How to make GPS Suction Cup Mounts Stick

[Tim]

Suction Cup Tips

Over the years I've become really good at getting GPS suction cup mounts to stick, and I've learned quite a few tricks along the way. Often you can just take the mount out of the box, press it up against the windshield, and drive away. Other times you might not be so lucky. If your suction cup has lots its suck, and you are beginning to think the mount sucks, here are some tips.

Clean Dry Surfaces Work Best
Make sure both the inside of the suction cup and your windshield are clean and dry. To clean both surfaces, I like to use rubbing alcohol since it tends to dry quickly, although glass cleaners will work well too. Particularly if your mount has recently fallen you might see a "ring around the mount" on your windshield. So make sure both surfaces are clean and dry.

Temperature Can Have an Impact Too
If your mount has been inside your air conditioned home and you take it out to your car which is 130° baking in the sun, you might not have optimal results. You may want to wait until morning when your car is cooler and closer to the temperature of the mount. Likewise if is the middle of winter and you have been playing with your mount in front of your fireplace inside, you might want to wait until after your next drive to get the windshield relatively warm. The more similar the temperatures are between the mount and windshield, and the closer those temperatures are to "room" temperature, the better results you will have.

A Little Moisture Can Help Keep the Seal
I know, I know, I just said above that you should keep both surfaces clean and dry, but that was referring to whatever you might have used to clean the cup. A tiny bit of water (not drenched) on the suction cup can help it keep the seal. Spread the drops of water around with your finger. If no water is handy and nobody is looking, a little spit can work well too. A tiny bit of Petroleum Jelly (aka Vaseline) can work really well too. The key is to not get too much moisture... just barely enough to coat the surface. Again, whatever you use, use a tiny amount and try to spread it around with your finger to just barely coat the entire surface.

Apply Firm Pressure and Hold
Find your target on the windshield, press it on, and apply firm pressure to the center of the mount. What you are doing, and want to do, is to push all of the trapped air between the mount and the windshield out from behind the mount. Kinda like squishing the air from a whoopie-cushion but there will be no sound. Try not to let the mount slide (if it slides easily you might have used too much moisture) and keep firm pressure for about fifteen seconds.

Drive Happy, Keep a Cloth in Your Car
Using this process should ensure a good seal and make your mount stick. Don't forget that thieves know what GPS mounts look like and if they see one in your car, they might break in to look for the GPS. The same even goes for the "ring around the mount" left on your windshield. Even finding that ring might give them enough incentive to break-in looking for the GPS you are hiding in the center console or glove compartment, so keep a cloth handy to wipe away any signs of the GPS if you must leave your car unattended.

[tomj03]

May I add:
Lift the swivel ball to the highest postion, mount the GPS as close to the dashboard as you can. When the GPS droops it will lean on to the dash then stays there.

[Mickey]

All these suggestions are helpful, but I find that cleaning the windshield and the suction cup with isopropyl alcohol worked wonders when all else seemed to fail for me..

[squirrelpie]

If you cannot -legal or otherwwise- mount to winshield i.e Chevy Venture and must mount on dash, the disk wit the 3M adhesive is not very reliable on that partic suface. Disk has to be narrowed down a bit on two sides and then glue to the dash tray wit epoxy. Stock rubber mat in the tray will disguise disk when demounting and hiding GPS unit. Positions about right for me

[Larry Moskowitz]

[Tim]

Good addition, thanks Larry!

[JeepLover]

Has anyone tried one of those inexpensive vent clips?

I'm not talking about the expensive 2 piece ones but the cheaper one piece that clips right to your vent. It sure seems like a no brainer to me because in both of my cars it would give me a clear unobsrtructed view out the windshield and also bring my small TT One LE a little closer to see it better.

[Tim]

I'll have to check, but I think I just got a box of those in for review in addition to the more expensive ProClip mounts.

[JeepLover]

I took a chance and for $9.90 plus shipping I ordered the one for the TomTom One here. For those with other types of GPS devices, there is a link to their store down further on the page. Sure beats spending $50+ dollars for a custom one that only works in one of my cars as long as it is half way decent.

[gogo24]

If I always put the windshield mount in my car, during the freeze winter and the hot summer, will the silicon mount degrade quickly? Do I need to bring it home as I do with the Tomtom unit? Thanks for reply.

[Tim]

A few of the Garmin mounts tend to do that for some reason, but I haven't seen that with most mounts.

[gogo24]

Thank you very much, Tim.

[AV8TOR]

………and when all else fails get the bean-bag mount.

[JeepLover]

....or a cheap vent mount like Mount Guys carry. I personally prefer the vent mount to all other kinds because it keeps it out of my line of sight looking out the windshield and it gets the small unit sloser to my eyes if I need to read something small.

[BearMan]

[JeepLover]

[BearMan]

[Rotorguy]

After my 750 kept taking the high dive from windshield to floor I decided to use the dash disc with the same results. (Kept a small pillow placed to catch my falling Nuvi) Went with the bean bag and it works for me but I'm stuck with the disc on the dash of my truck. Any suggestions on how to remove the disc would be appreciated. Rotorguy

[scanman56]

hi everyone,

here's what i do to restore suction:

make sure that the windshield glass is clean as well as the suction cups - isopropyl alcohol works great.

to rejuvenate the suction cups get glycerin from any drug store [it costs about $1.10 for 2 oz and it will last forever] and apply a minuscule amount of glycerin to the suction cups . . . they become very pliable, just like new!

[jloh]

[Ray E. Reis]

Take a length of dental floss and saw it back and forth under the disc. It will cut the sealant disc.