Hi, we purchased our Hema Nav 5 after reading lots of glowing reports here on ExploreOz, mounted it high, (above the rear view mirror), ran the charge USB to Mini USB cable down behind the trim and plugged it into the cig lighter (power turns off when ignition is off).
We used Ozy explorer and planned our 90 day trip to
Cape York and set off happy as can be. However when as we got close to home it started to not work sometimes. The unit would not recharge fully, it seemed as though it was not getting very much charge at all as it would go black even when still plugged in and the ignition on. Everything checked out with the multi meter , the cig lighter and the cable all had 12v. However the small green/red LED light was very rarely seen and we never got more than two hours before a black out. We knew where the Great Central Highway went so we let it charge for half a day turned off but plugged in with power to recharge and tried it during our last hours drive and it still only lasted half an hour, loose connection for sure.
Now here is where we apparently went wrong. We wriggled the cable where it went into the side of the Hema to see if we could get the LED to go on, had some luck but it would not stay on. Got home (found our way home from
Laverton OK) and went up to the local Map store and purchased a new USB lead. Installed it and no difference. Emailed Hema with enquiry re warranty and only a form letter type reply came promising someone would get back to us – a week later no call. Took the unit to the map
shop, they sent it to Hema, Four weeks later (after many telephone calls from me including a call to Hema) I was told the unit was broken, can’t be fixed but if I pay them $300.00 it could be sent to China for a new motherboard and would take another month.
I said I had paid $950.00 and did not wish to pay more and I had in no way broken the unit, I explained how it was on its bracket in the Jeep for the whole three months we owned it and if it cannot be fixed under warranty please send it back and we will have a local technician look at it.
Two weeks later it was still not back in our hands and we are going away soon so I rang and was told it was sent to China and no one knew when it would be returned to me to pay the $300.00.
This is when I got a little cross and contacted consumer affairs here in WA. I informed the map
shop and Hema that I would not let this matter go and passed on the info to consumer affairs. That was four days ago and yesterday the map
shop rang me to come up and get a new Hema Navigator 5.
As I said, where we went wrong was we told the man in the map
shop we had tried everything including wriggling the old cable and purchasing the new cable, he apparently told Hema, and that gives them the perfect out of the warranty.
Have to be happy I suppose at least we now have a navigator that works again, bit disappointed that I have lost 21,000klms of data and saved trip (bread crumb
trails). All my settings, I have to read up on how to set up the new one.
I suggest you Hema Nav 5 owners have a close look at the little USB port on the side and the way the cable sticks straight out, and be super careful you don’t bump the plug as apparently it is very easy to break the plug off the mother board inside? It could cost you a month or two without your Navigator and $300.00.!!
Steve M.