Digilux snap crackle pop after on/off switch replacement (possible short?)

[joeaksa]

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I have a D2 that I have owned for over a year now. Very nice camera and while it will never replace my M4's it has won a place in my heart.

 

Sent it back to Leica USA for replacement/repair of the "on/off" switch a few months ago. It arrived back on Friday and could not wait to try it out again. Unfortunately this was not to be.

 

I had charged the batteries and placed a topped off unit in the camera. The new switch is smooth as butter and felt wonderful. After inserting a memory card in the camera I turned it on. It worked fine but as I started setting the date in the unit I became aware of the lower right back of the camera becoming warm, then heard a faint popping inside.

 

Turned everything off and removed the battery and chip. Chip was so warm that I could not hold onto it. Ok, I thought that possibly the memory chip was bad and put a new one in the camera.

 

In the end it did not matter, two different batteries and three memory chips, they all did the same thing, making the same noise and back of the unit getting warm. Sounds like a capacitor inside discharging ever 3-4 seconds. Contacted Leica and they want the camera back.

 

Anyone else have something like this happen? What are the chances that I have burned up my memory chips or damaged the batteries?

 

TIA,

 

Joe A

Phoenix

[cbretteville]

Joe,

This is the first such ocurrance I've heard of. I'm sorry you have to send it back again.

[earleygallery]

Batteries can go snap crackle and pop when they fry. Sounds like a serious electrical fault I'm afraid.

[marknorton]

Here are some pictures of the D2. You can see the orange paint on the circuit board which is insulation - the circle bottom right is to prevent the loudspeaker shorting out the tracks on the board. You can also see the flex-print from the top switches connects to the white connector at the top of the circuit board.

 

It sounds bad news. Either something has been incorrectly re-assembled or else some insulation has failed. What also concerns me is that it sounds like the camera has been out of action for months.

[joeaksa]

Batteries can go snap crackle and pop when they fry. Sounds like a serious electrical fault I'm afraid.

 

Agree and I know enough about electronics that I did not continue to use it, even though the camera continued to work fine. Was concerned about the battery, especially after all the laptop battery situation, but the second battery does the same thing.

 

Thanks for the images, and it appears to be happening right in the area where orange disk or cover is on the lower right side is. At least thats where the noise and warmth is coming from.

 

Appreciate the posts and will report back when Leica gets back to me on this. Just glad that it was in a factory service center and that they put it back together and not me!

[joeaksa]

It sounds bad news. Either something has been incorrectly re-assembled or else some insulation has failed. What also concerns me is that it sounds like the camera has been out of action for months.

 

Camera was working fine for a long time then sent in to replace a sticky on/off switch. What took so long was that Leica did everything by mail (getting the repair authorization, etc) instead of using email as I asked. I travel for a living so their letter sat at my home for weeks until I returned home and contacted them.

 

Considering that this happened immediately upon my turning the camera on after its return, would lean towards incorrect assembly. I tried to use it the same day that it arrived here at the house. Then emailed Leica and six days later they called. After talking to them for a bit its now going back.

 

Appreciate the photos, will save a copy of them for future use.

[joeaksa]

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A last question. Is it just me or is the Leica repair center extremely slow at everything? The guy called me yesterday and told me that they would have the UPS driver stop by and pickup the camera today. Waited around the house all day as I am not going to leave it sitting outside. Well, nothing happened and finally got ahold of the driver and he said that nothing had been done with Leica and he could not do anything until they started things in motion.

 

This is after waiting 6 days for a reply to an email and so on? Is it just me or are they this slow with everyone? Am used to dealing with the factory in Germany (used to live there) and they are very prompt and on time in my past dealings with them.

 

Thx,

 

Joe

[Guest stnami]

I found them pretty good, all I did was email them with the problem, they gave me a choice either send it to a dealer and the dealer sends or send it myself. I packed it sent the camera myself by registered post (saves hassles), they had to wait for a part... fair enough and then sent it back with the lens looking brand new and all is ok