Old Suunto finally giving up?

Hi,

I've been diving with an ancient air-integrated Suunto Favor Air Lux since ca 1998 and loved it all the time - it has no fancy functions but does it's job. During a recent trip, though, its wet contact buttons stopped working, I can not go back and check previous dive data etc. Also after diving it gets stuck in some cycle of activities, as if the buttons were pressed all the time. Little attention is all it needs to shut up, though. This is of course annoying but does not in itself prevent using it on dives.

However, I wonder - could it mean that it is somehow breaking internally and now unreliable? I'm on a rather tight budget so I'd prefer not buying a new one if not necessary.
(Yes I've always washed it with fresh water, stored dry and the batteries are fresh

I suspect it's gotten damp inside. Have you tried opening it up and leaving it a for a few days in a warm dry environment? Alternatively, I'd contact Suunto (not your dealer, who won't have a clue) and see whether they can "service" it. Odds are they will, for a relatively modest price.

The actual electronics are virtually everlasting given careful use and no knocks, but the user interface (buttons, battery compartment) get a lot of use and do tend to wear. The seals on the buttons can start to let a little water in, causing the contacts under the buttons to corrode. If it's caught early enough simply replacing these contacts and of course the seals may be all that's needed.

That's a good reason for returning your computer to Suunto periodically, to get all the seals replaced. I have no choice but to do that with my Stinger and it's a considerable nuisance, but it does mean your problem is most unlikely to happen to me.

I had the predecessor to the Favor, the Eon, and I also loved it. I sold it to a friend who still uses it.

OK thanks... but pardon for being this naive - by "opening it up", do you mean I should unscrew the back cover?

No, I meant remove the battery cover and battery.

First check that there isn't any corrosion on the contacts on the front of the computer. Use a pencil erazor, fingernail or fine sandpaper to remove.

Yay, drying open seems to have done the trick, so I can keep on diving with this great machine... Thanks

That's very encouraging - shows there's no significant damage. But if I were you I wouldn't dive with it, but contact Suunto to get it serviced. Water got in there somehow and it's probably via one of the seals - part of the service is to replace all of them. You may be unlucky and get more water in there, which could be terminal (especially if it's salt water).

Do Suunto have a Japanese facility?

This might be a better option as I am guessing that Suunto will not service some thing that old:

$200 Instant Rebate on Suunto Computers

I wouldn't do that myself, although I wouldn't try to dissuade anyone else. Suunto computers have been getting steadily more conservative and I couldn't dive with any of the recent ones that I've seen. Someone yesterday was diving with a Vytec2 and had 10 minutes of deco when my Nitek+ was showing 10 minutes before decompression. We were diving together, and had been the previous day. I know from experience that I can safely push the Nitek+ without suffering any ill effects, so I certainly don't want anything more conservative. Many dive professionals I know feel the same.

As to the Favor Air Lux, I don't think it's that old and there's a very good chance Suunto will still deal with it. My old Eon which predated the Favor is still being serviced in England.

Actually, I'm not sure there are any push buttons on the Favor, but just wet contacts. If that's the case then all that's needed is the battery cover O-ring, and if Suunto can't provide that (I'm sure they WILL be able and willing to) you can probably match it at a generic O-ring manufacturer.

I'd hang on to that computer as long as you can!

Scared silly, even though it might be otherwise tempting, I'm not sure I could make use of that offer (as I'm not on that continent). Thanks anyway...

Peterbj7, I suppose Suunto has service in Japan - I had that computer checked and batteries exchanged a year ago, and it did not take long enough to suspect they would have sent it to Finland. I’ll try to communicate with a local shop about that... thanks again for the advice, I'll hang onto this Favor .