My D10 SP has FTF issues!

Earlier I had posted that my Nitecore D10 SP was not properly operating while exposed to cold. Well it seems that it isn't just a cold weather issue but my D10 has FTF (failure to fire) issues all the time now. I don't know any other way to explain it. Sometimes (about 50%) when I press the piston to turn the light on it doesn't light up. Sometimes it will blink once but not light up and sometimes if I continuously press the piston it will eventually light up and work properly. So here are some things I have tried to this point. I have cleaned and relubed the piston and threads. I have changed out the o-ring on the piston. I have wiped any excess lube from the piston. I have also removed the switch ring, cleaned and lightly lubed that as well. Oh yes batteries are all GTG, I only use lithium's or AW rechargeable for my Nitecore lights. So if anyone has any other thoughts I'm all ears. Thanks.

Jason

signalprick said:

.. Sometimes it will blink once but not light up and sometimes if I continuously press the piston it will eventually light up and work properly.

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Pain in the behind isn't it? My D10 R2 ramper was very inonsistent in operation for this reason too, I never knew what my presses and clicks were actually going to do from one try to the next which was frustrating me to the point that I nearly gave up on the torch. I would actually have done so if I didn't really love the simple and solid knurled feel of the thing.

When I had this problem on mine it was because the switch ring in the head was not returning after the first press and was thus losing contact with the piston (and thus breaking continutiy of the power supply). Incidently this is basically how the light works when one unscrews the head a fair way to initiate momentary mode.

I was able to replicate the problem by taking the piston out of the body and actually using it manually to evenly press down on the ring. Every now and then I could see that the ring would not return and would just rattle around if I jiggled it (so i knew it wasn't the ring itself that was binding).

The reason my ring was not returning from the inital press to follow the piston back was that the big gold plated spring underneath it, ie the one that's wrapped around the inner head of the light (i think you blokes call it a "pill"?) was binding and staying stuck down after the ring released pressure on it.

I took the inner head (pill?) out of the light and I could see a part of the gold plating on its barrel that was wearing more than the rest where the end of the spring was binding. I smoothed down a catchy burr on the spring end and also forced it a tad in the unwound direction to loosen its grip a teensy bit on the head and then placed on a very small amount of teflon lube. I put it all back together and the torch has functioned perfectly ever since.

I was kinda thinking my next step was to fully disassemble it and see what's going on. They are great lights and I personally like the SP U/I. I also own the EX10 R2 with the ramping U/I so this D10 fills a void for me and I really don't want to give up on it just yet.

Yep yep yep. :shakehead I too have this problem with my new EX-10 SP. I started a thread here with the same and received about the same responses. I believe it is what the guy above said that the spring in the head is the culprit. Mine seems so slide hard but I have the same problem w/ one blink, lockout, and three clicks to reinstate. I tried all of the above and right now I am running it w/o o-ring. It seems to work better but then one has to be aware of the weather. I contacted 4sevens and hopefully they can send me a new easier-operating one. Kind of dissapointed because the SP being like a second edition of the EX-10, D10 - the problem shouldn't be showing up or have been quicky remedied already, right? Anyway, thats my two cents. Happy Holidays!

signalprick said:

I was kinda thinking my next step was to fully disassemble it and see what's going on. They are great lights and I personally like the SP U/I. I also own the EX10 R2 with the ramping U/I so this D10 fills a void for me and I really don't want to give up on it just yet.

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It might be worth giving a little twist with a small screwdriver in the split of the brass ring. That was one of the early suggestions for these which seemed to help a lot of original buyers out.

i have the same exact problem where my D10 SP R2 also no longer have the memory,it will go to medium mode instead of what mode i have choose.sometimes it won't light up as well except for blinking.
I gonna send it back,the RMA has been issued.

I had a similar issue with an EX10.

The brass ring wasn't returning after being depressed by the piston. I opened the light up and removed the innards; the spring was getting stuck around the brass pill. I simply stretched the spring a little and spaced out the coils. I then applied the tiniest amount of Nyogel 760G to the outside of the brass pill (underneath the spring) to stop it catching. Works like a charm now.

The EX10 is a lot easier to disassemble than the D10 but the principal and internals are exactly the same.

Well I took out the pill and used a screw driver to spread the ring. Cleaned the pill assembly the best I could very lightly lubed around the spring, lubed the ring again reassembled and all is working as intended! :twothumbs What a PITA! I got this light as my first AA but I don't see it replacing my EX10 anytime soon! Anyone interested in a freshly clean D10 SP 1st edition with a brand new clip and two fully charged unused AW 14500 cells keep an eye out in the B/S/T forums I'm strongly considering a different direction! Not that this is a bad light but like I said, it will not replace my EX10 anytime soon and I lean more to CR123 lights.

What you just did is pretty normal operation for a D10! I also tighten the reflector to the maximum to gain a little more way for teh piston and yesterday I cut the springs down to be able to use 14500 without any problems.

Keep that light! It'll work flawlessly now, if you also cleaned the blue sticky lube already off and relubed with something real!

I think the ultimate solution is polishing the outer dia. of the switch ring to remove the lathe tool marks. That is 95% of the issue. The tool marks on the inside of the body, and the outside of the ring are the same. They mate together and lock, so the ring doesn't move properly.

Nitecore needs to run different feed speeds on the lathes that cut these two pieces or polish the outside of the ring.

batmanacw said:

I think the ultimate solution is polishing the outer dia. of the switch ring to remove the lathe tool marks. That is 95% of the issue. The tool marks on the inside of the body, and the outside of the ring are the same. They mate together and lock, so the ring doesn't move properly.

Nitecore needs to run different feed speeds on the lathes that cut these two pieces or polish the outside of the ring.

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Helpful comment, hope Nitecore is following this thread!