Happy Fixer

similar difficulty. my d3200 already has that nasty 'metering error, send to nikon' message, but was using it on manual with no problems. then bought a new vr/af/dx lens and suddenly had all the features of that lens the with the knob on manual setting, BUT, only after drilling down into the setup menu. one of the metering settings was set to auto aperture. i set it to 'manual' and was shocked when the lens started auto focusing, vibration reduction and got some excellent images. twiddling the ISO auto, minimum shutter speed and other options also allowed improvements. it seems there's more to this error than just a simple mechanical issue this camera has the old/original software version, but i don't want to upgrade until i figure out what actually is causing the metering error. if anyone gets hold of a repair manual for these, PLEASE share it! nikon does release lens repair manuals, but who need them, they are a real nightmare to fix!

always detach the flexible cables with utmost care. as they come into view, detach them. the connectors soldered onto the boards are FRAGILE, never force anything. they will easily release the flex cables when you flip up the lock part. its usually a different color than the body of the connector. be gentle, persistent. use plastic tools NEVER use metallic cheap screwdrivers, pryers or knive edges! get a good set of Wiha screwdrivers too. the process is sequential, once the back cover is off, remove the cpu board, there's flex connectors to release. there's a really fragile wire attached to the WIFI thing (or microphone) use caution , small and easy to damage remove the sensor board. there's three screws with tough springs, that keep it aligned, with some terribly hard fixation glue to prevent them from moving. some other screws also. try to remember how may turns you use to get them off, that will allow you to get the sensor somewhat back into alignment when you put it back on. once that is off, the...

easy fix. get a new shutter module installed by service people (pricey!) OR remove battery, take back off (the flash mount has hidden screws under the springy thing) , remove processing board, remove sensor board and you have access to remove the shutter module. respect the fragile flex connectors!! my shutter jammed mysteriously, but was able to power the motor externally with a 3volt lithium cell, it went through a few cycles and returned to the closed state replaced it and all was well again. probably my battery was low or other and the syncronization went out, leaving it in an unknown state for the processor to detect.. once that happens it never gets powered again,leaving the camera as good as a brick. .

there are many connectors inside this camera, i found that out when disassembled mine to fix a shutter that had mysteriously jammed into the 'full open' state. if the battery gets jostled enough (from a sharp drop) the electric contacts will break even for a fraction of time, that will disrupt the processor/internal memory as it is continually 'doing things' like status updates of all the parts inside. it may look like its not doing much, but it is. try remove the battery for a good half hour, then replace and it should do a full reboot. these are very advanced units, full of 'computer' stuff, very unlike the older film types that were mostly mechanical. whats nice about these samsungs are the modular construction, extremely easy to do service on!

sometimes the camera may attempt to 're-focus' if the scene is changing the depth as you pan or with moving subjects that allow the background to become the prime focal area. minute movements create noise that are amplified by the compression strategy of the recording itself. soft gloves/hands will produce no annoying contact noises. rough handling as you control the movement of the camera will also add noise. these are extremely sensitive devices.

my camera also has had a 'sudden deceleration event'. close inspection revealed the camera hit on the left side against either concrete or some surface with enough force to leave 'sand particle' indentations in the plastic. everything works in manual mode, but no other mode is allowed to work as the message 'metering error...please contact your expensive nikon authorized rep...." comes up. it seems the alignment of the focus detector module has been altered sufficiently enough to cause this. a rip down will reveal some further reports. stay tuned....

if the lens works in auto mode, then you may have an internal lens issue. the lens motor/gear assembly must completely disengage when you use the manual mode. what may have happened is the internal parts may not be moving completely or have been partly damaged from a lens strike or even a sudden partial switch from one mode to another. any sticking, ratcheting sounds or noise from a lens is bad news, as they are designed to act smooth.

use the "Auto" mode to let the camera make the correct exposure for you. try the 'reset all settings' function to correct any unusual exposure settings you may have used and forgotten in the P mode. if the camera continues to over expose, then the lens unit must be replaced.

many of the washers have 'shock absorbers' that suspend and dampen the tub motion as it sheds water during the initial spin/rinse minutes. they can actually come apart (much like a piston and a cylinder) from exceeding their range during a violent unbalanced spin. once that happens, every subsequent spin cycle will shake the machine like a cha cha dancer. take the back/bottom off and inspect them. they can usually be repaired on the spot or if damaged, replaced quite cheaply. tubs can have the support bearings go bad as well, rarely, but they do fail occasionally after a few thousand hours of use. all it takes is time and the right parts to fix.

coke and many drinks contain phosphoric acid as an ingredient to give it some zip and zest. that acid is quite a nasty corrosive and must be fully 'washed/diluted' off any electrical components. as strange as it may seem, after having a similar incident with a windows laptop, i was able to shake most of the soda away, pat the unit with an absorbent towel and then proceed with a hard drive removal, cd unit removal, keyboard removal and all the usual 'removeable' parts. then separated the lid with the lcd (no soda there!) once done, i submerged the remaining case and mother boards in a sink with fresh clean distilled water to get the remaining soda out. a good shake off, a warm hair dryer and a day or two in the sun left it all quite nice and non sticky. the keyboard was another issue, it was worn so i replaced that, too much soda got under too many keys and into the silicone switch areas.

i keep a bottle of 95 percent isopropyl rubbing alcohol with a small short bristle artists brush (1/4 inche wide flat type) to wash aside much of the debris and corrosion when i do electronic camera work.. when moisture gets in (it always does!) from perspiration, temperature changes, or 'left out in the rain", there will eventually be problems. storage conditions must allow for some free air flow to let any accumulated moisture release back into the atmosphere. all those perfectly tight camera cases will only keep moisture in if it is already there. batteries are a nightmare when they start to leak the corrosive chemicals that make them work, remove them!

take the sd card and put it into a laptop or other 'real' computer, then do a 'format' on it. use the 'FAT' method, leave the options to 'default', but check the 'quick format' setting.

excellent procedure. nice pix too. hint about those fragile flex cables is important, they are thinner than a human hair!

elph 310 hs-dust INSIDE the front lens element! my fault, shove camera in pocket with no protection!

anyone ever disassemble the lens unit itself? i once have taken one of the lens unit out, but never venture into the innards of that optical area.

dust seems to have migrated into the crevices between the telescoping rings, and also frequently jams the two outside leafs from fully closing.

still takes excellent images, except when doing macro closeups, then the particles show up on the results.

lots of these devices (generic enough?) are using adhesive to attach rubber grips, conceal strips and even control buttons. when you need to lift them away to get at other parts, break out the hair dryer, use it at as high a temp that will not melt the things. adhesives will soften about body temperature 100 degrees farenheit enough to allow parts to separate with ease. go slow, be gentle and the parts can usually be simply re-attached with the same adhesive. double faced office/artist grade adhesive tape is good to use, once all original adhesive is removed.

ebay seller from chicago area has tons of nikon parts

rongyuanxie |

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(i'm not that seller)

isn't this procedure in the user manual?

i find when backing the screws out, it is important to make the point of the screwdriver perfectly aligned vertically to the screw. as that will keep all the driver ribs fully in contact with the screw slots. and once the screw is a half turn out i turn it back in a touch to release the plastic that has wound itself onto the screw threads (during initial assembly at factory). once that is done they seem to unscrew much easier. the wrong size driver is the reason most screw heads get stripped (its not the threads that strip!) the screw is metal and the body is a plastic and carbon fiber composite material. some screws are driven too hard into the material and seem to "fuse" as if there was some Locktite or other thread sealant applied. any harsh attempt to pry, twist or lever these cameras apart is due to 'hidden screws' that are concealed behind, under and out of plain view. even those in plain sight may be concealed under wires, flex connectors or simple kapton tape strips.