Suunto Vyper not working - works only as a clock

[Sbiriguda]

I bought a second hand Suunto Vyper as a backup computer. It worked 1 or 2 days and now it doesn't work anymore. So I have a working main computer and a non working backup computer

Anyway, the error message is "AC" something. The computer works only as a watch, keeping time, but it doesn't track the dive. The strange thing is it used to work for 1 or 2 days. I will have to bring a go pro to the swimming pool in order to take a picture of the error messages. Perhaps you already know about this issue
The battery is not new but should be more or less at half

Thanks

 

[Pao]

"AC" only means that the water contacts are activated. It usually automatically starts the dive at at 3-4 m. How deep were you diving? With all that said, Suunto had a spate of problems with their depth sensors.

 

[Gi0]

My Vyper, less than a year old, had the same problem two weeks ago. My LDS tested it in a pressure chamber & confirmed that the depth sensor wasn't working.

Looks like there's a current settlement in the US for defective depth sensors in Suunto computers: Home | Suunto Dive Computer Settlement

 

[BoltSnap]

Is the battery OK?

 

[Sbiriguda]

The battery is ok (more or less) it's about 50%
Very likely the problem is the depth sensor
Do you happen to know if it is possible to get only the sensor and how much would that be?

 

[Damselfish]

I get AC from time to time and when I looked it up it said it meant the contacts were likely dirty. Maybe that results in it thinking they're activated. Try cleaning them with a pencil eraser and/or a good soak. My computer always continued to work as a computer when it said AC though, the AC would disappear when I got in the water.

If the battery is 50% as in 2 of 4 bars displayed, I would definitely consider it time to change. I don't think the life from 2/4 bars to 0 is the same as 4/4 to 2/4, or means half in the usual sense. I've always considered 2/4 to be almost dead for my purposes - I might do a few dives with it, but would change it before something like a week dive trip. My LDS says 3 bars on those Suuntos is safe for a week or 2 of constant diving.

 

[Sbiriguda]

Good advice, thank you
As for the battery I am planning to replace it, the cheapest place I know in Europe is a website based in Spain so it will take like 2 weeks to get it delivered

 

[Pao]

Good advice, thank you
As for the battery I am planning to replace it, the cheapest place I know in Europe is a website based in Spain so it will take like 2 weeks to get it delivered

It is a standard 2450 battery available in most electronics stores. Just get a decent brand. The O-ring is also a standard 70 shore 026 O-ring, but you don't have to change it unless it is damaged. Here is a video on how to do it:

 

[Sbiriguda]

Easier than what I thought...
I will clean up the depth sensor, otherwise I will have to replace it
Anyway, by now I still have to clean it, let's see what happens

 

[Sbiriguda]

It seems there is a sort of encyclopedia of Suunto depth sensor failures, 11 pages...
Suunto depth sensor failures
Quite unpromising