Garmin fenix 5

"email" to Garmin support regarding pin 2 corrosion. (Electromigration design flaw)

The number 2 pin on the watch charging port is completely missing. This is due to electromigration corrosion often encountered in electronics. I have been in the electronic industry for 40+ years and certainly recognise this design flaw. The speed of corrosion will depend to some degree on use, but while electrical sensing pulses are continually applied to pin 2, all watches with this exposed connector will eventually see corrosion on this pin. I'm sure your engineers have noticed pin 2 is the only one effected, ruling out general sweat, humidity and water as claimed in many Garmin responses.

My problem is getting the watch repaired or replaced, knowing this issue will return, most likely outside the 90 day replacement warranty. Can you tell me if this design flaw has been fixed? If the issue has been resolved then can you please provide details for the return of the watch, and replace the faulty item. If the design flaw has not been addressed can you please provide a full refund once you have received the watch.

Thanks for the assistance.

PS. This watch is only 7 months old.

Top Replies

All Replies

0 Jenya over 4 years ago in reply to Garmin - Chris

Hello. I immediately turned to a local dealer in Belarus. I was told that corrosion of the second contact is not a warranty case. Although seven months ago I changed the watch with this problem. Then I wrote in support of Garmin Europe to clarify why a watch with corrosion is not a warranty case. They said that they could not change the decision of the local dealer:

"Hi Евгений,

You will need to take this up with the dealer, we are unable to overturn any decision made by them. Please get back in touch with them thanks.

Kind regards,

Josh

Garmin Europe"

It turns out a vicious circle. The local dealer refused me. And the Garmin Europe support service sends me back with this problem to the dealer.

0 Jenya over 4 years ago in reply to Garmin - Chris

I was not answered in support of Garmin Europe. Corrosion of the second contact, is it a warranty case or not? If not, why did you change the watch with this problem before? The forum has many such cases. A local dealer said that some kind of directive came out, that a watch with this problem is not a guarantee case. This is true?

0 TERP1234 over 4 years ago

I bought my F5 in june 2018 and a month ago I received my 3rd watch inder warranty because of the corroding pin without problems (Garmin Netherlands). Of course it should eb a warranty case. It can't be a coincidence that only the 2nd is always corroding. That should be some kind of current corrosion, else the other pins would corrode as well. On my first watch it started to corrode after some 6 months of using. The 2nd watch within weeks and made the pin completely disappear. Also the battery usage of my watch was quite bad, some 15%/day. After a month my last watch is still corrosion free and battery ussage only around 5%/day. I hope it will remain this way.

0 Jenya over 4 years ago in reply to TERP1234

I agree. Corrosion of the second contact, this is not an accident, but a regularity! Why doesn't Garmin solve this problem? Or is it easier to change the clock every time? I wonder if there is any solution to this problem.
I don’t understand who to contact when a local dealer declines and Garmin Europe support cannot help either.

0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to Jenya

I am on my 4th Fenix and the last one was replaced by one of the better retailers in the UK with a 12 months warranty. The current one is now showing exactly the same signs as my last Fenix 5, the 2nd pin went dull after about 2 months so my plan is to return the defective product and either get my money back or risk getting a fifth Fenix with no doubt the same faulty design. I should point out that I have rarely used the Fenix 5 and only for running and never for swimming. I charge it up only when the battery gets down to below 20% so it has seen a very easy live of use and minimal charging.

Also, and I don't know if this is relevant, but looking at the gold coloured pins on the charging cable, there are no signs of corrosion, but one of the end pins is not quite as extended as the others. I.e. it has not extended fully back to it's normal position. I am wondering is this is part of the issue and even though not related directly to the 2nd pin on the Fenix 5, it may indirectly affect the electrical circuit.

Garmn's strategy seems to be to deny the problem even exists and wait until the Garmin warranty is out of date.

Interesting that if you search Google for electromigration corrosion charging contacts that the top result is for the Garmin Fenix 5.

0 Jenya over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

It has been 3 days since my last letter in support of Garmin Europe. Asking for help to solve the problem. But no one answered me, and did not offer a solution. It seems that Garmin decided to ignore this problem. I have another 1.5 years warranty. And I do not know at what point corrosion will lead to breakage. It turns out I have to use the watch and watch how the problem progresses?

0 Jenya over 4 years ago in reply to Jenya

Here is the last part of our correspondence. Which ended in nothing.

Garmin Dealer << Reference ID: 16128939K0 >> <Q#:1000104>

[email protected]

Hi ,

Due to the nature of internet forums, people will express their personal views which they are entitled to do and we have no control over this. Our preference would be for them to contact us first so that we can offer support.

You will likely therefore, find other users that have experienced similar issues to yourself, and the same can be found for any electrical device and potential issue, but these do only make up a very small minority of users, and very few of these turn out to be genuine faults. As such, whilst regrettably faults can occur, as they can on any electrical device, there are no known faults with these, which can cause this.

Please refer to your local distributor.

Kind regards,

Lauren

Garmin Europe

______________________________________________________________

PO Box 392 | Southampton | SO40 0FW | UK

www.garmin.co.uk

Registered office: Liberty House, Hounsdown Business Park, Southampton , SO40 9LR , UK . Registration no. 2724437 VAT Reg. No. GB568 6978 58

>> Original Message ...
>> From: [email protected]
>> To: [email protected]
>> Subject: Re: Garmin Dealer << Reference ID: 16128939K0 >>

>> Sent: 21/03/2020 08:15

This is my answer.

Hello. The first thing I did when I saw corrosion on the second contact was contacting a local dealer in Belarus. Since this problem arose for the second time, I had no doubt that they would help me solve it. But they told me that this was not a warranty case and wrote on the warranty card that the watch was working. It surprised me. Last time, the same problem was recognized as a warranty case. Therefore, I decided to contact you. To make sure contact corrosion is a warranty case or not. But you did not answer my questions, did not help me figure out this situation. I have provided you with all the photos of the watch and documents, and the serial number. But you again sent me to deal with your local dealer. Why should I contact him again if they refused me there? So the last thing I could do was write about the problem on the Garmin forum. Where it became known to me that people in this situation have been repeatedly helped. So now, I feel cheated! Maybe all the same, can you tell me how to proceed next? What documents still need to be provided? Maybe I need to conduct an independent examination? Thanks for the help.

пн, 23 мар. 2020 г. в 17:35, <[email protected]>:

Fil • [email protected]

0 Garmin - Chris over 4 years ago in reply to Jenya

I have contacted our London, UK Product Support team. They will reach out to you to further discuss your warranty options. My sincere apologies that you have had issues with the charging pin on the back of your watch.

0 5983312 over 4 years ago in reply to Garmin - Chris

I have just received my third replacement Fenix 5 Fenix 5 due to this problem. I reported this electromigration design problem 4 months ago. Each watch lasts about 6 months before this pin is completely corroded away. I cycle and swim daily, so perhaps chlorine from the pool speeds up the process. Anyway an new watch every 6 months solves my problem. This is good support from Garmin. Perhaps fixing the fault would be better.

0 Jenya over 4 years ago

Hello. I nevertheless got the watch replaced, the second time. Thank you for influencing the office in England. They mailed me a replacement. Although I do not quite understand why the local importer from whom I purchased the watch does not make a replacement under warranty. In this case, it makes no sense to buy a watch in your own country. It is easier, and sometimes cheaper, to bring them from the border. And there is no danger of failure, with a warranty case. In any case, thanks to Garmin for the high level of service! It is a pity that in our country the dealer does not have such an attitude towards his customers!