Exploreer XS shuts down on me, WHY? Does this happen to you?

[buckrod]

I have an Exploreer XS and bought it new about 4 yrs ago. For the last two years it will just shut down on me as I am detecting. Battery is good at the time and even has half of the battery left. I have even changed from the rechargeable battery to alkaline batteries to see if this was the problem but does the same thing. When it shuts down it requires a hard reboot, I have to hold down the on button so it can go back to factory default. Then I can input all of my favorite setting again. This will happen about one to two times per day as I am detecting. I noticed over the weekend that when I flipped the switch on my probe it shut down. This is the first time that has happened. Anybody having this trouble? I don't know if I should send it in for a tuneup or just ride it out.
Thanks for any help.

 

[Steve(MS)]

Sounds like something that needs to be fixed, maybe some others can give input...What coil do you have on it when this happens and have you tried a different coil to see if it does the same thing? The only other thing I can think of is that the terminal that makes contact with the batteries has some corrosion on it, let us know how this works out.

 

[buckrod]

I have checked for corrosion but is ok. I am using the stock coil which comes with the machine. I do have an 8" minelab coil and also a Joey coil but I don't use them enough. I should try the 8" anyway, I am getting tendinitis in the elbow from the heavy stock coil. Thanks for the input.

 

[Captain Kirk]

My problem was that there was a quality problem in the auxiliary battery container package. I was not getting any voltage at the terminals.

I popped the lid (not the short part but the 6 5/8" section) off the battery pack and found the following. There is a small section right where the battery terminals connect to the battery pack terminals. In series with the positive terminal is a component that looks like a ceramic capacitor, but is actually a fuse (At least that is my opinion of what this part is). The terminal of the component that connects to the positive terminal of the battery pack had never been soldered. It was just laying in place and making contact only by the spring action of the lead. Adding solder to the lead solved the problem.

It takes a little bit of force to actually pop off the top cover of the case. So, be careful not to break the case when taking off the cover to see if you have the same problem.

Hope you find the problem.

Glenn

 

[buckrod]

Thanks for the input. I am not sure I would trust myself in doing this. I wonder what it would cost to send the machine in for a check over. I won't be using the machine from Nov. thru March due to winter.

 

[Captain Kirk]

Do you have both a rechargeable and auxiliary battery pack?

The rechargeable pack is sealed and you cannot open it. The auxiliary battery pack is the one that I had the problem with. This is the one that you can open.

At any rate if you have a second battery pack, then I suggest that you run that battery for a while and see if the problem persists. If it does, then your problem is not with the battery pack.

HH,
Glenn

 

[Hard Nosed Dave]

You say:

"I noticed over the weekend that when I flipped the switch on my probe it shut down."

If the coil circuit has a shorting wire outside of it or the short happens within a possibly defective flip switch, this will usually cause this effect.

See if the problem occurs with a main search coil only.

The problem may simply need you to replace that coil flip switch or separate bare wires that have crossed.

Inspect inside the probe flip switch box to ensure that none of the wires in there are damaged or shorting.

David Di

 

[buckrod]

Thank you, this is helpful information. I'll take a look at it. I know that the little rubber boot on the sunray probe switch is broken. Maybe dirt got into it and is causing the problem.

 

[buckrod]

Thanks for your input too. Although this problem persists with both batteries. The rechargeable battery and the battery pack which has alkaline batteries in. I thought the same so I switched packs, problem happened again 3 hrs. later.

 

[Rick(ND)]

Jon,

I just replaced Terry's switch on his X1 as it was doing the same thing, his boot got tore and dirt got in the switch and when he turned on the probe the Explorer shut down. There was 2 different switch used as I have seen, James had a 4 terminal one while Terry had a 3 terminal one. What you can do first is clean it with some contact cleaner and see if it will help and if it does just get a new rubber boot for the switch.

 

[Rick(ND)]

One of the things I would do and I know it will be hard to do, but take the probe off and see if it still does this as it can be in the switching box as I posted before. Also you can try with the detector turned on open the battery cover and push in on the battery, or wiggle the pack a little and see if it will shut down as I had one in that did this as it had a bad connection where the pack meets the springs.