Help, My HRM says the battery is low. I know that the people from Polar will insist that they do the battery change. Is all that really necessary. It seems simple enough. Any thoughts? Thanks for the help.
I’d send it back. I’ve heard a few stories of folks that had changed the battery themselves and ended up with units which weren’t water tight anymore. Not worth the risk, IMO.
Polar is pretty quick about getting it back to you soon. I think my battery replacement took just over a week?
How much do they charge? How do you handle the shipping costs?
Thanks
Oops, I found a previous link with all the info I need! JTG
Please post the link.
I changed the batteries in both my 710 and a cheaper model,which I can’t recall the number.
Now I am nervous. Did I void the warranty?
P.S. Finding the 710 battery was not very easy!!! And it cost $12.
Ditto what Drynth said. The battery change is easy, but the seal is the issue as it gets worn down over time. It could also be the battery in the chest strap, so if still under warranty it is best to send the whole unit in.
I changed the battery on my 510 a couple of years ago. Which is why I now have a 520. The battery change is, as someone else said, a piece of cake. However, it is nearly impossible to get a good seal on the watch, and once you open it up, it will probably get waterlogged the next time you go into the pool or take it on a 3+ hour ride or run. That is what happened to me. To this day, my 510 works great, until it gets wet, at which point it blanks out, loses all data, and needs to be opened up to dry out.
Trust me, it may be a pain, and you’ll be out of an HRM for a week or so, but the alternative is to buy a new HRM.
As others have mentioned, the seal is the problem. Dont risk it. Send it in. Turn around is usually very good.
Hopefully this works. It is from a discussion that started on March 29. I searchrd under “polar battery repplacement.”
Also, if anyone knows any easier way to reference earlier discussions please let me know.
i sent mine in a little while ago. i’m in canada, so not sure if that makes a difference, but the total cost was <20 bucks incl. shipping (CDN).
they also checked the unit over to make sure that everything was still functioning properly.
I sent my s710 to Polar to have the battery replaced and I got it back within 10 days. It’s the only way to go.
I think that changing the battery without sending it to Polar voids the warranty.
I sent my HRM and transmitter strap back last year. Took about 10 days to get back (I live on the West Coast, so that’s not a bad turnaround time); they replaced the battery and checked it as well as the transmitter strap.
I’ve also had the battery in an earlier HRM changed locally, and it now leaks…
Bottom line: I’d send it to Polar.
Richard
“they also checked the unit over to make sure that everything was still functioning properly.”
That’s a good point. When I sent mine back, they also changed out my “damaged” faceplate (not sure what was damaged about it - the red button was getting a little more difficult to press, but it still worked just fine) for no extra cost.
It’s nice to have them look it over to just make sure that everything is working ok.