Lighthouse Core - can't turn it OFF...?
Woke up in middle of night & saw a bright light coming from kitchen... My LIGHTHOUSE CORE was ON & shinning Bright...
I had not used it in well over 3 weeks... It had remained OFF since last use, and was sitting on my kitchen counter...
What made it turn ON? (No one around to turn it ON) - It turned ON all by itself! I tried to turn it OFF - NOPE! Fidgiting with the On-Off-Brighten-Dim Dial - NOPE, only went Bright and Dim.
It will NO LONGER SWITCH OFF - What's going on?
Answers
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Hi @MagicElf
We are sorry to hear about the issue with your Lighthouse Core. Something you can try is turning it all the way on and letting it drain to 0%. If that does not work please email us with your proof of purchase and also include a photo with the light on in the off position.
support@goalzero.com
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I have the identical problem with mine
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Hi @Wen
If you are experiencing this issue we recommend turning the lantern all the way on and letting it drain to 0%. If that does not work please email us with your proof of purchase and also include a photo with the light on in the off position.
support@goalzero.com
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This is funny. I am also having this problem. I've drained it down. Will be doing the rest as recommended.
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Yup me too. I've had mine at least 3 yrs never an issue. Haven't used it in several months & same thing happened, saw light coming from another room. I've read about this issue on other sites recently. They're fix doesn't work & I'm not taking it apart to try & fix it myself. Would appreciate a new model...
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Their not they're...
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Hi, have the same problem too, will write to the support.
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Hi @ittybittykitty,
If the above solutions did not work, please contact our solution center with the link below to look into warranty options.
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The warranty route is well and good. However, is there a way for us to actually fix it?
Is there a replacement part that can be provided? Could you provide us with the schematics?
Has the "turning it all the way on and letting it drain to 0%." worked for anyone here?
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I've got to the control board - made well to be easy to disassemble and disconnect.
I've been able to note what some of the parts do but having the diagram for it would make the job a lot easier.
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My Lighthouse 400 finally succumbed to this malady. After years on the shelf with infrequent camping use, it suddenly turned itself on. I can turn the switch left and get only one element slightly lit (right is both elements on), but never "off". I'm trying to drain the battery now and hopefully reset what-ever watch-dog is built-in. Let me know if anyone else has success with that.
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My Lighthouse Mini has done the same. Won't turn off when with in mid position. Single side on constantly, but slightly dimmed. Fully rotated clockwise (full light mode) still single sided dimmed. Rotated anti-clockwise it brightens single-side as per normal.
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I’ve had the same issue with the 400 refusing to turn off. Gave up using it after first camping trip as it wouldn’t turn off from the beginning. After testing in the house and draining down a few times, but same problem, was returning to where it was purchased, and embarrassingly it turned off in the store! Maybe motion helped?
Took home but old problem re-surfaced. Was put in storage, so it’s been a couple of years at least without use, but I got it out this week, charges up perfectly, two sides work as intended, but off central button still clicks but won’t turn light off.
So disappointing to read others having the same issue. I’m in the UK and this was bought from Go Outdoors.
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Lighthouse mini--the blue charging led's stay on and don't turn off. Charger no longer connected and they are still on.
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Well, this seems to be much more common than I expected. I have had this same problem for the last several years since I purchased it. I usually just let the battery run out and when I recharged it there was no issue. Now it will not turn off during recharging. Sounds like there is no good fix.
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I just got home from RAGBRAI. I used my Goal Zero 600 lantern. Last night, the red, flashing emergency light turned on by itself. I press the red triangle button but It won't turn off. What do you suggest?
I purchased it via Amazon last summer when my son went to Zion NP. He didn't experience any issues.
I look forward to hearing from you regarding this issue.
Thanks,
Glen
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HI @glenflodstrom,
If the above solutions did not work, please contact our solution center with the link below to look into warranty options.
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Oct 20th 2023 - I my light house core slowly declined into one side slowly turning on while I watch it setting on the shelf below my bedroom tv! It took a moment but after checking, it had all the symptoms as listed in this thread. Decided to check my “light out kit” which has two lighthouse mini’s and notes one wasn’t operational. Because the mini allows battery change, I was able to determine it was a dead battery and that one of the mini also had the same issue!
I evaluated if replacing the lanterns was worth it but after maintain the three lanterns for over ten years, reliability in an emergency is the real issue.
To the point and my solution; I am an experienced semiconductor engineer and by observation of the failure mode, and a few measurements (no schematics) on the control pcb, it appears like a leakage or connect issue. I also noted a white powdery stain on the pcb on both sides. I inspected the battery and didn’t note any issues. So I removed the pcb and cleaned the assembly with a (tooth)brush and isopropyl alcohol. Used can air to blow dry, and let it set in the sun for a day!
I inspected for a connection issue but the failure mode isn’t reacting to match the issue.
I Reassemble the unit and it worked!! - for about three days and the issue came back. In the business, we address leakage issue by soaking the pcb in a untrasonic tank of IPA then drying it in a oven. I don’t have access to such a tank so I did the procedure again and this time the lantern worked for about two days before same symptoms.
So my fix was to jumper the working side of the LEDs to the fail side, then install a SPST switch between the positive connection of the battery and PCB.
map now the lantern works very well and is dimmable without the option of using one side only.
the power switch has to be on selected and the light dimmer to its lowest setting. The battery charge indicator works well and the battery does get charged.
I mounted the switch in the lantern bottom cup.
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BTW, the usb charging connection also works very well and with use of an inexpensive power bank, with the switch in the off position, the bank easily powers the lantern.
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My Litehouse 250 exhibited the problems mentioned above about a year ago and is now useless. The lamp is 3 years old and I don't have the receipt (it was a gift from my son). This thing was used on 3-4 camping trips and during a couple of power outages during this time. I called their tech support today and, while the rep was very nice, the best that GoalZero could do was offer me 20% discount off buying a new lamp. It was a bit underwhelming, considering what my son paid for this lamp originally.
It is stunning that GoalZero does not offer a repair kit or solution other the suggesting that users drain the battery and pray it will fix it. I appreciate the solution proposed by "Lightbulb" above, but I don't have access to an "ultrasonic tank of IPA" nor do I know how to install an "SPST switch."
This lamp will now go to a landfill or recycler. Not a very good testament for sustainability or eco-friendliness given the GoalZero motto of "....respect for the planet, and a humanitarian heart."
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Hi, lighthouse mini v1 I guess. Several years old, but one of the best gifts ever! Then got this problem, wouldn't turn off. Ran it down multiple times, no joy. Very annoying to use it camping, having to take the battery out every night. I'd not enough electronics experience or tools to attempt repair. Then a few months ago I used it for an outdoor display, left it on all night outside, freezing cold, ran it down, charged it, did it again, problem went away! Several months later, still good. So, I'm not sure why, or whether it was a coincidence, but it's worth a try. Freeze it while it's on. Don't wait for winter. Use the freezer you probably have at home.
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Have exactly the same problem. Suddenly my Lighthouse switched on en I could not switch it off again. After reading alle threads, the device seems to be useless as I cannot rely on it. This is the third bad experience with Goalzero. Before, two of the Goalzero Torch 500's had a destroyed battery after charging in the sun. Apparently, these devices cannot stand the heat from the sun. The light works but not on battery. Very sad for a solar device…I could throw away both devices. Now number three is gone. I am done with Goalzero. Only my Goalzero 3000x works well (fingers crossed).
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Same problem: after owning the lantern for many years without any problems, I found it on - with the switch on the off position. I'll try the draining method first and come back here with an update if it solves the issue. Bought the lantern from Atmosphere many years ago and unfortunately no longer have a proof of purchase.
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Update: the draining and recharging method worked!! The first time I tried, the light was on as soon as the charge going in allowed it, so I drained it again and tried the next day. This time, it worked from the get go and recharged much faster than the first time. It now turns fully off. YAY!!
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Easy and Inexpensive Work-Around for “Won’t Turn Off” Problem with GZ Lanterns
Here’s an easy and inexpensive work-around that will allow you to keep using your GZ lantern. It requires no soldering and doesn’t alter the Printed Circuit Board or any other original components (except one battery wire). Basically, you are just installing a “kill” switch which will open the circuit to the battery thereby cutting off all power to the lantern. The procedure described here uses my lantern, GZ Lighthouse 250, but the concept should work just as well for other models.
Note: this “fix” is intended to address the following problem: the original rotary knob no longer turns the lantern off when the switch is in the off position. Some posts here describe other problems which this fix does not address (e.g. the red flashing lights not turning off; the blue power indicator lights not turning off). Just for context, I purchased my Lighthouse 250 in March of 2015 and this problem first occurred May 2024, so no warranty repairs for me. That’s why I chose to do it myself.
Materials and Costs
1. small switch - I chose a low-profile type of switch (a rocker switch) as opposed to a toggle switch for reasons explained below, but any type of switch will work; cost: $2.49 CDN
2. brass wire connectors (2) - cost: $0.49 CDN each
3. short pieces of wire (2) - cost: free (no self-respecting packrat would be without a supply of scrap wire)
4. electrical tape
Your situation may require slightly different materials (type of switch, size/style of connectors), but this is basically all you need. If you are at all mechanically inclined you can probably just implement this idea without further assistance. Otherwise, detailed instructions are listed below.
Steps
1. Remove the base plate (see photo 1) and carefully unplug the battery connector from the PCB. Remove battery. (You don’t have to remove the battery, but it’s a lot easier to connect the wires if you do.)
2. Assemble your switch, connectors, and wires (see photo 2). Splice your switch into one of the wires from the battery. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture at this stage, but it’s relatively easy: cut one of the battery wires at the halfway point (to give you enough wire to work with on both sides of the switch), strip about 1/4” insulation from the ends of the wires, twist together one half of the battery wire and one wire from the switch, then twist together the other half of the battery wire and the second wire from the switch; lastly, wrap splices securely with electrical tape.
3. Carefully measure the dimensions of the switch. Chose a location on the base plate for the new switch. Considerations: make sure there is enough space inside the housing at that location to accept the “buried” portion of the switch, the brass connectors and the new wires. While I would have preferred the switch be on the front of the lantern, I located the switch at the back of the housing because there is more empty space on the inside of the housing at that location than at the front. Also, think about where you want the switch on the outside of the housing in terms of accessibility, aesthetics, protection, etc. For example, I located the switch so that when the lantern’s legs are folded up one leg protects the switch from being turned on accidentally when the lantern is packed in a backpack, canoe bag, or whatever (see photo 3). (That is why I chose a low-profile style of switch.)
4. Carefully mark and the cut the hole in the housing. I did this by using a very small diameter drill bit to drill a series of holes just inside the pencil mark around the entire perimeter of the marking. Remove the piece of plastic housing. The excess material was then easily removed back to the pencil line with a utility knife. Take your time with this so that you get a tight fit for the switch and a nice looking finish on the outside (see photo 4).
5. Remove the switch from the connectors. Test fit switch in hole and shape hole until satisfied. Re-install the battery and plug it into the PCB. Re-attach connectors to back of switch. Assemble base plate.
Caveat
This “fix” allows the original rotary switch to be used as normal to: light one half of the lantern or both halves; dim or brighten one or both halves; and put one or both halves into “Turbo” mode. The new switch is used only to turn the lantern on and off.
The one drawback is that the new “kill” switch must be in the “on” position when charging the battery (in order for there to be a closed circuit). This means, of course, that the light will be on. However, I found that this did not noticeably increase charging time, especially if you turn the rotary switch so that only one half of the lantern is lit and it is at the dimmest setting. (Note: this test was done using the lantern’s USB cable plugged into a desktop computer. I do have a GZ Nomad 7 solar panel but have not tried charging the modified lantern with it yet. Although, I suspect the charging time would be negatively impacted by having the lantern on during charging given the solar panel’s meagre output.)
This may seem like a lot of work but it really only took about one hour. And it only cost me $4, so I’m happy with the results. At least I can continue to use my lantern.
Hope this helps someone.
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@Lightbulb & @DimBulb,
Outstanding repair writeups! I love seeing resourceful solutions like this that keep products going after a failure and out of the trash. I have a lighthouse 600 that still has a functioning switch but will bookmark this thread for later if it goes out like others have mentioned when the twist knob stops working.
A couple things I would add to the discussion are:
1) Please make sure the wire and switch used are of sufficient current carrying capacity (same or larger size as the existing battery wires) so they don't heat up and melt. I have not measured the max charge and discharge current (including with all lights on and USB output at full) to see what this max would be but that could be measured with a DMM.
2) Secondly, using a mechanical switch will add some electrical "bounce" to the voltage when turning it on, I am not sure how the circuits nearby will handle that but if someone wants to compensate for this common situation, a tutorial like this one will help when choosing additional RC components for managing switch debounce.
3) I think this style button adds a little water resistance as another option though the metal toggle switch type in @Lightbulb's post sometimes have a screw on rubber jacket that can add the same kind of protection. I have not tested this switch and can't guarantee it works but have been watching this thread and thinking about a mod for a while and may try it someday if needed. I will post here if I do.
