sticky buttons on Subal housing

so I'm just back from a nice week in the Sea of Cortez. about half way through the week some of the buttons on the back of my Subal C10 started sticking and I couldn't use them underwater. I soaked the unit in fresh water after every dive but it didn't seem to help.

Does anyone know if the buttons on the back of the housing are user serviceable? Hopefully they just need to be soaked in vinegar or something. also, what's a good/safe lube to use on these plastic buttons?

thanks,

Marty

Seems like your housing needs some maintenace, I have no idea about Subal, but most likely there is some coroded salt sticking to the shaft. (depending on how it's built a prestage of leaking)

I would not use any vinegar or lube on the complete housing, since that stuff also does it to the silicone, wich in my understanding is also in Subal housings quite essential.

So if you know how to take them apart, (be careful of springs and such) put only the shafts in a vinegar bath, clean the housing with a q-tip or such, (be sure nothing remains in there) clean and grease the O-rings, and back together. Be sure you do a proper testdive first!

Or simpley bring it in for maintenace. (safe and secure and you could blame somebody else!)

Good luck that its no big deal!

cheers

thomhard :idea:

If ANY control is stiff (tending to feel as though it wants to turn back in the direction its has been turned away from) or sticky (buttons not popping back up) then this is a very good indicator that the 'O' ring lubricant (silicone grease) is not operating properly, either because there isn't enough left on the 'O' ring, or because there is dryish salt or even bits of debris on the 'O' ring. The remedy is to strip the control, clean it and its gland (the hole through which it passes), and its 'O' ring, and then regrease the 'O' ring and reassemble. Then as previously advised, do a test dive with the housing empty.

All this said, I remember having a sticky push button on my Subal F100 when it was nearly new. I suspect that the control was very slightly tight and after (quite a) few dives it started working fine!