About this replacement
Garmin VIRB / VIRB Elite Series — 3.7V Li-ion Replacement Battery (010-11599-00)
This is a 3.7V, 1800mAh Li-ion cell for the Garmin VIRB and VIRB Elite action cameras. It slots directly into the battery compartment and communicates with the camera's charge management system. Fits VIRB, VIRB Elite, VIRB Elite Action HD Camera 1.4, and E1GR variants.
- VIRB and VIRB Elite compatibility: These two models share the same battery bay dimensions, connector pinout, and BMS communication protocol. The 010-11599-00 and cross-reference part 010-11654-03 both call the same cell spec — 3.7V nominal, matching the camera's charging circuit input range.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We ran this cell through the VIRB Elite charge cycle using an OEM charger. The BMS accepted the cell without fault codes, cycled through the protection thresholds at both ends, and the camera's battery indicator tracked consistently across the discharge curve.
- First-install charge cycle on the VIRB: Run one full charge inside the camera body before shooting. The VIRB's fuel gauge calibrates its percentage mapping against the cell's charge curve during that first in-body cycle — skipping it can cause the indicator to read inaccurately for the first several uses.
Why the VIRB shows a dead battery indicator on a freshly charged replacement cell
The VIRB uses a voltage-threshold system to estimate charge state. A new cell that hasn't been calibrated inside the camera body can sit at a resting voltage the BMS interprets as low — even when fully charged externally. This is a mapping mismatch, not a faulty cell. Power the camera on and immediately place it on charge via the OEM cable or charger. After one complete in-camera charge cycle, the indicator will align correctly with the actual cell state.
Battery percentage jumping erratically on the VIRB display
The VIRB maps its battery percentage against a fixed voltage-to-capacity curve calibrated to the original cell. A replacement cell with a slightly different discharge curve causes the indicator to jump between readings as voltage steps don't match expected thresholds. This is a display calibration issue — the cell itself is functioning correctly. Run two full discharge-and-charge cycles inside the camera body to let the BMS re-map the percentage display against the new cell's actual curve.