Surefire NOT faulty - Problem solved - my fault :(

[Niconical]

See below - problem solved - my fault, I twisted too hard on 2 drop-ins.

Hello.

I have (among others) a Surefire G2L.

Today I was holding it, turned on, and suddenly it turned off.

I loosened the tail, tightened again, it came back on, so I didn't think much more of it, maybe I had only tightened the tail just enough.

A short while later, it did the same thing, but this time it wouldn't come back on.

The light is quite new, just a few hours use.

So, 3 obvious causes...

The LED: No, tried it in other lights, works fine. Tried lamps from other lights in this G2L, they don't work. I tried both with the bezel on and tight, and with it removed and just touching the light assembly spring to the batteries while the tail was tight. No luck.

The batteries: No, tried them in other lights, fine, new batteries in G2L don't work.

The tailcap/switch: No, same as the last 2 options, tried the tail/switch on another light, works fine, tried a different tail/switch on this G2L, doesn't work.

All I'm left with to test or to blame is the body, but unless I'm missing something, which I clearly am, the body is not much more than a tube made of nitrolon with some threads at either end, so what is there to "go wrong"?

Other than that I don't know what to say. Batteries, LED, tail/switch, they all work in other lights. Put batteries/LED/tail from other lights to this G2L and it doesn't work.

Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Carpenter]

Re: Faulty Surefire - Please help/advise

Make sure that all the metal contacts and the threads on the body are clean. Dirty metal could cause a "lack of connection".

Try using a paperclip between the batteries and the tailcap portion of the body to make sure you are getting connectivity there.

 

[Niconical]

Re: Faulty Surefire - Please help/advise

I have just gone through and tested everything again, and this is the result.....



When I was doing the testing, I had the G2L on one side, 3 complete lights on the other side which I had been cleaning earlier. Of those 3 lights, 1 had a non-Surefire drop-in, 1 had a malkoff, 1 had a Surefire P60.

The problem G2L had a non-Surefire drop-in.

It seems that by an unfortunate twist of luck, each time I was using a different lamp to test the "faulty" nitrolon body, it was the other non-Surefire drop-in that I picked up.

The end result is that I have been through it all again, and it seems that what I have probably done is to untwist a section of each of the non-Surefire drop-ins and presumably cut a wire inside or something like that.

I have confirmed this by trying both of them in various other bodies, and also by testing the other lamps in the previously "faulty" G2L body, and it is all fine.

So, I'm down 2 drop-ins, but at least I know I didn't somehow manage to "break" a nitrolon tube, and I suppose these things happen.

Is there a maximum amount of I am allowed to put per post?

 

[chmsam]

Re: Faulty Surefire - Please help/advise

Just because batteries function in one light and not in another does not mean they are fresh and healthy (and one doesn't mean the other -- batteries right out of the package can sometimes act up). If you do not have a battery tester, just try a new set of batteries any time a light doesn't work as it should -- cheapest way to go.

When you get a chance, to a search and review some posts on light maintenance and you might find some tips.

If all else fails, SF has a good warranty.

 

[Niconical]

Re: Faulty Surefire - Please help/advise

Multiple sets of batteries were tried and tested, all fine there.

As for Surefire having a good warranty, they certainly do, but not covering non-Surefire parts, and definately not covering clumsy idiots who twist things off that they shouldn't!

Oh well, oops.

 

[Size15's]

Re: Faulty Surefire - Please help/advise

Would you like to edit your first post and the thread title to reflect the results of your troubleshooting?

 

[Niconical]

Re: Faulty Surefire - Please help/advise

That's a good idea, I'll do that now.

"Problem solved" should do it, although "user to blame" would be good if it fits.

 

[Niconical]

I'm actually really glad that it was the drop-ins, and that it was my fault.

I'm new to Surefire, and it was love at first sight, and the thought that I might have a faulty one just took the shine off for me for a while.

I should have known really.
Line up the possible culprits, me, or Surefire, the answer is clear

 

[tx101]

A clear case of User Malfunction

:nana::nana::nana:

 

[alphazeta]

Re: Faulty Surefire - Please help/advise

The end result is that I have been through it all again, and it seems that what I have probably done is to untwist a section of each of the non-Surefire drop-ins and presumably cut a wire inside or something like that.

Niconical, that sounds like a relatively easy fix for the drop-ins. Have you had any experience with soldering? Even with basic soldering skills you should be able to salvage those drop-ins.
-AZ

 

[Niconical]

Unfortunately I don't have any soldering knowledge, or a solder.

However, seeing as I assumed I had completely broken the drop-in, I unscrewed the main section from the reflector anyway just to have a look. Looking down at it, there is the LED, a black wire and a red wire, and they both look soldered into place as far as I can see.

So, I don't know what I did to it, but the visible wires all look stuck in place where they should be. Anyway, the end result is, they don't work, and they stopped working after a session of me screwing, unscrewing, swapping and swapping back, so I'm guessing I must have done something wrong

 

[TMorita]

I've noticed that some of the non-Surefire drop-ins are not manufacturered properly, and some are too tall and create a gap between the bezel and the body.

If a non-Surefire drop-in was too short, the reflector would not touch the body even when the bezel is screwed in all the way, and it would never light. Basically, there would be a gap between the metal body (+ side) and the drop-in.

You might check if that is the problem.

Toshi