Suunto D6 battery change "How To"

[Leisure Pro Brett]

I recently came across a D6 from one of our vendors that was in dire need of a battery change. At his urging I gave it a try and took some photos along the way to share with Scubaboard. He was in a bit of a hurry so I didn't get to take as many pictures as I would have liked, but I think this will give everyone a pretty good idea of what's involved in the process. If you are looking for the D9 battery change it can be found HERE. As always my standard disclaimer applies: This information has no affiliation with LeisurePro, it is just something I did myself for the ScubaBoard community. Neither LeisurePro nor myself encourage anyone to change their own D6 battery. If you do open your computer and it floods it’s your fault, not mine, if your not comfortable with that then leave your computer alone. With that said, on with the show.




1.When you see this (or something like this) on the computer screen then it’s time to change your battery. Overall the process was pretty simple.




2. There are a few quick things to pay attention to before you crack your computer open. First is the battery you buy, there are some CR2450 batteries that will not fit. The neck less version on the right doesn’t like the battery compartment in the D6. The one on the left is the type you want to use in the computer. You will also need some silicone lube for the o-ring and a very fine tipped Philips screwdriver along with a T-6 torx driver or very small allen key.





3. Using that T-6 torx driver gently remove the screws that hold the watch band on the computer. Even though this computer was very well used, the screws were easily removed. The pictures above show the removal of the screws located at top and bottom center of the screen.




4. With the watch held firmly in place on a surface that will not damage the watch face use the fine tipped Philips screwdriver to remove the 2 screws that hold the case back on. Be careful not to strip the heads of these screws, they will need to function to re-fasten the case back at the end of the battery change. As I noted before, this computer was well used, but all screws were removed easily.




5. Once you have the band off and the case back screws out you will see that there is a small accommodation for a screwdriver just under the case back where one of the screws goes in. A slim flat head screwdriver in there will let you gently pry the case back off.




6. Once you get the case back off you will see that the o-ring lies in a groove around it’s outer edge. Gently remove the o-ring with your fingers so that you do not scratch any sealing surfaces. Keep it safe and clean if it is going to be reinstalled (It’s always best to replace the o-ring each time, I do not recommend re-using the o-ring).




7. Next you will want to clean the sealing surfaces of the watch. They are in the groove that the o-ring sits in as well as the inside wall of the watch case, they are marked with red dots in the picture.




8. A q-tip is a great way to clean the exposed sealing surfaces so that they are ready when you put the watch back together. Keep in mind that you want to remove any lint that the q-tip may leave behind.

 

[Leisure Pro Brett]

Continued



9. Now it’s time to install the new battery and make sure that the cover is ready to be put on. You will want to lightly lube and install a new o-ring on the computer case back. Pay attention to the keying on the watch and case back, there is a small post on the watch and a recess on the case back. These are highlighted with the red squares and must line up for the watch to go back together properly.




10. Now press the back onto the watch making sure that it’s laying flush with no spaces between the case back and the watch. Then finish up by screwing in the 2 screws that hold the case back in place. You want the screws to be snug but do not want to strip them by over tightening.




11. Before you put the band back on clean out all the build up and corrosion that forms between the watch and the band.




12. Reattach the band with the 2 small screws that hold it in place, remember not too tight you don’t want to strip anything, just nice n’ snug.




13. Check the battery to make sure it says that everything is ok, you also want to listen for a beep when firing it up to verify that the beeper is working.




14. Take it for a ride in the pressure pot to make sure that it’s sealed up ok and ready to go.


And that's it! Your all done, if you did everything carefully you shouldn't have to think about the battery in your computer for another couple of years.

 

[rab1412000]

wow great tip brett
i recently bought a d4 from LP and though its battery will last a long time, could you post the same instructions for the d4

also could you care to comment on this 'issue' i have on my d4?

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/co...-why-my-d4-giving-me-10-minute-deco-stop.html

cheers

 

[Vieques Arnaud]

Brett,
Thanks very much for this "how to" for the D6
I'm looking for a similar "tool" to the one you used to hold the watch in place. is this suunto specific ?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
Arnaud

 

[Leisure Pro Brett]

Yep, that's a tool we got from Suunto for battery changes on the Stinger computer. I don't know where you would get something like this now...though they probably have one for their newer computers which might work even better for your needs. There is also most likely a generic watch holder device for working on regular watches that might work.

 

[daisythecat]

great info - but I noticed this thread a week to late - just got my D6 battery replaced in the shop. I did notice that the little battery symbol that displays as you go into dive mode does not show full though. I did ask in the shop and they said that was normal . I can't remember what it looked like when I 1st got it so am not really able to argue but do know that when I got a Stinger battery replaced a few months ago the little battery symbol now shows as full ( which seems sensible ).
Can anyone comment

 

[Paul_D]

Hi Brett,

I joined this board as I was surfing the net looking for instructions on how to change the battery on the D6, found this site and your instructions! Thanks for posting them!

I own a D6 and my son has my old Stinger which I've just changed the battery on and wondered if the D6 was just as easy.

For anyone else who's interested I have the instructions on how to replace the battery in a Suunto Stinger or Spyder and a link for the complete kit to do the job. I can't post them up as I need to have posted five times before I can embed a URL. If anyone wants them send me a message and I'll forward the link to you.

It's a German website but I managed to navigate it and buy a set and it turned up in the at my home in the UK seven days later.

I've also just been on eBay and found the tool Brett mentioned for £6 in a complete 16 piece watch repair kit!

Thanks again - now I can change both batteries it should save a fortune over the years!

 

[Leisure Pro Brett]

The stinger is certainly a much more involved battery change, but once you have the cover off it's not too bad. The D6 was just as easy as could be though, the little screws had me wondering how tough they can get to remove, but even on this well used example they came out easily. I'll get the same thing up for the D4 once I get a D4 in my hands, but I expect it to be almost identical to this one. I'll also be putting up a dry suit zipper change sometime in the next few weeks here in case anyone is interested in that.

 

[liuk3]

Why does the first picture look fake or photoshopped? Does the D6 give a "Replace" battery warning or merely a "Low" battery warning. Thanks for posting.

 

[Paul_D]

Yes the first photo is photo shopped. The D6 shows a flashing battery sign and the word "low" in the middle of the screen when it needs replacing.