Suunto compass locking up at depth?

[Scuba-74]

I have a Suunto Cobra dive computer in a console with a compass attachment that's several years old and has roughly 100 dives on it.

This year I started noticing that the compass becomes unresponsive at the depth of roughly 35 feet or deeper, the needle doesn't move, or moves intermittently. Yesterday it happened at a depth of 35-40 in a lake, which made me quite disoriented. I don't remember this happening prior to this year, but I will say that most of the diving I did with this console was at shallower depths.

I'm suspecting that the added pressure on the compass is causing it. After the dive yesterday I pushed on the compass face with a thumb, and indeed applied pressure prevents the needle from turning.

I'm curious if anyone else has noticed something like this with Suunto or any other compasses? Do underwater compasses tend to become more sensitive to depth/pressure with age? Do they have an expected lifespan?

 

[Martijn]

Is the compass still filled up with fluid? Does it have a big bubble in there?

If it's sealed it shouldn't locking up.

Anothr option I can think off would be the needle jumped off the little pin it rotates on, but that shouldn't be pressure related.

 

[Scuba-74]

Yes, it is filled with water and has a bubble. Needle works as it should on surface and at depth shallower than 35-40.