Software Update drains Battery

Garmin-Jimmy Garmin-Jim
Could you please check and confirm?

Not sure what you want to confirm, but the firmware is all right - it was tested for several months by beta testers (including myself) with no battery issues. You may want to try some tips from the Troubleshooting guide for high battery drain - the vaste majority of cases can be easily fixed by applying those tips. If it does not help in your case, then you will need to contact the Product Support.

We ended up returning the watch today and asked for a replacement. The battery was losing 3% every 10 minutes. We tried all the tricks in Troubleshooting Guide but nothing worked. It is odd though as it was working fine before the  14.12 software update. 

So an update on this... we got a new watch two days ago. Set it up and updated software. Switched off Pulse Ox and put it in battery saver mode and it seems to lose 1% of battery power every 5-7minutes?

I have done a Hard Reset, Factory Reset etc etc etc.

This watch is for my son. I have a Suunto. Never had a moment's issue with my Suunto after 6 years. Pretty disappointed in Garmin to say the very least.

Anyone have any magic fixes?

SKWTayler said:

Set it up and updated software. Switched off Pulse Ox and put it in battery saver mode and it seems to lose 1% of battery power every 5-7minutes?

Did you do software update in the way recommended in the Troubleshooting Guide - 1st charging to 100% (+ an hour more on the charger), then updating over the USB cable by checking for updates in Garmin Express, and after completing the update, soft-resetting the watch? I own Instinct 2 since two years, did countless firmware updates (including many beta versions), and never experienced a battery drain problem with it.

SKWTayler said:

seems to lose 1% of battery power every 5-7minutes

Or does it actually lose a quarter of its battery over a day? Suggest you reset the watch to default settings. Check all day Pulse Ox is off then fully charge the watch then leave it for a few days to see the real battery discharge over a few days. 

Rarely had a moment’s problem with my Garmin watches since 2008. Pretty pleased with Garmin to say the very least. 

Could be false readings. Try charging it with the usb cable via a 0.5amp current via pc usb 2 port. Now i am not sure about this but sometimes if i charge the watch from a wall charger eg. 1.5 amps current, if i unplug it eg at 70% the battery indicator then jumps to random numbers, eg from 70% it goes to 79% and then starts to fall faster than normal until it stabilizes to a lower percentage hours later..

Another update.... I did all the reset and charge suggestions suggested in the Posts. I'm going to try -=Ikaros=- option a try and will keep you updated. 
Thanks

New update... charged the watch through a USB connection directly in to the plug socket. Waited over an hour after it reached 100% and then switched the plug off and unplugged the watch.
I then did the soft reset.
The watch lost 5% in 15 minutes.

I just did a Hard Master Reset and did not connect it to a laptop or a phone. I set it up manually.
Lost 2% in 7 minutes.

I'm at a total loss for words. It can't be that two watches in a row have faulty batteries. Surely there is something that has gone wrong?

Would Love a Garmin tech to get in touch. This surely cannot be a normal experience.

SKWTayler said:

The watch lost 5% in 15 minutes.

And did you wait till the watch fully discharges (and dies), as advised in the guide, in order to allow the watch to recalibrate the max and min battery levels?

Did you try the other tips from the troubleshooting guide - checking updates for updates with Garmin Express, removing IQ apps and watchfaces, disabling PulseOx, stopping Bluetooth, ...?

SKWTayler said:

Would Love a Garmin tech to get in touch.

Contact them at https://support.garmin.com