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Altimeter problem!!!

Raul77
over 6 years ago
Let me begin by "thanking" Garmin Support Italy, for not replying at my email anymore. I've sent them an email, explaining the problems I have with my Fenix 5x Plus and they replied, telling me the procedure to reset my watch. Knowing it will not solve my problem, I did it anyway, worked fine for a couple of hours, but after that, SAME ISSUES! Mailed them again, letting them know that I did the FACTORY RESET exactly how they instructed me to do, but THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE! Been over a week now, STILL NO REPLY!!!
I can understand that some products are faulty, but I cannot understand the lack of common sense from the Garmi Assistance Italy, after you,as a client, paid 750€ for a faulty product and YOU, as a client, have to wait for weeks for a reply from Garmin Assistance or not even a generic reply at least.
Left Fitbit for their faulty products and sh*tty costumer care, to end up in the same situation! I've been patient for a month now, having to calibrate altimeter almost every day, but enough is enough. I paid for a working product, not for a faulty one!!!
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Raul77I think it is best for you to call into Garmin Italy and explain to them what you are experiencing, first. If you are not able to reach them or if you run into any other issues, feel free to send me a private message with good contact information so that I can ask a friend from there to contact you.


    Thanks for your reply!
    First I've contacted the online store from where I purchased it. The seller advised me to contact Garmin directly, but also warned me that in August, the Garmin Assistance Italy, moves very slow, do to summer vacation or what not and it's better to wait September, if I don't want to wait too long for Garmin to take my watch in service first and possibly send me the watch back, telling me that "works just fine", but not in a reasonable time frame. I've seen a lot of complaints about this, Garmin, after keeping the products in service for at least 2 weeks, sending the same watch back, with the same problems.
    All in all I will expect to remain without the watch for a month total (sending it to Garmin, Garmin service and Garmin sending it back with the same problems). Even if I would've called first, I would of got the same results, they would of told me to Reset it and after a few short hours, the problem was still there and with the next call, I would of had to start all over again, because the second assistant would of told me to Reset it :) (see my dilemma here about calling and not emailing or messaging). At least in the email and after that in the message Facebook page, I was able to show them that, even after 2 Resets, the problems remained the same.
    When I left Fitbit for Garmin, that was the reason, having to wait too long for them to resolve the issues with their products, keeping them too long in service and sending them back with the same problems.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    I had mine for 3 days and realized the altimeter and baro weren't behaving as anticipated and tried the same steps as you re calibrating and got the same results. Ran through the service menu (https://forums.garmin.com/forum/on-the-trail/wrist-worn/fenix-3/91835-hard-reset-service-menu-data-backup) to the Baro Test Page.
    Value was as follows:-

    Valid?: Invalid


    Basically means sensor is Fubar.

    Went back to the shop where I purchased from online and they exchanged the unit immediately. New one works flawlessly.
    ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1392514.jpg
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    I had mine for 3 days and realized the altimeter and baro weren't behaving as anticipated and tried the same steps as you re calibrating and got the same results. Ran through the service menu (https://forums.garmin.com/forum/on-the-trail/wrist-worn/fenix-3/91835-hard-reset-service-menu-data-backup) to the Baro Test Page.
    Value was as follows:-

    Valid?: Invalid


    Basically means sensor is Fubar.

    Went back to the shop where I purchased from online and they exchanged the unit immediately. New one works flawlessly.

    You were lucky! I've contacted the online shop where I purchased it from and they said to contact Garmin for the warranty. I've called them and they said I have to send it to them for repairs and investigations. They said it will only take 7 working days to do their investigations and try to repair it. That was 2 weeks ago. Now i've contacted them to see what is happening and why this delay, but NO answer.
    So, in conclusion, i've spent a fortune (at least for me) for a watch just to keep it in assistance. I even asked for the time it will take for them to fix the watch and send it back to me, but needless to say they haven't delivered.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    You were lucky! I've contacted the online shop where I purchased it from and they said to contact Garmin for the warranty. I've called them and they said I have to send it to them for repairs and investigations. They said it will only take 7 working days to do their investigations and try to repair it. That was 2 weeks ago. Now i've contacted them to see what is happening and why this delay, but NO answer.
    So, in conclusion, i've spent a fortune (at least for me) for a watch just to keep it in assistance. I even asked for the time it will take for them to fix the watch and send it back to me, but needless to say they haven't delivered.


    I would be equally frustrated especially considering the price of these watches, they aren't cheap and it took me many years to eventually commit to upgrading from an old Forerunner. I was quite peeved when I realized there was a hardware issue. Fortunately the shop I bought from has a proper returns policy and I could show them that the unit doesn't work. If that had failed I would have gone directly to our local Garmin folk who fortunately have their office near to where I work and on the 2 occasions I've had to go to them in 16 years I've always had good service from them.

    Unfortunately many online shops work that way, they are just the middlemen ( placing back to back orders with the supplier and getting a margin) and if there is a return you have to deal with the manufacturer or main dealer directly. That happens often here, and the dilemma for us is shipping something back to the US if there is no local dealer (often the case) is a very expensive exercise and very rarely covered by the company in the US.

    Hope you get your/replacement unit back soon. Amazing device.... when everything is working.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    I would be equally frustrated especially considering the price of these watches, they aren't cheap and it took me many years to eventually commit to upgrading from an old Forerunner. I was quite peeved when I realized there was a hardware issue. Fortunately the shop I bought from has a proper returns policy and I could show them that the unit doesn't work. If that had failed I would have gone directly to our local Garmin folk who fortunately have their office near to where I work and on the 2 occasions I've had to go to them in 16 years I've always had good service from them.

    Unfortunately many online shops work that way, they are just the middlemen ( placing back to back orders with the supplier and getting a margin) and if there is a return you have to deal with the manufacturer or main dealer directly. That happens often here, and the dilemma for us is shipping something back to the US if there is no local dealer (often the case) is a very expensive exercise and very rarely covered by the company in the US.

    Hope you get your/replacement unit back soon. Amazing device.... when everything is working.


    Thanks! Tomorrow I will call them again, if they don't answer to my emails, but they will lie to me, like they did before I sent them the watch. Left Fitbit for the exact same reason, having to wait to much in case you have problems with the products and after I will FINALLY get my 5x Plus back, I think I'm gonna sell it on eBay and move on to Suunto, see how they respect their clients and their promises.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    They sent me an email telling me what they did to the watch while it was in assistance. They did a factory reset, installed the latest software and verified the gps and the HR.
    This is bloody hilarious, I've sent it in assistance for ALTIMETER AND BAROMETER problems and they tested the GPS and HR readings. *face palm*
    I've already told them when I sent them the watch, that I already did the Factory Reset 3 times and already installed the latest firmware (beta too), but the ALTIMETER and BAROMETER still doesn't work as they should.
    Now I have to wait until Monday for the courier to bring me the watch and then to send it back in assistance with the same issues. *double face palm*
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    I was using the altimeter on Kilimanjaro. It seems to rely mostly on satellite readings than anything else. Hence, I was switching altitudes between DEMS and GPS - and GPS was more accurate than DEMS. GPS read 3800m, and DEMS was 3500m

    When calibrated to a known altitude, it would eventually - over 1200m of ascent be off by 200m.

    This is with it being replaced once more.

    Not sure if the altimeter can be relied on as a guide for altitude, and perhaps not so, in a poor GPS signal area. I don't think it is a substitute for real altimeter data. Probably useful as a guide - to know how you're generally doing over a particular distance.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    I was using the altimeter on Kilimanjaro. It seems to rely mostly on satellite readings than anything else. Hence, I was switching altitudes between DEMS and GPS - and GPS was more accurate than DEMS. GPS read 3800m, and DEMS was 3500m


    Which mode was your watch (the Barimeter) on: Auto vs Altimeter vs Barometer?
    What was your setting for Calibration of the altimeter?
    Which Software version have you been on?

  • 0 over 6 years ago
    I was using the altimeter on Kilimanjaro. It seems to rely mostly on satellite readings than anything else. Hence, I was switching altitudes between DEMS and GPS - and GPS was more accurate than DEMS. GPS read 3800m, and DEMS was 3500m

    When calibrated to a known altitude, it would eventually - over 1200m of ascent be off by 200m.

    This is with it being replaced once more.

    Not sure if the altimeter can be relied on as a guide for altitude, and perhaps not so, in a poor GPS signal area. I don't think it is a substitute for real altimeter data. Probably useful as a guide - to know how you're generally doing over a particular distance.


    After it was sent in assistance, has the same issues.
    I understand that is not that accurate when it comes to altitude, but I really don't like it when it shows me -20000 meters or 40000 meters of altitude! Even today, after restarting the watch, from 22 meters, it was showing -41 meters. Did a calibration and now shows 20 meters.
    I live in a "clear area" on the seaside of the Adriatic sea in Italy , NO obstacles for gps accuracy, so I'm expecting NO problems in regards of altitude.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Which mode was your watch (the Barimeter) on: Auto vs Altimeter vs Barometer?
    What was your setting for Calibration of the altimeter?
    Which Software version have you been on?



    Barometer mode was auto.
    I tried each of the three modes for altimeter.

    software version is the latest update available from Garmin. Includes data on pulse ox as well.