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My FR735XT just died.

tmk2
over 6 years ago
The watch died about 1 hour after my morning swimming pool session. During the swim it operated normally, after that I was able to save the activity, download HR data from HRM-Swim and sync the activity to Garmin Connect. 1 hour later the watch rebooted for the first time. Then it started behaving as if the power button was being pressed regularly - the backlight came on by itself, and from time to time the watch asked if it should power down. Then more reboots followed, and the display started to show corrupt images. I tried to power down the watch, but it came back to life just by itself, only to power down by itself seconds later, and then power up again, and so on. The agony lasted for another hour. Now the watch manifests no signs of life. It does not power up (battery was almost full).

Thanks for reading. Just wanted to share my grief :(
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    HI,
    I had the same issue last summer. If you are US citizen you can get new as described here: https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?productID=541225&tab=topics&topicTag=region_devicerepair
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Thanks for the tip, but I'm in EU, so any support requests should go through a local support center, but anyway the watch is beyond it's 2-year warranty period, and I seriously doubt if any paid repair would be economically reasonable.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Get the lid off and dry it out inside as I presume a seal has failed.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Yeah, that's what I suspect, too, although this was not the first swim for this watch, and I tried to observe all the precautions.

    However, I do not see any easy way to disassemble the watch, as it is glued together. And then there's the problem of sealing it back again, because if it cannot keep water outside, then it's no good to me.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Sorry to hear. My 735xt is about the same age, and like you (based on your posts), I swim regularly with it. I wonder if these watches have a given half-life in the water where eventually the seals will wear out? I had a (refurb) Garmin Swim before this, and the glue eventually broke down. I brought it to a shop specializing in diving watch repair, and they said they could re-glue it but it won't be swim resistant. So if they couldn't do so, your prospects of re-glueing successfully are likely limited. Then again, at this point you have nothing to lose. :(


    If you reach out to Garmin they will likely offer you a refurb for a heavily discounted price (unless you prefer a newer model).
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Yeah, I already contacted garmin support. Right now they're putting me through some more diagnostics, and we'll see what they'll offer. A discounted refurb would be fine, I guess. At this moment I don't want to spend money on a new garmin, especially that I'm a little disappointed with the quality (this is my second broken 735XT in 2 years). I still have a 10-year old 310XT, and I use it as a backup, so I can take my time with the decision.

    Anyway, thanks for all the answers.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Update:
    Garmin Support replied to my service request and offered me a replacement (not sure if new or refurbished) for 130 euro (or $145). I'm still considering if I should go for it.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Likely a refurb. I'd say it is worth it if you don't have your heart set on anything else. Even if it only lasts 2 years... I asked if I could get a refurb 935 for a broken 735xt and they said it was too new (18 months ago). So you could check to see of you have other options.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Another update, if someone's still interested.

    Happy end! Garmin Support sent me a service request and asked to send the device to a service center for inspection and replacement. The adress of the service center happens to be very close to where I live, so I went there to deliver the broken unit personally, just to save on delivery time, and there my broken watch was replaced with a refurb, on the spot, free of charge!

    So, as much as I was disappointed with the failure rate of garmin's wearables, I'm delighted with garmin's support.

    Anyway, thanks for all the advice.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 6 years ago

    Hello all, just wanted to add my voice to the mix.  I had the same problem.  My watch is 15 months old (so it survived the 12-month warranty period, but not by much).  I use it for racewalking and swimming, so I bought this specifically for its capacity to track swimming.  I use it as an all-day wearable and have loved the long battery life, the sleep tracking, etc.  BUT -- despite the fact that it is always on my wrist except when charging, that I have not dropped it, that it has not suffered any major trauma, I had the same experience described here.  The waterproofing apparently completely failed.  About one hour after that last fatal swim, it started acting like I was pushing the upper right-hand button all the time, then just died.  Now, when plugged in, it flickers a mottled grayish screen that shows multiple functions at once that shouldn't all be together. The screen is ghostly in appearance -- the numbers and letters aren't clear, and it blinks on and off.  The watch won't respond to anything -- it won't turn on or off, none of the buttons make any difference.  It is just dead.  I'll be contacting Garmin today.  I've been using Garmin products for over twelve years, and I love the consistency of my Garmin Connect account, which tracks me all the way back.  I'm NOT happy  with the quality of this supposed wearable.  I paid very decent money for a watch, and expected it to last me far longer than 15 months.  Now that I know I want a wearable, I will research the durability of products, even if it means leaving Garmin.