720/730 920/930 Battery Replacement Tutorial - Discussion

[canderson]

You can find a video that shows how to replace the TomTom Go 720's battery.

The battery removal isn't always as easy as it would appear, nor will a hair dryer (as recommended) always produce the necessary loosening of the adhesive -- it is, after all, on the other side of the battery pack.

If the flex cable will remain connected during the procedure, a quick warning about its somewhat fragile nature should be added. Then again, we've heard some folks having trouble with the connector if removing the cable. No perfect solution to that one.

I'd have also liked to see a small warning about the orientation of the ring terminal when replacing that one motherboard screw. It is possible to create a short there if the ring is rotated a bit clockwise.

Apart from that, a very helpful video. Almost always easier than photos.

 

[bdeustis]

Great tutorial. Many Thx. A Couple of Tips

CANDERSON - Excellent work. Bought as Xmas presents for my two daughters in 2007. They really like them and the batts have died so this is a great help x 2.

Issues previously reported and my POV

Mic/ALS connector removal.

I was able to use a very small flat blade screw driver to push the connector out. Orient the blade vertically on the top center point of the connector plug with the blade facing the connector wires.

Keep the handle as horizontal as possible to create solid point of leverage on the connector plug from which to push it out. In my case, the connector plug separated easily.

Battery Removal

I too had the rubbery double sided adhesive holding the batt in place. I had little trouble removing the battery.

I used the WD-40 approach on the long batt edge closest the center of the PCB. However, I did not spray it on. WD-40 is a mess to use and I had no interest in flooding the PCB. I sprayed a little WD-40 in to a plastic container and then used the WD-40 red spray straw to dribble some on the long batt edge. I would estimate the total volume applied was ~ "3 eye drops", though, when using the WD-40 red straw, this was ~6-8 dribbles. I only waited about 2-3 minutes to the WD-40 to act on the adhesive.

I levered on the same long batt edge as where I applied WD-40. The lever I used was a Tack Claw. I do not endorse moving metal tools on a PCB surface. That said, I used this Tack Claw as a lever NOT a wedge. Plastic wedges are sold with some batt kits.

I have owned the Stanley 69-010 Tack Claw since 1991. This is unexpectedly one of the most versatile hand tools I own.​

Prior to applying the WD-40, I did attempt to wedge the batt and indeed the batt was very secure. Using the lever approach, the batt released without effort. Note: lever the long edge of the batt NOT the end. If you consider the physics involved, the "lever" applied the the long edge take far less force than on the batt (short) end - this may be contributing to removal issues for some.

Once removed, I observed a film of WD-40 had spread under the entire batt surface area. For clean up, I used tissue and then CVS 91% Isopropyl. A life time supply costs 3 USD. If you upgrade CPUs on computers, a high % (>90%) Isopropyl is recommended for cleaning the surfaces of the CPU Die and Heat Sink prior to applying thermal paste.

 

[chuckmosher]

Another TomTom Feature ?

Bad enough that I have spent 4 hours so far trying to update to my new map and retain my favorites, now I have to purchase tools, scrutinize a complex set of diagrams, and spend another couple of hours as a slave to this unit.

I guess it's time to replace the battery by buying a new unit from Garmin or Magellan.

-Chuck Mosher

 

[canderson]

Bad enough that I have spent 4 hours so far trying to update to my new map and retain my favorites, now I have to purchase tools, scrutinize a complex set of diagrams, and spend another couple of hours as a slave to this unit.

I guess it's time to replace the battery by buying a new unit from Garmin or Magellan.

-Chuck Mosher

When I ordered my batteries from batteryship.com, it came with the necessary little hand tools. As for the diagrams -- well, I did what I could. Next time, I'll do better with the photos.

FWIW, a great many units do not have readily replaceable batteries. If you choose a Garmin, be sure you select only the Nuvi 500/550 or you'll be right back in the same boat one of these days. That's the only model they sell that has a removable battery (similar to one in a digital camera).

 

[ericjbeasley]

Installation was a snap, thanks for the instructions

Hi,

Bought a battery from Battery Replacement, iPod battery, iPAQ battery, Clie battery, Palm battery, Axim battery, specifically for TomTom 920/930, which appears to the same one as in the instructions provided.

Followed the instructions, though I was probably a bit rougher on batter removal [something about big fingers and hands], but the unit came apart much more easily than I expected.

After the change, booted into the system with new battery and unlike old battery it didn't immediately fail and shut down gracelessly.

System is sitting in cradle charging now.

Thanks a million, I hope this puts some more miles on my 930T.

Eric

 

[tpapadak]

20 months after purchasing a new 730, its battery became unusable: it would hold about 1 minute of charge. So, I decided to replace it. Thanks to everyone in this email thread, and especially thanks to canderson, it all worked like a charm. I ordered the CS-TM730SL from Battery Buyer - Batterybuyer.com (to replace the original AHL03714000), and my new battery now holds 2 hours of charge. This is pretty much what I remember I was getting out of my 730 when I first bought it.

A couple of nitpicks, on the behavior of my 730, after replacing its battery.

1. The little green battery indicator (in the top right corner, in the screen I get by tapping on the gps signal strenght) never shows 100% charge after I remove the 730 from its charger. It shows something like 95% charge. I fully charged and discharged the 730 a couple of times, I did a soft reset, I charged it via its USB desk dock through different computers -- it made no difference. I think when I first bought my 730 I was able to see 100 charge (but back then, my application was 8.002 -- could this have made a difference?)

2. When my 730 is getting charged, I see a solid battery indicator showing how much the battery has been charged so far. What I was seeing before was a right-to-left moving indicator with "Charging" underneath it.

As I said above, I am very happy with the replacement battery, but I'm just wondering why I see this unexpected behavior.
---------
GO 730 -- App 8.351 -- map NA_2GB 8.40

 

[mikealder]

The behaviour you have observered with the battery charge indicator is quite normal with the latest Navcore software, indeed it has been changed from when you first purchased the device - Mike

 

[RGF100]

Thank you Canderson

I have just completed the install of the new battery and I would not have attempted it without your excellent tips and step by step instructions. Thanks for saving me the expense of replacing the dead TomTom. I'm just about to leave it charging for a while, hopefully I reconnected everything ok... Thank you for all your trouble

 

[Dreamerdgh]

Do not undo screen, use video here http://www.newpower99.com/Battery_for_TomTom_Go_72

OK, I just spent all day trying to put my TomTom 720 back together. Like a few others on this message board, I broke off a small white piece of plastic on the side of the LCD cable connector. The TomTom is now toast, I can think of no way to keep the LCD cable connected. You can replace the battery easily without removing the LCD screen if you watch the video. Good luck, I hope no one else makes a expensive paperweight out of their TomTom.

Video Here.

Extended Life Battery for The TomTom Go 720

 

[canderson]

I think you're the third person who has mentioned having problems with this.

Did you raise the brown latching lever, or did you try to push it sideways? I'm not understanding how the "raising" motion described breaks white plastic bits. Sideways, I can fully understand the problem, as it would put pressure on the side of the thin bit of plastic on the side of the connector housing.

I've had mine out four times now for various reasons, and each time, it released as expected.

There's no reason you need to disconnect the connector IF you can avoid damaging the flex cable, but the connector is designed to be released for repairs .. while the cable is NOT designed to be twisted.

Probably asking a lot, but if you have a digital camera with a good macro setting (even most point-and-shoot models have a "flower" mode) I would really like to see the condition of the connector and latch after it broke so as to get a sense of what's going on here... if for no other reason than that I might be able to explain how to cause the brown retaining latch to stay in place long enough to use a little (one time) Super Glue method on the latch assembly so as to assure that the cable stays connected to the contacts.

 

[mikealder]

Here are a couple of pictures from a dead x30 that someone gave me to see if it could be repaired after they managed to snap the connector hinge pin off while swapping out a battery:





- Mike

 

[canderson]

Thanks, Mike. Guess I need to take my 720 apart once again and see if I can figure out what motion is being applied that is taking out the corners like that. Will report back if I can come to any conclusions.

I'm wondering if folks are thinking that the latch needs to be moved far more than is actually the case. The original photo shows the latch in the fully "up" position. That's as far as it needs to go. In that position, the cable can be slid back out of the connector housing.

 

[rcpwatt]

Help

Where do I find the GO 730 battery replacement tutorial I keep reading post about?

 

[dhn]

Go to the first post in this thread to see the link

 

[canderson]

Here are a couple of pictures from a dead x30 that someone gave me to see if it could be repaired after they managed to snap the connector hinge pin off while swapping out a battery

I can only imagine that folks are trying to do something dramatic with the little brown lever bits and not realizing the cable has already been released. I'll add a warning to the first post that points to the tutorial. Good thing mods can edit this far out! Specifically, I added this warning to the first post with the *.pdf:

***** NOTE:NOTE:NOTE *****

I have had 3 reports of users breaking the flex circuit connector during removal of the display.
Some users have reported success in swapping batteries without removing the cable. I would warn that the cable is somewhat delicate, and twisting/pulling this cable isn't good for it. If you avoid removing the cable from the connector, PLEASE use restraint when moving the display half around.

If you do choose to disconnect the flex cable, be aware that the brown locking lever tabs are flat when the connection is closed, and the photo included in the PDF shows the tabs already in their fully open position, about 30~45 degrees up. That is as far as it needs to be lifted to release the cable. It seems some have been trying to lift the tabs even higher (perhaps thinking they should point straight up) and have broken the white connector as a result. Don't do that! Raise tabs only until it releases from the flat position, and gently pull the cable out away from the connector.

 

[rdaniel340]

tom tom battery replacement

Just changed the battery by following CANDERSON'S brilliant pix and instructions. Just one thing to add - in trying to keep things inside the unit the same as they were before I opened it, I unwrapped the original, worn out battery from the sticky wrapper it came in and I used that wrapper to wrap the new battery. That way, I was able to use the same adhesive on the back of the wrapper that held the original battery in place. A bit of a finicky operation but I did not want to use a glue that might cause problems if I ever need to change the battery again. Next time, it should be exactly the same as this time, including the delicate process of lifting the battery off the circuit board without causing damage. Thanks, CANDERSON - excellent instructions!

 

[canderson]

Not a bad idea if done with proper care. I'd considered all kinds of options that included cutting in the area of the cell, but understanding that charged lithium cells can get VERY annoyed when cut into with a knife (I can't risk assuming that someone's pack is really dead, even if we agree it might be), it didn't seem like something I could comfortably suggest.

 

[starscraper19]

I found a US battery supplier who also has installation video for TomTomGo 720 etc GPS models - NewPower99.com. They shipped quickly and with the video I was able to do a quick replacement!

 

[canderson]

I found a US battery supplier who also has installation video for TomTomGo 720 etc GPS models - NewPower99.com. They shipped quickly and with the video I was able to do a quick replacement!

"Found" might not have been your best choice of words. "Represent" might be better.

@starscraper19, @craig1440 -- enough with the ongoing stealth advertising of your business. One reference is enough, OK? And yes, it was that obvious with a bit of digging.

Look - we're interested in users here who have had specific experiences with vendors, not vendors pretending to be users. If it weren't for the attempt to deceive, I'd probably have let it pass, but ..

 

[TomTomProblemChild]

Thanks for the excellent instructions, even the dim light was not too much of a problem.
However, the original instructions included disconnecting the flex circuit connector, later instructions allow for the possibility of not doing so!

GOOD MOVE

I disassembled mine and after repairing the little connector white side pin (by regluing it back with epoxy resin), now don't know how to re-assemble the flat flex strip into the housing, the locking strip doesn't seem to fit any way around.

Please could someone clue me in with this? - Even provide photos again would be magic

Many thanks