Repairing flashlights with faulty Cree LED's.

I have two flashlights that are both very solid designs but both with a broken Cree LED.
In each case the manufacturer basically told me they are non repairable.
Considering that there weren't cheap and are both only a few months old I am looking into options for doing a home repair.
As I'm not familiar with Cree LED's are am looking for some input to see if it's worth it going down this route?

Evert.

 

[William Sommerwerck]

If they're only a few months old, Cree and/or the manufacturer are obliged to
replace them. Scream and yell until you get them to.

Point out to them that, as LEDs have an inherently long lifespan, these LEDs
must be inherently defective. You are therefore entitled to a replacement
under the warranty of implied merchantability.

 

[N_Cook]

On 16/04/2014 20:17, me@evertbopp.com wrote:

I have two flashlights that are both very solid designs but both with a broken Cree LED.
In each case the manufacturer basically told me they are non repairable.
Considering that there weren't cheap and are both only a few months old I am looking into options for doing a home repair.
As I'm not familiar with Cree LED's are am looking for some input to see if it's worth it going down this route?

Evert.

Probably not made to be easily disassembable. But can you get some
current limited test supply to the LED/s to at least confirm which one
is buggered/problem in switch or elsewhere?
Beware the LEDs are going to be closely coupled to heatsinking and the
orientations can be all over the place

 

[N_Cook]

On 16/04/2014 20:20, William Sommerwerck wrote:

If they're only a few months old, Cree and/or the manufacturer are
obliged to replace them. Scream and yell until you get them to.

Point out to them that, as LEDs have an inherently long lifespan, these
LEDs must be inherently defective. You are therefore entitled to a
replacement under the warranty of implied merchantability.

Boring, anyone can do that. Where's your hacking spirit?

 

[William Sommerwerck]

"N_Cook" wrote in message news:lio7io$kpq$1@dont-email.me...
On 16/04/2014 20:20, William Sommerwerck wrote:

If they're only a few months old, Cree and/or the manufacturer are
obliged to replace them. Scream and yell until you get them to.
Point out to them that, as LEDs have an inherently long lifespan, these
LEDs must be inherently defective. You are therefore entitled to a
replacement under the warranty of implied merchantability.

Boring, anyone can do that. Where's your hacking spirit?

It's better spent on something productive, rather than wasted on a defective
product the manufacturer is legally obliged to replace.

And by the way... It takes a certain amount of skill to convince companies to
do what they don't want to do. I'm fairly good at this; most people give up
too easily.

 

[Wayne Chirnside]

On Wed, 16 Apr 2014 20:29:33 +0100, N_Cook wrote:

On 16/04/2014 20:17, me@evertbopp.com wrote:
I have two flashlights that are both very solid designs but both with a
broken Cree LED.
In each case the manufacturer basically told me they are non
repairable.
Considering that there weren't cheap and are both only a few months old
I am looking into options for doing a home repair.
As I'm not familiar with Cree LED's are am looking for some input to
see if it's worth it going down this route?

Evert.


Probably not made to be easily disassembable. But can you get some
current limited test supply to the LED/s to at least confirm which one
is buggered/problem in switch or elsewhere?
Beware the LEDs are going to be closely coupled to heatsinking and the
orientations can be all over the place

I bought a cheap one at Walgreens, failed after less than an hours use.
Removed the front lens cap and saw the soldered connection to the LED
chip had come loose.

Thirty seconds with a soldering iron fixed it.

Apparently so much current went to the chip it self unsoldered a
marginally soldered connection.

Been fine ever since.

 

[N_Cook]

On 17/04/2014 14:42, Wayne Chirnside wrote:

On Wed, 16 Apr 2014 20:29:33 +0100, N_Cook wrote:

On 16/04/2014 20:17, me@evertbopp.com wrote:
I have two flashlights that are both very solid designs but both with a
broken Cree LED.
In each case the manufacturer basically told me they are non
repairable.
Considering that there weren't cheap and are both only a few months old
I am looking into options for doing a home repair.
As I'm not familiar with Cree LED's are am looking for some input to
see if it's worth it going down this route?

Evert.


Probably not made to be easily disassembable. But can you get some
current limited test supply to the LED/s to at least confirm which one
is buggered/problem in switch or elsewhere?
Beware the LEDs are going to be closely coupled to heatsinking and the
orientations can be all over the place

I bought a cheap one at Walgreens, failed after less than an hours use.
Removed the front lens cap and saw the soldered connection to the LED
chip had come loose.

Thirty seconds with a soldering iron fixed it.

Apparently so much current went to the chip it self unsoldered a
marginally soldered connection.

Been fine ever since.

For this sort of high power use the heatsink runs pretty hot , so would
not take much more in the way of resistance heating of a solder joint ,
that is usually almost electrically touching the heatsink to make it
deteriorate and then soon thermally run away to complete solder failure