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Go 520 charging problem - SOLVED
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robbooth
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Joined: Jul 18, 2006
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 9:07 am    Post subject: Re: Solved! Reply with quote

gpspcb wrote:

Here's a picture of the black thingy in question. Thanks all for your time and help. You're truly heroes of the satnav world for helping out and making life easier for every1.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/821/go520.jpg/


Looking at the markings on the PCB (D5) it's a diode (apparently it's a zener diode (a kind of voltage limiter) according to the info on the net - if you Google 'D5 tomtom' the first hit you get gives you all the info on D5)

Can't explain why it charged on the dock and not in the car unless it has different charging pins for the dock and car.
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gpspcb
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, it seems like it's a massive problem, dubbed The Green Light of Death! Mostly caused by the wrong type of charger being used it seems.

If anybody is good at electronics, can you take a look at this picture and tell me if the diode is the right way around please. (don't laugh at my big blobs of solder! Rolling Eyes)
Sorry about the size. Needed to be big!

The fact that it's charging in the car now suggests it is, so I don't want to play around with it but, I've looked up diodes and I'm a bit worried because the line on the diode indicates the cathode side which supposed to permit a negative through it, but, you can see on the circuit board a +ve sign.

Quote:
Can't explain why it charged on the dock and not in the car unless it has different charging pins for the dock and car.


I'm guessing a the it does have different pins because it definitely charged on the computer. Computer power is a whole lot cleaner and it's impossible to cockup a usb connection. Maybe TT thought it necessary for some additional circuitry for cars, not that it did much good for all those people where it burnt out!

ps.
I've had an after thought, I asked a friend about 9 months ago to change my battery and I'm thinking that this could have been damaged then. I find it unlikely that it could come off just by dropping it.


Last edited by gpspcb on Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:45 am; edited 1 time in total
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mikealder
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You have put the D5 diode in the correct way around, I have just checked a scrap 720 thats never had a soldering iron near it and the white stripe on the end of the diode is next to the + sign printed on the PCB - Mike
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gpspcb
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mikealder wrote:
You have put the D5 diode in the correct way around, I have just checked a scrap 720 thats never had a soldering iron near it and the white stripe on the end of the diode is next to the + sign printed on the PCB - Mike


haha, thanks mike. Lucky guess for me! I could have fried it hehe. I've put a better, sharper picture on (above) so it can help more people who suffer The green light of death!
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mikealder
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What usually blows D5 clean off the PCB with as the component overheats is when the voltage feedback sense wire breaks in the car charger lead, this results in the car charger putting out whatever voltage is applied to it from the ciggy lighter socket (usually about 13,8V) its rare to fix a device after this as its often more than D5 that gets blown.

For some reason the D5 in your device looks to have been poorly soldered in the first place letting it drop off the PCB, not something I have ever seen before, good result though in getting it fixed - Mike
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Andy_P
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent fault-finding and an even better result!

Normally, this sort of exercise ends in "Yes, I can conclusively say where the problem lies, but it's all fried!"

As Mike says, it's very odd to find a component misplaced, but working (unless you have changed the battery and dislodged it yourself!).

And I'm still surprised at how it could work with a PC connection and not the car charger!
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gpspcb
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Andy_P wrote:
Excellent fault-finding and an even better result!

Normally, this sort of exercise ends in "Yes, I can conclusively say where the problem lies, but it's all fried!"

As Mike says, it's very odd to find a component misplaced, but working (unless you have changed the battery and dislodged it yourself!).

And I'm still surprised at how it could work with a PC connection and not the car charger!


Thanks Andy, I'm well pleased cos I've saved myself £130. I'm thinking the diode was damaged when the battery was changed some months back but still in place making contact. Some of the everyday-chucking it in the glove box may have dislodged it.

Thanks again for your help and support.
Pete
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M8TJT
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

gpspcb wrote:
Thanks again for your help and support.
Pete
I would have thought with yor username, you would have no problem whatsoever re-soldering a diode on to a satnav printed circuit board Very Happy Very Happy
Good result though, methinks
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Andy_P
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Andy_P wrote:
.... it's very odd to find a component misplaced, but working (unless you have changed the battery and dislodged it yourself!).


gpspcb wrote:
I'm thinking the diode was damaged when the battery was changed some months back


Cool
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gpspcb
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

M8TJT wrote:
I would have thought with yor username, you would have no problem whatsoever re-soldering a diode on to a satnav printed circuit board

I know yeah, pcb are my initials Laughing Out Loud.
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Brad99
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 1:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Electronics engineer speaking here.......... I bet your diode got so hot it desoldered itself. It happens.
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Jaz666
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm glad I found this thread.

My 540 started to run out of power and shutting down whilst plugged into the original charger in the car.
I put it down to the battery wearing out, so replaced it.
That didn't improve things, so tried a new Tom Tom charger, no improvement.

Like the OP, when fully charged, it will run for 4 hours before dying again.
It will charge from the Car Supply, but only when switched off.

I had already concluded that something on the charging circuit had gone, but now it seems I know what to examine on the board.

Maybe I'll get a fully functioning device again before the Winter Weather arrives Razz
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SargFowler
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 10:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

An old thread, but there's a lot of these SatNavs out there.

On my TomTom, C133 had melted and gave loads of black soot around the components. I've replaced this, but the tracks on the board got torched.
I think C140 connects to C133, so I've put a wire between these and all seems good so far.
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