TomTom Go 1000 - How to take it apart to replace battery.

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Sep 12, 2011
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Hi,

I've been looking for a DIY guide or some sort of instructions for taking apart my TomTom Go 1000. I haven't found any yet and wanted to ask if any one in this community has.

It developed a problem, not wanting to connect to the satellites, or if it did it would drop out instantly. I followed the tech's instructions and held the power button down for 30 seconds.. There was an audible pop, and the GPS started working again.
I'm a bit sceptical, as a few days after I did that, the battery has died.

The unit is still covered under warranty. But the battery isn't. I've already sourced a battery for $20.
 
Since the battery is not meant to be replaced by the user and is an integral part of the unit, I'd question whoever said it isn't part of the 1-year warranty. It is a part on the unit.

Seek out a 2nd level support person till you get a RMA for the unit.
 
Is this any help, although if you break the device its down to what you have done to it, unless you are happy working with small screws and electronics leave the taking to bits to someone else.
Secondly you say you have a new battery is it three wire or five?

Start by peeling away the label on the base of the device to reveal two Torx head screws:



The two halves of the case are simply clipped together so its either using strong thumb nails to lever them apart or use a blunt kitchen knife to lever force in to the gap:



The two halves do come apart. once one of the clips releases the others are much less troublesome to get apart:



Once all the clips are released you need to release the screen connector, this is a huge improvement over the earlier TomTom models with something more like a true multiway PCB plug rather than the frail brown trap bar edge strip used on other units.:



And don't forget the microphone plug:



With the screen out of the way you can now see the internal main PCB, battery etc.:



Start by disconnecting the battery, note its a Live device so its got the five wire battery and connector, its about time the replacement battery manufacturers were making these available even though you can solder the old lead to the replacement battery if you really want to. Also note the green coloured tape holding a mylar PCB down to the top of the battery, this carries the signals from the on/ off/ reset switch, I didn't take this apart till later but I did release the tape:



Remove the screws securing the PCB to the case and carefully hinge it over to fully expose the battery, take care with the on/ off/ reset mylar, the battery can now be pulled off the case to which it is stuck on:



A close up shot of the main PCB screen connector:



Details of the speaker:



Details of the battery:




NOTE: Some additional notes which look useful in post number 14 - HERE
 
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access to internal memory card?

Mike -

Thanks for posting this pictorial. I've found that posts like these tend to become valued much like folklore within the DIY community, with people endlessly referring back to them, and referring others there as well. Most valuable -- and the community in general owes a big "thank you" to the intrepid soul who is willing to be first to pop open their device sans instructions. I've made good use of many such pictorials when cracking open the innards of various cellphones, Blackberrys and my old Garmin 755t.

I'm assuming this is essentially the same that I'd find with a 2535 M Live? I probably *won't* succumb to the temptation to open mine while the warranty is still in force....but you never know. Curiosity might get the better of me.

On a slight tangent: in your very top photo, it appears that there's a small card of some sort inserted into the left side of the underside of the device, and that there are a couple of indentations that would allow one to depress the card slightly into the device. I'm guessing that this would cause some springs to then eject the card. I haven't studied the picture closely enough to really gauge the size of the card -- but I'm wondering if this is a micro-SD memory card...? If so...I wonder 1) what size the card is, 2) if the device can boot and operate properly if you inserted a larger, blank formatted card, and 3) if you could then download your content, maps, etc. onto the new card?

All speculation at this point (on my part at least), but it certainly seems to raise interesting possibilities...from increasing map capacity of the device to allowing the loaded memory card to be popped into a card reader so you could back up all files locally using a file manager.

None of this would, of course, be officially blessed, and it would all most certainly, void any warranty coverage. Whoever follows this path would certainly be on his/her own (except for community support of course). But the whole thing certainly grabs my attention...
 
The card you can see is the SIM card there is no slot in the device for a memory card, I would expect your device will be the same in terms of taking it to bits. The main issue with the battery replacement is finding one with five wires and the correct size connector or simply solder the old wires to the new battery - Mike
 
Yes - certain models do have a slot for a uSD card. Some have the slot without the requisite firmware to communicate with the card as yet. Where used, the card will be for additional content (e.g., maps). It's already impossible to retain both full N.A. and full Europe maps in internal memory of a 4GB unit, and an 8GB card would handle this for those users who don't want to swap maps on/off these units.

TomTom has not kept to their schedule for enabling the functionality of the slot, but stay tuned.
 
Yes - certain models do have a slot for a uSD card.

But that isn't one :)

As Mike said above, that is the SIM card slot. It's found under the base label on all LIVE models, but on earlier models the card is MUCH deeper buried in the physical slot.

Any model with a micro SD card slot has it accessible to the user without peeling off any labels.
 
Yes - certain models do have a slot for a uSD card.

But that isn't one :)
Not the 1000, no. But a few of these models have their uSD card hidden under a very difficult to spot little flap. I think you have the GO1535. There's one hiding there, too.
 
But a few of these models have their uSD card hidden under a very difficult to spot little flap.

Are you sure?
On every device I've ever had with an SD or micro-SD card slot, it has always been perfectly visible, not under a flap or cover.

I think you have the GO1535. There's one hiding there, too.

No, I don't have a GO1535, but I do have something similar (one recently announced to the German market, I believe :cool:)

And on that, the bottom label with the charger details and the serial number bar-code goes around the micro-SD slot but not over it, so it's easy to use (same as on the Go 940 and Go 950).
It's the SIM card slot that would be hidden by the other label.
 
But a few of these models have their uSD card hidden under a very difficult to spot little flap.

Are you sure?
Absolutely - have one right in front of me. The positioning is dead center, and the seams are so nicely done that unless someone would point your attention to it, you'd never notice that the flap was there. In fact, I think I surprised mvl by pointing it out in another forum.

Unfortunately, installing a card is pretty pointless - so far.
 
But a few of these models have their uSD card hidden under a very difficult to spot little flap.

Are you sure?
Absolutely - have one right in front of me. The positioning is dead center, and the seams are so nicely done that unless someone would point your attention to it, you'd never notice that the flap was there.

Well you learn something new every day!
(To be honest, I'd forgotten the 1535 was part of a VIA series, I was thinking it was one of the US-only Go models. I wish people would use the FULL model names on forums!)

I still cannot for the life of me understand the reasoning behind all these different models in different regions, surely it would be more cost effective to produce ONE set of ranges for the whole world?

Anyway... any chance of a picture of this magical flap?
I scoured the TT manuals and website, but failed to come up with any view of the underside of a VIA1535.

Here are the bottoms of my current uSD-equipped units. As you can see, no hidden flaps there, all the uSD card slots are easy to get to.

uSD_Slots.jpg
 
Don't forget, this is a GO, not a VIA.

Before and after shots on the nifty little flap:
 

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Don't forget, this is a GO, not a VIA.

OK now I'm really confused!

I went to the US website and looked up the list of models (from the bottom up because I'm left-handed ;)) and found the "VIA 1535 series"

But sure enough, if you keep going up, you get to the "GO LIVE 1535 M"

All the more reason to ask people to use the full model names!

Thanks for the pics BTW.
All of the units in my pic were GO models too....
 
Some extra notes from member Pete Burch :).....

In addition to the pictures and text above about how to get the 1005 apart, it's worth knowing that if you carefully prise the aluminium cover off the back of the unit (to be honest, mine just came off on its own as I was trying to prise the halves apart), there are three little slots that you can insert a tiny bladed screwdriver into to help release the two halves of the case. Might save a bit of anxious prising open - I didn't use the slots as I didn't realise what they were until I'd got the thing open and could see fresh air through them, they looked different from the outside and had a bit of glue from the aluminium trim obscuring them. The aluminium trim went back on OK (after I'd finished replacing the battery) with some flexible, clear-setting craft glue.

----------------

Also, it's worth knowing where the internal 'clips' between the halves of the case are... so here goes!..

All the 'lugs' that stick out are on the screen side and all the 'catches' are on the back side of the unit. That knowledge makes it easier to prise effectively.

Looking from the front (as if you're using the unit in your car), the three slots I mentioned above are on the right hand side, under the aluminium trim on the back. They are equally spaced with the outer ones about 12-15mm in from the top/bottom and the middle one halfway between them.

The bottom of the unit, in additiion to the two torx screws just has two lugs/catches, one near each end about 8-12mm in from the corner.

The top of the unit has four lugs/catches. One just inboard from the top right corner (about 10mm in) and one just inboard of the on/off switch (which stops it being right in the corner 10mm in from the corner like the top right hand one otherwise they would all be equidistant) and two inner ones that are equally spaced from the outer two if you imagine that the one inboard of the switch wasn't displaced inwards about 10mm by the switch. Imagine this is the top of the unit viewed from the front:

SWITCH....LUG.....LUG..............LUG..............LUG......!

(The exclamation mark represents the far r/h edge of the unit when viewed from the front as if you were using it - hope that makes sense!)

Finally, the left hand side has three lugs/catches spaced the same as the ones with the push through slots on the right. Except they don't have push through slots and you just have to prise them apart like all the others. The top one is immediately below the switch and the bottom one the same distance in with the middle one equidistant between them (i.e right in the middle of that side). I think that coveres it.

Good luck to all and let's hope that TomTom start using a better battery supplier. If they were at all environmentally conscious, they'd make the battery easily user-replaceable. Wouldn't be difficult - all mobile phone manufacturers manage it (with the notable exception of Apple, of course).

Thanks again to all the mods who contributed (and to all the other posters).
 
so helpful

This is so helpful thanks you. Most fiddly part is separating the two halves of the TomTom. I eventualy used a broad chisel and inserted it between the halves and twisted. It does slightly damage the plastic but not really visible afterwards. Also taking the PCB off reuires removal of screws. there are two which are very small and don't need to be removed. Overall took about an hour - but great to save about £85!
 
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Thank you mikealder

Is this any help, although if you break the device its down to what you have done to it, unless you are happy working with small screws and electronics leave the taking to bits to someone else.

I want to thank mikealder for this tutorial. Followed it letter by letter and all works fine now. Man you saved my money! Hope to offer you at least beer for nice work you did. Tnx again!
 
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Hi, I used this and the Youtube clip
but unfortunately when I put it back together there is no power and when I connect to the laptop the light doesnt come on either. Any tips on what I may have done wrong?
 
Ta dhn, any idea which connection is the power one? The battery connection seemed ok but I wasnt sure about the strip over the battery and how to connect that?
 

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