EuroPicnic
New Member
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- 7
Hi All,
I have recently had a battery drain problem on my GS. If I leave the car undriven for more than 48 hrs, the main car battery goes completely flat (i.e. even the remote alarm won't work). I've called out the AA a couple of times and they have said that the battery is in good condition and there must be another source in the car draining it.
Using this forum, I hope I've been able to isolate the problem to the NavTrak tracking system. To summarise what I've learned so far: the NavTrak unit has its own battery which can die after 3 or 4 years (my GS is a 2007 model). Once this battery is finished, the tracker relies solely on the main car battery for its power supply, hence the draining problem many people report.
The purpose of this post is to detail some of the info I found out this morning whilst on the phone to NavTrak. Hopefully, it will speed up the process if anyone else has questions on this topic:
1. Warning: Initially, the NavTrak people told me that there is no separate battery in the tracking unit. After much insistence, I eventually spoke to someone who knew that there was.
2. NavTrak offered to send an engineer out free of charge. The engineer will do one of 3 things (you can decide on the day):
(i) Replace the tracking unit's battery. The cost of the new battery is not on their system (they don't offer this unless you ask specifically) but they suggested it will either be free or up to £50.
(ii) Install an entirely new unit. If your unit is out of warranty, like mine, this will cost £320.
(iii) Disconnect the unit entirely. No charge for this but you'll need to inform your insurance company if you go down this route...
3. There are two NavTrak subscription services offered:
(i) NavTrak ADR: Insurance companies call this a Category 6 tracker. It costs £270 for a 1 year subscription although you can extend it up to 3 years.. You are supplied with a fob which must be present when you start the car up. If the fob's present you hear 3 beeps from the dashboard. If not, 5 beeps. If you start the car without the fob, NavTrak call you up to see why. The service will use GPS to locate the car constantly even if the engine hasn't been started e.g. if it's being towed or if the car battery is flat/disconnected.
(ii) NavTrak Std: Insurance companies know this service by this name. It costs £153 for 1 year, again with the option to extend to 3 years. Unlike NavTrak ADR, it is your responsibility to inform NavTrak if your car is missing. NavTrak will then loccate the car using the GPS signal.
3. Lastly, the car must be parked off road for a NavTrak engineer to work on it (their insurance requirements). NCP car parks don't count but a garage or service sentre would be fine. You do not need to be present.
The UK number for NavTrak Customer Service is 01619 245403.
Hope somebody finds this helpful. I will update later in the week when I know the outcome. Obviously I'm hoping it's just a case of replacing the battery...!
Dan
I have recently had a battery drain problem on my GS. If I leave the car undriven for more than 48 hrs, the main car battery goes completely flat (i.e. even the remote alarm won't work). I've called out the AA a couple of times and they have said that the battery is in good condition and there must be another source in the car draining it.
Using this forum, I hope I've been able to isolate the problem to the NavTrak tracking system. To summarise what I've learned so far: the NavTrak unit has its own battery which can die after 3 or 4 years (my GS is a 2007 model). Once this battery is finished, the tracker relies solely on the main car battery for its power supply, hence the draining problem many people report.
The purpose of this post is to detail some of the info I found out this morning whilst on the phone to NavTrak. Hopefully, it will speed up the process if anyone else has questions on this topic:
1. Warning: Initially, the NavTrak people told me that there is no separate battery in the tracking unit. After much insistence, I eventually spoke to someone who knew that there was.
2. NavTrak offered to send an engineer out free of charge. The engineer will do one of 3 things (you can decide on the day):
(i) Replace the tracking unit's battery. The cost of the new battery is not on their system (they don't offer this unless you ask specifically) but they suggested it will either be free or up to £50.
(ii) Install an entirely new unit. If your unit is out of warranty, like mine, this will cost £320.
(iii) Disconnect the unit entirely. No charge for this but you'll need to inform your insurance company if you go down this route...
3. There are two NavTrak subscription services offered:
(i) NavTrak ADR: Insurance companies call this a Category 6 tracker. It costs £270 for a 1 year subscription although you can extend it up to 3 years.. You are supplied with a fob which must be present when you start the car up. If the fob's present you hear 3 beeps from the dashboard. If not, 5 beeps. If you start the car without the fob, NavTrak call you up to see why. The service will use GPS to locate the car constantly even if the engine hasn't been started e.g. if it's being towed or if the car battery is flat/disconnected.
(ii) NavTrak Std: Insurance companies know this service by this name. It costs £153 for 1 year, again with the option to extend to 3 years. Unlike NavTrak ADR, it is your responsibility to inform NavTrak if your car is missing. NavTrak will then loccate the car using the GPS signal.
3. Lastly, the car must be parked off road for a NavTrak engineer to work on it (their insurance requirements). NCP car parks don't count but a garage or service sentre would be fine. You do not need to be present.
The UK number for NavTrak Customer Service is 01619 245403.
Hope somebody finds this helpful. I will update later in the week when I know the outcome. Obviously I'm hoping it's just a case of replacing the battery...!
Dan