After turning on, the lens opens and extends, then it makes a noise like thereis something mechanically sticking. After it stops making noise, there is an e18 on the LCD.

I had the same problem with a similar Coolpix model. It's an error on the lens mechanism. Maybe you pressed the lens by accident while they were retracting, or something like that... It's really a delicate mechanism. I think you have to send it for a service... Sorry!

Use your vacuum cleaner to pull the dust lodged between the lens casing and the camera body. Do not blow it in.

As an experienced eBay seller, I have sold many broken items over the past ten years. They sell well and it's truly better than having them just sit there and taunt you. If the owner doesn't mind, listing it on eBay to recoup some of the money is not a bad idea. Write up an honest listing describing the camera's problems and history and take just one or two good photos to post with your description. It's what make eBay fun for both seller and buyer -- GREAT DEALS!
You've got a great start to your description already written. "Rich R6. When I turn the power on, the lense make a mechanical noise (3 times) and does not extend or even open the lens cover. I can repeat this over and over, and nothing happens. The CRIS repair estimate is $160."

EBAY HINT: List on a seven day auction ending on a Monday night in the beginning of a month for maximum price.
Good luck!
-CBR2009

Lens errors are fairly common. Usually it's sand or grit interfering with the lens extension mechanism. Or the camera's been dropped with the lens extended. Or the camera has been powered on, but the lens had been blocked preventing its extension. Or the battery ran down with the lens extended ...

Here's some things that you can do to try to correct it. They only seem to work for less than 50% of the lens errors, but if the camera is out of warranty, they're worth a try:

http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2007/12/fixing-lens-error-on-digital-camera.html

Lens errors (E18 errors on Canons) are fairly common. Usually it's sand or grit interfering with the lens extension mechanism. Or the camera's been dropped with the lens extended. Or the camera has been powered on, but the lens had been blocked preventing its extension. Or the battery ran down with the lens extended ...

Here's some things that you can do to try to correct it. They only seem to work for less than 50% of the lens errors, but if the camera is out of warranty, they're worth a try:

http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2007/12/fixing-lens-error-on-digital-camera.html

Lens errors are fairly common. Usually it's sand or grit interfering with the lens extension mechanism. Or the camera's been dropped with the lens extended. Or the camera has been powered on, but the lens had been blocked preventing its extension. Or the battery ran down with the lens extended ...

Here's some things that you can do to try to correct it. They only seem to work for less than 50% of the lens errors, but if the camera is out of warranty, they're worth a try:

http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2007/12/fixing-lens-error-on-digital-camera.html

Hello

When you turn the camera on the lens comes out and has parameters when extending to focus, if the lens does not open fully it sees a problem and then closes.

there are tiny plastic gears inside and may have chipped or a piece of sand got in causing the lens to jamb. "very fragile"

one solution is to ask a camera repair shop how much a lens mechanism would be to replace. (if cost is more than 1/2 of what you paid dont bother)

another solution is to have someone sell your camera on an auction site for parts, to make some money towards another camera purchase

in any case where the lens makes a grinding noise, something is in the channel and causing the lens to not extend all the way... you will need to send to a repair shop

"My toddler may have done something with it.. but I'm not sure what!" Does the camera power down after it tries to open the lens? If the camera was dropped with the lens extended, then chances are that the lens is bent which would prevent the lens from opening. Was something spilled on it? This might be your problem too. Try sliding in a small piece of paper around the lens and see if you can free it up and get it to come out. If it does, wipe down the outside of the lens with a damp cloth (but not the optical glass!) and use a dry cloth to remove any moisture before retracting the lens. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Hello This is a pretty usual type of problem. The lens assembly is composed of some lens and some servomotors that will move them around or focus them properly in order to get a sharp picture. This is a delicate part of any camera. Sometimes one of the small parts in the lens assembly get out from their positions and damages or jams other components there. Therefore when you start the camera it produces weird noises as it tries to extend the lens. A camera doesn't know where the lens are at the moment you start it. It will power up the motors for a small amount of time, as it knows that if the motor works for about 1-2 sec the lens should move and extend. If this doesn't happen the camera gets confused and gives you errors or makes strage noises as it powers on the motor but it can't move the lens because they got jamed or are fully extended. Only a service center can fix this because lens mechanisms are very fragile and require specialised hardware to be realigned or repaired. In your case it would be adviceable to ask them an estimate of the repair, for you to know if it's worth it. It can be a simple job like putting back the piece that got out of place, but also it can be a situation in wich the whole lens assembly must be changed because of extensive damage recieved when the motor forced the lens to extend. It is also a good thing to do, NOT to power on the camera anymore as it can damage itself furthermore. Sorry as I can't give you more detailed tips, this isn't the do-it-yourself type of repair, even the service centers are having problems with this repairs. Good luck however, maybe it's a simple thing.