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It does make economic sense for them to have done that towards the end of a series production when wanting to introduce a lower-cost leader-line, which was what those 'specials' were intended to be. Otherwise, they'd have had to use a different firmware which means also allocating them a different HWID thus really complicating ongoing updating. Worse, different hardware in the form of a modified PCB would be nonsensical.Originally Posted by lych
They did indeed use different fw & HWIDs for some hire-car derivatives.... remember when Avis etc used to charge an arm and a leg for a GPS device to stick on the windscreen? It was usually cheaper for a punter to buy a new basic PND than hire one for a few weeks as an add-on to a longer-term car package! You can still find unarchived threads here and there, ppl later bought those things cheap from auctions only to be mystified when the device quickly 'bricked' itself because nobody bothered before the sale to remove the requirement for a PIN code entry after a set time of use. That was planned bastardry which served a purpose during the device's life with a hire company but left a landmine for the next unsuspecting owner. We solved that too, mostly.
Many of us collaborated to work out how to solve those sorts of issues back in the day. Most don't bother being involved now, time is leaving the dedicated portable auto GPS device in the dust of history because of in-dash units and smartphones. I really only stand on the shoulders of giants; it just so happens that i'm still interested in this stuff ... and maybe a bit OCD.It takes a knowledgable one like you to be able to solve the issue, especially this being a model released back in 2008.
Thanks but i already am. I have 5 kids, 9 grandkids and something over 50 old GPS devices ... i've never bothered to keep proper track of that latter number ......... God bless.
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Thread: Nuvi 255 TTS voices not working?
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5th March 2026, 10:50 PM #1Garmin/GPS Systems GMod.
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6th March 2026, 09:48 PM #2Junior Member
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It was rather surprising that I wasn't able to pinpoint a correct answer through Google and older forum posts, hence why I created this thread. As it turns out, these older GPS devices certainly have their charm, and considering the fact it can be updated (my 255 got updated to 2025.10 maps officially through Garmin Express!) it makes them still so usable, more so than say a mobile phone of that era. And reusing older devices for purposeful tasks is always a good thing. I'm a young'un in my twenties by the way, happy to play my part in keeping these alive! It seems like everywhere someone has an old GPS in their drawer when in fact they can still be so useful.
I prefer just keeping my phone in my pocket while driving (sort of a habit and I never lose or forget it), totally separate, without any conflicts with telephone or music. Hence this sat nav idea has turned out great. I just keep the Nuvi in my car and take it out when necessary, popping it into the 'ball' mount easy peasy.
Wow, with more than 50 it certainly sounds like collector status! It's interesting as it's certainly a nicher category than, say, mobile phone or game consoles collectors.
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