Base just won't stick

[jdub99]

So I have a Garmin that I got for Christmas - good unit but kind of boring. So I went out and bought myself a TOMTOM One and gave the Garmin to my wife. I pretty much love the TOMTOM but the base will just not stick to my windshield (or the plastic disc that came with it). Put the base on the window, turn the plastic ring to lock it in place - and nothing happens.

Anyone else experience this problem? Anyone have any tips or tricks to get this thing to affix to the windscreen? If I can't mount the unit, it's pretty much useless. The one thing that is good about the Garmin is the mounting system is foolproof.

Any help would be appreciated!!

 

[drledger]

Good day and welcome to the forum. I am not that familiar with your specific mount but we have heard of situations were the base would not adhere to the windshield. Some, myself included, have had success by using an alcohol pad to clean the windshield in the area where the unit will be mounted. Immediately before attaching it rub a thin layer of water around the outer circle of the mount. Attach directly without lateral movement.
Hope that works. Someone else may have another suggestion also.

 

[swb]

It depends on many conditions. I bought a "gooseneck" mount that has a clamp on the suction cup. It seems to stick to anything, mostly.

 

[MEY 1]

Are you turning the plastic lock ring the wrong way? Clockwise to lock, Counter clockwise to unlock.
Also try water on the suction cup, usually helps.

 

[frieslander]

If you are talking about the suction cup, wet it with water or a wet fingertip. Press it down tight before trying to lock it. I have a gooseneck mount and it will not stick when I snap the lever over unless I do this, Then it is hard to get off when I unlock it.

 

[fhantazm]

If hes talking about the original Tom Tom One, and not the new 100/300 series, then it doesnt have the turn-to-stick suction cup, but instead a TERRIBLE excuse for a suction cup with plastic "fingers" around it that you have to push. As you can probably tell, I have had the SAME exact experience with mine. I even went so far as to put the suction cup portion of the mount in very hot water(to make it more plyable) then placed it on the windshield. This made a nice difference, that is until a very cold day and a few hundred miles later, it fell back off. Thank GOD I now have a 130S and dont have to worry about that fiasco anymore. You can try the heat to the suction cup method and may have better luck than I did. Its worth a shot anyway.

 

[frieslander]

If hes talking about the original Tom Tom One, and not the new 100/300 series, then it doesnt have the turn-to-stick suction cup, but instead a TERRIBLE excuse for a suction cup with plastic "fingers" around it that you have to push. As you can probably tell, I have had the SAME exact experience with mine. I even went so far as to put the suction cup portion of the mount in very hot water(to make it more plyable) then placed it on the windshield. This made a nice difference, that is until a very cold day and a few hundred miles later, it fell back off. Thank GOD I now have a 130S and dont have to worry about that fiasco anymore. You can try the heat to the suction cup method and may have better luck than I did. Its worth a shot anyway.

I have the one with the fingers as you describe. I had the plastic circle on the dash to stick it too. I rubbed a little hand lotion on it and it NEVER came off. I had a hard time removing it when I got a new vehicle.

The hand lotion trick worked the best ever!!

I now have an after market goose neck mount and I have to press it down hard before I flick the lever, if done properly it also works great. The only problem I had there was to find a good spot for the plastic mounting circle.

 

[doctormstein1]

suction cup problems

I do have one solution I found out that those plastic round disks that you attact to your dash is really good. I bought for $2.00 at target Scotch fassiner tape that looks like a strip of velocro. Put tape on the outter 2/3rds of the suction cup and the other side on the plastic disk and it works like velco. It has a 2 lb resistance and it ALWAYS adheres and is easy to remove. You also can probably use a better velcro on suction cup and on disk. Now I never have to worry about it getting loose.

 

[fhantazm]

I have the one with the fingers as you describe. I had the plastic circle on the dash to stick it too. I rubbed a little hand lotion on it and it NEVER came off. I had a hard time removing it when I got a new vehicle.

The hand lotion trick worked the best ever!!

I now have an after market goose neck mount and I have to press it down hard before I flick the lever, if done properly it also works great. The only problem I had there was to find a good spot for the plastic mounting circle.

Interesting! I'll have to remember that trick! Thanks for the info!

 

[terasec]

lousy suction

If hes talking about the original Tom Tom One, and not the new 100/300 series, then it doesnt have the turn-to-stick suction cup, but instead a TERRIBLE excuse for a suction cup with plastic "fingers" around it that you have to push. As you can probably tell, I have had the SAME exact experience with mine. I even went so far as to put the suction cup portion of the mount in very hot water(to make it more plyable) then placed it on the windshield. This made a nice difference, that is until a very cold day and a few hundred miles later, it fell back off. Thank GOD I now have a 130S and dont have to worry about that fiasco anymore. You can try the heat to the suction cup method and may have better luck than I did. Its worth a shot anyway.

i have the same problem with my TT1
love my TT1,
but hate having to hold it,
a other poster stated,
Wiping the surface clean, very clean, with alchohol pad or window cleaner helps,
i also sometimes hold the suction cup to the vent with heat on to warm it up on cold days.
when surface is slightly dirty/dusty, suction wont last 5 minutes,
real pain when you need the TT1, and it wont stick,

 

[Blister72]

So I have a Garmin that I got for Christmas - good unit but kind of boring. So I went out and bought myself a TOMTOM One and gave the Garmin to my wife. I pretty much love the TOMTOM but the base will just not stick to my windshield (or the plastic disc that came with it). Put the base on the window, turn the plastic ring to lock it in place - and nothing happens.

Anyone else experience this problem? Anyone have any tips or tricks to get this thing to affix to the windscreen? If I can't mount the unit, it's pretty much useless. The one thing that is good about the Garmin is the mounting system is foolproof.

Any help would be appreciated!!

Yes, the factory TomTom mount sucks badly...I got sick of it dropping my One XLS, so I went to Mountguys website and bought a RAM Mount kit for my TomTom, screwed the heavy duty base into the dash, assembled the bracket to the back of the TomTom, adjusted the balls, tightened the heck out, and have had no problems since.

I fish with a lot of guys that use RAM mounts to hold very expensive Lowrance and Hummingbird units on their bass boats, so I knew RAM could handle my car and my little TomTom.

I can drive off-road, over potholes that would swallow a car, hit speed bumps, and never worry about my TomTom coming lose again...RAM Mounts are the way to go for piece of mind, for an expensive piece of hardware.

 

[Girevik]

I'm having the same problem, but I DO have the mount with the dial you turn to lock it in. I can't get it to stick to my windshield or the plasitc base it comes with. Am I doing something wrong or is that thing just useless?

 

[drledger]

Ram mounts are provided by the factory for the aviation gps Airmap 2000. Solid and well built. I had one to bend when I first got the unit but it was replaced without question.
TT had a lot of problems with their mounts especial with the GO X10 series but spent a lot of money correcting it. I have the twist to lock mount and have no problem. I had to clean the windshield with an alcohol prep pad and then applied a bit of water around the edge of the plastic seal on the mount before attaching it. Then when I locked it in place it remained. Not been off in over a year now.

 

[Girevik]

I figured out what my problem was. I did some more poking aroung online and found that you need to pull the little "wings" back on the suction cup when you put it on the surface. I feel pretty stupid.

 

[frieslander]

I figured out what my problem was. I did some more poking aroung online and found that you need to pull the little "wings" back on the suction cup when you put it on the surface. I feel pretty stupid.

Don't feel bad, we all do stupid things, I call that the learning curve. Stupidity is making the same mistake over and over.

Glad you found out what your problem was.

 

[recliner]

Terp here, I'm a newbie and would like to say good-afternoon to all. What I did to make the suction cup stick was this, the plastic disk that is in package, I put velcro on both sides, another piece of velcro to my truck dash-board. My disk has velcro on both sides now. On the suction cup I cut out velcro and stuck on the suction cup, I put suction cup on the plastic disk that is covered with velcro on both sides, that baby does not move at all. If you want to remove velcro that is stuck to the dash-board just heat up with hair dryer. This also will work on windshield. This is just my 2 cents. thanks terp also got velcro from Walmart.

 

[Girevik]

Once I figured out that I could pull back on the tabs, or push exatcly in the middle of the stand, I coud get it to hold the thing sticks like a champ. It would take quite the effort to pull it loose. I've got it on my dash now and I think that the disk with the tape would come off before the suction cup.

I feel somewhat less dumb now. I've got a friend with the same TomTom and he DOESN'T have to pull on the tabs, and the instructions don't say anything about it. I think mind it just a litte more touchy that thier supposed to be.

 

[Skramblr]

FYI - one of my units came with a defective suction cup mount. I have a couple TomToms. But the cup with one of the unit just would not stick - never. A call to TomTom and then quickly sent out a replacement. The new one worked like a champ.

So... I took the defective one and broke off the plastic ring with all those fingers. Now that one can work, too.

 

[Jamiebenoit]

I had the same problem with my TT one. Found that making sure the surface of the window, or the disk, and the suction cup have to be completely clean. Dampening the edge of the suction cup and pressing into the center of the mount with one or two fingers while turning the lock really helps. But if there is any film or dirt on the winshield it just wont stay stuck.

There are Vent clipping mounts available on Ebay for about $12 from the UK, I am considering getting one, but find I prefer the unit mounted high on the windshield next to the Rearview mirror so I can check the GPS and the Mirror without really taking my eyes off the road.

For several years I used a Garmin unit with a portable mount that was like a sandbag and sat fairly well on any dashboard, maybe someone can design a mounting system like that

 

[frieslander]

The sandbag mount is available for the TomTom units. Check Future Shop, Best Buy or online.