Can't See Display Timex Ironman Triathlon (by 3 users)

I posted the comment about it definitely being the watch battery, and it is. I did manage to successfully change my battery this time around though. I have a metal band on my watch so first I took the band loose from the watch. The pins holding the band can be a pain to put back in once you get to the reassembly portion, but you do need to take the band loose, at least on the metal bands. Second take the screws out of the back, there are 4 and a small screwdriver set is needed. Then carefully remove the back, slowly (I've read elsewhere on the net about some people having springs spring out when the back is removed... I did see some small springs in there but mine didn't pop out).
Once the back is off the next step is to remove the old battery.
There is another screw about the size of the screws holding the back on that holds the metal ring that the battery fits into to a part of the circuit board. Remove that screw. Now you can lift the entire battery and metal ring completely out of the watch.
The next step is to get the old battery loose from the metal ring that it is mounted to. The 2 pieces attach together firmly so that
it almost looks to be one piece but it really is 2 pieces... the battery and the metal ring. Carefully remove the old battery from the metal ring, put the new one in in the same direction you took the old one out, set the new battery and ring back into place in the watch, replace that once screw that holds the battery to the circuit board, then put the watch back back on, being careful to put it back on in the correct direction. Make sure the printing on the back of the lid is facing up... if you put the back on upside down it will still fit, and the watch will still work, but you will loose all your beeps and the alarm will not work - well it still works but you can't hear it because the beeps don't work. This was another item I found out about on the net and someone else posted the solution. Then, put the 4 screws back in the back of the watch, tighten them down, then reattach your band (putting the pins in is tedious - this part took almost as long as the whole rest of the battery replacement, but the second time I did it it went faster...yes I put the back on upside down the first time and had to go back and flip it around so I got to play with the band pins twice).
Anyway, hope this helps. You can do the repair yourself and possibly save yourself some money if you are careful, don't get in a hurry, and have the proper tools. You might need to buy a small screwdriver set to get the screws loose and to pry the pins loose from the band.

Several years ago i bought the then 100 Lap Ironman Marathon watch which cost a healthy £58.Within a month of purchase the indiglow stopped working but the watch still worked well.

As the watch was on guarantee i returned it to Timex who amazingly returned the same watch and a new replacement with indiglo working.I was amazed,atleast i expected only one watch but two for the price of one was amazing.

I cannot remember the reason behind it but for customer service Timex must rank as one of the friendliest and most professional companies ive dealt with over the years.

Whether it still remains company policy to return the original watch plus a replacement im not sure but write to them you never know.

Now if the watch had been a Casio it would have been a different outcome.Their customer service was on the other end of the scale to Timex,a very expensive repair bill and poor customer relations.

Contact Timex by letter first explaining your problem,i doubt their superb customer service will have changed.

I still own both the watches and still look back with amazement at how i was treated by this superb company.

Ps I donot work for them honest.

Good luck
Peter

If the watch is working then the battery is OK althouhj it may be down and not giving the full power
Though having said that - Watch batteries of the standard type are go/no go- they do not fade as such.
The illumination is another thing- if this were a standard LCD screen - such a camera then what you describe is a sure sign the backlight has failed.
But a wath with a backlight- I dunno
Only a Watch /Jeweler maker could tell you.
And you know what they say about tika tika Timex
Its true- They don#t get fixed.
But try the battery route first- pe haps in a in store so that if it does not do the business you wont have to buy a fresh battery to dump with the dud watch.

I have an Ironman also and I agree it is harder to replace the battery than you think. There are electrical contact surfaces inside that have miniscule tolerances in terms of the spacing they have for clearance. You are expected to press on these things with tweezers to reset the battery (as discussed elsewhere on the web), but if they get bent down, they will short out the circuit (a permanently blank display), or the might be out of alignment (a reset every time you press one of the control buttons on the outide of the watch). If you think this has happened to you, open the case (again) you can use a small tool to carefully lift the metal contact back up off the contact plate. Also make sure the back of the case is on tight as this also plays a role the electromechanics of this watch.

Other than that, I admit I really like the Ironman, so easy to use and set.

Good Luck

Go to Wal*Mart or a local jewelry store, it's cheap to purchase the battery, and usually they'll install it for free! Thanks for the info about it being the battery! I've never had this problem before!

It is definitely the watch battery. I've had an Ironman before and I have one now. When the battery gets weak, the backlight zaps too much juice from the battery and the display lightens to the point of not being able to read it. I ruined my last Ironman trying to replace the battery myself and my current Ironman is having the same problem now. If you attempt to change the battery yourself, be forewarned it might not be as simple as you think it will be, although since I have experienced one failure, I may give it another shot since getting it fixed elsewhere might approach the cost of the watch.