How to Prevent a GPS From Falling Off the Windshield
January 4, 2010 at 2:07 am Chad Upton 9 comments
You’re driving along, minding your own business, when your GPS unit suddenly annuls its marriage to the windshield. It crashes into the dashboard, slides into the door, high-fives your passenger and bounces on the floor. Your GPS is not broken; but, it will be the next time it startles, then attacks your passenger again.
In the winter, it’s especially tempting for the suction cups on your GPS or radar detector to take your electronics skydiving. The suction cup relies on a vacuum tight seal to maintain its grip on the windshield. Cold weather, or direct flow of air conditioning, can degrade that seal enough that it can’t support the weight of the device.
The secret to getting a good seal: warm the windshield and suction cup(s) before getting them back together. You can warm the suction cup(s) with your hand or treat them like takeout food and warm them with your seat heaters. Using the defogger, blow hot air on the windshield for at least 10 minutes, then pull over in a safe place and apply the warm suction cup(s).
The idea is to create as much suction as possible inside the suction cups. Before you push it against the window, be sure the suction lever is all the way back, then push the suction mount HARD against the windshield, then push the suction lever forward. Because the windshield and suction cups are warm, you’ll get a better seal that should maintain enough suction to support your GPS unit or radar detector.
If you still don’t have any luck, try cleaning your windscreen and suction cups with glass cleaner wipes and repeat the steps above.
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Photo: redjar (cc)
Entry filed under: Automotive, Geek, ProTips, Travel. Tags: cold, cup, dashboard, detector, device, fall, garmin, gps, kindle, magellan, radar, suction, tomtom, window, windscreen, windshield.
Broken Secrets 
1. Free Traveling » How to Prevent a GPS From Falling Off the Windshield | January 4, 2010 at 2:21 am
[…] Source […]
2.
sartenada | January 4, 2010 at 2:41 am
OMG.
In my country nothing can prevent to see out from windshield. So, to put GPS on windshield is prohibited!!! Safety first, then comes comfort. So simple law.
Happy New Year 2010.
3.
Mr. P | January 4, 2010 at 6:33 pm
“suddenly annuls its marriage to the windshield” — ha ha! This was really well written.
I’ve avoided buying a GPS because I don’t really mind getting lost. I usually finds it takes me somewhere I haven’t been and lets me see something I wouldn’t have seen… it’s kind of fun… a bit of an escape!
4.
Paul | October 25, 2018 at 10:14 pm
fun……….unless you are almost out of gas!!
5.
Warm Your Car Up Faster « Broken Secrets | February 24, 2010 at 1:09 am
[…] How to Prevent a GPS From Falling Off the Windshield Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Idling a Cold Engine Is GOOD For The EnvironmentThe World Will Warm Faster than PredictedNew York City Inspiration Video 40,000 Runners in 2009Frosty morning […]
6.
jun | February 25, 2010 at 9:54 pm
suc-a-lot, a new product, which can enhance the suction of the suction cup. easy to use. just a spray will solve the problem. you can find it on ebay. just search for suc-a-lot, or go to http://www.sucalot .com
7.
Art Wuen | July 1, 2010 at 5:28 pm
To prevent the suction cup from falling off the windshield, apply a thin layer of baby oil onto the suction cup surface before pressing it onto the windshield. This procedure will prevent the vacuum from disappearing due to moisture being dried up. The sun light generates much higher temperature on the black rubber surface than the windshield glass. This temperature differential between the windshield and rubber results movement thus causing the vacuum to disappear. The slippery surface from baby oil will allow the movement of surface thus maintaining the necessary vacuum,
8.
Jimmy | September 23, 2010 at 10:32 am
suc-a-lot, a spray used on suction cup will help a lot. you can find it on ebay search for suc-a-lot.
9.
John | February 2, 2012 at 8:13 pm
Try this product, it works great and will support a GPS holder with a 10 pound weight on it almost indefinitely http://amzn.to/zZiu4s