Flash light is on but does not fire

My first impression is that you are using the flash at its maximum capacity and completely draining the charge each time. I'd also say that you are only going to get about a dozen flash burst before the batteries are exhausted. I use several Vivitar 283's 285's and a couple 285HV's in a portable studio set up I have and the 285 HV's have got to be tuned down about 1/3 before I can get them to match the other flash outputs. If I need all out brute power then the 285HV's are used on full inside a softbox. I generally work with a 16 batteries between the two 285HV, also they need good fresh batteries off the charger. On a photo shoot I'll get maybe 15 shots before the power is down enough that I change then, I'd say powering back up it'll take about 15 to 20 seconds before they come out.

Hi grwcamp, Sorry to hear about it not working at the graduation. Are in the correct position (I am sure you did but, we must start someplace). Look inside, see if there is battery acid in there.
If with new/fresh batteries it still does not work call Nikon. You have a warranty on it so it should be covered.
Nikon digital 1-800-645-6689

Hi Dave,
Try shorting out Center Pin to Outside Metal Contact after the light turned green. This must fire the flash.
If not, could be the flashtube /or trigger are defective.
Do you have a DVM?
[email protected]

If you are sure your charger is working properly then your one battery may be shot.. i even had a new battery quit charging and had to replace it. they do not come cheap.

flash bulb could be burnt out...if it doesn't fire when when you push test, that's my guess as to the problem. Another possibility (although unlikely) is a loose connection in the flash.

You don't need a Manual.
In 285 HV there is only one Power on/off switch.
If that switch is on and batteries are new Alkaline (like duracell-no chepo )or fully charged and working rechargebles,and yet the ready light do not come the flash has defect inside.For sure.

If you know basic soldering, Open the old hot shoe from base
(4 screws).Note down the position of the wires.
Try to fire the flash with shorting two trigger wires,most ly it will fire.
If the springy contact is adjustable do it.If it is not repairable, you can get metal hot shoe from ebay easily.
Caution: metal hot shoe will short circuit 4 TTL contacts (on digital camera) ,so you need to put cello tape at bottom of hot shoe with only center hole.
Hope this solves.

If red light on flash is blinking, flash is charging. In shooting rapidly, sometimes flash will go off even though it isnt fully charged. This can give dark shots. Flash eats batteries like crazy, best to always use fresh batteries for each shoot.

Then I'd say it's a reasonably sure thing that the green light is just burned out, The lights are supposed to be off at first, then red when there's a partial charge, then green when there's a full charge, then flashing between red and green when the "battery saver" kicks in. If you're seeing off, then red, then off, then flashing red, then that means everything in the charging circuit is working perfectly, there's just no green light.

To test everything except the camera, just short the contacts on the Wein protector. If the flash fires, the problem is in your camera, and maybe the protector did not do its job as good as expected.

Good luck