Squishy buttons. What to do?

[doragasu]

I received my unit past week and I've been doing some tests. I'm pretty impressed with it, but I think my unit has a small defect. It's the A button. B, X and Y buttons have a good feeling, and a good run when pressed. But A button is like if it's a bit stuck, with almost no run when pressed. Even pressing the case near the button, can make the Pandora recognize an A button press. This doesn't happen with the other buttons. I think this is the same problem described in other threads of this forum as "squishy button". I could try to fix it, but I'm afraid of voiding the warranty and damaging the unit.


Should I return my Pandora to get it fixed?

 

[TrashyMG]

I received my unit past week and I've been doing some tests. I'm pretty impressed with it, but I think my unit has a small defect. It's the A button. B, X and Y buttons have a good feeling, and a good run when pressed. But A button is like if it's a bit stuck, with almost no run when pressed. Even pressing the case near the button, can make the Pandora recognize an A button press. This doesn't happen with the other buttons. I think this is the same problem described in other threads of this forum as "squishy button". I could try to fix it, but I'm afraid of voiding the warranty and damaging the unit.


Should I return my Pandora to get it fixed?

If your worried about your warranty then I'd suggest returning it. However Moxie put out a tutorial on fixing it.. The Pandora can be tricky to disassemble and reassemble from what I hear. I'd suggest let professionals do it if there is any doubt in your mind about your confidence on fixing it.

 

[moxie]

If your worried about your warranty then I'd suggest returning it. However Moxie put out a tutorial on fixing it.. The Pandora can be tricky to disassemble and reassemble from what I hear. I'd suggest let professionals do it if there is any doubt in your mind about your confidence on fixing it.

What he said. It is an easy fix if you 1) have experience disassembling and reassembling small stuff, 2) knows how to deal with static and the like so as not to damage the board, and 3) are willing to take the hit if you f*ck up. I.e. if you're mad like me, then by all means. Otherwise, let someone else do it.

 

[doragasu]

Thanks for your tips. I think I'll email OP and return the console. I think I could fix it myself, but I don't like taking risks, considering the extremely looooong wait I had to suffer. If the unit gets damaged and out of warranty, I could instantly die!


Now the obvious question that comes next... How much time takes for OP to fix this kind of things?

 

[Alex777]

Thanks for your tips. I think I'll email OP and return the console. I think I could fix it myself, but I don't like taking risks, considering the extremely looooong wait I had to suffer. If the unit gets damaged and out of warranty, I could instantly die!


Now the obvious question that comes next... How much time takes for OP to fix this kind of things?

I had a similar problem with one of my face buttons. Try giving it a workout (pressing it repeatedly for a minute or two), and see how it feels afterward.


My button was totally nonfunctional with poor travel, but after breaking it in, it works fine. It's not quite as good as the other buttons yet, but it is getting better.

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

Thanks for your tips. I think I'll email OP and return the console. I think I could fix it myself, but I don't like taking risks, considering the extremely looooong wait I had to suffer. If the unit gets damaged and out of warranty, I could instantly die!


Now the obvious question that comes next... How much time takes for OP to fix this kind of things?

Mines been gone 2 weeks.Maybe they are waiting for the next batch of pandoras to come to give me a replacement console.Lcd screen and battery issues though.I guess it shouldnt take long to fix a single button though.

 

[Tosikko]

I had a squishy A-button as well. It was driving me crazy so I opened up my beloved Pandora, carved that extra plastic inside of the button and put it back together. Works great now. I think someone said this already, but you should keep an eye on the power switch while opening the machine. That little piece of plastic is easy to lose as it will fall off easily when you lift the board.

 

[samedi]

I have a squishy Y button. Not happy to open up my Pandora yet though. Think I'll live with it for a while <_<

 

[id10t]

My A button is the same.


I have soldered and dismantled lots of small fiddly things, but I only just got


my Panda, so I'm not sure whether to risk it yet.

 

[doragasu]

It looks like this happens a lot. I hope it's corrected for the next units. I was going to return my Panda, but each day I have it with me makes more difficult to get separated of it for an indefinite period of time. I think I'll try to fix it myself.


Hope I don't screw anything or you'll see me in the news!

 

[doragasu]

Finally I took the guts to open the unit and fixed the button!


It's working perfect! Now I can play Streets of Rage without fearing random "A" button keypresses.


The fix is dead easy if you know how to lift the board. I'm glad everything is working now as expected.

 

[vadsamoht]

Hope I don't screw anything or you'll see me in the news!

THIS JUST IN: MAN BREAKS WORKING HANDELD, MOBBED BY THOUSANDS OF ANGRY INTERNET USERS.

 

[levi]

Just to attempt to reiterate what mweston said in Moxie's thread, be careful when lifting the board - angle it and you're putting strain on the microphone, which (as I understand it) sticks up from the board and fits into a sleeve which sits in the central hinge area.

 

[Alex777]

Can someone attempting one of these DIY repairs post a video? Or at least a set of pics?

 

[Prometheus]

^ There's a post by Moxie here, which has a couple of pictures. I'm not sure if it's what you're after, but there it is.