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Erratic altimeter readings

Tryker

My Edge 1040 Solar has performed flawlessly for the nearly 15 months I've had it until yesterday. While climbing a grade I know to be 14% I noticed the percentage of grade reading was only showing 3-4%. When I got to the summit the total climbing was lower than usual.

On the descent I noticed it showed I was climbing and the current elevator number was staying the same or getting higher rather the decreasing. At the end of the ride the total elevation gain shown was only 429 metres when it should have been over 800 metres.

I did a flat ride today and the first thing I noticed with the current elevation was much higher than normal. It should be 10 metres above sea level at the start of the ride but was nearly 100 metres. While riding on level ground the percentage of grade reading was showing +2% to and +3% at times. At the end of the flat ride which should have no more than 10 metres elevation gain it is showing 106 metres elevation gain. So it went from showing too little elevation gain yesterday to showing too much elevation gain today.

I reset the altimeter several times and while stationary the current elevation reading slowly and continuously increases for no apparent reason.

I am running the latest software version (19.22) and everything had been working normally until yesterday. Does anyone have an idea what may be causing these erratic altimeter readings? Is it a likely a software issue or a hardware issues? I guess the Garmin one year warranty no longer applies since I've had this since October 2022.

  • 0

    On a short, flat ride today my 1040 Solar showed 147 metres total elevation gain over 5.85 km. It should have been at most 10 m total elevation gain. When riding on level ground it was showing climbing between a 3% and 5% grade. When stationary the current elevation is now either continuously increasing or continuously decreasing.

  • 0

    The altimeter issue I'm having is the same as discussed here:

    https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/cycling/f/edge-530/234646/altitude-all-wrong

    I'm guessing it is an altimeter hardware issue, not a software issue, so I will be contacting Garmin customer support.

  • 0 in reply to Tryker

    Exactly the same problem here. Tried reset but didn't work. I will wait for new firmware update. I hope it will fix it. 

  • 0 in reply to octanefx

    As I suspected, this is a hardware issue, not a firmware issue. I phoned Garmin customer service today and they are going to replace my 1040 Solar under warranty.

  • 0

    Hello, same for me since 19.22, the altimeter is crazy. Never problem before, is it a software issue?

  • 0

    Same probleme for me since 10 days. 

    Never had a problem with it, and all of a sudden, eratic altitude was noticed, without me having done anything special. 

    I've just tried a Factory reset, but nothing change. This actually looks like an hardware error. 

    Hope a solution with a New software...

    Can anyone tells me where is the altimeter on thé 1040 ?

  • 0 in reply to Nacymio

    I received my warranty replacement 1040 a week ago and now have done 4 hilly rides and 5 fairly flat ride with it, all on known courses. The altimeter function of the warranty replacement which is also running 19.22 is accurate. I'm impressed with Garmin customer support. They were able to view my records on Garmin Connect showing how the elevation gain on various rides suddenly went from accurate to inaccurate.

    My original 1040 worked fine for several weeks after updating it to 19.22 and then the altimeter suddenly went bad. So I think it is clear this is a hardware problem, not a software problem and Garmin support agreed as they didn't even suggest I do a reset.

    The altimeter port is under the cover for the USB port. When I inspected mine the it was clean so the altimeter didn't fail from contamination.

  • 0

    This weekend I went out and no problems with the alimeter.The 2 times I had the problem, the weather was very bad, fog or a lot of rain, I don't know if this is related?

  • 0 in reply to sergentgex

    Yes, pretty much certainly. Water gets into a small opening on the base of the unit (bit like a pitot tube on an aircraft). Once blocked, the sensor can't measure air pressure accurately. I suspect that's been the issue for many of the respondents - these posts may have started not long after 19.22, but they also started at a time when northern Europe, at least, was experiencing a very wet early winter....

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