Auto power off for the XL335?

[pgoelz]

I've been reading the posts about the lack of auto power off and grumbling to myself. How could TomTom have removed this important feature? Well, it turns out.... they didn't! It just takes 30 minutes, so maybe no one waited long enough?

I don't see it documented anywhere which is why I thought the feature was missing. The other day I left it on while we stopped for lunch and when we returned, I was surprised to find that it had shut off. As an experiment, I tried leaving it on after the car was turned off and watching it. My 335XL waits 30 minutes after power is removed and motion ceases, puts up a warning for 5 seconds about auto shutdown (which you can cancel) and then shuts off. If you power it back on, it has remembered the route if you had one loaded (normally if you turn it off, it forgets the route).

If this is old news, forgive me. But I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere. At present I do not know yet if it is the loss of power or the cessation of motion that causes the shut down. I need another test.

Paul

 

[canderson]

Not old news exactly, just a different twist.

TomToms can have two auto-shut-down modes. What you have experienced is only one of them.

One auto-shutdown method detects a lack of motion for some period of time and shuts down on that basis. That's what you saw.

The other auto-shutdown method detects a lack of external power and shuts down on that basis. This one needs to be selected in the "Battery saving preferences" menu on those units that employ it. If your 335 isn't an SE or LE (Easy Menu) version, I believe that menu option is available to you.

Both methods provide for cancelling the shut-down if the user wishes.

 

[dhn]

Welcome to TTF.

Yes the newer appications for most models has this 30 minute inactive auto shutoff even if the application itself doesn't have a specific battery savings preference to do so.

And you are quite right. It isn't a well document change by TomTom.

On the other hand, when IS there a well documented change by TomTom??

 

[pgoelz]

Interesting.

Mine is the easy menu version, with the expanded downloaded menu set. There is no option for auto shut off in the easy or expanded menu, and none is mentioned in the manual.

Everything I have read so far seems to indicate that the 335XL/SE do not have ANY form of auto shut off. And people are clamoring for it. I even Emailed TomTom and asked them why this important feature was omitted. I got a polite "thank you for your input" Email that seemed to indicate they were thinking about adding the feature. Some time in the future. Hence my surprise to discover the thing actually DOES shut off if left alone and un powered for 30 minutes. I would prefer an immediate power off based on loss of external power, but I can live with this.

Paul

 

[pgoelz]

OK, I performed an experiment this morning to determine if the TT shut of in response to loss of power or cessation of motion. I powered my TomTom on via external power in the car, let it run for a few minutes while the car was in motion, and then unplugged the DC adapter from the car while the car was still in motion (leaving it plugged into the TT) at 7:30AM. I then traveled for another 3-5 minutes, parked and carried the TT indoors (still internally powered). It sat motionless on my desk (and could not see any sats) from 7:35 onward. It powered off (with the warning message) at 8:17. Since it DID see motion while I carried it into the building and that motion ceased at about 7:45, that seems to confirm that it shuts off after cessation of motion and not in response to loss of external power.

This is (I think) a Tomtom 335XL. The label actually says ?Model 4ET03? for whatever that is worth.

Paul

 

[canderson]

Yes, you're seeing the 'no motion' shutdown. The removal of external power will start the shutdown clock in a matter of moments.

 

[pgoelz]

Well, it is a bit more complicated. I did another test and left the unit motionless (no sats) but with external power applied. It had not shut off 55 minutes later. I then removed the external power and it shut off 30 minutes later. So, apparently the unit waits for 30 minutes of zero motion AFTER power is lost.

I guess that makes a certain amount of sense. You don't need it to shut off if external power is available.

Paul

 

[pgoelz]

A pity the shutdown clock is set to 30 minutes. Since it takes that long and this isn't a documented feature, no one would even know it existed unless they did what I did... forget to turn it off and then notice it had shut down by itself.

Why haven't I seen this mentioned in the threads I read through where people complined bitterly that it did NOT shut down AT ALL?

But at the end of the day I'm happy. I can forget it and it will shut off and not run the (internal or vehicle) battery down.

I still laugh at some of its antics though.... my favorite (and apparently its too) is "Keep right and then make a left turn". Got that several times on the last trip we took.

Paul

 

[Andy_P]

I still laugh at some of its antics though.... my favorite (and apparently its too) is "Keep right and then make a left turn". Got that several times on the last trip we took.

What's wrong with that?

Seems perfectly sensible to me, you just have to get used to the fact it is giving you the immediate instruction followed by the next one.

Not sure how else it could tell you?

 

[canderson]

What's wrong with that?

Plenty on a multi-lane highway. Until you begin to realize that "keep right" or "keep left" is ONLY an indicator attempting to keep you from making an unwanted exit do you learn to avoid crossing three or more lanes of traffic twice in a short distance. You really don't want to "keep left" or "keep right" -- just stay enough left or right to avoid being shuttled off on an exit you don't want - which is often where you are to begin with and no correction is necessary. It's an odd description for what is intended. What it usually really means is "avoid exit left" or "avoid exit right", and there's no way to shut that feature off, even though there's a box that would appear to select/deselect it. There's a whole thread on the topic around here somewhere.

What's most distressing is when you're in a cloverleaf or similar situation on a highway, the unit says "keep left" to avoid a forced exit lane just ahead of the cloverleaf, and then you find that your correct exit follows in less than 100 yards to the right! One learns not to take "keep left" too literally else either cause an accident or miss an exit. This feature causes other issues as well, and can be a real PITA.

 

[Andy_P]

Until you begin to realize that "keep right" or "keep left" is ONLY an indicator attempting to keep you from making an unwanted exit

Exactly, It's only got something like 64 phrases to choose from, you just have to get used to it's limited ways of communicating with you.
A bit like running forums!

 

[pgoelz]

If that is what it means (and it sounds right), I think a better wording would be "continue on for x feet / miles and then make a left turn". When it specifies a lane (as opposed, for example, to remaining silent), it sounds like it is preparing for a future action instead of just trying to make sure you don't exit or turn. It can actually get pretty annoying. I have had it tell me to stay in the right lane before every intersection on a surface street. Something along the lines of "stay in the right lane and then stay in the right lane".

I do relize the complexities of doing voice guidance from a map database. I'm actually a bit surprised it works as well as it does. But changing this wording would be an intelligent tweek.

I'm not complaining though. I got this thing for $55 as a refurb and now that I realize that it will shut off if I leave it, I'm happy. I don't use it day to day, just on trips.

Paul

 

[tenorman]

I've been reading the posts about the lack of auto power off and grumbling to myself. How could TomTom have removed this important feature? Well, it turns out.... they didn't! It just takes 30 minutes, so maybe no one waited long enough?

I don't see it documented anywhere which is why I thought the feature was missing. The other day I left it on while we stopped for lunch and when we returned, I was surprised to find that it had shut off. As an experiment, I tried leaving it on after the car was turned off and watching it. My 335XL waits 30 minutes after power is removed and motion ceases, puts up a warning for 5 seconds about auto shutdown (which you can cancel) and then shuts off. If you power it back on, it has remembered the route if you had one loaded (normally if you turn it off, it forgets the route).

If this is old news, forgive me. But I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere. At present I do not know yet if it is the loss of power or the cessation of motion that causes the shut down. I need another test.

Paul

On my xl model it is set in the "battery save" options . Tick it and it powers off when no external power found...like turning the ley off to stop the car