I'm going to upgrade to a GNS430 which will replace my apollo gx55 gps, and I want to sell the GX55 after the swap.
The pixels on the bottom of the gx55 screen are starting to fade/die. The bottom 1/8" of the screen is unredable, you can make out the icons on the bottom (msg, fpl, apr, ect). To get the most out of the sale i thought i might try to get it repaired or the screen replaced, is this possible? I know this unit has been discontinued for a pretty long time now. What are your guys thoughts??
GarminAT is still supporting the unit. You might want to call them and ask if it's fixable and what that would cost. 1-800-525-6726 ext.3991 When you call you'll be talking to somebody who's been working on these boxes for years, not some dweeb reading a script, so they'll be able to give you a pretty good idea of your options.
AS I recall, the flat rate for a 55 repair was around $450 when I did mine several years ago for a new battery. When I experienced the same problem as you (the bottom 1/3 of the screen going grey) last year, I replaced the unit with a KLN-94 at Sarasota Avionics thinking that the 55 was not repairable. After I did the deed, I found out that Sarasota does, in fact, do that sort of repair on the GX55's, such as mine, and then resells them as refurbished. Had I known that, I probably would not have gotten rid of it as I really liked the unit. Might give them a call.
I had the photocell die in my 55 about a year ago and it cost me so little to send back, I don't even remember how much (little) it was. I think it was less than $100, and JoeB is right. Most of the same service technicians that worked for Apollo/UPS AT are still employed by Garmin and work on the UPS AT units. They are real pleasant people to deal with and seem to be happy with the change-over to Garmin.
