Scott Lee Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 Today I was practicing takeoff/landings and stopped at the FBO for a break and upon my return the garmin didn't power on after powering the avionics. Has always worked previously. Tried shutting down and restarting and reset the breaker a couple times with no luck. I also tried pushing and holding the garmin power button as well as pushing momentarily. Any ideas? How hard is it to get at the connectors to see is the power cable is loose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbigs Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 Today I was practicing takeoff/landings and stopped at the FBO for a break and upon my return the garmin didn't power on after powering the avionics. Has always worked previously. Tried shutting down and restarting and reset the breaker a couple times with no luck. I also tried pushing and holding the garmin power button as well as pushing momentarily. Any ideas? How hard is it to get at the connectors to see is the power cable is loose? Not having it power on at all may be related to your cable connection. Did you try taking it out entirely and making sure it powers up in the cradle or connected to a PC? Taking it out of the panel is needed to update it...if you have never done that then you are also way behind on updates. Also, the device has an internal battery which could be worn out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 You need to dismount the unit and remove the battery for it to reset. As 100 said, it's a problem with 696 and 796 units. The battery may need replaced, as was said. If the battery has a problem and you let this continue to happen, it will brick the unit and you will have to send it in for repairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Lee Posted October 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 The 696 is updated with a flash drive only, unlike a 796. So I never remove it. I once tried but it's mounted very solid and I didn't want to break anything. Anyone know what I have to do to pull the unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZAV8OR Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 While you have the unit out, I highly recommend you update the firmware. My 796 was intermittently locking up and, after confirming that it was not a conneciton issue with the mount, updated the firmware. It's been rock solid since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 If it's like the 696, there are screws in the back of the mounting plate. You have to dismount the radio stack console (4 screws in each corner). You will also want to remove one of the other panels too, because there isn't a lot of room behind the radio tray, and if it's like one of ours, you have to be very careful with re-mounting or you'll damage the harness. I suggest reading the manuals on the unit. They will provide more info for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug G. Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 The 696 is updated with a flash drive only, unlike a 796. So I never remove it. I once tried but it's mounted very solid and I didn't want to break anything. Anyone know what I have to do to pull the unit? No flash drive on my 696. It uses an SD card for updates and I always remove it.There is an LOA for the installation of the Airgizmo mount which in my unit gives me access to the card without taking the unit out of the panel, or even out of the Airgizmo dock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug G. Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 Yes you will have to pull the unit. Not a big deal, just be careful with the cables on the left side - especially the right angled gold antenna connector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT4ME Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 I've had this problem with 2 different 696 units. Two different problems. First one is easy to determine. The backlight went out and the unit "looked" like it wasn't working. Simply taking a very bright light (flashlight) and holding it against the screen will light it up enough to know if that's the problem. Garmin replaced my unit with a new one (refurb I'm sure) for $600 I think I've had "won't turn on" problems with the new one, but seem to have fixed that. The temp fix was to take the unit out of the panel (it's an airgizmo mount) and remove/replace the battery. While out, I updated the firmware (using mini usb cable). Haven't had a problem since then. But, other folks have reported similar problems (won't power-up when avionics master is turned on). They reported that the 696 WOULD turn on IF the transponder was first turned off. Something about the interface and timing. In spite of the problems, I love my 696... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug G. Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 I should add that 696s are designed to be portable units that you can remove to use for flight planning, or even ground navigation - a petty clumsy unit for that however. Yeah, I love it also. For the most part I find the user interface much more friendly than the Skyview. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Lee Posted October 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 I said flash but yes I have an 696 and yes it uses an SD card. FYI - SD cards started as flash and migrated to NAND chips over time. My saying "Flash" just shows my age. I think I'll hire a local FBO to pull it, they have a terrific electrical guy that figured out my circuit breaker problem in less than an hour. I have a personal rule when it comes to electronics of "keep your hands out of the box" and when I violate the rule it often gets expensive. My firmware and database were up to date weeks prior to this happening. An an EE and a software engineer of 30+ years, since it worked after an update, it wasn't the update! I fear that at 5 years the unit simply failed, but always check the easy things first. If it failed, I wanted a 796 anyway. Thanks, Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Lee Posted October 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 thanks everyone for your suggestions. Anticep's comment about possible wiring harness damage is why I'll let someone else do it. I'm a bit of a clutz and I could see myself dropping screws or making things worse. I was hoping I was just missing something obvious and easy in removing the 696. FYI I'm a new guy to flying at the solo stage and preparing for my practical. I brought the plane in June. Thanks again, Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Lee Posted October 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Well that was spooky. I went out this morning, started the plane and the Garmin booted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 It must have drained the battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbigs Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 I said flash but yes I have an 696 and yes it uses an SD card. FYI - SD cards started as flash and migrated to NAND chips over time. My saying "Flash" just shows my age. I think I'll hire a local FBO to pull it, they have a terrific electrical guy that figured out my circuit breaker problem in less than an hour. I have a personal rule when it comes to electronics of "keep your hands out of the box" and when I violate the rule it often gets expensive. My firmware and database were up to date weeks prior to this happening. An an EE and a software engineer of 30+ years, since it worked after an update, it wasn't the update! I fear that at 5 years the unit simply failed, but always check the easy things first. If it failed, I wanted a 796 anyway. Thanks, Scott Where is the SD card slot? On the 796 it is on the side and when mounted in the panel behind the panel. The only way to update the 796 is to pull it from the panel. I'm curious how your panel is setup, can you take a photo and post? Also, as I said in an earlier post the Garmin's have a known memory problem and the battery can play havoc if it is wearing out. Usually the memory problem is a frozen screen, not a completely dark one. That fix required the breaker to be pulled and reset if in flight for the Garmin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Lee Posted October 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 The SD slot is on the left side of the 696. The panel mount has a plastic wheel on the right side (facing forward, not on the side) that allows the 696 to pivot at an angle that allows access to that slot and the power button on the top right side. Inserting the card is easy, but it's a little tricky to remove it. I've found it is easier to remove if I'm standing outside the plane on the pilot side, probably because of the angle. I don't know the name of the mount, but I assumed it is standard equipment on a 2010 CTLS, I'm the third owner. I'll try to remember to take a photo next time I'm in the plane. Funny story - it was overcast and expected to rain but the flight to the shop is only 10 minutes away and ceiling was 6,000 feet and calm, so I figured I could squeeze in a quick flight. But the Garmin worked on power up, so I shut down and pushed the plane back in the hanger. As I stepped out of the hanger it started to rain. How's that for lucky! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT4ME Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 My "dying backlight" problem went on for several weeks. Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't. Sometimes it wouldn't turn on at all, or would turn off in the middle of a flight. Of course, it was really on, but the screen was black. Another clue, discovered after the backlight problem was identified, was that the autopilot still worked. With problem #2, not powering-on at startup, the autopilot reports "No GPS". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Lee Posted October 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 I'll try the autopilot if it happens again. I assume you have a true track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted October 28, 2015 Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 By the way, sometimes the brightness is turned all tge way down. Tapping the power button several times cycles through those states. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug G. Posted October 28, 2015 Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 The mount is called an Airgizmo mount. I know you don't want to do this, but it is six screws on the panel, four screws (if I remember correctly.) on the unit, and three connections - antenna, power, and a round data connector. Unfortunately, without the Airgizmo mount you cannot disconnect the wires without removing it from the panel plate. After you have it out you should have a power cord to connect to a 12v outlet which would allow you to do a bit of testing. All this brings up a question. How have you been updating your unit without access to the SD slot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT4ME Posted October 28, 2015 Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 My 696 is easily removed from the AirGizmo mount, and the wires can be detached from the side easily. It wasn't easy the first time, as the little thingys that grab the bar held the unit in far too tightly. It took me weeks of calling around before I was convinced it would come out. So I pulled and pulled until it popped out. Then I filed the little things that grasp the bar, and now it pops in and out easily. Roger gave me the heads-up on the need for the filing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Lee Posted October 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 The mount is called an Airgizmo mount. I know you don't want to do this, but it is six screws on the panel, four screws (if I remember correctly.) on the unit, and three connections - antenna, power, and a round data connector. Unfortunately, without the Airgizmo mount you cannot disconnect the wires without removing it from the panel plate. After you have it out you should have a power cord to connect to a 12v outlet which would allow you to do a bit of testing. All this brings up a question. How have you been updating your unit without access to the SD slot? I rotate the knob that locks the unit to the mount and the 696 leans forward which exposes the SD slot. That is also the only way I can get to the power button. I pop in the SD card and boot the system and then apply the nav updates. I've only updated the firmware once. I recently updated the Dynon's to the v11 as they stopped providing navigation updates to v6. (They might be still be there but I couldn't find them.) I printed the directions and followed them as the update is a little complicated, but easy with the directions. Updating the 696 with the SD card is trivial. The hardest problem I had was that Google's Chrome doesn't support the Garmin updated and I had to use IE. No errors, but Chrome simply doesn't work. With IE it was easy. I would be surprised if Garmin made any 696's without an SD slot. I suggest you take a look on the top left. I have a little LED flashlight for pre-flight and used it on the Garmin because the slot wasn't easy to see. Inserting the SD is easy, removing it is harder with my fat fingers. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Lee Posted October 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 My 696 is easily removed from the AirGizmo mount, and the wires can be detached from the side easily. It wasn't easy the first time, as the little thingys that grab the bar held the unit in far too tightly. It took me weeks of calling around before I was convinced it would come out. So I pulled and pulled until it popped out. Then I filed the little things that grasp the bar, and now it pops in and out easily. Roger gave me the heads-up on the need for the filing. Interesting, I'll take a closer look. I would like to pull the unit and look at the battery as previously suggested. I also appreciate the comment about cycling the screen intensity by pushing the power button. I love this forum, I've learned a lot. I purchased 4 tuff jugs based upon the recommendations and I love them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug G. Posted October 28, 2015 Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 Yeah, you have the Airgizmo mount. It takes a pretty good pull to get the 696 out of the mount. Make certain the Airgizmo latch is rotated all the way up. I usually think I am going to break something about the time it snaps out. The connections I mentioned are on the same side as the SD card and near the top of the unit. When you disconnect them, secure them so they don't fall behind the Airgizmo, or you will be fishing them out or removing the panel to get at them. Hope you can find the issue. (One other possibility would be a bad breaker if you don't find an issue with the 696.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Lee Posted October 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2015 I have another post about spooky electrical problems that were solved by replacing the main breaker. I ordered and have a replacement breaker for the alternator. So I think you might be on to something - but the Dynon powers up just fine. The connectors on my 696 are below the SD slot and I would consider them on the bottom left, so maybe we do have different units. Good info on the fact that it takes a strong pull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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