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[gucci_boi7782]

Well, rather selfish of me to post this like my Pleos are the only Pleos out there with these kind of problems...  -sigh-

Perhaps before mentioning the issues with my Pleos I should give a little bit of history...
Shortly after RB was released, I found Eliot on Ebay, in brand new condition, not a scratch of paint missing from anywhere, no rips/tears in his skin, or anything. He is a 2009 Innvo Labs Pleo with two 2009 batteries, cradles, and cords. Again, he looked brand new, but you'd never know that until you take him home...At which point I found out:

#1: Since day 1 (approximately 9 months to 1 year ago) he has had a consistent clicking problem in one of his front legs. I don't remember which one, due to the amount of inactivity he experienced. (Pretty much as soon as I got him, he went into a deep sleep AKA 'storage') Well now, since I've been playing with him, it appears it has only gotten worse, and it has also spread to the other leg as well. Also, when Eliot is put into storage mode his front right clickey leg gets stuck 'up' like he's giving paw/shaking hand.

Questions to #1: Is there any way to combat the clicking being done in his front legs? And why is it that when he is put in storage mode his front right leg is stuck in an up position? Is this a software problem?

Okay Pleo Problem #2: I am sure if you own a Pleo, you understand this. Pleo's skin is ripping/tearing or there is a giant hole or holes in Pleos skin. Yes, I have recently found out that my 'like new' Pleo-Eliot has multiple giant freaking holes in his skin...-ughhh- This is despite the fact that since day one, he has always worn his Pleo fabric cape every-single-day....which really ticks me off, since he's had such little activity, and always worn the fabric 'protector'...Arggh, whatever, it's only my fault for neglecting him for so long!!

Questions to #2: Is there any way to 'patch' where the holes are? Or must you 'reskin' him completely? What caused these holes to randomly appear in his skin? Was this caused by the clicking in his front legs? Or did inactivity deteriorate his skin that bad? Or was it caused by the cape?

I find it difficult to believing inactivity causing deterioration because Sophie has not experienced this.

Also, Sophie will also need a whole new reskinning from being ripped open so much for 'neck repairs' and being super glued so often. Her original skin may or may not be salvageable. Any suggestions for her? Do they sell the original rubber Pleo skin? And if not, what may be a potential similar material that may be used to reskin a Pleo? I am more partial to a rubberlike material due to the relatively easy cleanliness of it. Other than not knowing how to sew, I am not against the idea of using fabric, just not partial to faux fur.

Oy vey...My Pleos need loads of help! If anyone feels confident reskinning a few Pleos, and repairing a broken neck, and an ankle or two (Poor [old] Sophie), please notify me. Finances won't be straightened out until after the New Year, just as an FYI...


**********EDIT**********

http://bobthepleo.com/forums/index.php?action=mgallery;sa=album&id=326

This is the album I created of all the damage Eliot has. Bear with me here, the camera on my phone is *slightly* outdated...

Many of the pictures are 'as is', and then zoomed in and circled where the damage is. My apologies it got grainy when zoomed in.

Thanks guys/gals! Wink

[MariaOcean]

Use silicone it works very well with big holes and patching them  
I used it before and holds very well
There you types of silicone one is nonacidic and one is
 acidic,never tried acidic ones yet
 think it's best to stay away from them

[gucci_boi7782]

Thanks for the quick reply MariaOcean!! When referring to silicone, that's kind of a broad word..Do you mean silicone paint or do they actually sell pieces of silicone like rubber? I wonder if bicycle patches would work...?

Thanks again! As you can see from the photos, he's been kept in very nice condition, skinwise...

[InmemoryofRomeo]

There is the somewhat expensive option of sending them in for repairs and reskinning. Innvo do that now. It's $50 for the skin, but it's the postage that's the real killer.

The clicking suggests a gear problem, have you tried manipulating the legs back and forth at the knee? It could be something jamming them, loose wires or any manner of things. Kat has a great thread on leg repairs if you are game for another op.

[kat]

A video of the pleo in motion would be helpful to workout what is causing the clicking   The fact that the leg ends up raised in the off position makes me think there is an issue with the movement motion sensor.  It could be a loose or disconnected wire but it could also be a broken part.  Or it may be something else entirely    It seems with pleos you never really know unless you open them up.  Here is a link to my thread on Cato the blue pleo rb repairing a leg issue.
http://bobthepleo.com/forums/index.php?topic=3406.0
Take a look at the video tutorials and they will show you just what the workings of the leg look like and it might help you to understand or work out just what is going on with your guy.
The skin fixing is more complicated and I think as IMR says your best bet would be to go for a reskin from Innvo but the postage is a killer.
Many of us don't like the pleo cape as we feel the elastic bands are too tight on pleos leg skin and there have been a few holly pleos around in the past so I did come up with a pleo neck to tail cape To help hide the damage.  They are made from stretch velvet or stretch spandex that has an open belly area so you can access the battery, legs that wrap around and velcro together, a velcro fastner to the neck and either a fully enclosed tail or an almost fully enclosed tail that just leaves the tip poking out. 

More details...

More details...

I also make hoodies which look quite cute and can be made with or without and enclosed tail or no tail cover at all. So there is hope for a stylish Eliot even if he remains holly.

More details...

Looking at the rips in the legs of your guy makes me think that the cape elastic bands may have been causing the issues there but seeing the tear in his tail and elsewhere makes me think maybe he just has bad skin.  The pleo rb's when they first came out had a small batch of them with bad skin and they got holly armpits fairly quickly, since then Innvo fixed the issue and all future batches that we know of don't seem to be having that issue.  Maybe Eliot was from a bad batch . 
You could try super glue to stick him back together that has worked for some.  I don't think it has been tried on large holes though.

Regardless of what you end up doing it might be a good idea to contact Innvo and tell them Eliots story - maybe show them the pics.  It can only be of benefit to all future pleos if they get feedback on whats happening with pleos skin out there.  Perhaps they will work out a way of making it tougher in future generation pleos.

[MariaOcean]

for the silicone,something like this will work
 http://mmmwebstore.com/index.php?s=products&category=Sealants
beware that many "bathroom" grade sealants exude acetic acid when they set which will eat into copper.
Do not use "acid cure" silicone rubber for electronics.
Neutral cure SRs will always say "neutral cure" or similar on the container. if they do not say this or similar they will be acid cure.
We had a topic on it too
http://bobthepleo.com/forums/index.php?topic=3027.0

[gucci_boi7782]

There is the somewhat expensive option of sending them in for repairs and reskinning. Innvo do that now. It's $50 for the skin, but it's the postage that's the real killer.

The clicking suggests a gear problem, have you tried manipulating the legs back and forth at the knee? It could be something jamming them, loose wires or any manner of things. Kat has a great thread on leg repairs if you are game for another op.

Did you get a chance to see the photos I attached? I edited my initial post after I took the pictures and then added them in. In one of the photos you will see Eliot with socks on. His front right is 'jammed' upward. Therefore, it leads me to think when he goes into storage mode his 'brain'/computer tells him to pull his leg up..no?

A video of the pleo in motion would be helpful to workout what is causing the clicking   The fact that the leg ends up raised in the off position makes me think there is an issue with the movement motion sensor.  It could be a loose or disconnected wire but it could also be a broken part.  Or it may be something else entirely    It seems with pleos you never really know unless you open them up.  Here is a link to my thread on Cato the blue pleo rb repairing a leg issue.
http://bobthepleo.com/forums/index.php?topic=3406.0
Take a look at the video tutorials and they will show you just what the workings of the leg look like and it might help you to understand or work out just what is going on with your guy.

Consider it done! You may just have to bear with me, I know the video will most likely be grainy. I assume the cape should be taken off, eh? Will get to it very shortly.

In regards to your thread & video of Cato, (which I have not looked at at the moment,) is there any difference in yours being an RB and mine a 2009 Innvo?

The skin fixing is more complicated and I think as IMR says your best bet would be to go for a reskin from Innvo but the postage is a killer.
Many of us don't like the pleo cape as we feel the elastic bands are too tight on pleos leg skin and there have been a few holly pleos around in the past so I did come up with a pleo neck to tail cape To help hide the damage.  They are made from stretch velvet or stretch spandex that has an open belly area so you can access the battery, legs that wrap around and velcro together, a velcro fastner to the neck and either a fully enclosed tail or an almost fully enclosed tail that just leaves the tip poking out. 

More details...

More details...

I also make hoodies which look quite cute and can be made with or without and enclosed tail or no tail cover at all. So there is hope for a stylish Eliot even if he remains holly.

More details...

I didn't know Innvo offered reskinning..It certainly is an attractive option, if finances weren't ever so grim (especially this time of the year...) I wonder if perhaps they could just send the reskinning kit out to the DIY'ers...I'm sure a quick e-mail would resolve that.

Consider me odd or weird (but which of us isn't?! =P) or whatever, but I own Sophie because she is a female, and she can do all the pretty, girly things (I had a lot more fun with her!! =P) and Eliot because he is the rugged, rough, tough male. Therefore, dressing them has been a challenge. And what I like about the cape is that it's very clean, classic, neat, and original. I do simply love your capes, but partly why I am so partial to the cape is due to the fact that it looks like his real skin, just a softer version...Perhaps I can alter the original cape, or at least use it for a pattern.

Would it do more damage to take the cape off indefinitely now or leave it on permanently? Seems like a real conundrum here... And why would Innvo Labs issue a faulty product? Well then again, companies are always issuing faulty merchandise...

Looking at the rips in the legs of your guy makes me think that the cape elastic bands may have been causing the issues there but seeing the tear in his tail and elsewhere makes me think maybe he just has bad skin.  The pleo rb's when they first came out had a small batch of them with bad skin and they got holly armpits fairly quickly, since then Innvo fixed the issue and all future batches that we know of don't seem to be having that issue.  Maybe Eliot was from a bad batch . 
You could try super glue to stick him back together that has worked for some.  I don't think it has been tried on large holes though.

Regardless of what you end up doing it might be a good idea to contact Innvo and tell them Eliots story - maybe show them the pics.  It can only be of benefit to all future pleos if they get feedback on whats happening with pleos skin out there.  Perhaps they will work out a way of making it tougher in future generation pleos.

The elastic band theory does make quite a bit of sense for the legs. But on the tail and belly, nothing really makes sense!! Eliot would be my 4th or 5th Pleo, and other than excessive petting I have never noticed a 'bad skin' issue. Since I know from experience the skin deteriorates rather quickly, that's why I decided Eliot would always wear his cape. All of my Pleos in the past were Ugobe models. Eliot is my first Innvo Labs model, and I was ecstatic when I got him. He is a 2009 model. Regrettably though, he is not an RB model... ;(

I have used super glue on Sophie religiously, and seemed to work quite well. But again, that was for tears or small rips. Eliot on the other-hand...oy vey!

And yes I suppose the best way to get something figured out for him would be to contact Innvo..They may or may not be beneficial since he is an 'older' model, and not an RB..But the only way to know for sure would be to contact them...

for the silicone,something like this will work
 http://mmmwebstore.com/index.php?s=products&category=Sealants
beware that many "bathroom" grade sealants exude acetic acid when they set which will eat into copper.
Do not use "acid cure" silicone rubber for electronics.
Neutral cure SRs will always say "neutral cure" or similar on the container. if they do not say this or similar they will be acid cure.
We had a topic on it too
http://bobthepleo.com/forums/index.php?topic=3027.0

Hmm, I have lots of reading/researching that needs to be done now! (Ah, the joys of coming back to the forums!! =P)

I am a little concerned about using the silicone now! I will be reading your thread soon, as well. I wonder if hot glue, or bicycle tire patches would work? Most likely not, but just a random thought...



Thank you very, very, very much IMR, Kat, & MariaOcean! Now you've set me up with enough knowledge to feel a little more comfortable with a holey Pleo..
Will get a video of his leg clicks shortly, and going to e-mail Innvo, just to see what they have to say. Will keep you all posted.

Thanks, again!!

[gucci_boi7782]

***My letter to Innvo Labs***

First of all, I must say what a wonderful product Pleo is. I have owned multiple Pleos, and have followed Pleo since 2008. Every Pleo I have owned has always made a wonderful addition to my family. It is not very often that customers notify many companies to let them know how pleased they are, or how much they enjoy a product or a service. So thank you very much for all that you do at Innvo Labs, it does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. So again, thank you.

Regrettably though, I come to you with a few issues on my 2009 model Pleo. Pleo has constant clicking in joints, and multiple holes in skin.

In regards to the clicking in his joints, I have noticed this issue with Pleo since the initial purchase. Pleo's clicking started out in the front right leg and in recent times the clicking has also spread to the front left leg as well. When Pleo is commanded into the storage mode, the front right leg jams upward. With the legs clicking and jamming, it leads me to believe this Pleo to be faulty. It is unknown to me whether it is a software or hardware related issue. I believe if left unattended the health of my Pleo would only deteriorate even worse over time.

My other concern with this Pleo is the multiple holes in it's skin. To prevent potential future wear and tear to it's skin, this Pleo has worn an Innvo Labs cape since the initial purchase. After removing the cape I noticed multiple rips, tears, and holes of all sizes on Pleo's skin.

Since purchase, this Pleo has been taken extremely good care of. Other than the clicking of the legs, and the high deterioration of Pleo's skin, this unit is in immaculate condition.

My question is what all can be done for this Pleo?

Thanks again, and a Happy Holiday season to you!

~Spencer

[MariaOcean]

I tried hot glue before but not bike tire patches
Bad idea to use hot glue if it is for long term use,hot glue doesn't stretch and will put stress on to the rubber skin of the pleo making little cracks and holes around the area,also hot glue is hard and if you're fixing the arm and leg pits ,the hard glue will scratch the rubber

[InmemoryofRomeo]

Innvo won't ship just a skin I already asked But I hope they can sort something for you.

[gucci_boi7782]

Bad idea to use hot glue if it is for long term use,hot glue doesn't stretch and will put stress on to the rubber skin of the pleo making little cracks and holes around the area,also hot glue is hard and if you're fixing the arm and leg pits ,the hard glue will scratch the rubber

Good point! Didn't really factor that in...Ugghh, I'm just stressing! If you're silicone glue is still holding up strong, I suppose perhaps I will have to get some of that!!

Innvo won't ship just a skin I already asked But I hope they can sort something for you.

Oh well that's no good at all! They really ought to....

Okay, well for the first time in my 22 years on this Earth, I think I just may have upload a video onto Youtube? Never been successful at even creating an account with them before. Hopefully this worked...Major hassle to get these videos online...

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwN8yKvS624" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwN8yKvS624</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEJPnD589XU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEJPnD589XU</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr1PZ7cyobs" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr1PZ7cyobs</a>

[gucci_boi7782]

Well although I am slightly upset, I am also relieved Innvo Labs finally contacted me back...

Please forgive my general all-around rudeness. The e-mail ticked me off, and the Riesling certainly didn't help matters!!

This is her response, and mine as well:

-------------------------

Dear Spencer,
 
Noted that your Pleo was Ugobe version - 1st generation.

Regarding the legs clicking and jamming, please be noted that each leg has a clutch system to keep it from being damaged. Please try this: turn Pleo off and hold the Pleo body close to you, so you have a good grip on his body and have the bad leg exposed. You can move the bad leg against the clutches, it will make a clicking sound, this is OK. Make sure to move the shoulder and the knee joins. Move his leg joints back and forth two times. Now turn Pleo on and see if this fixes the problem.

If it is concerned about firmware, you can try to update our firmware of PM V2.0.1 for your Ugobe Pleo if you like, the firmware of PM V2.0.1 is free available at http://www.pleoworld.com/eng/firmware.php.

Regarding the skin issue, here is our suggestion. You may ship your Ugobe Pleo to us at your cost for overall checking.The checking fee is US$39. After checked, if there is no other problem but skin change, the check up fee will include the skin change fee. Otherwise, if there is other problem that we need to fix, we shall advise the repairing cost.

For more information about our company and products, please visit our website www.pleoworld.com . Please also let us know if you need any extra information.

Best regards,

Helene Zhong

Customer Service Department

Innvo Labs Limited

To get PLEO rb update, please LIKE us at

www.facebook.com/PLEOrb

www.facebook.com/PLEOrb.asia

http://www.youtube.com/user/InnvoLabsPLEOrb

http://www.pleoworld.com/pleo_rb/eng/products.php?c1id=9

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good Morning to you Helene Zhong,

Please note my Pleo is a 2009 Innvo Labs Pleo, not an older Ugobe model. I thought the title of my message would have clarified this initially, but that proved to be wrong. In regards to your highly generic response, I constantly move Pleo's leg back into the correct position while the Pleo is in the off position. Time and time again, the Pleo malfunctions and both legs end up jamming and clinking again. Which lead me to note to you the first time that it was either a hardware or software problem, not a random fluke that happens sporadically. This is a continuous problem with my 2009 Innvo Labs Pleo. All I was wondering was what options the company had to offer, considering the product I own is faulty. I do have videos on Youtube of the legs malfunctioning, if at all you were interested to watch them.

The software is not the problem. Although the Pleo is not an RB model, the Pleo is on the most current software for a 2009 Innvo Labs model. As much as it was appreciated that you posted that link, it was simply unnecessary. The Pleo's problems are not due to a need for upgrading. It is either a hardware problem (something getting stuck and jamming) or a software (program is sending conflicting messages to Pleo) or a combination of the two. Again, the issue is not due to a need for an upgrade to operating system, but thank you all the same.

In regards to the concept of shipping my Pleo to China, what exactly would be the total price to do so? Is there a price list for procedures performed? In regards to the $39 USD for the 'checkup', does that mean the reskinning is included in that price? If it costs $39 USD for just the Pleo 'checkup', could you also tell me how much for the reskinning, the leg replacements, and what the shipping costs would be to China and back to the United States? So far, this does not seem to be a very cost effective option in the least bit. For obvious reasons with my Pleo being out of warranty, I may just have the legs replaced elsewhere. But with that being said, could you just sell the Pleo's skin? I looked on your website and didn't find any Pleo skins for sale. I also spoke with a friend who mentioned the skin was not for sale on the pleoworld website. If I may ask, why is the skin not sold to the public on the pleoworld website?

Oh and if you could possibly find a way to sell a Pleo skin, I would mostly be interested in a green skin.

Thank you for you concerns and warm regards to you as well, Helene Zhong.
Spencer

-------------------------

Dear Spencer,
 
Noted that your PLEO was PLEO 2009.

Skin change is a complicated process. It causes damage the PLEO structure easily so that DIY is not recommended.

After checked, if there is no other problem but skin change, the check up fee will include the skin change fee. Otherwise, if there is other problem that we need to fix, we shall advise the repairing cost.

Based our Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) policy, all return shipping charges must be prepaid by you. To save the shipping cost, please well pack the
PLEO 2009 unit alone (without any accessories) in smaller box and ship via your local postal to the following address.

Innvo Labs Limited

Jetta House,

19 On Kui Street,

On Lok Tsuen,

Fanling, N.T.

Hong Kong

Attn: Customer Service Department

Tel:+(852)2680 0680

Please let us know your decision so that we can work with you from next step.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello again, and thank you this time for a speedy reply.

It is my understanding that the skin replacement wouldn't be an easy procedure to perform. As much as I appreciate the recommendation to not perform the procedure on my own, I do have confidence in my own capabilities. If I am unsuccessful, I do have others that could replace Pleos skin for me. Either way, it would not effect Pleoworld whatsoever, since obviously Pleo is out of warranty.

Although you hardly answered any of my questions, and as much as it was appreciated, I am not interested in shipping my Pleo to Hong Kong, at all. It hardly seems cost effective. However, I am more interested in simply purchasing an unused skin to replace the torn one on my Pleo at my leisure.

Please reply with a cost to simply purchase just the Pleo's skin.

Thank you again for a speedy reply.
Spencer

[InmemoryofRomeo]

I think you may well end up going in circles They wouldn't send me one even after directing them to my skinning and repair videos

The reskinning itself is cheap enough at $39 but the postage is always a query.