Without the cord, your unit is basically useless. They're not really designed to run on battery power. I consider the battery to be there just to help the unit store ephemeris data, and so that it can start quickly from standby (a few seconds), rather than cold boot (about a minute or so, depending on how quickly it can get a fix on satellites).
I would try and pick one up in good condition as soon as you can. I don't think they are available directly from TomTom any more.
Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?
You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.