Thread: Problems on my Garmin Nuvi 65LM

Yes it does have some hallmarks of a hardware failure and it seems you've already ruled out the USB port connections to the board being the problem. However, there can be other explanations for such behaviour and it's likely to be either (1) another kind of hardware failure such as a bad PCB component or the flash memory is failing; or (2) severe software corruption; or (3) a corrupt file that's required for properly loading during the boot cycle.

1. Is likely fatal, in that it's certainly not economically repairable.
2. Is easy to fix by deleting any existing gupdate.gcd from .System folder and directly flashing required fw regions using a media card (see below*).
3. Is also easy to fix if preboot mode is available..

Check if you have preboot available. Try all the methods in the following link, however holding the top left screen corner works for most nuvi devices: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

If it's 'soft-bricked' it won't have access to Mass Storage Mode so cannot be seen in Windows File Explorer or Disk Management. However in preboot mode it will be listed in Device Manager under "GARMIN Devices". Preboot is useful for recovering bricked devices using cure fw.

If the device is simply bricked by a corrupt file you can follow this guide: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] However usually such devices don't boot far enough to load anything from a media card so that may not be the case with yours seeing it actually can use the card.

*If you want to rule out a firmware problem and it still reads a card in its current state, you can use the SD kit behind the spoiler below to delete gupdate.gcd (if it's present), dump a copy of the non-volatile memory region 154, and properly reflash the 3 fw regions 14, 127 & 158.

Spoiler: Click

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Originally Posted by Neil

*If you want to rule out a firmware problem and it still reads a card in its current state, you can use the SD kit behind the spoiler below to delete gupdate.gcd (if it's present), dump a copy of the non-volatile memory region 154, and properly reflash the 3 fw regions 14, 127 & 158.

What's the use of this? My Garmin nuvi 65lm is currently still on software v.4.50, will running that bring my Garmin to very early firmware?

Oh yeah, my Garmin can't enter preboot mode, I've tried it and it only goes into calibration mode.
I tried the preboot mode method and nothing like "software loading" etc. appeared, it just said garmin and entered calibration

Originally Posted by zaicopx

What's the use of this? My Garmin nuvi 65lm is currently still on software v.4.50, will running that bring my Garmin to very early firmware?

No it will UPDATE it to V5.60. It will also delete an onboard gupdate.gcd if present and dump a copy of the device's non-vol memory region as 154.bin (which you should keep a copy of, because it might save your device in the future).

Oh yeah, my Garmin can't enter preboot mode, ....

Yes it can and you've confirmed that by the rest of your statement :

..... I've tried it and it only goes into calibration mode.
I tried the preboot mode method and nothing like "software loading" etc. appeared, it just said garmin and entered calibration

The device can ONLY enter the white calibration screen AFTER it's been in preboot mode. If there's no flash initiated in the allotted time for preboot to be held, it will then show that screen. After re-calibration it will unilaterally reboot (or try to if it's soft-bricked).

More recent devices such as your nuvi 65 are more difficult to flash in preboot because the time spent in that mode is so brief and sometimes even hard to attain initially. Hence a bricked device is easier to flash via SD card if it sill manages to read from it (many bricked devices can't use an SD, depending on why they can't start).

You can confirm it's in preboot by having Windows Device Manager open and you'll see the list populated with GARMIN Devices when it's recognised by the PC. That's when it's in preboot and flashable with Updater.exe but if no flash is initiated, it will drop out and go to the white screen. You must be very quick to flash it that way.

From your additional information it's clear that it CAN enter preboot, but if it's not being seen in Device Manager as said above and you've properly reflowed the USB socket connections then it has some other hardware fault.

Please advise if your device still "bootlooping" like you said in initial post, and if so have you ejected the SD card with Garmin\gupdate.gcd on it?