40D won't power up :(

Was working fine one day, battery grip attached... pulled it out a couple days later, turned it on, and... nothing. Swapped batteries in the grip, nada. Put in a set of AAs... nada. Pulled out the battery grip, replaced the door, tried all three batteries in the camera... nada. Charged all three just to be sure... nope (two of them took about 1 minute on the charger to show as fully charged; they were barely used since the last charging).

Following various google searches, I've tried cleaning the terminals on the batteries (haven't got to the contacts in the camera yet, but I doubt that's the issue as it doesn't work with the BG either), pulled out the backup battery, and replaced the backup battery. No joy - not a peep, not a flicker. Removed and replaced the CF card a couple times; manually operated the interlock switches on the CF and battery doors... still nothing.

Short of sending this thing off to Canon, can anyone suggest anything else I can try??

*bump* finally got around to cleaning the terminals in the battery compartment... still no joy.

Wow, never any replies on this...

So in the interim, my brother (who lives near a repair shop) had a broken lens, so I gave him my camera to take in, in October. By March, I still hadn't heard about it being fixed despite repeatedly being told he would take it in "tomorrow". Finally I got out of him that he'd given it to another photographer friend to take to HER usual repair shop, but she hadn't done it yet either. So I told him to just get it back to me and I'd deal with it myself.

Well, guess what... I get it back, and just out morbid curiosity, I throw a battery in it, and... it fires right up. GAAAAAHHHH!

Well, it worked fine until I charged the battery next... and then nothing. Few days later, it powered on again for me. Worked fine for a while, then stopped working, then started working again, until the next time I had to charge the battery... and again, nothing. And still nothing now. And again, I've tried it with all three batteries, with and without the BG, and with the AA adapter - all no go.

It's really behaving like it's just a loose connection somewhere, maybe even at the battery terminals themselves. I've found some YouTube videos on disassembling the camera and I'm about 10 seconds from opening it up here, unless someone has a better idea....

I haven't seen this thread before.

Have you tried replacing the small coin battery (I think it's a CR2016 ) hidden in the battery compartment? If that battery is weak, your camera could start loosing all settings so when you turn it off/on it starts with random garbage settings and locks up.

If you change this battery - leave the camera without battery for 5-10 minutes before you insert the new coin battery just to make sure you get a full clear of the configuration data.

After you have had it without power for long enough time, it might potentially start again but then next time get the configuration memory garbled again and once more get into troubles.

Stated there in the original post - pulled and reinserted, AND replaced with new, the backup battery. If memory serves, I had the original one out for two days before I put the new one in. Made no difference at the time.

IMO, sounds like a perfect excuse to get yourself a new camera.

Yeah, a 7D or 60D would be stellar... now I just need the other half of that equation: $$$$

When it powers, my 40D still works great, and I'm quite happy with it. Not in a big rush to replace it if I don't have to. Rather hang onto this body and put the money into better glass.

Meant to mention, BTW... it's not showing garbage settings or locking up or anything - it doesn't power AT ALL. Like normally, even with the power switch off, if you put the battery in and close the door, the red activity LED will flicker... doesn't even do that. No signs of life AT ALL when turning it on.

I am wondering if it might be the on/off switch itself? Have you tried turning it on to both on settings?

Al

just out of interest,

is it possible to wake it up using any other buttons? - (when you do get it going?)

just asking because I have another camera that allows substitute buttons and always wondered if the 40D/50D do the same.

Chopper Al wrote in post #14421036
I am wondering if it might be the on/off switch itself? Have you tried turning it on to both on settings?

Of course, numerous times. Like I say, even when the switch is off, you normally get a flicker of the activity LED when you close the battery or CF door... it doesn't even do that.

seall wrote in post #14421078
just out of interest,

is it possible to wake it up using any other buttons? - (when you do get it going?)

just asking because I have another camera that allows substitute buttons and always wondered if the 40D/50D do the same.

When it does power up, the shutter button will wake it from sleep... it's not that; it just doesn't power up at all.

Buy a new SterlingTek and try that? lol. I mean, I don't know.

I had this issue once, and I swore that i the battery was charged, but I guess it wasn't, as after a recharge it worked. But you've already done that.

if you get it to turn on reflash your firmware to 1.1.1 here http://web.canon.jp …0d/eos40d-firmware-e.html

and leave all battery out for 30 mins not just in and out in a sec ,but for 30 mins with a button down

I had a similar problem and it turned out to be bad batteries. Both batteries I had seemed to die and not recharge for some reason. It might be because I had not turned on the camera for a long time. I tried it with another battery and things were good again!

Soundy wrote in post #14420821
if you put the battery in and close the door, the red activity LED will flicker... doesn't even do that.

if it's not batteries, I think you've likely got one of two problems - either a faulty powersupply board, or one of the microswitches on the battery door/memory card door has packed up. Only thing you can reasonably easily do is open the door (s) and poke the switch a few times to see if it comes right - it "might" be worth a squirt at each microswitch with electrical contact cleaner (with both batteries removed), but chances are you wouldn't get the cleaner on the contact in question as they're almost sealed.

I certainly wouldn't try changing the firmware if there's a chance that the camera could power down during the operation. If the firmwares okay to power the body up intermittantly, it's not worth taking the risk of "bricking" the unit while there are far more likely root causes of the issue.