Service for leaking PT-056 housing?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

salth2owannabe

Contributor
Messages
395
Reaction score
155
Location
Idaho
# of dives
I just don't log dives
My wife's Olympus housing started to leak on our last dive trip. Suggestions for getting it serviced, or for those who have, is it cost prohibitive and you just get a new one? Thanks
 
I assume you mean leaking at one of the controls rather than the main o-ring. I found this on a website for an independent service company :

PLEASE NOTE:- The FACTORY RELEASED housings for Olympus, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Nikon, etc do not have factory o-ring kits available. In some cases the o-rings used per control are customized sizes and cannot be purchased. Also in some cases the control is designed not to be serviceable. This means we can only, clean, re-grease and re-assemble the housing including a pressure test to keep its operation life as long as possible. We cannot replace the control o-rings only the main seal in most cases.

So unless Olympus exclusively have parts then it's likely not repairable. Only way to find out is contact olympus.
 
Appreciate it Chris - I'm thinking that it's probably a control o-ring. I thought about trying to replace/service various O-rings myself, but then I really don't have a good way to pressure test it anyway. I figured I'd have to contact Olympus, I was sure hoping someone else had some insight on what I was looking at cost wise and then I wouldn't bother and just find a replacement.
 
I think one of the issues is that some of the controls are not designed to take apart. Pressure testing is easy send it down on a rope with tissue inside empty.
 
Hi,

Olympus service in Europe is the best I have ever experience.

I have a E-PL3 housing a few years ago had the same kind of problem, it was serviced in 3 days.
My advice is contact Olympus Service and ask them.

If you rinse the housing every time you dive the probability of a problem in controls o-rings is very very small. Never happened to me and I have a Canon housing for over 10 years and Olympus housing for over 6 years, with over 100 dives each.

Regards
 
I have placed a "Housing Maintenance" piece on our Blog, this can help with looking after your housing so the buttons don't get tight and will last for years.
 
Thanks Reefwalker, appreciate it. I would guess it probably was user error and lack of proper maintenance. You tend to take the time with your regs and computers post dive and just give the camera case a quick rinse and put it away. I'm sure your cleaning tutorial will benefit many.
 
I think one of the issues is that some of the controls are not designed to take apart. Pressure testing is easy send it down on a rope with tissue inside empty.

I've found the tissue method not terribly helpful. If the leak is very small (few drops), it may soak up and distribute so that you aren't really....quite sure....if it's wet. If you can tell it's wet, you still probably won't know exactly where it's coming from. You already know you have a leak. You want to know where.

I ended up making a mock up camera out of thin cardboard, grayish stuff that shows any moisture. You could use any thick, stiff paper that shows wetness. That will allow you to locate water intrusion much more accurately. If you strongly suspect a particular control button or area you could just place appropriate sized paper in that area and hold it in with tissue/paper towels.
 
Update - I sent the housing to the Olympus service center. They said it was a cracked lens housing and it was $135.00 for repair. It appears it wasn't a maintenance issue. Not sure how the crack occurred? Thanks for the input.
 
Update - I sent the housing to the Olympus service center. They said it was a cracked lens housing and it was $135.00 for repair. It appears it wasn't a maintenance issue. Not sure how the crack occurred? Thanks for the input.

**For those who may be presented with the same issue - After a period of time Olympus said that parts were no longer available and fixing it was not an option. They offered a new TG-5 housing for what the repair to the old housing would have cost us and then sold us a reconditioned TG-5 at a reduced price.
 

Back
Top Bottom