Maestro 4040 bit the dust

Well, not completely. It still works, but the display became very dim and is
flickering like crazy; so not much use from it anymore. It's under warranty,
but I am bracing for big hassle. Anybody sent them a 4040 for repair? Any
advice?

Yep. Rumor has it that it will not be a smooth trip. Just keep on them
if/when they don't meet their commitments. And don't be afraid to challenge
unacceptable commitments. Many folks have ended up with new replacements
when the "repair" dragged on.

Have you considered returning to the place you got it for a replacement?

And finally, I'm shopping for a replacement for my 4000. Want the cheapest
unit with TTS so it says the street names. Is that the 4040?

Good luck!

Too late to return the defective 4040 to the store -- had it for 6 months. I
was quite happy with it until this happened (seems to be a problem with the
backlight power supply). My only significant complaint: night mode only
works when in map screen. Switch to anything else, and it will blind you,
even at minimum brightness. I had a hard time when driving on a freeway in a
remote area and wanted to look for a gas station or a restaurant on the
otherwise very handy 'exit POIs screen' -- took my eyes a long time to
readjust to night vision.

As for your question, if you want to stick with Magellan, Costco has the
discontinued 3225 for $150 now. The screen is smaller than the 4000 series -
3.5" instead of 4.3" and there are fewer POI's. Doesn't have the Blutetooth
and traffic info gimmicks either. Otherwise seems to be the same thing for
half the price.