Vivoactive HR does not work unless connected to charger

fortex 1 month ago

Just bought a brand new (unopened factory box, made in 2016) Vivoactive HR. It only works when plugged in, and even the only thing it will do is show that it is fully charged (screen says 100%). When I disconnect it, it shuts off.

Garmin no longer offers live support for this product. And so far, I have not seen anything on Garmin's website that addresses this question.

Any advice?

0 seilogramp 1 month ago

Even sitting in the box unused, lithium-ion batteries slowly lose charge over time, and if they drop below a critical voltage, they may become unrecoverable. I would try charging it overnight. If still no joy, I'm sure the battery is done. You didn't say how you acquired the watch, but if there is any way to return it, I would try that.

If that isn't possible, and you have the skills and the tools, there is a video on how to replace the battery here - How To Replace Bad Not Working Battery On Garmin Vivoactive HR - YouTube

The issue here may be in acquiring the correct battery for the watch although I did find one here - Replacement Battery for Garmin Vivoactive HR,361-00090-00,3.7V/180mAh - Walmart.com

0 fortex 1 month ago

Thank you very much, Seilogramp, for your diagnosis. I got the watch on eBay (no return) and the battery is indeed dead. I will pursue your leads and hope for the best.