Start/stop button not working anymore

Hi everyone,

I've been a happy owner of a Fenix 6X Pro (bought in December 2020) but the start/stop button stopped functioning.

I'm on vacation by the sea, and did some surf and swim with it, and I suspect the salt might have blocked the button or something like that.

I followed the instructions explained here:

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=JUbwC0qg5O6RqypfwUiTj5#:~:text=If%20a%20button%20on%20your,Cleaning%20Your%20Watch%20After%20Swimming).

I cleaned the watch with clear (non-salty!) water, and even let it soak in warm water for a while. To no avail. The start/stop button is still not functioning anymore, making the watch unusable.

Is there anything else I can do to fix this?

If there's nothing I can do, how can I get it repaired?

Thanks for your advice,

Guillaume

0 Data 8 months ago

I'm afraid there is not a lot you can do, and that contacting Garmin support to discuss options is the best way, they offer out-of-warranty replacement for a reaaonable price. If you are in Europe you have 2 years warranty and the expected lifespan of a smartwatch is (I think) 4 years so it is early for it to fail. It is a waterproof watch and should withstand swimming in the sea and surfing.

But if you want to try a DIY repair, you could open it up and have a look to see if something is stuck behind the outer button and the contact on the motherboard. If it is, it will be teeny tiny, so use a high power magnifying lens. Be super careful with the button contacts on the motherboard, they damage very easily. Once you have opened and closed the watch yourself, do not get it near water ever again.

If the cause is water ingress, sometimes corrosion can be cleaned off, but it will probably have ruined the switch behind the button on the motherboard and for that repair you need special parts, tools and skills.

0 TomSummerscales 10 days ago in reply to Data

Yes I seem to have also had this occur to me over the past few days. I opened it up to have a look and the area around the switch and board is all blue and corroded. Bought mine June 2021. Very disappointing for it to fail at less than 3 years old.

£156.92 for a like for like replacement with a 90 day warranty. No option for a discounted upgrade to a Fenix 7 or any other model.

0 Bomberman 7 days ago

This is common. The suggested fixes area joke. Just today I had to open mine up to clean that button (blue crap on it like last time) with contact cleaner on an earbud. I've had this about a year and had to do it twice now. It's not a hard fix and should give you six months or so. I gave the rim of mine a good clean and added some fresh silicon grease so hopefully it'll last a bit longer this go.