Sensors full of Bubbles, Plastic peels off.

[MKPotts]

Hi,
My second (replacement) sensor is developing small bubbles all over the surface.
I had to send my watch to Suunto in August because it failed completely (wouldn’t turn on) and also had bubbles in a very small area. Suunto replaced the sensor and backplate. 3 months later, the bubbles are back (many more of them) but the watch is still working.
Has anyone kept using their watch for a long time with the bubbles present? Did it eventually cause the watch to fail (like mine the first time)?
I’m asking because I’m supposed to be using the watch as my primary navigation device in a multiday race starting on 14th January. So I don’t have time to send it to Suunto (took 4 weeks last time). But I don’t want to find my watch has failed in the middle of a winter night on a remote hillside.
Thank you!

[A Former User]

@MKPotts what if you carried a cheststrap/armband with you in the meantime (if HR matters, of course otherwise I would move on without concern)?

[Brad_Olwin]

@MKPotts One of my S9PP models (an early test model) has no plastic coating on the HR sensor. It is working just fine and should not affect the watch except for HR detection. I would use a belt if you want HR for your race.

[vincent mayousse]

Thanks for sharing, that an information directly provided by Suunto (I mean they “acknowledged” the issue…)
I am pretty sure that my watch elements came from Finland. And I had bubbles too…
By the way it is getting bigger and bigger, and even if it was not the case at the onset of the “bubbling” (see my previous post), I now have the impression that it impairs the HR measurement (some aberrent values during some runs).

[MKPotts]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I’m not interested in HR for this race and would turn off the sensor anyway. My concern was that the watch would fail completely, either while running or when charging it at an aid station (given that’s how it failed the first time). But from your feedback I probably don’t need to worry about that. So I’ll take my S9B as a spare in my drop bag rather than carry it.

Hopefully Suunto have identified the problem with the sensor coating now, so when I send it back after the race for repair, it’ll be the last time.

[pierre545]

Hi, I can finally give you some news of my vertical after TWO MONTH at after sale sevice for bubles on the HR sensor….

They had replace the back of the box and the gasket.

During this tow months, I can’t have any information about my wath. After some discutions by chat, anybody know where is it.

I received my wath yesterday. There was only in a cardboard without any protection inside and any apologie.

I am really disappointed of the suunto after sale service.

[freeheeler]

@pierre545
sorry to read that.
I’m sure you received a feedback survey and hope you share your thoughts to them, too.
it’s fine for us to be informed, but unfortunately we in the forum can’t do anything about it

[alfredzhong]

Last week i got that the backcases arrived. And i sent the watch to them.
Today received the watch. They replaced the whole backcase (Of course the serial number on the backcase changed. But the serial number in OS is still). The serial number looks newer.
Hope this time can fix.

[AntoniusGaius]

@alfredzhong Mine is also after replace 202316xxxx. Bubbling again. Not so crazy as previous one but still… Sorry for bad news. They are replacing defective parts with another defective parts. Good thing is, that mine works correctly for now even with bubbles (they are not on the sensor for now). So I will keep using it until I will have bad readings again.

[alfredzhong]

@AntoniusGaius Yep. After just several days I already find it. And I will just keep it, not willing to replace until big problem.
Disappointed.

[vincent mayousse]

@alfredzhong @ @AntoniusGaius Sorry to hear that (for both of you) !
This is totally unacceptable! They replace shitty material with another shitty material…
I am so disappointed that within more than 6 months (first posts on this forum/Suunto Vertical dated back in July 23), they still didn’t figure how to solve this problem permanently!!!
Total lack of respect from Suunto. That was probably my last Suunto…

[el_senderos]

Just contacted Suunto support about the same issue with my Vertical. This is what they responded. What do you think about this?

[zhang965]

This post is deleted!

[pavel.samokha]

@el_senderos your watch needs to be sent to service for backcase replacement

[el_senderos]

@pavel-samokha Thank you for your response. Funny how the customer support just told me that this is of no concern and I should just peel the plastic cover of. Like it wasn’t a known issue. It just sucks to not have the watch for some time as I’m currently preparing for an ultra Marathon and depend on the watch and the delays seem to be pretty bad from what i read on this forum.

[GiPFELKiND]

@el_senderos sounds like a incompetend Service If you peel of the coating like the suunto service say to you your guarante is away … How could they Tell you this… Sent it to repair!!!

[el_senderos]

@GiPFELKiND Yes, probably have to do so. tried another time with someone else and they comically told me to go to a watch mechanic to fix the problem. I mean a WATCH MECHANIC - working on a tech device - cmon. I wonder where and how their customer support is trained.

[Efejota]

In my case, I contacted them today and instructed me to place a Service Order. They told me “it happens rarely”. I already placed the order.

[el_senderos]

@Efejota I just hope that it will be fixed forever. It clearly can’t be a problem due to sweat or chemicals as my unit had bubbles straight out the box but i just thought that it was normal unit the coating actually started peeling off.

[AntoniusGaius]

OK folks, I’m back again with my bubbles issue. Today my patience is over. I sent my SPP9 to seller back again. I want my money back, because the service is probably not able to permanently solve this issue. This is second time I have exact the same issue.
I bought my watch for training purposes, not for having them in service center for months. I’m really frustrated. And when I saw the communication with service center above, I already lost my remaining loyalty to my beloved SUUNTO.
Is there any chance that Race hasn’t this sensor problem?
After update I was really happy with the watch, even the readings from the sensor were good enough. But coating is peeling again off as hell and nobody from SUUNTO cares. I have never seen any official information, that they have faulty batch of sensors. Even worse – they use this faulty sensors as spare parts for warranty repairs. Shame.