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Start/stop button lacks responsiveness and has lost it’s ‘clickiness’

8458638
7 months ago

I have a Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar - I’ve had it for just over 2-years and it’s been a great watch with no issues whatsoever:

However, in the last week or so, the start/stop button has really lost it’s responsiveness, it still works but I really have to press it hard and there is next to no ‘click’ anymore.

Ultimately, it still works, but it’s noticeably difficult to start/pause/stop an activity.

I have turned it off, soaked in warm soapy water, rinsed and dried the watch. I’ve also done a hard factory reset and repeatedly manipulated the button. All of the solutions haven’t really been that effective and the button remains ‘unclicky’; I fear that this will continue to deteriorate and eventually render the activity function unusable. Being over 2-years old, it’s obviously out of any warranty.

Any other ideas?

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member 7 months ago

    Turn on haptic feedback on button presses (key vibe on). That makes it easier to detect if you actually pressed the button, and avoids pressing harder than needed. However it won't get any better, you may have to have it replaced, but it can take a lot of time before it gets to that point. Out of warranty replacement is not as expensive as a new one, call Garmin to find more.

  • +1 7 months ago in reply to 8458638

    Hello, I am sorry to hear you are having this issue. Since you have already cleaned the buttons, I would ensure the watch is on the latest SW version using Garmin Express. 

    If there is no change, the watch will likely need to be replaced. For this, you will want to contact Garmin Product Support. 

  • 0 6 months ago

    I have the same watch, (7S SS) and it happened to me late last year and I soaked it etc. and it wasn't working. I was going to get it replaced but then it stated working again randomly. Now today, (Feb 10, 2205) the button has stopped working again. The watch is too expensive for this to happen in only a few years. I am trying to soak it and fiddle with the button but am really frustrated at the randomness of it.

  • 0 10 days ago

    I had the same problem with the Garmin Forerunner 645. Pressing the button hard worked for a while. After cleaning it by soaking it in hot water for 10 minutes, it seemed to work better. A day later, the entire start/stop button stopped working. No response at all. Because the warranty has expired and there's no longer any support for this device, I took it apart using a YouTube tutorial. The circuit board is attached with two screws and is easy to remove. There was also some corrosion visible, which is probably why the button on the circuit board no longer works properly. The button still clicks, but doesn't work. I sprayed a small amount of contact cleaner like WD-40 on it and, after soaking it for a few minutes, cleaned the area around it. After trying the button a few times, it worked again. Then I cleaned everything and reassembled the watch. It won't be fully waterproof anymore, but thankfully, it's working fine again!

  • 0 10 days ago

    I had the same problem with the Garmin Forerunner 645. Pressing the button hard worked for a while. After cleaning it by soaking it in hot water for 10 minutes, it seemed to work better. A day later, the entire start/stop button stopped working. No response at all. Because the warranty has expired and there's no longer any support for this device, I took it apart using a YouTube tutorial. The circuit board is attached with two screws and is easy to remove. There was also some corrosion visible, which is probably why the button on the circuit board no longer works properly. The button still clicks, but doesn't work. I sprayed a small amount of contact cleaner like WD-40 on it and, after soaking it for a few minutes, cleaned the area around it. After trying the button a few times, it worked again. Then I cleaned everything and reassembled the watch. It won't be fully waterproof anymore, but thankfully, it's working fine again!