Faulty switch for XTAR D26 Whale

[GioPuma]

I used very small and thin pliers so that I could "lock" them into the little semi-circular dents of the rings.
It did not require a lot of torque to make the ring come loose. The pliers are part of a set of tools for electronics.
Once the ring was off the whole button assembly came loose. It is very simple, it simply consists of the ring, a spring and the button itself and I could see no sealing surface toward the inside of the light.
In the process I ended up scratching the ring very slightly but c'mon this is a dive light, if we are afraid to scratch it we might as well keep it dry

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I used very small and thin pliers so that I could "lock" them into the little semi-circular dents of the rings.
It did not require a lot of torque to make the ring come loose. The pliers are part of a set of tools for electronics.
Once the ring was off the whole button assembly came loose. It is very simple, it simply consists of the ring, a spring and the button itself and I could see no sealing surface toward the inside of the light.
In the process I ended up scratching the ring very slightly but c'mon this is a dive light, if we are afraid to scratch it we might as well keep it dry

Thanks! I was thinking a set of spanner pliers would do it.

I think out of all my dive lights I have maybe one that's not scratched up, and that's just because it's the newest, lol. They get dropped, banged, scratched.... so far so good. Adds character.

 

[XTAR]

So glad to know you've solved the problem! And the method of disassembly and assembly is the same way as that of replacing the spare switch for the light. So it's ok.

I would hold the button and see if you can lightly bang the light on your other hand....try moving the button around while you do it.

Also could try an air compressor see if you can do the same but blow out around the button while working it.

Maybe you've already tried all that.

 

[D_Fresh]

Good information here, and Thank you to @XTAR for chiming in.

I just want to suggest to everyone, to avoid button issues on all lights, always activate the switches a few times in the rinse tank to ensure the saltwater gets flushed out.

 

[XTAR]

Good information here, and Thank you to @XTAR for chiming in.

I just want to suggest to everyone, to avoid button issues on all lights, always activate the switches a few times in the rinse tank to ensure the saltwater gets flushed out.

Yes! It's also one important part of dive lights' maintenance.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I used very small and thin pliers so that I could "lock" them into the little semi-circular dents of the rings.
It did not require a lot of torque to make the ring come loose. The pliers are part of a set of tools for electronics.
Once the ring was off the whole button assembly came loose. It is very simple, it simply consists of the ring, a spring and the button itself and I could see no sealing surface toward the inside of the light.
In the process I ended up scratching the ring very slightly but c'mon this is a dive light, if we are afraid to scratch it we might as well keep it dry

Just for anyone finding this thread at a later date, here's some pictures of the locking mechanism apart. Comes off very easy.

The other day mine got a little jammed and wouldn't move all the way towards "locked" and there was a definite "clicking" when I pressed it. I took everything apart and cleaned it. I think this light was bought new in 2018, this is a 1st taking it apart. I cleaned the surface rust up and all works great again.

 

[davecampbell]

why on earth would they use a material that would corrode so badly in a device intended to be used under water? was considering some of the new d26 2500s, but that picture does not instill confidence.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

why on earth would they use a material that would corrode so badly in a device intended to be used under water? was considering some of the new d26 2500s, but that picture does not instill confidence.

The pictures look a lot worse than it actually was. It took seconds to clean it up, and the spring looks almost new.

I should get some pictures of it cleaned up. I've never rinsed my lights or pushed the switch in and out while rinsing. I guess what I'm saying is this is about as bad as it could get without care, and it's really not that bad.



Edit: just added pictures of it cleaned. I used a set of spanners to unscrew, a ballpoint pen to clean out the inside, small wire brush to clean the spring, and then was able to use the ballpoint pen to screw the top back on. The light is aluminum, the magnetic button is aluminum (with a magnet inside), the only thing that can rust is the spring, and you can see in the picture it cleaned up pretty well.

 

[stuartv]

I guess what I'm saying is this is about as bad as it could get without care

Hold my beer...


LOL! I've been meaning to take mine apart and clean them up. They both are sticky for turning to the Lock position. I just haven't done it yet - ever. I HOPE mine still look as good on the inside as yours did. If they're worse, I'll post a pic.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I mean, yours is probably worse, BUT, I would think you might rinse and dry your gear more than me, lol