fenix 6x uber fast battery drain

Just updated my fenix through Garmin Express and no battery drains in about 24 hours!  Anyone else experiencing this?  Not running anything special other than bluetooth to my phone and syncing with my Garmin Edge (cycling).  I am guessing it is a software glitch???  Any ideas?

Thanks, Neil

  • Yes, I understood that. The way you use those profiles is that, in the activity setting, you go into Power Mode>Defaults and pick a custom mode from the list to set it permanently, or pick Power Mode from the menu to set it for the duration of your current activity. And the numbers are telling you how long the battery will last in the activity, with GPS on in whatever mode you have in the power mode. 
    if you have the watch finding sensors and using GPS, even in ultratrac, you’re looking at battery estimates of 60-120 hours.

    i have a vague memory that there were custom settings for low power modes there as well, maybe that has changed, but the predictions you’re talking about are definitely for when you use those profiles in activities. It makes no sense to have a GPS mode for low power mode, after all!

  • Hm, the online manual is July 2020 so not going to help if the menus have changed.

    That said, it says the following sbout the Power Manager menu:

    Power Manager Settings

    Hold MENU, and select Power Manager.

    Battery Saver

    Allows you to customize system settings to extend battery life in watch mode (Customizing the Battery Saver Feature).

    Power Modes

    Allows you to customize system settings, activity settings, and GPS settings to extend battery life during an activity (Customizing Power Modes).

    Battery Percentage

    Displays remaining battery life as a percentage.

    Battery Estimates

    Displays remaining battery life as an estimated number of days or hours.

  • Oh, I see, thanks. The watch is currently not working properly, and I don't remember exactly what were those numbers before, that is why I asked if somebody with a functioning watch could share the numbers. Still, the estimate I had before next to the battery has been working perfectly fine for 1 year, and it actually still displays 16 DAYS, but the watch is draining +25% day with minimum activities. And actually it would seem that the watch uses more battery when idle than mid-activity using GPS. And music, OX, Wifi, all is off except Bluetooth.

  • NP.

    I've always found the estimate next to the gauge a bit optimistic, but it’s definitely worse for me than it has been, though better than you’re seeing.

    what happens if you turn Bluetooth off? Do you have a battery meter widget to help measure that?

  • When turning bluetooth off I see basically the same battery drain. I am not using any battery meter widget. I actually don't use any IQ app, nor any non-default watch face, precisely to maximize battery life. I basically just take a look to the battery percentage, and compare it with the level next morning or a few hours later, and unfortunately right now it is bad enough to notice it even without precise measurement.

  • Restart doesn't work. I reset default settings (e.g. repair the watch with my phone). After resetting, it seems back to normal. You may want to try it.

  • It seems so for a while, but after few days it goes back to abysmal draining. At least for me it did, hopefully won't be the case for you

  • I feel very sorry to say so, as I think Garmin products are very nice in all the features they provide, but on my side, I decided to stop auto-update of the FW on watches as I experienced to much battery drain issues.

    I first experienced it on VA3: the battery life was fine, and one day after few months of normal usage, after an auto-update of the FW, the watch started to drain much more. Since that time, I did not really improve. Now my wife is using it only for running, but no way to wear it every day without a charge each other day...

    I then experienced it on Fenix5. I tested a lot beta FW at the beginning it to test new features. But again, once after a new update, dramatic battery drain (20% per hour without activity). Many reset, factory reset, but no way... Thanks to Amazon, I've been able to get a new one and I sent them back the broken one.

    I then decided to update the new Fenix5 to a FW that is stable enough and disable auto-update -> perfect battery life for 1year and half, while the Fenix5 forum is full of battery drain issue since that time...

    I then moved to F6X and did the same strategy... I tested few beta until late 2019 to have something stable and usable for my own usage. I then decided to stay in FW8.0 as it is perfect for me, and battery life so good -> perfect and stable battery life for 6 or 7 months now... while again the fenix 6 forum is full of battery drain issue threads, in addition to many other problems that come out since then.

    So on my side, it clear now. Once I have a stable release of garmin FW that fit my usage, even if I do not have all the last new features, I prefer to keep it and disable auto-update (on devices that allow to disable it... it is not possible on VA3...) and avoid this permanent uncertainty of possible new issue and battery drain when new FW pop up...

  • The current best solution is to report this to Garmin, going to Garmin Support and starting a chat or sending an e-mail. They do not read the forums or at least they do not reply. If enough people report this issue they may start working on it, and hopefully it is only a SW issue.

  • Serious battery drain also on Fenix 6 Pro.

    Reaching 1.6% by hour without any Ox or activity ON.

    I have sent an email on the Beta team about is since 10.10.

    Only solution is to switch to Battery Saver Mode. And even their when it was 0.1% by hours, it is now 0.3%.

    So It is like the battery drain is 3x normal.