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[OM] Re: Help with IS-3???

Subject: [OM] Re: Help with IS-3???
From: "PhotoSphere Olympus Camera Service" <olyfix@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 11:52:59 -0500
Sounds like classic zoom motor failure.  Sometimes it's due to excessive
lube invading the motor, often first noticed when the zoom works slowly in
one direction(!).  Almost without fail, when we disassemble the gear
housing, we find it's dripping with lube.  I guess they packed the grease in
there to keep things smooth and quiet, but with obvious consequences -- sort
of like OM-10 shutters, what?  We wipe out as much excess lube as we can, of
course.

More and more frequently, though, I'm seeing IS's where the Zoom or AF motor
brushes have worn out.  The brushes are two wires resting against the pads,
one on either side, and when they get worn, one will buckle and flip onto
the wrong side.  Needless to say, it stops turning.  At a rough guess, I'd
say zoom motors fail about twice as often as AF motors, but they both go
bad.

(Incidentally, the symptom for AF motor failure is, when the camera is
turned on, the lens sets up properly, the LCD in back comes on for a moment,
but then everything dies.  Problem is, that's almost identical to what
happens if the rewind button is pressed in and gets hung askew, keeping the
rewind switch always on.)

After several "re-works" where we replaced one motor only to have the other
fail a few weeks/months later, we've made it our policy to always replace
_both_ motors at once.  For a relatively minor parts fee, it's reasonable to
do.  I've stocked up on both motors (though they are, for all appearances,
identical).

> My IS-3 just locked up! Was taking pictures of some kittens (using a G40
> flash)when the zoom became sluggish, then started not responding to the
> zoom buttons. Then everything died - no LCD, no zoom, nothing. Replaced
> batteries, same thing. When switched on, the LCD briefly flashed the
> Program Mode and frame count. Flipped switch a couple of times and life
> returned (briefly), then back to "dead". Reset buttons have no effect.
> Pressed the mid-roll rewind and that functioned, so I was able to remove
> the mostly exposed roll of film. Now it is largely dead, with the lens
> partially extended... any diagnoses???


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