Just got a "recertified" fenix 6 pro from Garmin. What should I check for?

See Fenix 6 Pro stuck in middle of an update for background.

I just got the "recertified" fenix 6 pro from Garmin. From what I can see it's as good as new on the exterior. No signs of prior use. scratches, scuffs, etc. Garmin even included a new band.

I've successfully updated it to v24.00 firmware and done most of the customizations that I'd done on the original. Everything seems to work well. The GPS is at level 5.5 like the previous one.

1. One thing I can't compare yet is the battery. This is critical for me since Li-Ion batteries have a limited lifetime. I wouldn't want to get a watch with a two year old battery that's been recharged 100 or more times. Does anyone know what Garmin means by "recertified?" In particular does that include replacing the battery with a new one?

2. Is there any way to check battery condition or wear? On smartphones one can get apps like AccuBattery that track this. I didn't see anything similar in the CIQ store.

3. Is there anything else I should check to ensure that "recertified" is as good as new?

Top Replies

Baz 8755 over 2 years ago in reply to eezytiger +1

Having had a refurb that lasted less than a week I spent over an hour "discussing" the matter with a Garmin rep where he just kept re-iterating that the advertised battery was "Upto 14 days". Having been…
Data over 2 years ago in reply to Bylo Selhi +1

Bylo Selhi said:
n any case, the cycle_cnt suggests Garmin didn't replace the battery when they "recertified" the watch.

Oops sorry I was not clear enough about this: cycle_cnt is the number…
muppetman 10 months ago in reply to 5475203 +1

Hi @5475203 you can find that out by replying to a thread that's almost a year old about a totally different watch than the one you're asking about. Certainly don't ask in the Venu forum. That would…

All Replies

0 socorsu over 2 years ago

What is a Garmin Recertified Device?

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=YwZb6iyvff8q3W6oSQZt0A

0 Bylo Selhi over 2 years ago in reply to socorsu

Thanks. I saw that. But it doesn't say anything explicit about the battery. That's my main concern.

Also, is there anything comparable to Battery Health (https://www.zdnet.com/article/is-your-apple-watch-battery-worn-and-in-need-of-replacing/) for Garmins?

0 socorsu over 2 years ago in reply to Bylo Selhi

https://www.hardreset.info/devices/garmin/garmin-fenix-6/service-menu/

I haven't test it myself so not sure what information are available.

0 dmckee17 over 2 years ago

You may could test the run time and compare to others? I know it wouldn't be great way to reveal battery condition but it would give you a rough idea? When my Fenix 6 is fully charged it says 14 day runtime

0 eezytiger over 2 years ago in reply to dmckee17

In my experience that forecast is no help in judging battery health and capacity. If the watch shows 100% it will show full days. If the battery is at 50 % it will show exactly half that number. There is no intelligence from the watch to estimate the true battery life remaining. It is just a look up table. "If percentage is this then days remaining equals that."

If the watch runs out at more than one day per day then you know you've got problems. I know I have. So do others running 24.00. The hardware may or may not be fine, but if the firmware isn't then you may not know where the problem lies.

But, if a "new" refurb watch does not meet advertised battery life claims on the latest production firmware then I would push back hard on Garmin, very hard, until they supply a watch and firmware that does.

0 Carmelo Capone over 2 years ago

Ti consiglio di testare il GPS in una attività outdoor.

A me me l'hanno sostituito per questo problema.

Per quanto riguarda la batteria la durata varia in base all'utilizzo dello stesso.

0 bluefish over 2 years ago in reply to Bylo Selhi

Bylo Selhi said:
explicit about the battery. That's my main concern.

A typical behavior : the older the battery, the faster it is "fully" charged again. Since the battery no longer has full capacity, the older it is, the faster it shows 100% again. I can not give a time here for a 6 Pro, how long the clock must charge until it is from 0 to 100. But if the trend is to charge much shorter than normal, the battery is no longer very good.

0 Baz 8755 over 2 years ago in reply to eezytiger

Having had a refurb that lasted less than a week I spent over an hour "discussing" the matter with a Garmin rep where he just kept re-iterating that the advertised battery was "Upto 14 days". Having been a Garmin customer for many decades and been impressed with their warranties it has kind of made me wary that things are not as good as they used to be.

0 eezytiger over 2 years ago in reply to Baz 8755

Yeah, "up to" is the holy grail of "get out of jail". Nobody can win against that argument. But I've seen my battery life tank with newer software. Yesterday I rolled back to firmware 19.21. Too early for a prognosis, but I hope to see a return to "normal" battery life with the older firmware.

0 Data over 2 years ago

Check what the warranty is on the unit you received (different locations, different rules) and make sure to report any (also intermittent) issues to Support before that date.

I'm now using a recertified 6X Pro Solar which had a first power on date of 1 year before I received it, and it's working perfectly for 3 months now, maybe they put a new battery in it, it lasts for more than a week (I use GPS lots), and that's better than any previous GPS watch I've had.