Garmin Zumo XT - Charging internal battery - READ TEXT UPDATES- Install - Kawasaki Versys X300

[@darlyp8587]

Thank you. I just got the Zumo XT yesterday and I can't believe it just shows a lightning bolt without a percentage of charge. I left it plugged into my computer overnight and it still didn't show a full charge. AND it depleted the battery pretty quickly. I will try my Anker power bank and see if it'll do a full charge. I was ready to send it back also. Fingers crossed. I do tell it to not connect to the computer for usb transfer.

[@trekOCLVone]

The charging issues are mostly due to older USB-A ports. You need the most recent charger version - high current - 2.4 amps USB-A. The text below the video has updated information and please read the April 26, 2023, AND the April 28, 2023, comments for the detail on the colors of the ports referenced. Also, to see the detail of the charging current the video shows you how to get into the diagnostics screen for all the important operation data. Be careful in the diagnostics screen and close with the EXIT annunciator. This diagnostic screen will show current (milliamps) going into the battery when the latest USB-A high current port is being used. Once you get charging going with the USB-A port or the rear mount/cable it will all make more sense. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks, and best of luck with your Zumo.

[@anxiousappliance]

Long press the battery icon and you get to a diagnosis screen. Who knew...

[@MikesProjectsandHobbiesMC]

Gotta love the Zumo! :-) I wish I would have learned about Drive Mode Dashboard a few months sooner though.

[@trekOCLVone]

Drive Mode Dashboard - is that the one that is loaded onto a tablet ?

[@MikesProjectsandHobbiesMC]

@@trekOCLVone Yeap. You can get a pretty nice rigidized tablet for the price of the Zumo. I like my Zumo XT though, it does what its supposed to do.

[@workharddieproud]

I just got the XT2 and it would not charge via the USBC port from a wall charger, however it does charge using my battery power bank. It must need a certain amount of voltage to charge it. I’ll probably try a different wall charger next. Least it does charge while it’s not on my bike.

[@trekOCLVone]

Yes - the Zumo units need to be charged from the most recent USB chargers with the blue plastic inside the connector on the charger. I spent way to much time figuring this out but kept at it until I understood what the requirements are for the Zumo and would think the Zumo XT2 would act the same way. Enjoy your Zumo XT2.

[@workharddieproud]

@@trekOCLVone Where did you find a charger that works ??

[@trekOCLVone]

I have a battery bank by Anker that has a "Q" USB port and that was the first power source that worked. The "Q" port is a fast-charging port for 3 amps of current @ 5.2 Vdc. The Zumo must have a way to check for available wattage from a USB port and all the earlier versions of the standard "A" style original USB ports have the black plastic "key" in them. Those do not work. That is what I was dealing with at the beginning of this video where I could not get the Zumo XT to charge with it "ON" or "OFF". That was a frustrating time and my comments in the video were made with me not finding the correct USB port to charge the unit off the bike. But I kept at it and found what made the Zumo XT charge off the bike and with the unit either ON or OFF. And it was the version 3.0 of the USB-A power source with the blue plastic which tells you it is the 3.0 (latest version of USB-A) power connector. It shouldn't be this way - the Zumo XT should allow any USB-A source to charge it up even at a lower current and take longer. Garmin designed the Zumo XT to only charge with the high current USB-A power source. I hope this helps. Just find/buy a USB-A wall charger or battery bank with the 3.0 or higher version of connector (blue plastic), or the "Q" fast charging connector like the Anker battery bank that worked for me.

[@workharddieproud]

@@trekOCLVone Thank you VERY much for your reply and help !!

[@workharddieproud]

I found a Wall Charger on Amazon that does charge the Zumo XT2. It has three ports and is labeled as 128 W. GKUTW is the brand.

[@trekOCLVone]

UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE - you can charge the internal battery from the USB connector on the back of the Zumo XT. I went through the USB cables, 3 wall chargers, USB 8 port console I used for everything, and computer USB ports and nothing - no charging. BUT WAIT I grabbed my Anker power bank and BAM - the Zumo is charging from the back USB port. So next I thought let's try the Anker USB wall charger that charges the battery bank and IT WORKED TOO! Stay away from the cheap no name wall chargers. USB cables and chargers are not all created equal. I knew that about the USB-C but didn't know that about the USB-A (old school)

[@joeparamed90]

Hi, I have just charged zumo XT via usb by, when the unit is on give the on/off button a quick tap. Screen goes off and a message comes up " unit charging press on/off button to turn on". Doesn't look like it's charging but when turned on again after a while you will see its charged. Depending how long its left. Hope this helps!

[@trekOCLVone]

That is something special - charging the XT has way too many quarks. After I made this video I did find that the latest USB A ports that are blue (3.2 version) charges the XT all the time. I have many USB chargers and ports on computers that are not the latest and that is where I got tripped up. Thanks for your comments and it will help other XT owners.

[@burgundypoint]

How well are the side panel fasteners holding up after disassembling and reassembling the front so many times... Any undue wear or looseness/vibrations/noise? Do you have to replace the plastic rivets?

[@trekOCLVone]

All the cowling is holding up fine. Removing and installing just needs to done carefully. The little fingers that are pushed into the rubber gromets need to be sprayed with a little bit of Dawn dish soap / water solution and they go right on. It shouldn't matter how many times you disassembly the cowls as the rubber gromets don't wear down and it would take a life time to wear them out. I've lost one so I bought spares of them as they are cheap. I've bought spares of most of the fasteners for all the cowls and parts that I've taken off a lot. It's part of the projects - well sort of. Care must be taken also with the reassembly of all the cap head screws and bolts so you don't cross tread them. The little plastic rivets are expendable and I would suggest before you even dissembling the cowls buy some spares. I bought a few rivets from Kawasaki to have on hand. Using the correct technique of pushing in the little center button in first then the rivet can be easily removed is widely unknown as shown on other KZbin channels where the X300 owner just keeps pulling on the cowl until the rivet is destroyed and that isn't the best way to go. Thnank you for your questions.

[@tigerking2179]

Mine charges with the USB in the ON state. I am having problems with the bike connector to the Zumo. Not sure why that is. I have 12V at the switched connector to the Zumo wiring, have power after the soldered connection, no power at the pins that contact the Zumo. The Wire from the box to the pin connector is shielded and inaccessible.

[@trekOCLVone]

The Zumo XT rear mount with the little 5 pin contacts should be at 5 Vdc and ground. I think the other 3 contacts are do-nothing. If you are measuring the bike's 12 Vdc at the power end of the Zumo adapter cable and nothing at the contact pins where the Zumo snap/click on, then the most likely issue is the DC-to-DC converter (the little box at the halfway point in the cable. This little box has some electronics in it to take the bike's 12 Vdc and drop it down to 5 Vdc USB-A level) going to the Zumo contact pins. I would double check everything and if the mount cable with the DC-to-DC converter is bad you will need to contact Garmin. Is your Zumo XT under warranty? If so, there will be no charge.

[@zosa6403]

It will also charge when on standby. The Garmin instructions are poorly written and do not provide a lot of detail. The customer support chat line is very good.