Non working leica mr-4

[Nitroplait]

I’ve reached out to Wil van Manen en the repaircosts is around 120 euro’s with six month guarantee. Worth it? Or try to fix it on my own by opening it up and do some cleaning?

Only you can decide what a functional Leicameter is worth to you. €120 is more than I paid for a working MR last year.
Will van Manen is in demand and that is reflected in his pricing. His shipping fee outside the Netherlands is steep, he charged me €100 two years ago for an intra-EU parcel - I don't know where you live, but that cost needs consideration as well.

Not everyone knows their own limitations when it comes to DIY repairs, but if you are confident, then why not?

 

[Zuzu]

Only you can decide what a functional Leicameter is worth to you. €120 is more than I paid for a working MR last year.
Will van Manen is in demand and that is reflected in his pricing. His shipping fee outside the Netherlands is steep, he charged me €100 two years ago for an intra-EU parcel - I don't know where you live, but that cost needs consideration as well.

Not everyone knows their own limitations when it comes to DIY repairs, but if you are confident, then why not?

That’s very true of Wil van Manen. I live in the Netherlands myself so I can at the very least save some money on shippingcosts. They also let me know that they’ll adjust the meter for the 1.5 voltage batteries, which is a plus. I’ll try to fix it myself in the coming days, and if nothing helps then i’ll bring it to them for repair.

 

[MDenton]

This military repair manual might help :

https://learncamerarepair.com/downloads/pdf/leica-m2-govt-training.pdf

 

[Zuzu]

Welp, I tried to unscrew the top dial, but it’s too damn hard to get it loose. Should I use a heatgun? Perhaps the previous owner used loctite glue or something?

 

[farlymac]

Welp, I tried to unscrew the top dial, but it’s too damn hard to get it loose. Should I use a heatgun? Perhaps the previous owner used loctite glue or something?

Time to send it to a professional repair person or return it to seller. It can only get worse if something like a screwdriver slip occurs.

PF

 

[Zuzu]

Time to send it to a professional repair person or return it to seller. It can only get worse if something like a screwdriver slip occurs.

PF

So you don’t recommend using a heatgun or hairdryer to open it?

 

[raydm6]

Have you seen this video? Gives a good look at the dis-assembly of a Leicameter M. Quite a complex little thing.

 

[Zuzu]

Have you seen this video? Gives a good look at the dis-assembly of a Leicameter M. Quite a complex little thing.

thank you Raydm6. I’ve watched the video. I’ll try to disassemble it today or tomorrow.

 

[farlymac]

So you don’t recommend using a heatgun or hairdryer to open it?

I'm just saying that meters are delicate expensive little things, especially the MR. Might be better to return it and look for a better one, or have someone with the experience and spare parts fix it.

PF

 

[Zuzu]

I’ve decided to return it and buy a working one, but I’ll be dependent on the 1.35 mercury battery for a while untill decide to overhaul the thing. I found one for 125 euro’s.

 

[Nitroplait]

I’ve decided to return it and buy a working one, but I’ll be dependent on the 1.35 mercury battery for a while untill decide to overhaul the thing. I found one for 125 euro’s.

a zinc-air will work. Don't buy poisonous mercury batteries.
See my earlier post regarding this subject. My Leicameter MR is in perfect alignment with my modern meter when using a hearing aid zinc-air cell.

 

[rumbliegeos]

I had Quality Light Metric overhaul an MR-4 before the shop closed, and they advocated leaving the meter set for 1.35 batteries and using Wein cells. I used Wein cells for a while, and they lasted maybe 6-8 months. I decided to try the 675 hearing aid battery approach because of the lesser expense, and pulled the spacer ring off a Wein cell to install on the hearing aid batteries. It works perfectly, and judging by how the battery check needle centers on the index spot, the voltage is more precise with the hearing aid battery. It may not last as long as the Wein, but it is a less expensive option as long as those batteries are available. The Quality Light Metric people also strongly recommended removing the batteries if the meter would not be used for several months. I really like the Leicameter indexing with the shutter speed dial , and using the 90mm preview on my M2 to pick the metering subject.

 

[Zuzu]

Allright guys, I have some interesting developments. Today I received a 1.35 mercury battery and thought of trying out on the mr. Guess what happened. The needle went immediately to the silver dot when testing the battery. For a while I could meter well, but after a couple of tries. The meter went back to its grave again. I’m really confused now. What could be the cause of this sudden behavior?

 

[farlymac]

Was it a brand new battery? If so then quite possibly the meter has a short. If it was a used or old-new-stock battery then likely it had only a little life left in it. Old batteries will read the correct voltage with a simple tester but when you draw a current on them they will drop.

PF

 

[Zuzu]

Was it a brand new battery? If so then quite possibly the meter has a short. If it was a used or old-new-stock battery then likely it had only a little life left in it. Old batteries will read the correct voltage with a simple tester but when you draw a current on them they will drop.

PF

The battery is new as to my understanding. However the meter is working again. I tested yesterday evening and this morning and it seems to be fine. Oh btw I dropped it and now the metering button doesn’t spring back to its position. I have to push it back.