BEWARE EON Steel POD batteries DOA out of box new! Very Disappointing

[KenGordon]

Dive with an spg as well. If the explanation above by Tom is correct then the battery is good. Have an spg in case (I do even without transmitter battery concerns) and get the battery kit or return it to the dealer for service when you get home.

 

[XS-NRG]

Always dive with an SPG no matter what! Every AI unit in the world from any and every brand of computer maker is going to fail/die/screw up at some point and because you have your SPG with you that you service on a regular basis or replace when it dies (I know that story, it just happened to me before my big trip) then you shouldn't have to ever worry about it!

 

[Tom Ahola]

Dpichler, I'm very sorry to hear that you got this low battery problem. We have tried to supply all dealers with the fixed versions of the Tank Pod but some might still be out there. Most likely only the indication is wrong and you have a perfectly good battery. But, as always with all scuba gear, be prepared to have a failure and plan how to continue or abort a dive in that case. But as soon as you are able to, we will replace your Tank Pod with a new one. You could talk to your nearest dealer and see if they can immediately swap a new Tank Pod for you. Otherwise, do a normal warranty return procedure (suunto.com/support) . Happy diving! Tom from Suunto

 

[Diving Dubai]

@Tom Ahola I posted a thread this week, not about battery's being flat new but with premature failure The full details are here:

Eon Steel - anticipated Tank Pod battery life

But out of 4 pods 2 are a year old (feb purchase) both with around 100 dives 1 shows a low battery 2 purchased in July with around 20 - 30 dives each both show low battery. my local agent is changing the batteries but I'm wondering if there is something else?

 

[dmc78]

It is not recommended to replace the battery by yourself! One problem is that the housing can develop leaks if the housing is not replaced every time the battery is replaced. Another problem is that the battery quality might be comprimised if bought from a random seller. This kind of special battery has a large capacity and long shelf life but it is impossible to measure the remaining capacity by voltage or internal impedance. The Tank Pod computes the remaining battery capacity by assuming a full capacity battery is inserted initially and then counting down capacity as the Tank Pod is used or kept idle. The early problems with a low battery indication from a brand new Tank Pod with full battery was that the capacity counter was reset by a shock from electrostatic discharge after shipping the product from the factory. This problem was fixed immediately when we learned about it. Batteries from random sellers might not have full capacity due to wrong storage conditions or long storage times. They might also be used batteries or discarded faulty batteries.

So, if you replace the battery yourself you void the warranty and risk flooding the Tank Pod. Also, the battery might run out of power before the indication says the battery is low. And always remember to keep a backup pressure gauge or prepare to abort the dive if your one and only pressure gauge fails, just as with any critical dive equipment. Regardless of Tank Pod battery indication in Eon Steel we recommend replacing the battery after 200 dives or 2 years, whichever comes first.

I wish you a happy new year and safe dives!
Tom from Suunto

Hi Tom, I purchased the Tank Pod battery replacement kit #SS020208000 which includes replacement battery,housing,O-ring and screws. To keep from voiding the warranty, are you saying that we cant replace the battery ourselves even with the OEM kit? If that's the case who can? any authorized Suunto service center?

 

[Tom Ahola]

Hi Tom, I purchased the Tank Pod battery replacement kit #SS020208000 which includes replacement battery,housing,O-ring and screws. To keep from voiding the warranty, are you saying that we cant replace the battery ourselves even with the OEM kit? If that's the case who can? any authorized Suunto service center?

I was mainly talking about replacing only the battery without replacing the cover. The kit is a better option but that can go wrong too. I don't think we even sell the battery replacement kits to customers at the moment. There are special instructions for replacing the battery, O-ring, housing and screws. A slight mistake here can cause the Tank Pod to leak. This is why our authorized Suunto service centers do the battery replacement and warranty will be voided if you do it yourself. The serial numbers are also checked by the service center and old Tank Pod with the static electricity sensitivity problem are replaced by new models.

So if you run out of battery during the 2-year warranty period I recommend taking the Tank Pod to an authorized service center for battery replacement. If you have done less than 300 dives during this period you will most likely get a new replacement Tank Pod for free, as you might have a Tank Pod with the sensitivity problem. The number of dives and usage time is recorded into the Tank pod memory and can be checked to investigate early battery failures.

After the warranty period I still recommend using a service center to replace the battery. If you are skilled and careful you can do the replacement yourself on your own risk. But you must use the official battery kit and also replace the housing and be very careful not to overtighten the screws, otherwise you could unexpectedly run out of battery or get a leak which destroys the Tank Pod.

 

[jcbrown]

So, if you replace the battery yourself you void the warranty and risk flooding the Tank Pod. Also, the battery might run out of power before the indication says the battery is low. And always remember to keep a backup pressure gauge or prepare to abort the dive if your one and only pressure gauge fails, just as with any critical dive equipment. Regardless of Tank Pod battery indication in Eon Steel we recommend replacing the battery after 200 dives or 2 years, whichever comes first.

What is the Sunnto Warranty on Tank POD and Battery? One Year or Two Years?

I've gone through several Tank POD's Battery Warranty Replacements. One Warranty Replacement was Shipped with a Bad Battery.

 

[Tom Ahola]

What is the Sunnto Warranty on Tank POD and Battery? One Year or Two Years?

I've gone through several Tank POD's Battery Warranty Replacements. One Warranty Replacement was Shipped with a Bad Battery.

Quoting the warranty statement from suunto.com:
"The Warranty Period is one (1) year for accessories including but not limited to wireless sensors and transmitters, chargers, cables, rechargeable batteries, straps, bracelets and hoses."

I wrongly earlier mentioned the 2 year warranty which is valid for products, not accessories. Sorry about my confusion. However, if you have one of the first Tank Pod revisions with known ESD sensitivity problem, you might get full replacement even after the warranty period. Our authorized service centers should know, based on the serial number, to automatically replace those with new Tank Pods.

 

[jcbrown]

Quoting the warranty statement from suunto.com:
"The Warranty Period is one (1) year for accessories including but not limited to wireless sensors and transmitters, chargers, cables, rechargeable batteries, straps, bracelets and hoses."

I wrongly earlier mentioned the 2 year warranty which is valid for products, not accessories. Sorry about my confusion. However, if you have one of the first Tank Pod revisions with known ESD sensitivity problem, you might get full replacement even after the warranty period. Our authorized service centers should know, based on the serial number, to automatically replace those with new Tank Pods.

Quoting the warranty statement from Suunto Tank POD - Wireless tank pressure transmitter:
"The Warranty Period is two (2) years for Products and Dive transmitters unless otherwise specified."

 

[Tom Ahola]

Great! Seems the warranty period for Tank Pods have been recently extended.