K-5 won't turn on - potential fixes already done without success...

Laprou · 09-15-2021, 11:06 AM

Hello,

I have a very simple problem : my K-5 won't turn on at all, no matter what I do

No sensor cleaner noises, no SD card light, of course no light on screens : zero reaction.

When did it happen ? From one day to another, I use it at least once a week.

What did I test ?

Battery : tried with 3 different batteries, genuine, charged, and known to work well (I used them all on a regular basis)
Contacts checked and cleaned
SD card trap opened / closed / withSD card / without sd card
Battery trap opened / closed
With lens / without lens
Tried to press menu + switch on (like to update firmware)
Tried to connect via USB to my PC with PKtether : not detected.
With a multimeter, I teste the grip pins : there is a signal, varying from pin to pin. Some signals are cyclics (ie from 0 to 3v repeatidly, althought I don't have a battery grip to try to turn it on this way.

None of the above did change anything : it seems totally dead

If you have any suggestion, feel free to tell !

Thanks !

**Kevin B123** · 09-15-2021, 11:20 AM

it looks like a problem with the on-off switch, not sure how to fix that myself but i'd look there online.

Not a Number · 09-15-2021, 11:34 AM

Either the power switch or power circuit or main board went belly up.

Power switch you maybe able to DIY repair the others not likely.

stevebrot · 09-15-2021, 12:15 PM

Originally posted by Not a Number

Either the power switch or power circuit or main board went belly up.

Power switch you maybe able to DIY repair the others not likely.

I concur.

Steve

pschlute · 09-15-2021, 01:06 PM

It has died RIP

**Kevin B123** · 09-15-2021, 01:38 PM - **2 Likes**

Thinking on this a little further, when the card door is open a small pin pops up turning the camera off on the K-50 & K-1.
You could examine and try exercising that pin a bit? a long shot maybe.

vonBaloney · 09-15-2021, 03:47 PM

Sounds broken, but move EVERY external switch and dial.

**BigMackCam** · 09-16-2021, 05:17 AM

Originally posted by Laprou

If you have any suggestion, feel free to tell !

A new K-3 III, perhaps?

Sorry, I couldn't resist

I can't offer any more than has already been suggested, I'm afraid. Other than that, it might really be time to sell the K-5 for spares or repair (it should still fetch a few bucks) and put that towards a new (or new to you) camera. It's a little early for the Black Friday and Christmas sales, but there are deals cropping up all the time...

**AstroDave** · 09-16-2021, 06:20 AM

Originally posted by Laprou

If you have any suggestion, feel free to tell !

If it's belly up otherwise, maybe try a shot of contact cleaner into and around the on/off switch as you rotate it. That stuff is fairly benign on electronics and plastic, but do your best to keep it off the sensor!

Laprou · 09-16-2021, 07:30 AM - **2 Likes**

Quote:

it looks like a problem with the on-off switch, not sure how to fix that myself but i'd look there online.

This was my second assumption, after cleaning the battery terminals. However, I have voltage from the grip pins when I turn it on, so I think it is kind of "working". Furthermore, I disassembled the top part of the camera and made physical contact to turn it on, without results.

Quote:

Thinking on this a little further, when the card door is open a small pin pops up turning the camera off on the K-50 & K-1.
You could examine and try exercising that pin a bit? a long shot maybe.

Tried it ; in any case, the SD card light should turn on at least one moment whe an SD card is inserted, and the camera should turn on even with the SD card door open.

Quote:

A new K-3 III, perhaps?

Yes ! I think it actually is my next move, but I think I will go toward the K-1 II

In any case, thanks for your thoughts on the matter, it confirmed what I thought... Poor K-5... It had a good life !

ZombieArmy · 09-16-2021, 08:18 AM

Very odd death for a device like this with seemingly no trauma. Use this camera out in the rain much?

Gerbermiester · 09-16-2021, 10:04 AM

I'll pass on some questionable advice I received from a former member here years ago. I call it the 'wheatfield method' after the name of the original advice giver. His method worked for me on a number of occasions.

The solution lies in jiggling the electronic components inside the camera to see if the issue is due to a loose connection or wire somewhere inside. This method has also been called 'percussive maintenance'.

Essentially, have you tried slapping the snot out of your camera and seeing if it will power up again?

While this method will not yield long-lasting dependable results, it may give you some insight on whether or not the camera can be repaired simply before tearing it down for a proper repair.

Just my 2¢. But that's in Canadian money, so perhaps it's also worth slightly less. 😎

stevebrot · 09-16-2021, 11:58 AM

Originally posted by Laprou

Tried it ; in any case, the SD card light should turn on at least one moment whe an SD card is inserted, and the camera should turn on even with the SD card door open.

This is sounding dire. In other words, not a switch issue. The card insert light should happen even when the camera is switched off.

Steve

**scc** · 09-16-2021, 11:18 PM

Could be an issue in the battery compartment? Try borrowing a grip?

Laprou · 09-17-2021, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Very odd death for a device like this with seemingly no trauma. Use this camera out in the rain much?

It had a colorful life, but was well taken care of, and haven't seen much rain.

Quote:

Essentially, have you tried slapping the snot out of your camera and seeing if it will power up again?

Hahaha, yes I did try that !

I had very bad conscience about it, but whan can I say... I had to try everything I could...

Quote:

Could be an issue in the battery compartment? Try borrowing a grip?

I still think this could be a possibility. Like I say, I cleant the contacts, and I have voltage from the bottom grip pins, so I wanted to explore this option, but I don't have a grip. After a lot of research, I found in this thread the layout of the pins, and I tried whitout success to simulate a grip turning on. I have very few knowledge about microelectronics, but if someone knows how to do this, I would definitely try it.

When I disassembled the camera, I found 3V going in (or out) the motherboard, testing two wires - on red, one black - You can see these wires on this thread (first and third pictures). They are located on the extreme top right corner when you look at the screen side of the camera, immediatly under the back wheel.

It makes me think that the motherboard is toasted, but that ther's still hope.

As fo now, it becomes a challenge to revive it !

09-15-2021, 11:06 AM	#1
Laprou New Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Brussels Posts: 13	K-5 won't turn on - potential fixes already done without success... Hello, I have a very simple problem : my K-5 won't turn on at all, no matter what I do No sensor cleaner noises, no SD card light, of course no light on screens : zero reaction. When did it happen ? From one day to another, I use it at least once a week. What did I test ? Battery : tried with 3 different batteries, genuine, charged, and known to work well (I used them all on a regular basis) Contacts checked and cleaned SD card trap opened / closed / withSD card / without sd card Battery trap opened / closed With lens / without lens Tried to press menu + switch on (like to update firmware) Tried to connect via USB to my PC with PKtether : not detected. With a multimeter, I teste the grip pins : there is a signal, varying from pin to pin. Some signals are cyclics (ie from 0 to 3v repeatidly, althought I don't have a battery grip to try to turn it on this way. None of the above did change anything : it seems totally dead If you have any suggestion, feel free to tell ! Thanks !

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09-15-2021, 11:20 AM	#2
Kevin B123 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,176	it looks like a problem with the on-off switch, not sure how to fix that myself but i'd look there online.

09-15-2021, 11:34 AM	#3
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	Either the power switch or power circuit or main board went belly up. Power switch you maybe able to DIY repair the others not likely.

09-15-2021, 12:15 PM	#4
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Not a Number Either the power switch or power circuit or main board went belly up. Power switch you maybe able to DIY repair the others not likely. I concur. Steve

09-15-2021, 01:06 PM	#5
pschlute Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Surrey, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,198	It has died RIP

09-15-2021, 01:38 PM - 2 Likes	#6
Kevin B123 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,176	Thinking on this a little further, when the card door is open a small pin pops up turning the camera off on the K-50 & K-1. You could examine and try exercising that pin a bit? a long shot maybe.

09-15-2021, 03:47 PM	#7
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Sounds broken, but move EVERY external switch and dial.

09-16-2021, 05:17 AM	#8
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,670	Originally posted by Laprou If you have any suggestion, feel free to tell ! A new K-3 III, perhaps? Sorry, I couldn't resist I can't offer any more than has already been suggested, I'm afraid. Other than that, it might really be time to sell the K-5 for spares or repair (it should still fetch a few bucks) and put that towards a new (or new to you) camera. It's a little early for the Black Friday and Christmas sales, but there are deals cropping up all the time...

09-16-2021, 06:20 AM	#9
AstroDave Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Posts: 1,637	Originally posted by Laprou If you have any suggestion, feel free to tell ! If it's belly up otherwise, maybe try a shot of contact cleaner into and around the on/off switch as you rotate it. That stuff is fairly benign on electronics and plastic, but do your best to keep it off the sensor!

09-16-2021, 07:30 AM - 2 Likes	#10
Laprou New Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Brussels Posts: 13 Original Poster	Quote: it looks like a problem with the on-off switch, not sure how to fix that myself but i'd look there online. This was my second assumption, after cleaning the battery terminals. However, I have voltage from the grip pins when I turn it on, so I think it is kind of "working". Furthermore, I disassembled the top part of the camera and made physical contact to turn it on, without results. Quote: Thinking on this a little further, when the card door is open a small pin pops up turning the camera off on the K-50 & K-1. You could examine and try exercising that pin a bit? a long shot maybe. Tried it ; in any case, the SD card light should turn on at least one moment whe an SD card is inserted, and the camera should turn on even with the SD card door open. Quote: A new K-3 III, perhaps? Yes ! I think it actually is my next move, but I think I will go toward the K-1 II In any case, thanks for your thoughts on the matter, it confirmed what I thought... Poor K-5... It had a good life !

09-16-2021, 08:18 AM	#11
ZombieArmy Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 3,210	Very odd death for a device like this with seemingly no trauma. Use this camera out in the rain much?

09-16-2021, 10:04 AM	#12
Gerbermiester Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: British Columbia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 377	I'll pass on some questionable advice I received from a former member here years ago. I call it the 'wheatfield method' after the name of the original advice giver. His method worked for me on a number of occasions. The solution lies in jiggling the electronic components inside the camera to see if the issue is due to a loose connection or wire somewhere inside. This method has also been called 'percussive maintenance'. Essentially, have you tried slapping the snot out of your camera and seeing if it will power up again? While this method will not yield long-lasting dependable results, it may give you some insight on whether or not the camera can be repaired simply before tearing it down for a proper repair. Just my 2¢. But that's in Canadian money, so perhaps it's also worth slightly less. 😎

09-16-2021, 11:58 AM	#13
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Laprou Tried it ; in any case, the SD card light should turn on at least one moment whe an SD card is inserted, and the camera should turn on even with the SD card door open. This is sounding dire. In other words, not a switch issue. The card insert light should happen even when the camera is switched off. Steve

09-16-2021, 11:18 PM	#14
scc Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 165	Could be an issue in the battery compartment? Try borrowing a grip?

09-17-2021, 04:34 AM	#15
Laprou New Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Brussels Posts: 13 Original Poster	Quote: Very odd death for a device like this with seemingly no trauma. Use this camera out in the rain much? It had a colorful life, but was well taken care of, and haven't seen much rain. Quote: Essentially, have you tried slapping the snot out of your camera and seeing if it will power up again? Hahaha, yes I did try that ! I had very bad conscience about it, but whan can I say... I had to try everything I could... Quote: Could be an issue in the battery compartment? Try borrowing a grip? I still think this could be a possibility. Like I say, I cleant the contacts, and I have voltage from the bottom grip pins, so I wanted to explore this option, but I don't have a grip. After a lot of research, I found in this thread the layout of the pins, and I tried whitout success to simulate a grip turning on. I have very few knowledge about microelectronics, but if someone knows how to do this, I would definitely try it. When I disassembled the camera, I found 3V going in (or out) the motherboard, testing two wires - on red, one black - You can see these wires on this thread (first and third pictures). They are located on the extreme top right corner when you look at the screen side of the camera, immediatly under the back wheel. It makes me think that the motherboard is toasted, but that ther's still hope. As fo now, it becomes a challenge to revive it !