newbie needs help - tom tom just stopped working

[TomTomNewbie234]

hi group. i only used my tom tom a few short trips, and one day it just stopped working right in the middle of a trip. I thought maybe it might have been my cigarette lighter power, but I plugged it onto my friends car, and still nothing. since then, it's been sitting in a plastic bag. What are some of the first steps that I should take to get it back working. No screen. dark. i'm wondering what exactly happened. are these gps's like computers where, if you are driving, someone can pick up your signal and send a trojan or something to blue screen it?

I know i've been lazy about getting it fixed, but i'm retired and I don't travel much, but I would like to get it up and running for another trip. would hate to spend more money, to buy a new one, especially since I paid plenty for this one. I've had it over a year.

Any assistance would be appreciated. Thank you. I'm glad I found this forum!!

TomTomNewbie

 

[mikealder]

With it plugged in to the car charger is the green LED illuminated on the device or not? if possible try it connected to the PC and report what happens - Mike

 

[TomTomNewbie234]

Hi Mike. I was finally able to find the connector to the computer and it is not working plugged into my computer. I can't remember, but I think the original program that came with Tom Tom is in my old computer, which is no longer working. I was trying to log onto the TomTom website, to see if I can download any updates, but I couldn't even get the tom tom website to come up. How can I download updates? or new maps? I haven't tried plugging it into my car yet, though. So, if it is plugged into my computer, will it start charging automatically? I can see every once in a while an icon that says it's charging, but that doesn't show all the time, only when on certain screens. Thanks for getting me started on this. (I can't find the original box my tom tom came in, and maybe it had a cd to install on the computer, I can't remember, but maybe there is something I can download off the net to get me started??
thanks
tom tom newbie

 

[TomTomNewbie234]

oops, meant to say that it is NOW working plugged into my computer (not "not" working).

 

[mikealder]

I have seen reports from other forum members that there are issues getting to the servers at TomTom when based in the USA, the issue isn't down to TomTom as its working fine from here in the UK (Not that this news helps your issue).

Try again tomorrow to get to the TomTom web site and download the Home application for your PC.

If the device is working when plugged in to the PC but it doesn't work in the car check the fuse to the cars ciggy lighter socket is working, after that consider replacing the car charger lead - Mike

 

[Andy_P]

There's a fuse in the car charger itself too. Either a mini-blade type on the side (old chargers) or a cylindrical one under the silver tip.

 

[newbie9]

Tomtom one doesn't turn on anymore

With it plugged in to the car charger is the green LED illuminated on the device or not? if possible try it connected to the PC and report what happens - Mike

I have a similar problem with my tomtom one, I turned it on in the car and everything looked normal, i picked a destination and all of a sudden, screen went blank as if there was no power, the light is still green.

I plugged it to the computer and the light is green on top but i don't see anything on the screen. Computer didn't detect anything. What can i do to troubleshoot this further?

Thanks!

 

[mikealder]

Press the reset button in the base of the device, if its not got a hardware reset switch press and hold the on/ off switch until the device reboots with a drum roll, next connect it to the computer and use Windows Explorer to see if a drive letter associated with the TomTom appears - Mike

 

[newbie9]

Computer doesn't detect it

Press the reset button in the base of the device, if its not got a hardware reset switch press and hold the on/ off switch until the device reboots with a drum roll, next connect it to the computer and use Windows Explorer to see if a drive letter associated with the TomTom appears - Mike

Hey Mike, appreciate your response, i press reset and it didn't do anything. I held switch to see if device reboots and nothing happened, light is still green on top. I plugged it to the computer and it's as if computer didn't detect any new hardware. Is this device dead?

 

[newbie9]

It's as if "battery" doesn't work anymore

Hey Mike, appreciate your response, i press reset and it didn't do anything. I held switch to see if device reboots and nothing happened, light is still green on top. I plugged it to the computer and it's as if computer didn't detect any new hardware. Is this device dead?

One more thing I noticed is that the light is green only when plugged in. As soon as I unplug the device from the computer, it's as if the battery can't hold any charge and the green light goes away.
Thanks and appreciate any other suggestions anyone may have.

 

[dhn]

The green light on any model does not show unless the unit is connected to either a car charger or computer or AC power source.

 

[Andy_P]

I have a similar problem with my tomtom one, I turned it on in the car and everything looked normal, i picked a destination and all of a sudden, screen went blank as if there was no power, the light is still green.

I plugged it to the computer and the light is green on top but i don't see anything on the screen. Computer didn't detect anything. What can i do to troubleshoot this further?

Thanks!

You aren't going to like this....

Quite a while ago, there was a known problem where one of the wires in the cable of the car chargers for TomToms would break, and the result of that was the charger would send the full 12 Volts from the car battery to the TomTom, rather than reducing it down to the 5 Volts it needs.

I haven't heard of it happening recently, but your charger could have failed in a similar way.

Unfortunately, there is no protection in the TomTom itself if this happens and one or more of the internal components is irreversibly fried.

The symptoms of this are --- completely dead but when connected to the charger the GREEN LIGHT IS ON.

This could also happen easily on models before the USB power connector became standard, because people would accidentally plug in a power supply for something completely different that just happened to have the same DC power plug on the end but was supplying a different voltage.

If you have a voltmeter, you could try measuring the voltage on the car charger cable connector (Pins 1+4 on a USB plug, or inner and outer surfaces of the old-style DC plug).

If it's any more than 5 Volts I'm afraid the TomTom is dead. There are a couple of repairers who MIGHT be able fix it in the UK, but I don't know of any in the US.

 

[newbie9]

hmmm so i shouldn't be plugging another GPS in my car charger then?

You aren't going to like this....

Quite a while ago, there was a known problem where one of the wires in the cable of the car chargers for TomToms would break, and the result of that was the charger would send the full 12 Volts from the car battery to the TomTom, rather than reducing it down to the 5 Volts it needs.

I haven't heard of it happening recently, but your charger could have failed in a similar way.

Unfortunately, there is no protection in the TomTom itself if this happens and one or more of the internal components is irreversibly fried.

The symptoms of this are --- completely dead but when connected to the charger the GREEN LIGHT IS ON.

This could also happen easily on models before the USB power connector became standard, because people would accidentally plug in a power supply for something completely different that just happened to have the same DC power plug on the end but was supplying a different voltage.

If you have a voltmeter, you could try measuring the voltage on the car charger cable connector (Pins 1+4 on a USB plug, or inner and outer surfaces of the old-style DC plug).

If it's any more than 5 Volts I'm afraid the TomTom is dead. There are a couple of repairers who MIGHT be able fix it in the UK, but I don't know of any in the US.

YIKES, thanks for the reply. I'm a bit worried about plugging another GPS using the car charger now!