How to replace the battery in a TomTom Go! 510 satnav device

So 2 years ago you went and spent hundreds on a shiny new TomTom GO! and you and have shared many happy journeys up and down the country.

The smooth operator voice never shouts, or scolds as you miss turnings or didnt quite listen to what they had to say! And then one day.............

The screen goes dead.

With a Tom Tom there is only one button you can push and hold. A moments flicker of the screen and then that is that. After 2 happy years of travel you came to trust your Tom Tom. Now with a critical meeting to get to what do you do? A quick stop off at the local shop and purchase a new model? Thats what I had to do.

Stuck half way on my journey with no map or detail on how to get to my client all I could think to do for speed is to drop into a car showroom and buy a new model.

Crisis over and once home the obvious had happened. The internal rechargeable battery had died a sudden unexpected (and untimely) death.

Step 1 Remove the contents from its black shell.

The first thing about TomTom is that they obviously dont want you to access the unit. Beside having no instructions they also produce screws that are:

1) Very weird so that no screwdriver will fit
2) Very tight so even if you lash-up a makeshift tool then your hands bleed.

I had to modify a jewel screwdriver. The small size that fitted just bent. So I had to get the bigger oversized jewel screwdriver and grind down the point with an angle grinder.

On the back and under the rubber bars you will find the screws. Please note that you will need the strength of Sampson to get the little buggers to turn. So tightly are these grub screws bored into the frame that you can expect some tears. This is my home made screwdriver doing its bit.

Comments

[science0044]

Excellent! Your photographs and detailed instructions were easy to follow, as well as cautionery notes. My tomtom GO 510 is now reassembled and on charge. I have my fingers crossed that it will be back in service real soon. I had the correct screwdriver set for this type of screw which made the job much easier. I recommend this to anyone else who attempts battery replacement

[pjt262]

Thanks for the above directions to replace tom tom510 battery.
It worked brilliantly but 1 further problem exists____
When I fired up the SAT NAV it did not accept my SD card with all the mapping on it.So  even though I've replaced the battery and it fires up good an icon comes up with an X thro the sd card , so I take it out.

Then the tom tom comes up with an icon to put the sd card in [which I do] but same thing above happens.
Do you think with the power down of the old battery we have to reset Factory settings some how or encrypt the sd card some how.
Nobody has mentioned this.
Has anybody else had this problem??????
If I buy a new sd card the tom tom 510 will the machine accept it????
Regards,
Phil      e-mail:     [e-mail]

[leeharveyosmond]

Umm, buy a $10 toolkit for working on cellphones from eBay or Amazon or somewhere. This will include the required really-small Torx-head screwdrivers, and will also include a tiny prybar. And a magnifying glass with a stand. The inside of my TomTom One V3 Regional was way easier to open than this 510 though.

[gravitus]

Get a security bit set from Ace hardware, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc...

These kits have almost every bit in them you'll ever need for electronics, door hardware, a million uses, etc...

As an example http://www.hobbytool.com/browseproducts/100-pc.-Tamper-Proof-Security-Bit-Set.HTML

[emuboy]

choose a better screwdriver :) that model is cheap and useless :)

[Joe Martin]

Very good! 5* I love how strongly built tomtoms are, It's worth paying that bit extra compared to the cheaper ones. (Never mind have ozzy osbourne on it guiding you, It's worth that alone XD)