Garmin 910XT Elevation Fix

Back in May my Garmin 910XT went haywire in terms of elevation. All of a sudden everything I did was at some crazy elevation that just flatlined for the entire workout. I Googled all sorts of solutions and found that I wasn't the only one having this problem. Several people wrote about how they sent their watches back multiple times to have them replaced with a refurbished unit only to have the same issue a few months down the road.

This is what most of my elevation data looked like...28,000 feet...no change.
Note: This is for a run in Stockton, CA with an average elevation of 26 feet!!!

Since HS and I were on a little vacation up in Tahoe, I didn't want to record my runs with incorrect elevation data. I wanted accurate info!

The Gingerbread cabin. So cute!

So, one morning as we sat and drank our coffee in the Gingerbread cabin, I found a post that said all I would need to do is wash the watch in warm soapy water and use a tooth brush to clean the barometer vents. Worth a shot because I definitely didn't want to part with my watch while I waited for a replacement from Garmin.

Warm water, but not too hot.

Where did I get a Michael David toothbrush? LOL

Apparently the problem stems from sweat, sunblock, dirt, etc. plugging up the barometer holes on the back of the watch. My first attempt at cleaning the watch was unsuccessful. I cleaned and scrubbed the watch, turned the watch on and went outside to check the elevation reading. Tahoe may be up there, but its not as high as my 910XT was telling me.

I went back inside the cabin, warmed up the water (just a bit warmer this time) a let the watch sit for about 10 minutes. I took care to work the bristles of the toothbrush back and forth in the barometer holes.

There are two holes, one small one on the side of the watch and another one
by the screw.

Success!

This time, when I turned the watch on, I had a reading indicative of Tahoe! Next I went on a 10 mile run to see if I was getting an accurate reading.

No more flat line!

Sign reads 6,245
(Not sure if this is the center of town elevation or the elevation at the sign)

Garmin reads 6,270