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Garmin Fenix 8 device suddenly restarts. Version 13.31

Save.Pini
3 months ago

Fenix 8 Solar 47mm Malfunction - Urgent Assistance Required

Dear Garmin Support,

I am writing to you today with a serious issue concerning my new Fenix 8 Solar 47mm watch. I've been a loyal Garmin customer since the first Fenix model was released in 2012, and have owned the Fenix 5 and Fenix 7S Solar, all without any problems whatsoever.

I recently purchased the Fenix 8 Solar 47mm on February 16th and received it on February 20th. I immediately updated the watch to the latest firmware version (13.31) via Garmin Connect on my PC, without testing any previous versions.

On February 21st, the watch unexpectedly turned off and would not turn back on. After several hours, it spontaneously turned back on. I performed a hard reset, restoring the watch to factory settings and removing it from my Garmin Connect account, as well as from my phone's saved Bluetooth devices (Google Pixel 8 Pro). I then reconnected the watch to my phone via the Garmin Connect app, taking care not to use any previous backups to avoid potential corrupted files.

Unfortunately, on February 22nd, at approximately the same time as the previous day (3:00 PM), the watch turned off again while I was navigating through its features. It turned back on after a few minutes. This issue has persisted for the past three days, and I am extremely disappointed.

I am very concerned about the functionality of a watch that costs €1,200. Could this be a software problem or a hardware defect? I would greatly appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue.

Has anyone else experienced similar issues with the Fenix 8 Solar 47mm?

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

  • 0 3 months ago

    I'm having similar issues after updating to 13.31.  The watch crashes during sleep, once in the shower and anytime I play music using the "control phone" function in the music app.  It's been a frustrating several days of troubleshooting.  I also connected to an HRM3-SS Heart Rate Monitor around the same timeframe as updating to 13.31, so as part of my troubleshooting I have removed that sensor from connections.  It seems to have helped, but only further testing will confirm this.  It is odd that the watch seems to crash every day at approximately the same time?

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to 1257350

    Right now it is completely off. It won't even turn on anymore. I tried to plug it into the power line and it turns on showing 100% battery when in reality it was at 70%.And as soon as I unplug it it turns off and shows no signs of life. I'm considering returning it and switching to a competitor...

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to Save.Pini

    Same thing happened to me.  I kept trying and eventually it turned on.  It will not be "normal" again until you perform another hard/factory reset.  It seems like whatever caused the crash still causes issues until after the factory reset.  And then eventually it may crash again.  Very frustrating! 

    I've owned mine since October and it was functioning fine until the 13.31 update.  Something changed during that update that is causing the crashes.  I'm hoping Garmin can determine the cause and release another update to fix it.

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to 1257350

    I was starting to think it was some hardware issue instead. In the changelog found in the fenix folders I read that there was "Abnormal powerdown". I wouldn't want it to be something related to solar charging.

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to 1257350

    Same for me since 13.31 update . Crashing during saving the activity (running) with blue triangle …. Never had any issue before … 

  • 0 3 months ago

    If this problem persists, I would be doing a forced software rollback to an older version. The latest version that Garmin have provided over in the beta forums is v12.35.

    It can be found here: "forums.garmin.com/.../beta-version-13-12---check-for-updates-only" - Scroll to the bottom and download the version for your watch.

    Instructions in the readme are "To backdate: install the "force.tmp" file to the Garmin folder, along with the gupdate.gsp file for the software you want to revert to. Then unplug and install. Your watch will backdate to whatever version you loaded. Backdating software will revert your watch to default settings.".

    Unfortunately Garmin have not provided the later v12.38 which had a GPS lock speed improvement (the only documented change).

    Before trying this, your watch should be in a state where it at least powers on reliably (so maybe factory reset before, and do not do it at the time of day where you had crashes).

    If you can't get you watch to power on normally without power (charge cable), do not do this. Try factory resets while plugged in and/or Contact Garmin support.

    After getting this version installed, disable automatic updates and wait for the next public release.

    You should also report the problem via the official support: channel https://support.garmin.com/

    With enough reports it might get fixed.

  • 0 3 months ago

    It's been 16 hours since my watch (F8 Solar) has crashed, which is a record since version 13.31 installed.  In reviewing the changelog for 13.31 I noticed that it implemented CIQ 8.  I also noticed when going through watch faces that the update totally messed up the Deep Sea face.  My watch face of choice has been Analog 001, the only decent looking analog face included in the stock faces for the F8 Solar.  I'm fairly certain that CIQ 8 (software version 13.31 broke the Analog 001 watchface.  When browsing through the bug reports for CIQ 8, there was mention of an update for CIQ 8 that causes a null value for weather to break a watch face.  Since Analog 001 has no data fields for weather, is this related?  The bottom line is that since I've switched watch faces (to Double Time) the watch is no longer randomly crashing.  

    This issue should have been caught and fixed during beta testing for CIQ 8 and 13.31.  I wonder how many people have gone through days of frustration and finally resorted to a warranty return on this watch because the constant crashes made the watch unusable?

    Anyway, if you are having this issue and can get the watch to a recoverable state (by connecting with Garmin Express, doing a sync and letting the watch recover, then performing a factory reset) then try changing watch faces to something like Double Time.  For me this seems to have solved the issue, so far...

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to 1257350

    Actually changing watch faces didn't solve the issue in the long term.  Still experiencing crashes that are unrecoverable without a factory reset, so finally reverted back to software version 12.35.  If the watch crashes again it will be going back for a warranty return.

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to 1257350

    I believe I solved the problem by returning the item and, after discovering a Garmin retailer near my home, going to purchase a new one. I was told to send it in for service, but honestly, I didn't feel comfortable sending in a watch that wasn't even a week old for service. I preferred to get a new watch. With the new one, I've had no problems, which indicates it was a hardware issue and not a software one. So, my advice is...if you notice malfunctions within the trial period, return it. Given the cost and their advertising, it's unacceptable for a new product to have problems right away.

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to Save.Pini

    Is your new watch running 13.31 or an earlier software?