How to Disassemble and Repair a Canon PowerShot S1, S2, S3 IS with e18 Lens Error!

Fix it Yourself - Step by Step Instructions!

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Tools Needed

• Small phillips and flat-head screwdrivers
• Tweezers
• Good Lighting
• Small Needle Nose Plyers
• Small Side-Cutter Plyers
• Small sharp knife
• Crazy Glue (optional)

Screws

There are multiple sizes of screws. Keep track of where they go... you may want to sketch a simple drawing and mark which type of screw comes out of each hole as you remove them. There are 2 to 3 sizes of screws, so you can group them and label your drawing with which screw came out of which hole. Otherwise you could damage the camera by putting a long screw in a short screw spot.

Disassembly

Step 1: Remove the Strap, Lens Cap string, and memory card.

Step 2: Remove the rubber cover over the eyepiece. Use a small flat-head screw driver or knife to lift the edge and try to invert or turn it inside out - this is the best way to remove it. Putting it back on is not easy (I think it's actually the hardest part of this repair!) and is best done by almost turning it inside out and putting left side in first and then working the other sides in. Take your time and avoid breaking the viewfinder.

Step 3: Remove the screws indicated by the red arrows.

Step 4: Remove the screws indicated by the red arrows.

Step 5: Remove the screws indicated by the red arrows.

Step 6: Are you keeping track of where the screws came from by making a drawing? You will wish you had if you don't!

Step 7: Remove the screws indicated by the red arrows.

Step 8: Remove the screws indicated by the red arrows.

Step 9: Remove the side of the camera that's on the side of the LCD hinge (opposite the battery side). It should work off pretty easy.

Step 10: Remove the screw near the little speaker...

Step 10: Remove the back. Fold the LCD display out all the way. Pry and work the back away from the body gently so you don't crack the plastic. You do not have to remove the LCD.

Step 11: Unplug the two connectors which lead to the mics and switches in the front cover. The flat ribbon cable has a small hole that is used to pull it out and push it back in... use something small and pointy to do this (I use a small awl that's angled, or, one side of the tweezers - mine are pointed). I use my knife to work the other connector (with the red and black wires) loose.

Step 12: Remove this screw - you may can get by without removing it, but I always remove it.

Step 13: Fold this up and out of the way.

Step 14: You may have a strip of tape to remove... save it and put it back when putting the camera back together.

Step 15: Pull this from under the LCD hinge.

Step 16: The Wire and flat cable we're removing are held under a metal hook, work them loose. They may also be stuck down from the sticky off of the tape... work them loose.

Step 17: Take something and work the wires and flat cable out from under the LCD display bracket... be gentle, don't break them.

Step 18: Take something and work the wires and flat cable out from under the plastic fingers under the speaker... be gentle, don't break anything.

Step 19: Remove the Front cover. Be careful not to crack the plastic. I find it works best to take something like a small screw driver or knife and work the battery side of the front where it wraps around loose and then just use my fingers to wiggle it and work it until it comes all the way off.

Step 20: The red arrow points to the Ultrasonic motor. The ultrasonic motor turns the gears in the gear box, the final gear in the gear box turns the base of the lens.

Step 21: Use a can of compress air to blow out the inside of the camera, really hit the base of the lens where there gears are.

Step 22: If you're using a match stick, trim it to a taper with a knife or sandpaper as shown.

Step 23: Insert match stick or fat round or square toothpick as shown. It has to be positioned as shown to make it work.

Step 24: Test... Do NOT SKIP THIS STEP! You can snap on the back and install the memory card and batteries (you do not need to put on the front or connect the 2 wires we removed. This will allow you to turn on the camera and test it. You may need to tweak the placement and depth of the match stick or toothpick.

Step 25: Trim match stick or fat round or square toothpick in as shown with the small side cutters or very sharp knife. The top photo shows me marking it with an ink pen. The second photo shows it trimmed and in place. Put a drop of superglue on it (on the side that will hit the plastic) if you want before putting it in.

Putting it back together!

Reassembly is pretty much the opposite of taking it apart.

• Put the front on (no screws yet)
• Work the flat ribbon cable and wires from the front back under the LCD display bracket and plug them in... the tweezers and small needle nose plyers come in handy here.
• Put in the screws we took out on the inside
• Put the back and side on (no screws yet)
• It takes some effort to get the front, side, and back to mesh back together... just keep working it until it does.
• Test it again!
• Put the screws back in (be sure you get them in the correct holes)
• Put the rubber eye piece cover back on. This is really hard to do. Turn it almost wrong side out (or inverted) and work the left side in first... then work the other sides in. It takes some effort to get this correct. Don't give up!

Did it work for you? Let me know. Drop me an email Fred at CanonLensError.com and I'll add some comments to these pages.

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