Repair of Mode dail wheel D-Lux 5

[The_Simple]

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Hi all,

I'm The_Simple and I've been using my beloved Leica D-Lux 5 for years and now it has a problem that I hope you can help me with.

You probably know the message "Mode dial is not in the proper position".

At some positions of the wheel this message comes. Surely it is due to contamination on the contacts.

Unfortunately I have no money to give the camera for repair. 😞
In general, I am very skilled and the repair of any technology and also wanted to put my Leica back in stand.

But now I have the problem that I can not get further in the disassembly of the "Top Plate" and therefore not to the contacts of the wheel.

Can you maybe help me? I have already searched for days on the net but found no instructions. I don't want to damage anything and without further hints I can't get any further. Sometimes still hides a screw or a clip that you have to pay attention.

I have you times a few pictures of my previous disassembly attached.

Maybe one of you knows a video or tutorial that I have overlooked.

Thank you and best regards

The_Simple

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[Michael L Maddan]

I do not know this camera ( do not own one, or worked on one ), but I have worked on several digital cameras made by other Companies, and all of them were possible to disassemble. Some cameras were easy to gain access to, while others were not so easy. The easy ones are simply held together by screws, although some screws can  be covered, and not so easy to find. 

Some cameras are held-together by a combination of screws and what I'll call 'snap together parts': the pieces will come apart, but need to be moved quite a ways away from each other. If you've ever worked on an early ( circa 2004 ) Apple iBook G4, you'll know what I mean: the outer case snaps together, and needs a tool inserted along the edges to pry the halves apart. It's actually pretty easy, but requires some effort and a bit of bravery...it may seem as if the plastic will break, but it almost never does. I use a black, fiber-reinforced  "spudger" with a flat and pointed end, and have found these tools to be as useful as a screwdriver...a 'Must Have'.

 

So: just take your time, and look at what's in front of you. Cameras can be a bit like a puzzle, but will come apart. Be very careful around cable connectors: be sure to release any catches that might be there, and be sure that you're lifting on something that's meant to be moved...some designs are better than others, and some are very fragile. Some cameras were designed with barely enough cable to fit between connectors, and it can be tricky to ensure that they're properly seated before the catch is pushed back down. Once again: a black spudger with a pointed tip can make this type of work much easier.

 

Good luck with your Leica...I predict you will succeed!

 

Michael.      

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[dkCambridgeshire]

I've remedied similar dial problems by spraying some switch cleaner into the gap between the dial and the top plate and then sliding a piece of paper between the dial and the top plate and carefully working it back and forth to clean away any contaminant