D3 - strange things

[cece]

Ido have a suunto D3 for 2 months now, I bought it through the Internet and I'm really happy with it.

Yesterday I've found something quite "bizarre" .
I wanted to see the battery jauge as the low batt sign was turned on.
I did put the D3 in gauge mode and normally this would display me the battery charging gauge...
It did not give me the battery indicatir but simply reset time and date ,it seeems that all my dives are still in (nevermind anyway, got them on the computer)

Also, I noticed that I can't have the backlight switched on...

Moreover, once the D3 has been reset, the low batt warning switch off

Does someone have the same problem and more mportant, have a solution

 

[aydin]

Bad news for all the D3 owners cece,maybe you should send the atch to Suunto using its warranty rules. I remember some other threads about the D3 problems, I have read this threads but I have bought a D3 like you, two months ago..

Aydýn

 

[jome]

Sounds like a dead battery?

Take it to an authorized dealer to change the battery. If that doesn't do it, then your warranty should definently cover it...

 

[cece]

One more thing, I have my D3 with me and the low batt switch on again, I think (and I hope) you're right jome, it seems that the battery is dead, gonna change it and I'll tell you

 

[aydin]

Cece,
What is the battery life??? Is it only two months?? If ok,then I must get a dozen of batteries for the next year for my D3..
Aydýn

 

[cece]

Well I hope not but I don't know when the D3 has been built-in !!!

 

[efattah]

The D3 battery life can be as low as 5 days. The early models have a blue bottom. The new model has a black bottom. You can send your gauge in to have it replaced with the new model---if you find the address to send it to, tell me because I have three useless D3's that need to be replaced.

Because of the short battery life, I purchased one hundred (100) CR2032 batteries from ebay.

 

[Alun]

I had that wierd date/time problem months ago. changing the battery fixed the problem. unfortunately, it flipped out again last sunday with the same problem so it looks like i'll need to buy another battery...

Eric- is it really ok to keep using the same plastic lid? do you buy a load of o-rings also, or just keep using the same one?

 

[efattah]

I would grease my D3 o-ring with silicone grease, but it is really a losing cause.... the other day I tried to use my D3 to time myself, for a run, ON DRY LAND, and the moment I tried to put the watch into TIMER-UP mode, it did a full reset (back to 6:00pm etc.), and then it went totally blank (as if the battery totally died). Then, it 'woke up' a few hours later. I had to run without a timer.

These sorts of neverending problems just remind me why I'm making my own diving computer.

 

[Panos Lianos]

The early D3's had such problems. Like I told Eric in Vancouver, here in Greece, most of us have replaced our D3's with no extra charge.

We used to make a joke: "D3! buy one, get one free!".

You should return it to your local dealer or importer and ask for a replacement (with a black bottom, NOT blue bottom). But do this while your D3 is within the warranty time period.

As for the battery, yes the life is short. So don't use it for anything else except diving.

Here we have found a shop that will change the battery for 5 euros and also do a "leak" check. If there is a leak, you need to go to the Suunto dealer and get a "set" (plastic lid + o-ring) for another 5 euros. From my experience, you need a new lid about every 2-3 battery changes. Haven't looked for a place to get an identical o-ring that Suunto uses.

 

[jome]

Hmm, I've had mine since april and never had any problems with it. And I use it for everything. Freediving, scuba, pool training, dry statics, jogging and just generally as a watch. I've done over 30 scuba dives on it this summer alone (each 30-60 min) and countless freedives. Even use the alarm to wake my self every morning (have to say though that it's too quiet. Missed it this morning).

Of course that doesn't prove anything about the general quality of the product. Maybe I just got lucky. But if someone has a specimen that has a 5 day battery life, or even 5 weeks, that computer is definently not working like it's supposed to. Take it back and get a proper one.

Although I've been quite happy with mine, it's a shame there's so little competition. Perhaps the F1 will set things straight. I'll be holding my breath on that...

 

[cece]

Hey mine is this a blue/translucid bottom ... Do I have to send it back to my importer ?

I have bought it on ebay , it is a full product (PC-interface, software...) but the importer is American.
I don't want to send it back to the USA.
As I have all the administative stuff OK, do you think all Suunto dealer will change it??

 

[loopy]

I'm with you Jome - I've had mine almost 2 years now (got it early last year) and I wear it every day... I've beat the beejesus out of it (its absolutely covered in scratches) and only had one battery change so far. I might have gotten a good one?

 

[flyboy748]

For those of you with a Battery Plus store in your area... (might be just in Canada) I may have a thought for you. After my first battery died after two weeks of buying my D3, I bought a pair of them (duracell) from Battery Plus. They have a "battery warranty" that lasts a year! I told them that the computer is hard on batteries, and they told me "no problem, just keep the reciept, and we'll replace it if it dies in less than a year." The one I've got in there now is going fine after 4 months, however I've got the reciept!

If you can't find a Battery Plus store, see if anyone else in your area has a battery warranty. Might help you save up a bit for the computer Eric's building!

Cheers,
Aaron

 

[JasonWelbourne]

We have batteries plus' here in alabama

 

[subaquaticus]

The early D3's had such problems. Like I told Eric in Vancouver, here in Greece, most of us have replaced our D3's with no extra charge.

We used to make a joke: "D3! buy one, get one free!".

You should return it to your local dealer or importer and ask for a replacement (with a black bottom, NOT blue bottom). But do this while your D3 is within the warranty time period.

As for the battery, yes the life is short. So don't use it for anything else except diving.

Here we have found a shop that will change the battery for 5 euros and also do a "leak" check. If there is a leak, you need to go to the Suunto dealer and get a "set" (plastic lid + o-ring) for another 5 euros. From my experience, you need a new lid about every 2-3 battery changes. Haven't looked for a place to get an identical o-ring that Suunto uses.

extremely interesting... I can't remember whether my D3 had a black or a blue bottom... I gave it back to my retailer because of a problem with the dive timer...

I bought it in February last year ; serial number is D3 34705669

Can you tell whether it is a black or a blue bottom ?