form and those additional features are irrelevant to its intended purpose.

    To enable the user to actively navigate their travels. This is the units main defining premise.  This is an expensive top end unit designed to be an upgrade to the 6xx series but it fails in this premise.  

    Spoke with Garmin, added to shutdown issue ticket. 

    // rant over. 

    TLDR: Garmin says fix is in the works, still waiting. 

  • Unless Garmin is planning on releasing an updated unit with revised hardware and providing free upgrades,  I don't see these issues ever getting corrected. 

  • Thats truly optimistic...

  • Agreed.

    SNAFU.

    The M7xx is like a rehash of the Monterra debacle.  

    M700 RMA on its way, but it's not hopeful.  

    Ordered an XT2. 

  • Mine is not restarting frequently... so far.

  • My latest replacement device also suffers from turning off. I don't have any high hope, that this will be ever fixed. Also created a ticket and attached debug logs. All my previous (replacement) devices did not had this issue.

  • Hi, I have written many other post in the past 4 months, I have been contacted directly from Garmin-Leslie with a Direct Message asking me to provide information about this issue with photos, GPS serial numbers, logs, etc to a link provided and sent by Garmin throw Leslie

    Unfortunately, No answers received since 4 months neither from Garmin nor from Leslie.

     I spent much time preparing and sending this information about this issue, I thought that Garmin will use it to fix the problem.

     There are multiple forum threads about this issue, but Garmin do nothing about this.

     As other member describes, sometimes you're on a trail unable to view the unit for a while, while negotiating some difficult terrain then while in motion glance back to the unit to prepare for the next junction/ trail, but it is too late, the Montana has turned off ..... you have to stop riding / driving to turn it on again and then you realize it stops recording some time ago

    After you turn it on again sometimes all the tracks and waypoint previously uploaded get lost.

     We only hear form Garmin ….

    “ We're very sorry to hear your Montana is shutting off randomly …

    “ We're currently working on a solution for the device itself and hope to have these available soon… “