I’m not technically savvy but for the past few months my 910xt has been having all the elevation issues like many are experiencing. My watch would start elevation at 20000m and then works it’s way down to 0 then start again at 20000.
I had only been using it for running and bought a Garmin 800 for cycling as it pissed me off that much.
Anyway I’m back into full training and starting swimming again and using the watch in pool. All of a sudden the elevation is working again properly. I honestly believe it has something to do with it being fully underwater.
If you are having problems like me I suggest swimming with it and seeing if it fixes yours like it did mine.
I don’t know how that would fix the issue unless it had something to do with resetting the barometric altimeter. I for one get some pretty wierd readings from point to point when I do an out and back. Typically I will get a elevation deviation of 75 feet or more and the entire distance is messes up in elevation along the track.
FWIW gps elevation error should only be around 5 meters, and with these 910’s being WAAS enabled, it should be less. I think the biggest culpriate is that elevation is gauged by pressure as a primary, and not by the GPS. Pressure is not stable though out the day, and while I am not 100% sure what the pressure is during a 2 hour workout, I am inclined to think that it is unstable enough to see big differences.
I have had other Garmin units with barometric altimeters and perhaps because of their size they would hold their alt. Also, if there was a high or low pressure system coming (weather event) the unit had the ability to switch off the altimeter ang go by GPS.
It would be nice if Garmin would include a feature such as this in a future update.
I also know that you are supposed to be able to set a waypoint and manually correct the elevation and use that as a benchmark that the 910 will see at close proximity and adjust the elevation, but that requires knowing the correct elevation in the first place, and this is something that a lot of users may not have access to (known elevation).
I swim with it 3x / week and I still get ridiculous elevations numbers on the bike. Run is fine though. I don’t think swimming had anything to do with yours fixing itself.
I swim with it 3x / week and I still get ridiculous elevations numbers on the bike. Run is fine though. I don’t think swimming had anything to do with yours fixing itself.
X2 swim with mine all the time and no go! Elevation is useless😖
If you are having problems like me I suggest swimming with it and seeing if it fixes yours like it did mine.
Mine “healed thyself” as well. Now every once in a while it will be screwed up when I download to Garmin Connect. If I “enable” elevation corrections then it shows it correctly. Not sure why GC always defaults to “disabled” elevation corrections on everything when you download it.
There have been many reports of elevation problems with the Garmin 910XT, and pleadings for a software fix to address.
Unfortunately, this cannot be resolved with a software update. You must send your watch in to Garmin for servicing.
A random number of 910XTs have faulty barometers in them. There doesn’t appear to be a pattern of serial numbers affected.
To determine if your barometer is faulty. go in to the diagnostics mode:
Power off the 910XT
While first pressing and holding down the Enter button, press and hold the Power button.
Continue to hold both the Enter key and Power button until the diagnostic screen appears.
Release both buttons.
Now that you are in the diagnostic screen, press the Mode button, exactly 7 times. The 910XT should beep each time the Mode button is pressed.
If the third line called “Baro Alt” shows 65,000 ft or 20.00 m and the fourth line under “Baro Pressure” shows 0, then your unit is faulty.
Power off the 910XT to exit out of diagnostics mode.
Call Garmin at 1-800-800-1020 with this information provided and they will send you a new watch.
If you are out of the warranty period, as I was, they will send you a factory refurbished unit, even if the warranty period has expired.
If you want to keep you existing unit until the new one arrives, Garmin will charge you $199 on your credit card as a deposit and when refund you when they received the old unit back.
If you stumble on a support rep who will not help you, simply call back until you get one who is more sympathetic and customer focused.
My elevation seemed to work fine for about a year. However, as of a month ago, I now train in space. I swim with the watch 3x a week in the pool, plus 1 OWS.
Thanks for this
Mine was working fine but the last 3 months it said basically that I am in space when i workout Did your procedure
and have baro alt of 65.62 and baro pressure of 31.40
they sent me a new one in 2 days after doing a few of the tests with one of there people. was no problem somewhat annoying that it had to be done but has been good ever since.
earlier this year my original 910xt (watch #1) stopped recording elevation correctly (as stated above). I got a warranty return and got a replacement (watch #2), which unfortunately had a very sticky button and was promptly returned. Watch #3 worked great for a month then elevations stopped working again. I swim daily, bike and run frequently…
I emailed Garmin and was about to send it back, before I came up with the idea to WASH MY 910XT. I put it in a warm water soapy bowl, and using a clean/unused toothbrush brushed the two barometer vent holes. And… it worked (recorded elevation changes) again!** I recommend cleaning**, it might be sweat, chlorine, river scum, sunscreen… but that will be my first approach next time this happens.
This is perhaps a silly question, but when I get into diagnostics mode I can’t get it to stay there. I have about three seconds before it switches back to the regular mode, barely giving me enough time to flick through a few of the diagnostics screens but not enough to conclude if my altimeter is broken. Am I missing something trivial? Thanks in advance