My fenix 5 does this. I just use elevation correction on GC.

garmin altimeters die after a while - sometimes quickly, sometimes many years.
there is a diagnostic screen garmin support will be able to tell you how to access which will confirm if this is an actual dead altimeter

Did not know about this, thanks. Looking around now, but - can this be changed, so that elevation correction is the default setting?

Annoyingly not. Because connect 'knows' your fenix has elevation it tries to use that.

Is the temperature also haywire? If so then it is a dead unit. If it's just one then may be you can 'clean' by leaving it to soak in a glass of warm water for a while.

I haven’t found anything obvious in the settings. Let me know if you find a way!

go to garmin connect and use the 'support' tab on it

I've had issues and my new Garmin is being sent to me as we speak...

The altimeter on my 935 has been terrible for at least six months. It was good for about a year. I wish I could just shut it off completely.

I have the same watch replaced under warranty for the same issue. Don't bother trying to fix yourself, Garmin need to give you a new watch.

Wow, what a coincidence. I came to Slowtwicht to check if someone was having the same issue and your post is first on the screen.

It looks my barometer is dead as well. It doesn't show any change in elevation or pressure. It's a refurbished unit that Garmin sent to replace my original Fenix 3. Still on warranty, I'll ask Garmin to replace it.

Anyways, I'm wondering if upgrading to 935. I had a Fenix 5 when first Fenix 3 died but it was completely awful. GPS went miles wrong in the middle of 100 miles rides... I read somewhere the metal cover of the watch could affect GPS positioning

Thanks, yes - I've just emailed them. Will also try soaking the watch some more.
It's a few years old so I'm not sure what to expect...

Annoying, as, if I could just turn off the altimeter, I'd consider that fine - it's a few years old, everything else works, etc.

Mine is doing the exact same thing. I've tried to clean it and it didn't work. I've been having to adjust every single workout manually. I noticed that this happened right after Garmin pushed through an update a month or two ago. I haven't contacted them yet. However, I'm going to now.

---

https://www.strava.com/athletes/23685202

I had a brand new FR 935, and burned out the altimeter after 4 months of regular use. I attribute this to pool swimming 4-5 times per week based on what I have read on other posts online. Seems like people who pool swim 3-4 times per week eventually burn out their altimeter after a while. Garmin asked me to soak my 935 in warm, soapy water and then try to clean the small hole on the back which is where the altimeter is. This didn't work; they sent me a replacement. Now I try to rinse off the back of watch in the shower after each swim with a little soap.

+1
All (both) my Garmins got their altimeters botched after a while

I had the similar issue, contacted Garmin and replaced. There is a sequence to validate if the sensor is dead, if so, send it to Garmin before 1 year, they replace it.

Here is what i had from Garmin:

Checking the Baro Test page while the Forerunner 935 is in Test Mode, with these instructions below.
To access Test Mode:

1. Power off device
2. Hold the Down key
3. Power on device (still hold Down) to put in Test Mode
4. Press the Back key 8 times

The Baro Test screen will show with values (see picture below).



The barometer is likely broken when any one of the following conditions are true:

• Valid? says Not Valid
• Local Pressure does not fluctuate
• Local Altitude is off by 10,000 feet (3000 meters) or more
• Baro Temp is more than 50

If just one of the bullet points are true, the barometer is broken.

I have a 520, and the other day it said I was at 3900ft, but I live at very nearly 4600'. Guess I need to calibrate.

---

"The person on top of the mountain didn't fall there." - unkown

also rule 5

Easy enough in GC to enable elevation correction. I assume it uses existing GPS/Survey data. On the good side, I got an extra 200ft of climbing! The issue with barometric-based altitude is that in the high-ish mountains out west, the temperature drops rather significantly, especially above 6 and 7000 feet.

---

"The person on top of the mountain didn't fall there." - unkown

also rule 5

I had the same problem happen, in the day or two after Garmin released the new 945. Coincidence? I think not. I contacted Garmin support and they said for $130 they'll replace the unit. Thoughts on whether I should push them to do it for free (or something less, like $50)? Has anyone had success getting it replaced for free?

My unit is a Garmin 5S sapphire, that I bought second hand over a year ago so I'm guessing it is at least 2 years old. That means its out of warranty, right?

---

CG

I was able to do this on my Fenix 3. AFAICT, I passed - not sure what to make of that. i just soaked the watch in soapy water and then walked across a soccer field and back - it's got me gainig 9 meters then losing 30 over teh course of a 200 meter walk...

I'm going to say no on your case. I had my Garmin Vivoactive HR die recently due to it deciding to not be waterproof anymore. Unit was over 2.5 years old but am the original owner.

Garmin only offered me a replacement refurb until for $120 or 20% off any new Vivoactive line. I did ask if I could get a deal on another line since I was thinking of going back to a Forerunner like a 735 or a 235 initially. Best they offered me was $60 off any other Garmin product not in the Vivoactive line.

In order to get the $ off the new/replacement unit they charged me full price then would credit back once I sent them back my dead watch or not ship the new watch until they received my dead one. Ended up deciding on the new 245 instead with the $60 off that I convinced them to give me. But still had to pay out of my own pocket shipping of the dead watch back to Garmin to get my credit (had them ship the new one first because I didn't want to wait another week). But they processed my credit same day my dead watch was delivered to them though.

But I do have some buyers remorse because this was a week before prime day I bought my watch with Garmin directly. Noticed that 645s on Prime day deals were only $30 more than I paid for my 245. At least I don't have to worry about an altimeter breaking at least since the 245 doesn't have one.

I had a problem the the altitude on my 935. Turned out to be a broken temperature sensor.

Garmin replaced the watch for me when I contacted them.

Thank you for the instruction. Tried to check it on my 953. Altimeter 'not valid'

Well, hell with it, I'm not Tom Cruise doing HALO jumps.

This. My 920XT broke after the warranty period (actually, I purchased it used on eBay) and they charged ~$80 for a replacement. I gave the other one to a friend.

---

---------------------------------------------------------------

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/profile/domingjm

My wife and I both have 935’s that we’ve had to send back to Garmin because the altimeters went bad. They were reading 65K+ feet.

Our replacements are working fine. My wife got a refurb. I lucked out and got a brand new one as my replacement.

Same issues as already mentioned above with my Fenix 5 (~ 2 years old). Just submitted a support ticket with Garmin.

I had the issue and they replaced mine. It was showing my altitude at 50k feet. Haha, my TSS was off the charts

Same with my 935 that was only a few months old. New one on the way!

I got mine in December 2016. I'm guessing that's well out of warranty... this is too stupid, though. If I could just turn the altimeter off, that'd be fine. I mean, not great that the altimeter didn't make it 3 years, but it's not like I know anything about altimeters and how long they tend to last. But they should just put a setting in garmin connect that would let you turn it off.

Turns out you can 'correct' the altimeter in strava as well. good to know, since i go there much more often than i go on garmin connect.

You can’t fix it. I have had 6 of the 935 go bad on me From Oct tell now. Called on Monday to get another one and they upgraded me to the 945. They are back ordered for 2 more weeks with AG Nationals and IMMT coming up , just great!!

I've sent 3 back, do you swim a lot? I do and I swear the chlorine damages the barometer sensor.

I swim around 4-5 times per week. I think you are right that the chlorine kill the barometer. I used the 920 and had no problems and the 935 I have nothing but problems. It’s ridiculous that you have to baby it so much

Now i use a 735 to swim since there is no barometer hole, and the 935 for running and cycling. I had the same trouble with the 920.

Haha. The real Q...Anyone's else's Garmin altimeter still working?

The latest, from Garmin:

"So, we would be looking at a replacement on this. The device is out of warranty and you would be looking at $120 plus tax for a newly overhauled unit. These come with a 90 day warranty on them.

Thank you for choosing Garmin,"

pretty weak IMO...


I'll probably replace the watch this fall. The GPS on this wasn't accurate enough to just get the same thing again...

Got the same email from Garmin Support. $160 to replace my Fenix 5 with a refurb.

Not sure I want to spend more money to fix something that is really just an annoyance. I'm like you I wish I could just disable it completely. And if I do get a new watch I'd rather upgrade to something actually new. IDK.

my 820 isn't a total mess - but is nowhere close to accurate. Consistently have the same start and finish but climb hundreds of feet less than descend. Correctable in GC - if i remember or care enough

My 920 generally calculates my first mile with about 22,000 feet of elevation (I live in VA Beach elevation maybe 20 feet above sea level), after the first mile it returns to normal.

---

All I Wanted Was A Pepsi, Just One Pepsi

Team Zoot, Team Zoot Mid-Atlantic

I am a new victim of the altimeter going bad on my Garmin Forerunner 935. I purchased mine when the 935 was new and hot on the shelves a couple of years ago. I have been wearing it daily to count flights of steps I complete (I climb a lot of flights daily). Only in the past week or so it started to go bad. Today it read 0 flights after I climbed at least 10 flights. I went through Garmin customer service chat - total 10 minutes. They did the Baro test too. My Baro Temp read 288.9. They are expediting the replacement - everything at no cost - since I have a race coming up in 2.5 weeks. I have to say I LOVE Garmin customer service.

One thing Garmin mentioned that could break the altimeter was wearing it in a hot tub or pressing the buttons a lot underwater. I have worn mine into the hot tub for a few minutes after my swim workouts. They will replace it regardless.

A swim watch that breaks in water. Brilliant.

My altimeter never worked. I bought it right before IM Boulder last year and it had some outrageous elevation totals. Even runs with almost no elevation change will show thousands of feet. As long as it isn't used to calculate workload, VO2 max, etc, then it doesn't bother me that much.