Nuvi 3590 keps crashing

[cloud]

Looking for help with a Nuvi 3590 which keeps crashing.

Symptoms as follows. When following a route the map stops updating properly instead of the map you see grey patches and the unit becomes very un-responsive. Turning it off and on restores the map but now the gps position of the vehicle is a little off the road usually running parallel. Another hard reset brings the unit back to normal for a while.

It first started happening when following a long custom route across Europe but now is happening on simple goto destinations (fairly local) and also when just in "view map" mode without a destination.

I'm wondering if it is a possible software or hardware issue. The unit has fallen out of the windscreen cradle a couple of times onto the dashboard but doesn't show any external signs of damage. The map NTU Europe 2015.40 is loaded on a SD card - the SD card and the internal storage on the unit have a fair amount of spare space. I have deselected all other maps in the unit so only the Garmin Europe map is active. Latest software on the unit I have tried a software factory reset - didn't help.

Any ideas welcome! Thanks.

[Giomen]

Do you have gmapbmap.img in device?

[cloud]

I do it's in the Nuvi drive GARMIN/.System/gmapbmap.img (date created 14/03/2011 51MB

[Neil]

Some more things to try and test in this order:

1. Clear nonvol [non-volatile memory]. It's a little more comprehensive than a hard reset: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].
2. Replace the microSD with a known reliable or new one or move the EUU onto the unit if there's enough space.
3. Remove [not just uncheck, move off the unit/card] ALL other maps [detail maps, DEM, 3D Buildings] except your current EUU and basemap of course.
4. Replace the basemap: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].
5. Redownload and replace the EUU map.

[principecarlo]

Replace the basemap: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Basemap 5.01 is only 49MB (approx), yet 2.00 is 101MB (approx). Does one really need to replace a more detailed map with a less detailed one?

[Neil]

Basemap 5.01 is only 49MB (approx), yet 2.00 is 101MB (approx). Does one really need to replace a more detailed map with a less detailed one?

One doesn't need too at all. V2.00 predated V5.01 by almost 4 years [06.06.2007 vs. 14.03.2011], which is really of no great concern because highways change little in that time and DEM changes not at all [we'd hope anyway]. The presumption of less detail is reasonable on the surface because of the smaller file size, but rather than necessarily being less-detailed, V5.01 has been far more compressed by the mapmakers thus saving over 50 MiB of space on the unit. But most relevantly because all 3590 worldwide had V5.01 as OEM from the factory anyway afaik. V2.00 was OEM for much earlier units [2x5W for example]. Either can be used, but a more compressed map may make earlier units 'laggy' whereas later units such as 3590 can handle it because of enhanced processing capacity. Having said that, 3590 can use virtually any basemap including V2 WW DEM or an even earlier regional non-DEM one such as Atlantic from nuvi 2x0/3x0/6x0.

[cloud]

Update on the crashing 3590. I cleared the nonvol as suggested and though the unit worked faultlessly on a one hour drive i decided to check the unit indoors. I turned the GPS off and sat and scrolled the main europe map. After about 10 minutes it started slowing right down on the map loads eventually crashing the unit.

Initial thoughts would be an issue with pulling the map off the SD Card. However I'm pretty certain the SD card is fine. I've checked it in a Card reader, reformatted, etc and it gives fast data transfers and shows no writing or reading issues. Also the fact the card will work from the outset without issue would indicate the card itself is probably OK but maybe it's a problem with the Garmin unit accessing the card through whatever interface it uses.

I will put the Europe map on the Garmin - it should just fit and try this but it's not a complete solution as I like to use the Michelin guides in basecamp and they only work if installed on the Nuvi (and when they are there in not enough room for the NTU Europe.

Neil mentioned removing all other maps which I'll try, I notice that I've got gmapbmap.img on the Nuvi but also have gmapdem.img on the SD card a 317.8 MB file dated 10.01.2012. Should that be there? is it a worldwide basemap if so what is gmapbmap which I see is also referred to as a DEM?

Thanks.

[catymag]

but also have gmapdem.img on the SD card a 317.8 MB file dated 10.01.2012. Should that be there? is it a worldwide basemap if so what is gmapbmap which I see is also referred to as a DEM?

Thanks.

gmapbmap.img is a basemap containing DEM data showing in the basemap only.
Gmapdem.img is DEM data map for your CN detailed map

[cloud]

Thanks Neil,

I'll step through these in order - checking if anything clears the problem. May take a while!

[Neil]

DEM [Digital Elevation Modelling] is a quite generic term and also covers digital terrain modelling and digital surface modelling for example as well as physical 3D models, all entirely different to simple shaded relief. Garmin's usage of DEM in two descriptors for both the particular shaded relief feature of modern basemaps [gmapbmap.img] and the dedicated specialised DEM [gmapdem.img] for '3D Terrain' on certain units is quite correct albeit somewhat confusing if you're expecting that they display exactly the same. Both those uses result in a shaded map display roughly depicting the terrain in colour, but the basemap's DEM is very 'low resolution' and for that reason is only viewable when the display is zoomed out [it simply wouldn't be usable zoomed in anyway]. The DEM can be removed from a basemap and it will still function as a basemap, but if the basemap is not present on the unit or corrupt the unit may crash under certain conditions. The 3D Terrain DEM map is a type of supplementary detail map which can be selected and deselected on the unit in MyMaps page. Even if gmapdem.img is removed from the unit it will still function normally in every other way.

There are many reasons why a unit can crash. Most are related to incompatible, faulty or corrupt files on it [not only mapping files, but also Voice, Text, etc, etc]. If a crash occurs suddenly [when invoking Voice Command for instance], then it may be easier to identify the problem file. In your case, it seems that clearing nv/resetting results in normal running for a period before the unit becomes laggy before finally crashing. Whatever the reason, trial and error troubleshooting by removing or replacing the most likely files one by one to eliminate them as the problem is the best approach imo. Or you can do it the other way around and remove everything and add only the absolute necessities and test while adding files. I'd be following Caty's suggestion regarding a test after removing that travel guide for sure first though, then post screenshots of all current files and folders if you wish.