Left Shoulder Button Issue

[ZarkSeven]

I just got my device this week and love it, but I noticed that the left shoulder button would stick and seemed to sort of waggle above being flush with the case. I opened it up to see what was going on. The sticking when pressed down seems to be that the button is just very tight on the post that holds it. The waggle is different though. It looks like a piece of the rectangular stopper that stops the button from rising too high when not depressed has been shaved off. (see pic) It is missing part of the piece closest to the inside edge of the case, so rather than stop the button from raising up any further than flush, the button waggles between flush and raised above flush.


Is there any reason why this would be like this?


Thanks!

 

[vadsamoht]

I honestly have no idea why the button is missing that piece. Ar you sure it didn't come off during disassembly?


Some other people has trouble with their shoulder buttons, I'll link the thread when I find it - it might help answer some questions.

 

[vadsamoht]

This is the thread. It mainly documents people's issues with the shoulder buttons and the solutions they found.


EDIT: Sorry, this was meant as an edit to the previous post.

 

[quartercast]

^ that's for older pandoras, I thought shoulder button issues were fixed for the german ones?

 

[craigix]

^ that's for older pandoras, I thought shoulder button issues were fixed for the german ones?

Nothing has changed with the case design, but the buttons on the board should be better placed now.


The usual solution to this is to just cut off that post entirely.


PS now you have dismantled the unit be extremely careful when putting the screws back in or you will go right though the case.

 

[vadsamoht]

As Craig hinted at, the design hasn't changed so much that the old thread isn't relevant, and it may help the OP better understand his particular issue (or not, depending on what the original issue actually turns out to be).


Assuming the problem is with that missing piece of moulded plastic on the button, where the fault actually came from doesn't really matter at the moment because the team aren't going to change production spec simply because of one failed unit even if it is their fault. So the only real way forwards is to try to find a workable fix. I think the best way to replace the missing plastic would either be with an epoxy-resin mix or simply a two-part araldite mix, being very careful that you don't let the button touch anything else before it is completely dry. SuperGlue (or Gorilla Glue, or whatever variant is available near you) would probably also work but in my experience it does not set completely hard so it could compress slightly over time.


The other option is simply to tape something in place - I think this would be an inferior alternative to the above but it has the advantages of being very easy to do and reverse if necessary.

 

[craigix]

I assure you removing the whole piece is the best course of action to get the button working properly if it's sticking (or are you just saying the button isn't sitting flush? - Nothing can really be done about that if so).


The reason it's half gone is probably because the assembler meant to remove it all and didn't quite manage it.


Due to the case design having almost no tolerance that piece is what causes sticky or jammed shoulder buttons - if you replace the missing plastic the button will likely just jam.


The reason you saw an abrupt halt to shoulder button issues last year is because I removed all those ridges on all units made here, it 100% solves the problem.

 

[T.T.]

I think what he's saying is that the shoulder button moves too much.

 

[ZarkSeven]

I opened it up because the left shoulder button was sticky. About half of the time that I pushed it down, it stayed down. It looks like that is just that the button is tight on the post. The right shoulder button swings on its post much easier. I assume that shaving the post surface for the left button a little would loosen it up.


But when I was looking at the problem before opening things up, I noticed that the left button also wobbled upwards a short distance above flush. I thought maybe the two things were related, but once I opened it up I saw that the stickiness is due totally to how tight it is on the post. The wobble seems to be due to that rectangle being cut off, so the button can actually move above the flush (non-pressed) position. I was just wondering why one was partially cut off and the other wasn't.

 

[craigix]

It's due to the slightly inaccurate placing of the actual buttons on the PCB.


CC were terrible at it, GC are trying to do a better job.