My Exp. II died on Saturday

[DCMatt]

Got to a new site Saturday afternoon. Switched on my Exp II. Got the power up tones and the Minelab logo, then it shut down. New batteries and taking the probe off didn't help.

Any thoughts or suggestions before I send it for repair?

DCMatt

 

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[Iron Patch]

So it has been dead since? Probe or coils wouldn't matter, should always power up. The most simple problem would be a loss of battery connection. Other than that something more serious.

 

[Jaygee Western MA]

when I change batteries on my xt it sometimes won't turn on, try using a small pick to stretch the weak springs, worked for me

 

[Jeff In North Georgia]

Battery pack contacts on the pack or the springs can get some oxidization on them. Try rubbing them with a pencil eraser and use a little WD40 to clean and protect them.

I've also had a contact break in a pack. Try checking the voltage if you have a volt/ohm meter.

Jeff

 

[DCMatt]

I sent it to repair. It would come on but then shut down after about 5 seconds.

DCMatt

 

[DCMatt]

Re: My Exp. II died on Saturday (Update 6/4 - repaired)

Well, learned a lesson on this one. Two words - Factory reset.

I think my battery got "dunked" in an orange juice spill by one of my kids. It caused an intermittent low voltage condition. This condition locked up the electronics in the machine. All it needed was a good battery (which I tried) and a factory reset (which I did NOT try). So... next time I'll save myself $50 by trying the factory reset before I sent the unit off to repair.

DCMatt

 

[Fast_Dave]

Just an additional thought on this one. Last spring I slipped on a muddy hillside and my detector whacked into a clod of frozen dirt. When I tried turning it back on, I had the exact same syptoms. What I later discovered was that when I fell everything had reset to zero. Not back to factory presets, but back to zero. That included volume, tone variability and screen contast, so I had no sound and no visibility to the screen. I wouldn't have known, but I happened to catch a bright light reflecting off the LCD display at an extreme angle and saw what appeared to be my normal display. Stupid me, rather than doing a factory reset I found the method to increase screen contrast and proceeded to redo all the other variables to my satisfaction.

 

[godisnum1]

I think the guy I'm buying an Explorer XS off of had the same problem. Too late to let him know though, as he already sent it out last week.
What's the turn around time for Minelab anyway?

Bran <><

 

[Iron Patch]

I think the guy I'm buying an Explorer XS off of had the same problem. Too late to let him know though, as he already sent it out last week.
What's the turn around time for Minelab anyway?

Bran <><

Same problem as?

Many people think they have a detector problem and have even gone as far to send it in, and all they would have had to do is a factory reset. I know of two people who used their detectors for weeks (probably months) with a glitch and were not operating correctly. I realized there was a problem and fixed it all in less than 2 minutes. (reset)

I wouldn't worry too much until you get it to try for yourself.

 

[godisnum1]

I think the guy I'm buying an Explorer XS off of had the same problem. Too late to let him know though, as he already sent it out last week.
What's the turn around time for Minelab anyway?

Bran <><

Same problem as?

Well, learned a lesson on this one. Two words - Factory reset.

I think my battery got "dunked" in an orange juice spill by one of my kids. It caused an intermittent low voltage condition. This condition locked up the electronics in the machine. All it needed was a good battery (which I tried) and a factory reset (which I did NOT try). So... next time I'll save myself $50 by trying the factory reset before I sent the unit off to repair.

DCMatt

The guy got the detector to power up two times the day before, but he said the last time that it powered up and he saw the startup screen... it then made a dying sound like the batteries were going dead and shut off. He said that he figured the rechargeable battery had just given up the ghost, after so many years of using it... so he didn't bother trying again until the next evening when I came over, after he had fully charged the battery all day. It just wouldn't come on, even with the AA battery pack and a fresh set of batteries. I felt bad for the old guy, 'cause he was down on his knees for a while and kept saying how he doesn't understand why it wouldn't turn on, and that it just turned on yesterday twice. He contacted Minelab the next day and they told him that the problem was likely because the old battery "did something to the electronics & settings" and that they would fix it if he sent it in. My first suggestion the evening before was to do a factory reset, but I couldn't find the information in a quick flip through of the manual... plus I was kinda sidetracked rummaging around in all the buttons, coins and rings that he's found over the years. I bet the factory reset would've worked, if I only knew. Well at least he offered to send it off to Minelab... and if it was anything else, it should be in great shape when it gets back.

Bran <><

 

[Iron Patch]

I think the guy I'm buying an Explorer XS off of had the same problem. Too late to let him know though, as he already sent it out last week.
What's the turn around time for Minelab anyway?

Bran <><

Same problem as?

Well, learned a lesson on this one. Two words - Factory reset.

I think my battery got "dunked" in an orange juice spill by one of my kids. It caused an intermittent low voltage condition. This condition locked up the electronics in the machine. All it needed was a good battery (which I tried) and a factory reset (which I did NOT try). So... next time I'll save myself $50 by trying the factory reset before I sent the unit off to repair.

DCMatt

The guy got the detector to power up two times the day before, but he said the last time that it powered up and he saw the startup screen... it then made a dying sound like the batteries were going dead and shut off. He said that he figured the rechargeable battery had just given up the ghost, after so many years of using it... so he didn't bother trying again until the next evening when I came over, after he had fully charged the battery all day. It just wouldn't come on, even with the AA battery pack and a fresh set of batteries. I felt bad for the old guy, 'cause he was down on his knees for a while and kept saying how he doesn't understand why it wouldn't turn on, and that it just turned on yesterday twice. He contacted Minelab the next day and they told him that the problem was likely because the old battery "did something to the electronics & settings" and that they would fix it if he sent it in. My first suggestion the evening before was to do a factory reset, but I couldn't find the information in a quick flip through of the manual... plus I was kinda sidetracked rummaging around in all the buttons, coins and rings that he's found over the years. I bet the factory reset would've worked, if I only knew. Well at least he offered to send it off to Minelab... and if it was anything else, it should be in great shape when it gets back.

Bran <><

But if it's 100% dead you can't do a reset. If you can get power the detector could just be locked up from when the battery failed and you might be ok.

 

[elusion]

I just had this happen... My coil bumped a rock and jarred the battery loose so the detector shut off. When I turned it back on all I got was the startup tone and a blank screen. Examining it closer however revealed that the screen wasn't blank, the contrast and every other setting was set back to 0 so it was displaying really lightly colored text. So I did what the manual said and held down the power button until I heard the 6 note startup sequence, everything was reset, then it worked fine. I think its a good thing to keep in mind for explorer users.

 

[gibsondan]

I sent it to repair. It would come on but then shut down after about 5 seconds.

DCMatt

The same thing happened to my E-trac. I sent it in and they replaced the printed circuit board. Works fine now. Hope they don't keep your detector for too long. I got mine back in about 3 weeks.