Garmin Nuvi 900 Series Instruction manual

nüvi®900 series
GPS navigator with digital TV
quick start manual

© 2008 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries
Garmin International, Inc.
1200 East 151st Street,
Olathe, Kansas 66062, USA
Tel. [phone] or
[phone]
Fax [phone]
Garmin (Europe) Ltd.
Liberty House
Hounsdown Business Park,
Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 9RB UK
Tel. [phone] (outside the UK)
0808 2390000 (within the UK)
Fax [phone]
Garmin Corporation
No. 68, Jangshu 2nd Road,
Shijr, Taipei County, Taiwan
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
All rights reserved. Except as expressly provided herein, no part of this manual may be reproduced, copied,
transmitted, disseminated, downloaded or stored in any storage medium, for any purpose without the express prior
written consent of Garmin. Garmin hereby grants permission to download a single copy of this manual onto a hard
drive or other electronic storage medium to be viewed and to print one copy of this manual or of any revision hereto,
provided that such electronic or printed copy of this manual must contain the complete text of this copyright notice
and provided further that any unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual or any revision hereto is strictly
prohibited.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Garmin reserves the right to change or improve its
products and to make changes in the content without obligation to notify any person or organization of such changes
or improvements. Visit the Garmin Web site (www.garmin.com) for current updates and supplemental information
concerning the use and operation of this and other Garmin products.
Garmin®and nüvi®are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries, registered in the USA and other countries.
Garmin Lock™is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. These trademarks may not be used without the
express permission of Garmin.
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registered trademark of the DVB Project. The “3” logo is a registered trademark of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.
July 2008 Part Number 190-00878-01 Rev. A Printed in Taiwan

nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual 1
Getting Started
See the Important Safety and Product Information guide in the product box for product warnings
and other important information.
Your nüvi Unit
Speaker
Mini-USB
connector
SD
™
card
slot
Headphone/
audio-out
jack
Microphone
Power key:
slide to the left to turn on/off the unit;
slide to the right to lock the screen
TV Antenna
External
GPS antenna
connector
GPS antenna
TvCard slot
under battery
Battery cover
External
TV antenna
connector
Check local trafc laws before mounting. Currently, some laws prohibit drivers from using suction
mounts or other devices on their windscreens that could obstruct the driver’s vision while operating
motor vehicles. Other Garmin dashboard or friction mounting options should be used.

2 nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual
Step 1: Install the TvCard
1. Locate the TvCard in the TvCard
envelope included in the product box.
2. Remove the TvCard from the holder
following the instructions included in
the TvCard envelope.
2. Slide the battery cover off the back of
the nüvi.
TvCard
Card holder
Battery
compartment
3. Slide the TvCard into the card holder
in the battery compartment. The logo
on the TvCard should face up.
Step 2: Activate the TV
Service
1. Call (+ 39) 800 179 777 and follow
the instructions.
2. Locate the TvCard number on the
label on the TvCard envelope. The
TvCard number begins with +39.
3. Enter the TvCard number (do not
enter +39).
4. Locate and enter the PIN, which is
printed on the TvCard holder.
Your free trial begins the rst time
you watch TV using the nüvi 900. For
additional information about the TvCard,
call (+ 39) 800 179 779.

nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual 3
Step 3: Install the Battery
WARNING: This product contains a lithium-
ion battery. To prevent damage, remove the
unit from the vehicle when exiting or store it
out of direct sunlight.
1. Locate the rectangular lithium-ion
battery included in the product box.
2. Locate the metal contacts on the end
of the lithium-ion battery.
3. Insert the battery so that the metal
contacts on the battery match up with
the metal contacts inside the battery
compartment.
Metal contacts
Battery
4. Press the battery down into place.
5. Slide the battery cover back on until it
clicks into place.
Step 4: Mount the nüvi
1. Clean and dry your windshield with
a lint-free cloth. Remove the clear
plastic from the suction cup, and
clean it with a lint-free cloth.
2. Plug the vehicle power cable (with
integrated trafc receiver) into the
power connector on the cradle.
Cradle
Power cable
3. Snap the cradle onto the suction cup
arm.
Suction cup
mount
4. Place the suction cup on the
windshield.

4 nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual
5. Flip the lever back, toward the
windshield.
6. Fit the bottom of your nüvi into the
cradle.
7. Tilt the nüvi back until it snaps into
place.
8. Plug the other end of the vehicle
power cable into a power outlet in
your vehicle. Your unit should turn on
automatically if it is plugged in and
your vehicle is running.
To power connector
on nüvi cradle
To power outlet
in vehicle
Antenna (suction
cups not shown)
9. Secure the antenna to the windshield
using the suction cups.
Step 5: Congure the
nüvi
To turn on your nüvi, slide the Power
key to the left. Follow the on-screen
instructions.
Step 6: Acquire Satellites
1. Go outdoors to an open area, out of
garages, and away from tall buildings.
2. Stop your vehicle, and turn on the
nüvi. Acquiring satellite signals can
take a few minutes.
The bars indicate GPS satellite
strength. When at least one bar is green,
the nüvi has acquired satellite signals.
Now you can select a destination and
navigate to it. For more information
about GPS, go to www.garmin.com
/aboutGPS.

nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual 5
Understanding the Menu
Page
➊ ➋ ➌ ➍
➎ ➏
➐ ➑ ➒ ➓
➊ GPS satellite strength.
➋ Bluetooth
®
technology status.
➌ Battery status.
➍ Current time. Touch to change the
time.
➎ Touch to nd a destination.
➏ Touch to open the map.
➐ Touch to make a call when
connected to a compatible mobile
phone.
➑ Touch to open the digital television.
➒ Touch to adjust the volume.
➓ Touch to use tools such as media
players, settings, and Help.
Finding Your Destination
The Where to? menu provides several
different categories for you to use when
searching for addresses, cities, and other
locations. The detailed maps loaded in
your nüvi contain millions of points of
interest, such as restaurants, hotels, and
auto services. The example below shows
you how to nd an address.
1. Touch Where to? > Address.
2. Touch Change Country, if
necessary.
3. Touch Search All. Or, touch Spell
City or Postal Code, enter the city/
postal code, and touch Done. Select
the city/postal code in the list.
4. Enter the street name, and touch
Done. Select the correct street in the
list, if necessary.
5. Enter the number of the address, and
touch Done.
6. Touch the address, if necessary.
7. Touch Go!.

6 nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual
Following Your Route
Your route is marked with a magenta
line. As you travel, your nüvi guides you
to your destination with voice prompts,
arrows on the map, and directions at the
top of the map. If you depart from the
original route, your nüvi recalculates the
route and provides new directions.
A speed limit icon could appear as you
travel on major roadways.
Touch and drag the map to view a
different area of the map. Touch to
zoom in, and touch to zoom out.
Touch Menu to return to the Menu page.
➍ Touch to view the
Next Turn page.
➋ Touch to view the
Where Am I? page.
➌ Touch to view the
Trip Computer page.
➊ Touch to view the Turn
List page.
➍➌
➋
➊

nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual 7
Adding a Stop
You can add a stop (called a Via Point)
to your route. The nüvi gives you
directions to the Via Point and then to
your nal destination.
1. With a route active, touch Menu >
Where to?.
2. Search for the extra stop.
3. Touch Go!.
4. Touch Add as Via Point to add this
stop before your destination. Touch
Set as new Destination to make this
your new nal destination.
Taking a Detour
1. With a route active, touch Menu.
2. Touch Detour.
The nüvi attempts to get you back
on your original route as quickly as
possible. If the route you are currently
taking is the only reasonable option, the
nüvi might not calculate a detour.
Stopping the Route
1. With a route active, touch Menu.
2. Touch Stop.
Adjusting the Volume
From the Menu page, touch Volume.
Touch and to adjust the master
volume. Touch the box next to Mute to
mute all audio.
To adjust the volume levels for the voice
prompts, the media players, and the
phone, touch Mixer. Adjust the levels
as needed. Touch Restore to return the
volume settings to the original levels.

8 nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual
Watching Digital TV
Do not attempt to view the television function
or other video input while driving. Failure
to pay full attention to the operation of your
vehicle could result in death, serious injury, or
property damage.
NOTE: To watch digital mobile
television, the nüvi must be in a “3”
DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting
for Handheld devices) coverage area.
Coverage is guaranteed for outdoor
use only. For detailed coverage
information, go to www.la3tv.it.
1. Extend (pull out) the TV antenna.
2. Verify that you are in a “3” DVB-H
coverage area. Go to www.la3tv.it.
3. From the Menu page, touch TV.
Touch ▲and ▼to select a channel.
Touch + and –to adjust the volume.
DVB-H signal strength and system
messages are displayed in the status
bar in the lower-right corner of the
screen. If the signal is weak or absent,
move to a different location in the “3”
DVB-H coverage area.
NOTE: Not all channels are available
with the 6-month trial service.
Your free trial begins the rst time
you watch TV using the nüvi 900. For
information on requesting your PPC
(PIN for Parental Control), subscribing
to additional channels, and renewing TV
packages, see the instructions included
in the TvCard envelope and go to
www.la3tv.it.
Using FM Trafc
NOTE: Garmin is not responsible for
the accuracy of the trafc information.
•
•
•

nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual 9
The FM trafc receiver is integrated in
the vehicle power cable. The FM trafc
receiver and the nüvi must be in data
range of an FM station transmitting
TMC (Trafc Message Channel) data to
receive trafc information.
NOTE: Heated, metallized windows
could degrade the performance of the
trafc receiver.
For information about FM trafc
receivers and coverage areas, go to
www.garmin.com/trafc.
Trafc on Your Road
When you are not navigating a route
and there is trafc on your road, the
Map page displays a trafc icon, such as
. Touch the icon to view information
about the trafc delay.
Trafc on Your Route
When calculating your route, the
nüvi examines the current trafc and
automatically optimizes the route for the
shortest time. You might still be routed
through trafc if no alternative roads
exist. If a severe trafc delay occurs on
your route while you are navigating, the
nüvi automatically recalculates the route.
The Map page displays when there is
trafc on your route. The number in the
icon represents the number of minutes
the trafc has added to your route, which
has been automatically calculated into
the arrival time shown on the map.
To avoid trafc on your route:
1. On the Map page, touch .
2. Touch to view trafc delays.
3. Touch Avoid.
Making Hands-Free
Phone Calls
Using Bluetooth wireless technology,
your nüvi can wirelessly connect to
your mobile phone to become a hands-
free device. To determine whether your
mobile phone with Bluetooth technology

10 nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual
is compatible with the nüvi, go to
www.garmin.com/bluetooth.
To pair and connect, your phone and
your nüvi must be turned on and be
within 10 meters of each other.
Pairing the nüvi with your
Mobile Phone
1. From the Menu page, touch Tools >
Settings > Bluetooth > Add.
2. Enable the Bluetooth component on
your phone and enable Find Me/
Discoverable/Visible mode. These
settings might be in a Bluetooth, a
Connections, or a Hands-free menu.
3. Touch OK on the nüvi.
4. Select your phone, and touch OK.
5. Enter the nüvi Bluetooth PIN (1234)
in your phone.
When you turn on the nüvi, it tries to
connect to the last phone to which it was
connected.
Receiving a Call
When you get a call, the Incoming Call
window opens. Touch Answer to answer
the call. Touch Ignore to ignore the call
and stop your phone from ringing.
The internal microphone is in the front
of the nüvi. Speak normally.
Making a Call
When your phone is connected to your
nüvi, you are ready to make phone calls.
Touch Phone to access the Phone menu.
NOTE: Not all phones support all
features of the nüvi Phone menu.
Sending a Location Message
NOTE: Messages sent from your nüvi
do not appear in your phone’s outbox.
Location messages contain text and GPS
information that other nüvi users can
view. Non-nüvi users receive a plain
text message with latitude/longitude
coordinates.

nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual 11
1. Touch Phone > Text Message >
Compose.
2. Select an option to choose the text
message recipient.
3. Select a type of message to send,
such as Meet me at… or Go to….
4. Select a location, and then touch
Send as Location Message.
5. Select Modify to edit the message, if
necessary.
6. Select Send to send the message.
Safety Cameras
Check your local laws and regulations before
using these features. Garmin is not responsible
for the accuracy of, or the consequences of
using, a custom POI or safety camera database.
Safety camera information is available
in some locations. For availability,
check http://my.garmin.com. For these
locations, the nüvi includes the locations
of hundreds of safety cameras. Your nüvi
alerts you when you are approaching a
safety camera and can warn you if you
are driving too fast. The data is updated
at least weekly. To load the most recent
information, go to http://my.garmin.com.
You can purchase a new region or extend
an existing subscription at any time.
Each region that you purchase has a
specic expiration date.
Loading Files on Your
nüvi
1. (Optional). Insert an SD card. Press it
in until it clicks.
2. Connect the mini-USB connector to
the side of the nüvi.
3. Connect the larger end of the cable
to an available USB port on your
computer. Your nüvi and SD card
appear as removable drives in My
Computer on Windows®computers
and as mounted volumes on Mac®
computers.
4. On your computer, copy the le you
want to transfer.

12 nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual
5. Open the “Garmin” or SD card drive/
volume and paste the le. The le
appears in the list of les in the nüvi
memory or on the SD card.
6. When you are nished transferring
les, click the Eject icon on Windows
computers, or drag the volume icon
to the Trash on Mac computers.
7. Unplug your nüvi from your computer.
Playing Music
1. Touch Tools > Music Player.
2. Touch Browse.
3. Touch a category.
4. To play the entire category from the
beginning of the list, touch the rst
song listed. To play a specic song,
touch the title.
Album artCurrent song
Song status bar
Supported Music File Types
The nüvi supports MP3 and FLAC
music les, and M3U and M3U8 playlist
les.
Locking Your nüvi
NOTE: If you forget your PIN and
your security location, you must send
your nüvi to Garmin to get it unlocked.
You must also send a valid product
registration or proof of purchase.
1. Make sure that your nüvi is receiving
satellite signals and that you are at
your security location.
2. Touch Tools > Settings > Security >
Garmin Lock.
Resetting the nüvi
If the nüvi stops functioning, turn it off
and on again. If the problem persists,
slide the Power key to the left and hold
it there for a minimum of 8 seconds. The
nüvi should operate normally.
You can also remove and then reinstall

nüvi 900 Series Quick Start Manual 13
the battery to reset the nüvi.
Calibrating the Screen
If the touch screen is not responding
properly, calibrate the touch screen.
Slide the Power key to the left and hold
it for 8 seconds. Release the Power
key, and press your nger to the screen.
Hold your nger on the screen for about
30 seconds until the calibration screen
appears (white screen with “Press dot”).
Charging Your nüvi
Use the vehicle power cable.
Use the USB cable.
Use the AC adapter cable.
nüvi 900 Tips
Touch and to see more
choices.
To quickly return to the Menu page,
touch and hold Back.
•
•
•
•
•
More Information
For more information about your nüvi,
select Tools > Help. You can download
the latest version of the owner’s manual
from www.garmin.com.
For information about accessories, go to
http://buy.garmin.com or contact your
Garmin dealer.

For the latest free software updates (excluding map data) throughout the
life of your Garmin products, visit the Garmin Web site at
www.garmin.com.
© 2008 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries
Garmin International, Inc.
1200 East 151st Street, Olathe, Kansas 66062, USA
Garmin (Europe) Ltd.
Liberty House, Hounsdown Business Park, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 9RB, UK
Garmin Corporation
No. 68, Jangshu 2nd Road, Shijr, Taipei County, Taiwan
www.garmin.com
Part Number 190-00878-01 Rev. A