Polar FT4 Battery Changing issues - PLEASE HELP

2

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I sucked it up and bought the real thing from Polar. Figured it was worth it to not wreck my HRM.
  • ___meemer___
    ___meemer___ Posts: 2
    Did you have to send your watch to them or were you able to do it yourself?
  • ssp1977
    ssp1977 Posts: 120 Member
    Anyone have any issues getting the battery cover OFF of the Polar FT4 Wear Link? Mine is impossible to get off (tried a quarter, nickel, screwdriver, and also had 3 engineers at work try with tools). My HRM is 5 months old, given as a gift, and the people at Polar are being d*cks about it.

    Anyone have suggestions. I love my HRM

    Oh my God, I nearly ruined mine trying to get it off! I had a older gent at work get it off for me-he placed a towel on a workbench, then took a long handled screw driver and bent over it, and applied lots of pressure. It finally came off-what a pain in the *kitten*! Good luck!


    Hallelujah for old gents! I was looking for a post regarding this problem and found this old thread. I tried the towel on a workbench / large screwdriver method and it worked. THANK YOU!!!
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    Try a really really thin razor blade.

    I have the Polar FT4, and the backs just seem to pop off quite easily on the transmitter. Never tried it with the watch though!
  • LesaDave
    LesaDave Posts: 1,480 Member
    All I can say...I'm not looking forward to the time it comes to change mine...
  • walterm852
    walterm852 Posts: 409 Member
    great post, i will save advice for future
  • chubber231
    chubber231 Posts: 41 Member
    I got my replacement battery at Radio Shack and removed the cover with a flat metal manicure tool. Haven't had any problems since I changed it.
  • walterm852
    walterm852 Posts: 409 Member
    No help for your cover removal, but you are not alone with the poor service coming from Polar. I recently changed my FT80 battery and the watched never worked correct after. Sent it in (was new in Jan 2012) and they claimed "damage" and not under warranty. They were very rude on the phone and took weeks to respond to emails. For a name that once seemed to be a leader, they are a poor excuse now...........
    Its common and understandable for manufacturers to void warranties for product altered by non authorized dealers. If you think you may send it in, dont work on it yourself
  • Savyna
    Savyna Posts: 789 Member
    The wearlink cover is not coming off at all and unfortunately with all the items I tried to use to open it (dime, quarter, nickel, screwdriver) have completely chipped the plastic away making it seemingly impossible to open. All I can think of is to somehow attach something to the face of the cover that has a strong suction to then twist it open like that but I don't know where to find such a machine at all. What would any of you suggest in opening something where the slot has been stripped away?
  • Lexikat21
    Lexikat21 Posts: 22 Member
    Same thing happened to mine. I just sent only the Wearlink in to them and they gave me a new back cover and changed the battery for $18. It took about a week in total for me to send it in and to get it back.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    If I didn't have a replacement I would grind out the hollow, then fill with either a filler such as an epoxy resin based filler, or I would carry out a scarf repair with glass and epoxy resin.
    I would then grind out a new slot into my repair to act as the turning slot (likely 90 degrees to the original).
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,656 Member
    Anyone have any issues getting the battery cover OFF of the Polar FT4 Wear Link? Mine is impossible to get off (tried a quarter, nickel, screwdriver, and also had 3 engineers at work try with tools). My HRM is 5 months old, given as a gift, and the people at Polar are being d*cks about it.

    Anyone have suggestions. I love my HRM

    I got my batteries changed at a jewellery shop, they changed the battery in the watch itself and then in the Link bit.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Since this popped up on My Topics this morning, figured I'd update my previos post. I did end up taking my wearlink transmitter to one of the local jewelers when it was time to change the battery. I'd rather that then ruin it and have to pay the cost for a whole new one. I think it cost me $12 and only took them a few minutes. Definitely worth the time and money!
  • BobbieLee1959
    BobbieLee1959 Posts: 605 Member
    It is a known issue..that is why they are being snotty about it. Is this in the transmitter or the receiver (wristband)?

    When my transmitter battery went dead and I had this issue, I found that on the backside of the transmitter are 4 very small screws. If you loosen these just a tad, to remove pressure from the cover of the battery compartment. You should then be able to remove it using the method you described.

    After you have replaced the battery, snug the screws back up and you should be good to go!

    Good luck and enjoy your HRM!
  • BobbieLee1959
    BobbieLee1959 Posts: 605 Member
    No help for your cover removal, but you are not alone with the poor service coming from Polar. I recently changed my FT80 battery and the watched never worked correct after. Sent it in (was new in Jan 2012) and they claimed "damage" and not under warranty. They were very rude on the phone and took weeks to respond to emails. For a name that once seemed to be a leader, they are a poor excuse now...........
    Its common and understandable for manufacturers to void warranties for product altered by non authorized dealers. If you think you may send it in, dont work on it yourself

    I actually got pretty good CS from Polar...it did take some time, but they requested that I return both the transmitter and the strap and they replaced the strap and battery in the wristband. The transmitter problem was still there, but I loosened the small screws on the back of the transmitter and replaced the battery, then re-snugged the screws. I have had no problems since.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,656 Member
    It is a known issue..that is why they are being snotty about it. Is this in the transmitter or the receiver (wristband)?

    When my transmitter battery went dead and I had this issue, I found that on the backside of the transmitter are 4 very small screws. If you loosen these just a tad, to remove pressure from the cover of the battery compartment. You should then be able to remove it using the method you described.

    After you have replaced the battery, snug the screws back up and you should be good to go!

    Good luck and enjoy your HRM!

    The quoted post above from BobbieLee is an excellent solution I believe.

    The pressure would be due to the watch and also the wearlink being waterproof.
  • foxylady522
    foxylady522 Posts: 80
    I have had my FT4 for 14 months and in the past week my transmitter went dead. I was checking MFP and am very glad to have seen this pop up in my search. I have tried many objects- quarter, nickel, screwdriver, etc to get the darn thing open. I will certainly try the above advice because it's killing me to not have my HRM each day.

    Thanks everyone for the advice!
  • skadoosh33
    skadoosh33 Posts: 353 Member
    Anyone have any issues getting the battery cover OFF of the Polar FT4 Wear Link? Mine is impossible to get off (tried a quarter, nickel, screwdriver, and also had 3 engineers at work try with tools). My HRM is 5 months old, given as a gift, and the people at Polar are being d*cks about it.

    Anyone have suggestions. I love my HRM

    Yep. I just tried to change my FT7 for the third time. It stripped away this time and is now ruined. My wife has the women's FT7 and it is a different lock, it just pops. Now I'm out $80.
  • LJGmom
    LJGmom Posts: 249 Member
    Mine is stuck too, I don't think I'll ever get it off I've chipped and stripped the groove for the quarter...so frustrating! To spend the money on it and now gave nothing.
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
    I'm having this same problem, with the FT4! A video on Youtube made it look so easy to open the back! Just twist it with a nickle. Nope! I drove to the mall today to a watch repair shop. They've changed the battery in my HRM watch in the past and he tried and tried and couldn't get it open. I guess I'm going to have to send it to Polar, because I don't know what else to do. I hate to be without it that long though!

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