Let's find out just where and how those drowned Equinoxs failed, I've heard of 4 now

[DeepseekerADS]

Those of you who have EQ's which have leaked water, could you please tell us what seal on your control module failed, as best as you can determine and what failed about the machine.

Maybe we should document failings and sources here to better give Minelab something to look at and fix.

It's been recommended that I just dunk mine and see if it fails right off the bat and await a replacement.

 

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[vferrari]

The Equinox has two seals that I know of. One behind the headphone jack and a double O-ring seal in the battery module. Otherwise, the control module is seal "welded" around the plastic seam and has to be dremeled off to get to the circuit board.

As far as the failures are concerned. I know of two, relatively quick, failures (probably incomplete "welding" of the plastic case) and one that failed after 50 some hours in the water (perhaps entrained salt water in the battery well causing a seal failure or perhaps one of the two seals was bad or missing due to a manufacturing flaw - who knows). I also know of several (more than 10) dedicated water hunters that have not had failures after 100 or more hours in the water.

To get a feel for the actual watertight performance of the unit, you really need to know how many people are getting their machines wet vs. how many are failing. ML is not questioning any failures right now and honoring all warranty replacements. This thing is also setting sales records, but that does not tell us how many are actually getting used in the water.

Hopefully, the handful of people who have failed units will respond, but hopefully others who have many hours on the Equinox submerged will also respond.

ML is already assessing the failures for design or manufacturing flaws already because they are the ones who are fixing them. Partial data from a single forum of a subset of Equinox users is likely not going to give ML any additional failure data. I am interested in who does respond because that would be good to know. Really should be" "Have you had your Equinox in the water? For how many hours? DId it fail? You don't just want to be getting the failure reports because that doesn't give you perspective on the whether there is a design flaw vs. a manufacturing flaw.

If you don't want to use the unit in the water, then no need to get it wet. If you do, then best to find out sooner rather than later if your machine has an issue. It's going to be covered by the warranty and replaced quickly. HTH.

Good luck and hope you get some good response to your request.

 

[smokeythecat]

Vferrari is correct. I would still give yours a bath. The company will stand behind it's warranty, but once the warranty is up, it's up, which is of course that way with anything.

I doubt the failures are widespread. If they are getting a failure in one in a hundred or one in a thousand sold, I sincerely doubt they will do anything quickly. It will or may be addressed in the next upgrade. Or when the next unit to replace the equinox. In a few years. Forums like these can magnify goofs, but the real numbers only Minelab knows and apparently they are not panicking right now.

 

[toddbbq]

I have over 100hrs on mine in and out of the gulf saltwater and no issues so far.

 

[GreenMeanie]

Well two of the guys with failed units hunt the same area that is why I thought maybe heat related then entering cold water.

 

[vferrari]

That is an interesting theory. The Equinox has been known to get overheated (shows up as a blackened LCD display) when sitting exposed to direct sunlight and hot temps. It recovers when allowed to cool down in the shade, but who knows if that loosens up the seals.

 

[toddbbq]

I never go straight to the water as I usually hunt a long stretch of dry sand first and then some wet sand if available due to tides then I go into the water. Oh and our water temps right now are 90 degrees. I do not keep my detector in my car for long as our daytime temps in my car can be over 150 degrees

 

[adamBomb]

I've dunked mine in the atlantic multiple times, water temps 65-85 degrees no problem.

 

[GreenMeanie]

I thought maybe entering through the liquid weld.
Just my thought on it.
Also the two guys I watch had them go down during the heat wave if I remember right.
But like mentioned earlier they sold a lot of these machines so I am not worried yet.

That is an interesting theory. The Equinox has been known to get overheated (shows up as a blackened LCD display) when sitting exposed to direct sunlight and hot temps. It recovers when allowed to cool down in the shade, but who knows if that loosens up the seals.

 

[cudamark]

I have over 100hrs on mine in and out of the gulf saltwater and no issues so far.

Same here. I don't dive with mine, just surf hunt. I also shower mine off at the end of the day. So far, so good.

 

[vferrari]

I thought maybe entering through the liquid weld.
Just my thought on it.
Also the two guys I watch had them go down during the heat wave if I remember right.
But like mentioned earlier they sold a lot of these machines so I am not worried yet.

As long as the percentages are low (less than 3 to 5%) and they stand behind their product, and that it shows up BEFORE the warranty expires, then I am ok with it.

 

[flgliderpilot]

Lots of water hunting here no leaks yet.

 

[howie#1]

Lots of water hunts here no leaks or gold!!!

 

[vferrari]

Lots of water hunts here no leaks or gold!!!

Keep hunting. Gold will eventually show up in the scoop if it's there.