Fenix 5+ Running start point change

I have had an issue with my Fenix 5 since the start of the year - wondered if anyone else has this issue, or if anyone had solved it.

Effectively, my Fenix 5+ changes my route I run after I save it. This is shown by the green start pointer moving along the route and the route doubling up at the end to make up the lost distance. Overall, the time and the distance remain correct. Below screen shots show this - I pushed the start and end button at the same spot; yet it then shows the start point about 300 yards along my route.

Through trial and error I have worked out that this happens after I save the activity – when I am doing an activity I can see on the watch I have an accurate GPS lock and that at the start of an activity it drops the start pin in the correct location; this is also still in the correct place when I approach the end. It is only after I stop and save that the route changes. This happens before the watch syncs with my phone.

This does not happen on rides or walks. Looking back through my activities, this first happened on the 20th January.

I've tried different GPS constellations, GPS soak and EPO refresh (although i am sure its not the GPS as the lock/positioning when I start and during is accurate).
I've also tried soft and factory resets; updating all the tracking based settings and I have no privacy Zone.

I've raised this with product support (three times) and am still waiting to hear back. To say its a pain in the a** is an understatement. 

Anyone else had this or simiar?

  • UPDATE - this morning i tried Garmins suggestion of starting the activity and standing still for a minute before running. Same thing happened. Attached the gps track - shows that the missing distance has been added on to the end of my run, but before I finished....

    https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/5026722890#.XtXzYjKx_HE.link

    6011.zip

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 3 years ago in reply to ncjharris

    hi,

    I do not own a F5plus Slight smile

    had a look at your fit file with Fit File Repair Tool

    strange happenings indeed

    • why are you getting off course messages ?
    • how many fit files does your ACTIVITY folder contain ? (time for a backup/clean operation ?)
    • did you at any time made a copy of your run app activity ?

    following grid shows the watch not tracking distance from start

    left column is from your watches GPS and right column is calculated by FFRT

    following grid shows the jump in GPS at the end of your activitty

    happy & safe sporting

  • Hi; interesting info,

    • why are you getting off course messages ?
      • I can only assume this is when I off course on a segment? I have strava segments enabled and this may coincide with some of them
    • how many fit files does your ACTIVITY folder contain ? (time for a backup/clean operation ?)
      • about 7! When i did a master reset to try and solve this its cleared out the folder
    • did you at any time made a copy of your run app activity ?
      • Nope - never copied it (i presume you mean on the watch)

    Tomorrow I am going to run with both my fenix and my old forerunner 235 and see what happens and compare that data.

    Nothing back from Garmin support......................

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 3 years ago in reply to ncjharris

    hi,

    did you at any time made a copy of your run app activity ?
    • Nope - never copied it (i presume you mean on the watch)
    • yes, on the watch

    you are contacting Garmin Support by phone ?

    there are multiple scenario's you could try

    • make a run app copy (on the watch via menu's Slight smile) and use the copied app for a test
    • or
      • install the latest beta version
    • or
      • reinstall the maps
    • or....

    guess the run app has a little handicap build in...

    happy & safe sporting

  • Well - a week on and no further along. Still getting the same error. I've tried another reset, I've taken Garmin express off, i've taken garmin connect off; I've turned off all the maps, i've updated to the current beta firmware, i've disabled everything possible whilst still keeping it working - the watch still adjusts my route AFTER I save it.

    Garmin Support have all the info and have raised a case, but based on some of the issues here I am not too hopeful that it would be concluded promptly. 

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 3 years ago in reply to ncjharris

    hi,

    segments turned on ?

    the only link in the fit file posted here is "personal records" at the end of the fit file

    these point to the time stamp when the gps repeat starts

    personal records time stamp is 960010945 (message 113)

    Definition,8,unknown,unknown,1,,unknown,1,,unknown,1,,unknown,1,,unknown,1,,unknown,1,,unknown,1
    Data,8,unknown,unknown,"960010945",,unknown,"100000",,unknown,"271138",,unknown,"960010637",,unknown,"0",,unknown,"1",,unknown,"0"
    Data,8,unknown,unknown,"960010945",,unknown,"160900",,unknown,"442341",,unknown,"960010476",,unknown,"0",,unknown,"1",,unknown,"0"
    Data,8,unknown,unknown,"960010945",,unknown,"500000",,unknown,"1471556",,unknown,"960009542",,unknown,"0",,unknown,"1",,unknown,"0"

    happy & safe sporting

  • Hi,

    Did you get an answer from garmin? 

    Got the same problem. Fenix 5 plus saph. No issues before May 26th. Troubleshooting myself and gone through the same steps. Got no solution yet but working with wifi settings at the moment. Do you know if you got automatik wifi-transfer on? 

    My dog is very happy. Have been walking about 20 walks a day for last 3 days. :)

  • Hiya. Nope - no answer. After submitting all my info (and then some more, just to be sure !), they emailed and said that they would exchange it (its approx 18 months old; issues first started at about 14 months).

    I did have automatic wi-fi on to start with, but that was one of the things i disabled to try it,

    i am convinced the issue is somewhere in the software. There were instances when i would work properly (if I was following a route sometimes) - but i couldn't consistently replicate it to narrow down the issues. I also think that somewhere there was an issue with my firmware, as the settings would never reset properly when I restored.

    Anyhow - I'm sorted now, but i would advocate anyone else that has these issues to raise a ticket with Garmin Support. They were helpful (but super slow - took about a month to get to the point where I sent it in!)

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 3 years ago in reply to ncjharris

    hi,

    I also think that somewhere there was an issue with my firmware, as the settings would never reset properly when I restored.
    • could you enlighten what did you restore ?
    • what is or was your procedure restoring after a firmware update

    happy & safe sporting

  • I also think that somewhere there was an issue with my firmware, as the settings would never reset properly when I restored.

    Did you try manually re-configuring the watch following a restore? Never been a fan of reloading settings after a reset as there is always the possibility of adding back the problem.