Hairline crack - an older build issue resurfacing?


Prometheus

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So, I went to plug something into my Pandora today, and noticed that a small hairline crack has appeared, running down from the USB 2.0 High Speed port, over the rounded part of the case, and slightly onto where the case becomes flat again on the back. Below is a picture (along with with a highlighted version to make it slightly easier to see where the crack currently runs);


Hairline_Crack.png



I absolutely baby this thing, and I know that I haven't caused this. I recall that this issue appeared on some of the earlier units, and it was believed to be due to a screw being tightened too much during building (I'm assuming it's the nearby one, the screw-hole for which appears in my photograph?). The thing is, this is one of the most recent Pandoras (it's a month-and-a-half old), rather than one of the earlier ones where this issue cropped up before.


I'm just posting this to let the team know that this may be cropping up again, so that it can be stomped out, and also to find out whether this will become worse and/or whether there's anything I can do about it. I already tried to loosen the offending screw, but it is done up so tight that it will not budge.


I really, really don't want to have to send it back - knock on wood, this unit works flawlessly.


Any thoughts?
 
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This tiny crack appeared on mine too. Thankfully I was able to back off the screw there, which prevented it from getting worse. Loosening the screw a little made no difference to how 'solid' the Pandora felt. I do wonder if torpor's suggestion is a good idea; to add a small washer to that location during assembly to prevent stress around the USB port. Also, torque screwdrivers.
 
I guess I'll keep trying to loosen it, if that'll stop it in its tracks... I just hope I can - I don't think I've ever come across such a tightly-wound screw on any device I've ever owned. :blink:
 
Be careful, craig might blame you for it! j/k


Mine had bowing along the back seam and a not-so-hairline crack on the USB port too. I sent my unit back last month, hopefully the my replacement model doesn't suffer from the same issue.
 
I don't think any changes are made to the casing, so apart from the tightness of the crews, all casing will suffer from these issues.
 
I have the same crack on mine (got my pandy in june) I noticed it a while back I have sent mine back anyway due to faulty lcd cable but didn't mention the crack on my repair note because it hasn't affected the usage of the device or stopped it functioning I think its just a flaw in the case design, it must be week at that point.


does anyone know how long it takes to get the pandora returned after being shipped for repair?
 
My hairline crack is on the left side of the port. Like you, I baby my Pandora, so I know it wasn't caused by a drop or putting something heavy on top of it.


I received mine about a month ago, so this was from the 700+ shipment.


This hasn't hinder my play and doesn't appear to cause any mechanical problem, so I don't intend to send it back.
 
I don't have my Pandora yet, but (in case you don't care to much about cosmetics) may it be possible to 'fix' the crack with some sort of instant adhesive to prevent it from getting worse over time? That would be a solution for me.
 
That's what I'm hoping to find out. Well, that or hoping to find out that it won't get any worse. :lol: (I still can't get that damn screw to move.)
 
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Hmm I didnt check this and I have it aswell :eek: nothing to serious imo (if it doenst get worse)


Upon further examination one screw is completly missing! not the one near the usb but the one left in front. However the pandora still feels more tight than my previous units.
 
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I don't have my Pandora yet, but (in case you don't care to much about cosmetics) may it be possible to 'fix' the crack with some sort of instant adhesive to prevent it from getting worse over time? That would be a solution for me.
To make it look best, I'd expect you'd need to get inside the case, so you can leave a blob of glue/resin/what have you at the crack propagation point to stop it getting bigger - but you can't do that if you can't get into the case because the screws are too tight :(
 
I don't have my Pandora yet, but (in case you don't care to much about cosmetics) may it be possible to 'fix' the crack with some sort of instant adhesive to prevent it from getting worse over time? That would be a solution for me.

Had a crack in the same place in my first unit, was thinking of attempting a similar fix but the unit developed the PSOD (purple screen of death) and had to be returned. My replacement unit does not have the crack.


The crack on my first unit slowly got bigger over time, my guess is that we are dealing with a combination of a weak point in the case and the rear screw being overly tight.


@ Prometheus, could be worth a little squirt of WD40 onto the offending screw and then leaving it for a few hours before trying again, it's worked for me in the past with seemingly immovable screws on other gadgets.
 
I don't have any WD40 to hand - would that actually be safe to use? Come to think of it, how would it get to where it needs to be? (I mean, there only seems to be enough room to put a screwdriver in the hole for it - am I being dim here? :lol: )


If it definitely wouldn't do any harm, I'll go and get some. :p
 
You'd be amazed how WD40 and other oil-based products find their way into seemingly impossible places. However, after a quick google I can't honestly say that it definitely won't do any harm - there are reports of people frying anything from PCs to motorbikes using WD40.


One thing you might try if you haven't already is trying to undo it after charging the Pandora. The extra heat might warm up the screw enough to cause it to expand a couple of tenths and that might be enough to get the screw started.
 
Ooh, now that's a good one. I noticed this not long after my last charge, so I'll give that a go when it needs to be topped up again. Thanks for the suggestion. :)
 
could this be the cause of initial problem? opt putting it together while its cold, then when its charged it gets hot, expends and causes crack?
 
I have the same crack on mine (got my pandy in june) I noticed it a while back I have sent mine back anyway due to faulty lcd cable but didn't mention the crack on my repair note because it hasn't affected the usage of the device or stopped it functioning I think its just a flaw in the case design, it must be week at that point.


does anyone know how long it takes to get the pandora returned after being shipped for repair?
About "Two months" ;)
 
You'd be amazed how WD40 and other oil-based products find their way into seemingly impossible places. However, after a quick google I can't honestly say that it definitely won't do any harm - there are reports of people frying anything from PCs to motorbikes using WD40.


One thing you might try if you haven't already is trying to undo it after charging the Pandora. The extra heat might warm up the screw enough to cause it to expand a couple of tenths and that might be enough to get the screw started.

Would the expansion of the screw make it harder to remove? I would take a can of compressed air and hold the tube right on the screw and fire for about 10 seconds then try to remove immediately, hopefully it would have contracted a bit due to the cold and it might come out. I would still rather spray WD40 using the straw tube into a sandwich bag, dip a toothpick in and gently apply it around the screw so you could better control the amount going in there. This way you can make sure not to put so much it seeps down below the screw and gets on components.


Just a couple of ideas, hope it helps.
 
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About "Two months" ;)

I'm sure you're probably meaning that as a joke - but I'm at over a month since they actually emailed me saying they received my defective unit and still haven't even shipped out a replacement. Two months is probably realistic.
 
This sounds like a good idea :

... I would still rather spray WD40 using the straw tube into a sandwich bag, dip a toothpick in and gently apply it around the screw so you could better control the amount going in there. This way you can make sure not to put so much it seeps down below the screw and gets on components.

Never had any problems on the couple of occasions I've used WD40 around electronic components but then again I've just used a small amount on particularly stubborn screws or to give a fan a last lease of life whilst waiting for a replacement.
 
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