Is there a GPS Replacement for a tired unit on 2013 RTL?

[mark4Jesus]

The display on the GPS that came with it getting dimmer/harder to see. Is there another model that will connect and maintain the functions of the original? Have a Garmin Zumo 660.

[Peter Aawen]

The display on the GPS that came with it getting dimmer/harder to see. Is there another model that will connect and maintain the functions of the original?

Have you checked that it's not just the screen brightness that's been set (or moved??) to less than 100%??

My 2013 RTL that lives in the harsh Ozzie sun hasn't got any screen fade issues (yet! ) except whenever, for some inexplicable reason, the brightness drops to 40% instead of the 100% I usually leave it set to!

And occasionally it doesn't seem to 'engage' properly in its mount, so it doesn't connect to the Spyder battery & charge during use; resulting in the onboard battery starting to go flat.... & the first sign of that occurring is the display dimming.... Usually, taking it out of the Mount & re-inserting it properly sorts that, but every now & then I don't do that soon enough, so the Zumo completely conks out, which then means that I hafta take it inside & charge it up using the update/charge cord & a PC or mains charger.


Still, if it's not something like that then you'll probably need to upgrade the GPS to something like a ZUMO XT or XT2, and that'll mean you need to swap the Garmin base & wiring in the Spyder mount. It's not really all that hard to do, I've done a few for others, but it does involve removing the base from the mount (a few screws), the LHS tupperware, & disconnecting the wiring (usually the plugs are down alongside the gas tank), before pulling the wires & GPS base out. Then you hafta re-thread the new wiring & connect it up*, before fixing the new GPS base to the Spyder mount & buttoning everything up.

Nb: * the generic Garmin wiring plug on any new Garmin GPS is often at a reverse polarity to that in the Spyder's Garmin power connector (I guess that's done to make the CanAm GPS units unique to CanAm! ) so you might need to swap the wires in the plug to get your new GPS to charge - it's fairly easily checked if you know how to use a multi-meter; and if that's the case, then maybe it's not quite so easily remedied, but it's still not majorly a pain - just so long as you're aware that it might be something that needs doing!

Good Luck!

[mark4Jesus]

Have you checked that it's not just the screen brightness that's been set (or moved??) to less than 100%??

My 2013 RTL that lives in the harsh Ozzie sun hasn't got any screen fade issues (yet! ) except whenever, for some inexplicable reason, the brightness drops to 40% instead of the 100% I usually leave it set to!

And occasionally it doesn't seem to 'engage' properly in its mount, so it doesn't connect to the Spyder battery & charge during use; resulting in the onboard battery starting to go flat.... & the first sign of that occurring is the display dimming.... Usually, taking it out of the Mount & re-inserting it properly sorts that, but every now & then I don't do that soon enough, so the Zumo completely conks out, which then means that I hafta take it inside & charge it up using the update/charge cord & a PC or mains charger.


Still, if it's not something like that then you'll probably need to upgrade the GPS to something like a ZUMO XT or XT2, and that'll mean you need to swap the Garmin base & wiring in the Spyder mount. It's not really all that hard to do, I've done a few for others, but it does involve removing the base from the mount (a few screws), the LHS tupperware, & disconnecting the wiring (usually the plugs are down alongside the gas tank), before pulling the wires & GPS base out. Then you hafta re-thread the new wiring & connect it up*, before fixing the new GPS base to the Spyder mount & buttoning everything up.

Nb: * the generic Garmin wiring plug on any new Garmin GPS is often at a reverse polarity to that in the Spyder's Garmin power connector (I guess that's done to make the CanAm GPS units unique to CanAm! ) so you might need to swap the wires in the plug to get your new GPS to charge - it's fairly easily checked if you know how to use a multi-meter; and if that's the case, then maybe it's not quite so easily remedied, but it's still not majorly a pain - just so long as you're aware that it might be something that needs doing!

Good Luck!

I did check brightness level, and it was at 100%. I will make sure that it is fully in the base. I only mount the GPS a couple of times a year. Then again, I am comparing 10+ year old technology to current. I will look into the XT/XT2, thanks for the information!