Garmin Edge 500 problems

ayjaycee

Does anybody else use an Edge 500 and, if so, have you had any issues with it? Mine is about 5 weeks old and has worked well until now. It might just be a coincidence but I paired cadence sensor with it last week for the first time (the new Garmin 'magnetless' type) and I am now wondering if that is causing problems.

I went out on Saturday and about 15 minutes into the ride, the speed and cadence readings froze - just stopped recording and stayed on 20.7 MPH and 75 RPM until I turned it off and then back on again. I went out again earlier today and the same thing happened twice. I got home and did a complete system reset, re-entered the personal data (and odometer) and paired the cadence sensor again but won't have another chance to test it until later in the week,

Anybody else experienced anything similar? If so, what did you do about it?

Sutton_Rider

I have the 500 and the new cadence sensor and have had no problems in that area. The only issues I've had are the breadcrumb line disappearing and 4 or 5 times per hour "Off Course" "Course found" messages. I'll never buy another Garmin.

ayjaycee

Sutton,
Thanks for that. I have never read the manual for the 500 in any detail as I only really use the basic recording functions and custom screens on the thing and so don't really know (nor am I that interested) in what breadcrumbs are.
That said, knowing that you haven't had any other problems is both good and bad. Good because in principle the 500 should suit my needs if it works but bad because mine might be faulty and need a return and replacement.
I will have to see how it behaves after the reset and go from there.
Anybody else?

sloppyschleckonds

A lot of people have been using Garmin 500's for years without issues.

May be try a reset and go from there.

cgfw201

Got the new Garmin cadence sensor a few months ago and had zero problems with it. The old style sensor had loads of issues as was very easy to knock either the magnet or sensor box thingy out of line fractionally.

The disappering breadcrumb line mentioned above happens to me all the time though.

Pituophis

Slightly different issue but worth mentioning I suppose.
I bought a 500 a couple of years ago which worked fine from the off. Being a cheapskate I bought the cadence sensor about six months later. Fitted it and it paired and ran without issue until the battery in the sensor eventually ran out.
When I swapped the battery for a new one (eventually I tried two separate batteries) the cadence function never worked again. The 500 sees the sensor and tells me that they are paired, the lights flash as they should on the sensor, but after that nothing else happens. Tried a reset but this did not cure the issue, and re aligned the sensor etc to no avail.
The 500 unit its self works perfectly fine still, so I have given up on cadence and just use the "built in" functions. Far from ideal, but better than buying a new one. :?

Bobbinogs

cgfw201 wrote:

The disappering breadcrumb line mentioned above happens to me all the time though.

Yepp, although I accept that the breadcrumb feature is just rubbish and don't use it. Point is, the 500 is not meant to be a route finding tool yet many folks buy one because they are cheaper than an 800/810 and then complain when they don't get all the functionality of the more expensive units. I think Garmin simply made a mistake and tried to offer something for nothing and should have just left the feature off the 500 instead.

The 500 is the most common GPS in my club and the vast majority of riders never complain about them. OP, if you have a faulty device then, as noted above, try a hard reset or if the fault happens a few more times then mention it to the vendor as it should still be covered under warranty.

Pituophis, have you tried taking the battery out of the sensor and then shorting the battery connectors (on the sensor, NOT the battery)? This can clear a lot of unit problems and will then force a resync of the two devices. Might be worth a try.

andrewjoseph

i seem to recall that the old hrm and cadence sensor needed the battery to be out and left out for several minutes before putting the new battery back in.

dyrlac

Battery issues in the cadence sensor would be my bet (the new style has been around for a while and you may have just gotten a somewhat elderly one). Or just let it be for a while. On one of my bikes, the cadence quit working for a month after a crash. Eventually it just started back up again. A mystery as to why.

On edge 500 reliability generally, I've found it to be adequate. But once you get above 50 rides or so in history, you should clean it out (delete the FIT files); that seems to make it happier. A full reset every 6 months or so (or just after it stops working/acquiring satellites in "known" locations) also seems to do the trick.

I could actually use more reliable navigation (I've come to realise that my opinion of my own navigation skills are considerably at odds with reality), but I am waiting for the 800/810 to reach 500 price levels.

cgfw201

Bobbinogs wrote:

cgfw201 wrote:

The disappering breadcrumb line mentioned above happens to me all the time though.

Yepp, although I accept that the breadcrumb feature is just rubbish and don't use it. Point is, the 500 is not meant to be a route finding tool yet many folks buy one because they are cheaper than an 800/810 and then complain when they don't get all the functionality of the more expensive units. I think Garmin simply made a mistake and tried to offer something for nothing and should have just left the feature off the 500 instead.

The 500 is the most common GPS in my club and the vast majority of riders never complain about them. OP, if you have a faulty device then, as noted above, try a hard reset or if the fault happens a few more times then mention it to the vendor as it should still be covered under warranty.

Pituophis, have you tried taking the battery out of the sensor and then shorting the battery connectors (on the sensor, NOT the battery)? This can clear a lot of unit problems and will then force a resync of the two devices. Might be worth a try.

Yeah i ignored it for a long time after thinking it was rubbish initially, but have actually got back into using it recently. It is useful for finding the way if you're not familiar with where you're cycling.

Pituophis

Bobbinogs wrote:

Pituophis, have you tried taking the battery out of the sensor and then shorting the battery connectors (on the sensor, NOT the battery)? This can clear a lot of unit problems and will then force a resync of the two devices. Might be worth a try.

Not tried this, I will give it a go. Cheers!

ayjaycee

Thanks to all for the replies and comments. I have got some batteries on order which should arrive before the weekend and allow me to try the reset computer and cadence sensor together. Bobbinogs - by shorting the battery contacts, do you mean simply 'bridging' them with a piece of conductive metal?

Bobbinogs

ayjaycee wrote:

Bobbinogs - by shorting the battery contacts, do you mean simply 'bridging' them with a piece of conductive metal?

Yes, it should clear any residual power that might be keeping memory in the sensor units. The alternative is to remove the battery and leave for a while but that can be hit or miss.

Don't forget that there are two options for resetting the 500 itself:

Unit
Press and hold: Menu, Power and Reset

Clear data
Press and hold: Power and Reset (then select the right option when it pops up on screen)