Weak or dead arrow? One test settles it.
Pad works but some arrows feel soft, or one's dead — you're between two suspects: a snapped wire / corroded contact, or just too little panel flex. You don't have to decide up front. Both start by opening the panel, and one quick test tells you which.
One (or a few) arrows dead
Works but weak / missed steps
Both faults live in the panel and share a cause (corroded contact). The only real difference is open circuit (dead) vs too little flex / high resistance (weak). Open the panel once, run the bare-metal test, and it splits cleanly into a mechanical or electrical fix.
Open it, run two quick tests
All you need is a phillips screwdriver and a multimeter with a continuity (beep) mode.
Open the panel
Unscrew it. Pry the Velcro up slowly — the wire runs underneath and snaps if you yank. Lift outside-in.
Bare-metal test — the splitter
With the Lexan off, tap the bare top metal contact directly by hand. Compare against a good panel.
Multimeter confirm
Continuity mode: that panel's pin → top metal while pressing. No beep = open circuit (snapped wire). Beeps but weak = high-resistance (corrosion) or just not enough flex.
What happened on the bare-metal test?
Tap the one that matches what you felt — you'll get the exact fix.
Bare-metal test result
Lexan off, tapping the top metal by hand…
The Lexan / tension is holding it off the plate
Contacts and wiring are fine. The panel just isn't flexing enough — warped Lexan or uneven/too-tight screws.
- Arc the top sheet metal — a slightly bigger upward bow so it meets the plate sooner.
- Even out the screws across all panels — snug, not gorilla-tight.
- Penny-mod that panel to match the strong ones (go light, keep it symmetric).
- Check for warp: lay the Lexan on a flat table — if it rocks or bows, replace it.
- Worn Velcro? Replace to restore a consistent gap.
The contact path is the problem
Bare metal still misbehaves, so it's resistance in the contact or a bad wire.
- Beeped but weak (corrosion): sand both contacts shiny (~180 grit), clean with soapy sponge, dry.
- Still marginal: add a small piece of conductive aluminum tape — don't overbuild it.
- No beep (open circuit): the wire snapped — replace with stranded and re-solder to contact + pin.
- Rule out the box/cable: bridge that panel's two connector pins by hand — fires perfectly = fault is in the panel.
Since the pad works and some arrows are just softer rather than dead, this usually lands on the mechanical fix — arc the metal, even the screws, penny-mod — with a quick contact cleaning as cheap insurance. The bare-metal test confirms it in about two minutes.
The repair guide has the parts list, the wiring map, and every control-box route.