# Garmin Varia RTL510 how to take apart



## MegaVolt (Feb 7, 2004)

I wouldn't be asking but I ran across an aliexpress item that goes under the name of _"for Garmin Varia TL/RTL 510 smart radar bicycle Light back caver case with Li-ion Battery 361-00082-00 compatible Edge 25-1030"_.

The seller put some pictures that actually show the battery and the rear cover - could it be that it is really possible to take this thingy apart without destroying it?

I might not so much interested in the battery and a rear cover, but I would be really interested in removing the battery and adding a cable with a water resistant connector to a bigger battery.

Question is, how to take this thing apart without ruining its water resistance? I asked the seller and he said, "it is recommended that you send it to a professional repair shop and let the technicians replace it for you."

Did anyone try and succeed opening the thing up?
Did anyone run across any mention of the process?


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## MegaVolt (Feb 7, 2004)

Ok I figured it out.
You need to have no shame and use:
- brute force
- vice
- something handy for prying the lid off

Pics added to the top post.
I damaged the battery connector when trying to remove it.
Not a problem for me because I am going to replace it with an external battery anyways.

P.S. And oh, and if you want to hook up an external battery you don't have to connect the middle wire (temp, white) - RTL510 works just fine without it.

You have to keep in mind though that lipo batteries do explode when overcharged or charged after a deep discharge, so do be careful and have respect (and fear) for them. Better safe than sorry!


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## ghettocruiser (Jun 21, 2008)

I guess not a lot of MTBRs use rearward-looking radar.  I thought the battery life on the RTL500 was more than enough for my purposes, I still had 40% left after a 5-hour road ride in daylight. 

I guess it can't run while plugged into a battery pack? I've done this for my 520 and USB lights, but never tried it with the radar.


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## mik_git (Feb 4, 2004)

^ yeah I have the original version (not sure on numbering, the rectangle one, not the upright curved one), use it all the time on the roadie and have done up to 5 hours with around half the batter left. I figure its good for at least 8 hours.


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## westbr (May 8, 2019)

*Pictures*



MegaVolt said:


> Ok I figured it out.
> You need to have no shame and use:
> - brute force
> - vice
> ...


Hi any chance to get some pics, need to dismantle RTL510


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## MegaVolt (Feb 7, 2004)

Sorry man too much of everything going on, absolutely no time to process all those photos.
Sending as is.


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## westbr (May 8, 2019)

Big thanx


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## MegaVolt (Feb 7, 2004)

ghettocruiser said:


> I thought the battery life on the RTL500 was more than enough for my purposes, I still had 40% left after a 5-hour road ride in daylight.
> 
> I guess it can't run while plugged into a battery pack?


Well that would defeat the idea of it being waterproof.
I plan to add external power to my Edge 130, too.
Call me old but I just don't want to worry about charging a gazillion devices every time I want to go out.

Back in the day I would simply keep a couple of extra AAA batteries for my blinky at hand. My GPS still works on batteries.

Now that my Garmin "blinky" costs $180 and is in fact a radar(!) I still want to be sure I'm seen on the road, and I can't afford to carry around a spare charged Garmin RTL510 just in case my working one stops working.

Having to worry if I will still be visible on the road when I go back home after a couple of nights in the forest is not my idea of having fun.


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## eugenenine (Aug 2, 2018)

will these run from the usb (charge) port? if you take it apart and add in a bigger pack your not going to be waterproof anyway, but you could plus in a usb cable then squirt some sealant around it and be water resistant enough.


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## MegaVolt (Feb 7, 2004)

I can seal two outgoing wires good enough to keep the device waterproof, and a little bit of B-7000 will make the glass to housing contact waterproof, too.

Converting 3.6V (li-ion) to 5V (USB) to feed to the device which will step it back down to 3.6 (internal lipo battery) will result in 15%-25% efficiency loss. Besides, I might still need USB port for Garmin Express or firmware updates.


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## bernardfb (Dec 26, 2012)

Two questions: can you disassemble one of these without damaging the casing? And do you think it's much different for the RTL500 model.

I have a 500 that works fine on the bike, but won't connect to Garmin Express. It appears the problem is that the device storage isn't working right. It didn't show the right files and you can do anything to the files that are on it. I'm thinking it's got some sort of SD card built into it and if I can disassemble it, I can replace that. Any suggestions would be appreciated.


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## MegaVolt (Feb 7, 2004)

1.) The casing does get bit damaged but it's hardly noticeable. That's if you pry real gentle and if you do take your time. Pick the instruments that will do the trick, don't force it too much, go little by little and use some heat (I used my wife's fan). You don't want to heat it real bad because it will deform, plus there is a lipo battery inside.

2.) No idea. RTL510 was glued with a silicone-looking glue. Some manufacturers use ultrasound to weld the halves together - in that case no heat or prying will help you. If it's adhesive foam or silicone-like glue then all you need is heat, patience and instruments you can use.

3.) Here's a case that might look similar to what you're describing:
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Garmin+Edge+800+USB+not+connecting+to+PC/73946

"The actual cause why the USB stops working is that the tiny pins on the back side of the USB plug corrode

As the wires corrode, they enlarge their volume, causing short between the wires

I found it when I noticed in the service screen that the USB input voltage measured only about 3V"

*It's just a wild guess, so please don't hold me responsible if you try to open the device and it breaks and the contacts are clean.*


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## bernardfb (Dec 26, 2012)

Thanks for the quick reply. I know it's not the USB connect. Connect it to a PC and it shows up just fine in Windows explorer. It's only the Garmin Express software that won't work with it. There is supposed to be a Garmin folder in it containing files that Express uses. Mine are missing, which I think it because I think the storage unit is corrupt/defective. I've seen similar behavior in the past when a MicroSD card goes bad.


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