Surefire tailcap switch failures

I've read alot about surefire clickies failing on occasion, didn't think much of it till mine died after less than a month. It worked fine when brand new, then over the next couple weeks began feeling "odd", sorta mushy like something inside wasn't fitted right. One day at work it just finally got stuck and wouldn't move from the on position unless struck sharply against something.

I was about to call it in to surefire but after visually inspecting it I decided to try a bit of oil in the switch mechanism. In went the FP-10 and out came a switch that operated better than new. I decided that probably wasn't the best lubricant for this application so I went home and flushed it with contact cleaner, and applied some caig progold (made for electronic contacts and switches), the carrier made it stick like it was dry but once that evaporated it's been working fine and has been ever since.

So if your clicky gets stuck and doesn't want to work I'd suggest trying an electronics lubricant or carefully applied light oil before bothering surefire about it.

I have a Z48 that just started being a pain in the A$$
I tried the oil and still nothing.
Does anyone know how to take apart this style tailcap?
I took off the rubber boot, and then the black plastic ring around the rubber switch cover, and....yeah....I'm stuck
I'll probably have surefire warrenty it but i've always wanted to know how to take this style (Z48,Z49,SW02) tailcap apart.

Not sure about those tailcaps, the one on the L4 has the clickie mechanism acessible once it's removed from the flashlight.

Its quite common with these tailcaps, most of the time a good clean and lube brings them back to life

It is the black plastic slide/click mechanism that gets stuck, its deep in the top (towards the rubber boot) or the clicky, it's the part that "clicks".

DaFABRICATA said:

I have a Z48 that just started being a pain in the A$$
...
I'll probably have surefire warrenty it but i've always wanted to know how to take this style (Z48,Z49,SW02) tailcap apart.

Click to expand...

really, you had a Z48 fail? would be the first one i hear of. and i would really like to see how the z48 looks internally

BBL said:

really, you had a Z48 fail? would be the first one i hear of. and i would really like to see how the z48 looks internally

Click to expand...

I would too, and i'd post pics if i could get it apart!!!

Clean out the tailcap with an air compressor the same thing happened to my E2E turns out there was an aluminum shaving stuck in there.

I had two clickies go bad in the same week both on brand new lights. A surefire E2D and a 6PD. The were both very stiff and would stick in the on position. There was a post on here about how to disasseble the tailcaps and stretch a small spring and lubricate the assembly. I followed the directions and the tailcaps are better than than new. So if yours is doing this it can be fixed very easily.

here is the post
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?p=346949

same for me. I did the oil thing 2 yrs ago on my E2D tailcap. No Problem ever since. If your SF tailcap isn't working, try some oil. Although I would suggest you get oil that do not in any way corrode the rubber boot.

well, i tried some lube. apparently the problem has disappeared. but i am still weary as to why a switch would not function just because it is not lubricated properly. usually lubrication enhances something that works, not enables it to work.

right now i am subjecting it to drop tests to ensure it will KEEP working and not just work for a few hours


does white lithium grease work well for this job? right now, i am using paintball gun oil. which is good, because it is designed to work with rubber O rings and seals. but then again i want to make sure i use the right stuff

when i disassembled the tail cap, there was reminents of old dried up lubricant. it was white so i am assuming it was lithium

Oil would work best I think. What was happening in mine was that the small moving parts inside the switch were beginning to bind and not move properly after a month or so of use. It would be difficult/messy to get lithium grease in those spots. My guess is that there is little to no lubrication on the switches from the factory. On a side note, I lost that L4 while working a few months back. Hopefully surefire releases a cree version soon so I can replace it

Sorry for hijacking this thread but does anyone know if sf will replace a very worn out switch for my e2e? Poor thing is on its last leg.

yes

thermal guy said:

does anyone know if sf will replace a very worn out switch for my e2e?

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everything is lifetime warranty except the bulb and batteries