I’ll be the third on the baby oil train. My V3s are post-door issue and was having lots of drop outs. Once I used the baby oil, the problems have all seemingly gone away.
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Anything in particular I need to say to get a refund? Bought about a year ago and they dropped signals nonstop, they sent me a new battery door, and it worked for 6 months and now it just reads 0 Watts the whole time. I’m so fed up with them I just want my money back
Just be real with them about the work put in and your effort to try and make them work. Explain how it has impacted your training and you just would like a refund at this point. Calling is the best bet.
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I just installed my third pair of vector 3 pedals since I bought them last October (2018), and true to form, the message about the the right pedal sensor not working appeared. I haven’t even clipped in yet. I’m calling for a full refund, because I’m done with Garmin. I’m on my second Forerunner 920 XT as well. This is so pathetic–i’ve got a half IM coming up and this really affects my training. I’ve done all the fixes with both pairs prior–the battery lube, the battery doors, etc. DONE.
I’ve updated mine with this software update and so far so good. I didn’t have mega problems before but they weren’t perfect.
Has anyone else managed to (easily!) cross-thread the battery cover into the plastic pedal? Seems a silly design feature to me, particularly with the amount of times you have to take the battery cover off.
One of the major problems with my first replacement pair was that it was literally impossible to screw in the battery covers properly. The yellow rubber band at the top of the cover even became stretched out because of how many times I tried. It’s a consistent MAJOR design flaw. In my original pair, I was even sent “updated” battery cover replacements, which were no better.
This is what’s happened to mine. I’m more concerned about this than the dropout as if I wanted to sell them in the future they are effectively damaged (although not my fault). I might follow this up with Garmin.
I managed to return mine after complaining to the local distributor that they aren’t working as advertised and I am tired coming back every month to exchange a new pedal that will supposedly fix the drop out issue. I’m paid for a dual side power meter, but I’m only getting a single side power meter.
That said, 2 guys that bought at the same time with me and are facing the same issue weren’t so lucky. They didn’t managed to get a refund but i think one of the guy is on his 6th exchanged unit already…
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I tried to get a refund for mine, but I didn’t hold on the receipt from 2 years ago. Even called my bike shop to see if they had a record but much to my surprise they went out of business. Garmin keeps a recorded history of every call you make to the support staff with issues. You’d think 2 years of calls with various issues would be enough for a proof of purchase but I guess not. So Garmin said they would offer replacement pedals, and I’ll just sell them at a lose. I already bought some Favero Assiomas and they work exactly how they should. Plus charging them with a cable once in a while is much better than dealing with batteries.
Actually, if you have the dual sided pedals, they won’t work as a single-sided power meter.
If you cross-threaded them, that would technically be your fault. Pedals of all varieties are easily cross threaded (albeit not with battery covers). In the shop, I can’t tell you how many sets of cranks and pedals I’ve seen where people cross-threaded them within the first three threads, damaging both.
Any time you’re working on any part of your bike, there is at least a modicum of good engineering/mechanical skill required so as to not damage components. Recognizing when you’re cross-threading small components would be one such instance. I have a tough time siding with you in your claim against Garmin if cross-threading is the root of your complaint.
FWIW, on both sets of my pedals, I’ve had no issues threading or installing the battery covers. n=1. I’m sorry others are having so many issues with this.
My biggest complaint with my Vectors now is the clearance. Whenever it’s time to change power meters in the future, I’ll opt for crank-based in all likelihood so I can go back to Speedplay or Look where I won’t be as concerned about pedal strikes when pedaling through turns.
I do take a bit of an issue with this even though you weren’t replying to me and my issue wasn’t with cross threading, but I was having a bit of a chat with garmin support yesterday. He said they are covering cross threading as part of the warranty process since a metal cap threading into a plastic body inherently a poor design. Even their installation videos show a 4mm hex wrench being used but they strongly advocate only hand tightening since it’s so incredibly easy to break. And with how short the battery life is, you will be opening and closing that battery cap a lot. This is coming from a Garmin employee. The amount of servicing required (mineral oil, brushing contacts, changing batteries before they expand when low on power, knowingly to disregard the manual and hand tightening the cap) is unacceptable.
I have the same problems: I get drop outs followed by huge power spikes. It drives me crazy, as the generated data is basically useless!
Garmin replaced my pedals already several times and I have to send them back again with the same problems. By now, I just want my money back, as I know that once the guarantee has expired I will be sitting on a pair of pedals that do not work.
I am not willing to play around with oil or cardboard in a powermeter that costs 1000 euro!
Garmin should call the pedals back and give the customers there money back. I have a Power2max powermeter for 4 years now and it has never had any problems and batterie live is so much better!
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Definitely agree about the plastic threads, and I think it’s good customer service that they’re acting on it. Also agree that the level of “other” stuff (oil, for example) you have to do to get these right is disappointing (to say the least) for a $1000 product. This is a troubled product: great in concept, poor in execution, and I’ve heard of less issues with the Assiomas and the P1s from Powertap. Much like Wahoo, Garmin is on my list where I’ll trust them for watches and head units, but other stuff doesn’t seem to be their strength.
I had issues with my first set of pedals, but was very pleased with my customer service and - to this point - I haven’t had any issues with my second set of pedals now five months in.
Yep, if youbsee my posts from above (and a few others higher up), Garmin will help you out with cross- or de-threaded pedals.
I was sent a new pedal body to install the internals onto. Has worked so far.
I got my first Vector 3’s about 4 years ago so we’re the 1st generation ones. I went through a lot of pain and fiddling, including changing the whole battery assembly and taking out the spindle. Still this didn’t get them to work.
I’m now on my 2nd set, which were sent to me about 6 months. Initially it was promising but if right pedal missing messages, but from the power Reading I knew it was reading both. However l, since changing the batters it is the worst it’s been. The last few rides I’ve had no readings of any significance. Garmin have sent me another set of battery covers and they have this battery changing ritual here https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/?faq=J1EgCFrqIo0utFYW1CGTc8. Going to give this a good and will report back.
I completely agree with your sentiments as at nearly 700 quid a pop these are not a cheap option and it’s commercially cynical for Garmin to use use as test sample. The only thing that stops me ditching them and opting for a more reliable option is when they do work the data you get isn’t extensive and really helps.
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I’m currently exchanging ever angrier emails with Garmin support about mine. Mine are currently not connecting stably to anything using either bluetooth or Ant+. Their suggestion was the guide linked in the post above as if I haven’t already tried those things in the last 14 months I’ve been having issues.
Really wish I’d bought the Faveros instead as this is now messing up my training (I have a dumb trainer so rely on Vectors for power).
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Hi fellow Vector sufferers. As mentioned I’m currently in a battle of wills with Garmin where they keep asking me for a serial number and I keep telling them I’ve (foolishly) thrown the box away. They mention that I can also provide something called the ‘unit id’ but does anyone know how to go about finding that? I can’t find it anywhere in the Garmin Connect app. Just to add to the hilarity of the situation I’m also using a Wahoo head unit.
If you go in Garmin Connect on a desktop you can click the Devices section and should be able to find the serial number for the pedal under that. Did this yesterday as I am sending back a second pedal in 2 months to Garmin…
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I had so much trouble with my Vectors before too. But bending out the small metal thingis and always dropping a drop of weapon oil between the batteries each time I change them out I havent had an issue for almost the whole outside season. I juat hope that will be the case once the Zwift racing begins
Awesome, thank you so much. No idea why that information is nowhere to be found on Garmin’s website!