Help! Light not working...

[phreeflow]

Hi All,

I have a UF C3 5-mode light that I gave to my wife as an EDC. She dropped it once while taking it out of her bag and now it doesn't fire up.:sick2: I had another C3, so I exchanged the switch and tried it and the tail switch seems to be fine.

It seems something in the pill head (LED, regulator, etc) seems to be malfunctioning but I have no idea how to determine what it is or how to fix it. When I put new batteries in and screw on the head, the CREE LED blinks then goes off again so I'm guessing that the LED is still okay. No matter what I do, the best I can get the light to do is just blink on once and then dies off with no further signs of life. :sigh:

This stinks, I was a big fan of these clones but can't believe that the light died after one short fall onto a wooden floor :thumbsdow.

What can I do? What could it be? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

 

[copperfox]

Maybe try another new battery. Once I dropped my TLE-5EX minimag and the emitter would flash like you describe. I turned out being the cells. The fall must've mostly broken the anode/cathode connection inside them (or something...). Good luck.

 

[phreeflow]

Maybe try another new battery. Once I dropped my TLE-5EX minimag and the emitter would flash like you describe. I turned out being the cells. The fall must've mostly broken the anode/cathode connection inside them (or something...). Good luck.

Thnx @copperfox, I tried what you said but it made no difference...any further advice would be appreciated.

 

[copperfox]

It could be a broken solder connection, but you would have to remove the circuitry to determine that. Take it apart as much as you can, then post again. If you can't remove the circuitry then it might be a lost cause.

 

[phreeflow]

It could be a broken solder connection, but you would have to remove the circuitry to determine that. Take it apart as much as you can, then post again. If you can't remove the circuitry then it might be a lost cause. hi

Hey copperfox,

I did take it all apart and everything seems in order and there are no broken connections :shrug:. I'm bummed...once again the light still blinks on every down and then. Would be better if it never turned on at all then I could move on but this thing keeps taunting me. The LED seems okay...just have to figure out what part to change/replace/fix.

Does anyone know what could cause this LED just to blink/flash but not turn on? Is this a lost cause? Shame...thing's practically brand new.

 

[lukevsdarth]

Definitely try some new batteries first. :candle:

 

[copperfox]

Definitely try some new batteries first. :candle:

He did that twice already!

bump for help.

 

[Fallingwater]

He did.
Post a few pics of the circuitry. First thing to go in a dropped light is usually the relatively delicate ferrite core in the inductor. Most other components are quite shock-proof.
Other things you want to look for are broken traces and solder joints.