Flaky 360 controllers

[SavannahLion]

I've got a pair of wireless 360 controllers that tend to turn off every so often.

I haven't touched the 360 in months so when the kids started complaining the 360 started acting wonky, I was ready to smack them for leaving the controller on the couch for the dog. But I digress....

Swapped the batteries, "re-paired" them with the 360, cleaned the contacts, but nothing seems to be a fix. Googled around and the answers are just as flaky as the controllers. Bend the tab? Buy rechargeable batteries? Send them back to Microsoft under warranty? You need to be kidding

I fiddled around with the controller and found that if you strike the controller on the grip just so (at the heel, where the motors are located IIRC), it powers off, thus loosing the connection to the big box.

So my guess is either the battery pack is loose, maybe from flattened springs? Or maybe a bad solder joint? Hell of a coincidence that both controllers exhibit this problem.

So before I dig out the security screw and open this thing up has anyone encountered such a thing before?

[Endaar]

I have one that has done that since it was brand new. It's an extra so I've never really looked into a fix; good luck and let us know what you find.

[SavannahLion]

I think I found the problem.

Inside the battery pack, metal tabs are used instead of true springs. I hooked one to see about bending it to shape but it's pretty damn flimsy. That explains the "tab" fix I see online. Both internal tabs is the same piece as the external tab in the center of the pack. What people are saying is to bend the tab up, I think what they're really saying is to slide the tab to bring the internal tabs closer to the batteries. Of course I imagine this will slip over time and has to be repeated.

Ideally' it should be springs. I had other issues to deal with but I'm going to see if I can get the assembly out and solder some real springs in there. Alternatively I might stretch the spring inside the controller itself but over time this will also compress back to shape and probably isn't ideal either.

I dunno... I'll figure something out.