HDM Z1 Have a fault 33 code. Anyone know how to fix it?

kuffs,

Just so you know, the Z1 wants 15V.

Alright, I have to back up and report failure on the original Fault 33 issue. Up until now, I had been running the device without headgear attached. I thought this was sufficient to test because I also thought that the clock battery was the issue. The device throws a Fault 33 with head gear attached as soon as I try to start treatment. And if I start it without anything attached, as soon as I try to hook up headgear the device throws a Fault 33 again and shuts off. I have confirmed this with the AC adapter. Just to allay any suspicions about my research into alternative batteries.

I expect that there is an issue with the pressure sensor. I am going to double check and make sure I reattached the pressure sensor feedback tube correctly.


re: stevenal
I know that 15V is what is specified on the AC adapter. And that the li-ion pack nominally runs at 14.4V. I don't remember what the lower end of lithium ion cells operate at. I'd have to measure one at like [= ] to be sure.
But mine also came with a 12V car adapter (which I know also can go as high as 14V when the ignition is on, etc etc).
The device boots up and runs with the adapter I just finished. I can't give a _full_ confirmation since my device is still throwing Fault 33 errors. But it seems fine so far. I hooked a meter up to it and it draws about 900ma when it is starting up and falls back down to about 800ma when it is running. Again, I can't test it under real conditions applying pressure to my airway. So I don't have complete information about what real-world current draw is like.

HDM claims the car cord is for battery charging only, not running the CPAP. I have run it in my camper off grid successfully until the night it began shutting down on me. The battery monitor said "good", but the very next trip the house batteries failed completely. I now use a USB power adapter and cable that give me 15 V from an input from about 10 V on up. I Learned about that method on Cpaptalk.

That there is something I did not know. I appreciate the details of your experience.

I am personally not afraid to open up this milwaukee adapter in order to replace the voltage regulator with something rated for 15V. I was hoping that I had found an easy solution for everyone, though.

Folks,

I have a Z1 from 2016 and a Z1 auto from 2018. Both units failed due to the FAULT 33 error about a year apart. In both cases, the distributor told me I’d have to pay the repair costs since they were out of warranty. I went ahead and sent them to the distributor who in turn sent them to BREAS. BREAS refurbished both units free of charge, though it took several months in each case. Both units emerged with the same external housing, but internally they are both Z2 autos now. From what I’ve read if the Z2 auto CMOS battery fails the unit will still function.

In any case, if you still have an issue with FAULT 33, check out the BREAS response form specific to this issue:

\https://breas.us/fault-33-or-21/

-FG

flogger wrote: ↑

Wed May 17, 2023 5:06 pm

Folks,

I have a Z1 from 2016 and a Z1 auto from 2018. Both units failed due to the FAULT 33 error about a year apart. In both cases, the distributor told me I’d have to pay the repair costs since they were out of warranty. I went ahead and sent them to the distributor who in turn sent them to BREAS. BREAS refurbished both units free of charge, though it took several months in each case. Both units emerged with the same external housing, but internally they are both Z2 autos now. From what I’ve read if the Z2 auto CMOS battery fails the unit will still function.

In any case, if you still have an issue with FAULT 33, check out the BREAS response form specific to this issue:

\https://breas.us/fault-33-or-21/

-FG

BREAS quotes $245 for the repair, including a new PCB and some small upgraded functions. I haven't checked with CPAP.com yet.

kuffs wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 6:24 pm

Alright, I have to back up and report failure on the original Fault 33 issue. Up until now, I had been running the device without headgear attached. I thought this was sufficient to test because I also thought that the clock battery was the issue. The device throws a Fault 33 with head gear attached as soon as I try to start treatment. And if I start it without anything attached, as soon as I try to hook up headgear the device throws a Fault 33 again and shuts off. I have confirmed this with the AC adapter. Just to allay any suspicions about my research into alternative batteries.

I expect that there is an issue with the pressure sensor. I am going to double check and make sure I reattached the pressure sensor feedback tube correctly.

As you reported, kuffs, I also get Fault 33 when attaching a mask and bluetooth fails to turn on. I replaced the battery and set the date but any slight pressure increase on the board mounted pressure sensor triggers the fault. I think there must be a overpressure threshold setting, perhaps as part of a factory calibration procedure, which gets forgotten when the battery dies. This would explain why the unit needs to be returned to the factory. Maybe the normal pressure curve needs to be calibrated as well. If so, it's absurd that the settings are forgotten just because the battery dies! I have no idea why bluetooth fails.
BTW, I have not been able to change the mode from CPAP to APAP. There's a note in the clinician manual that "Function Modes can ONLY be set by a healthcare provider" so it would seem this is not a factory setting. Have you found a way to do this? I'm hoping that such a method may open the door to other settings that might be able to be adjusted.

Figuring I had nothing to lose, I decided to try flashing the firmware with the Z1 (not Auto) version. The firmware worked but, as expected, turned the unit into a Z1. Unfortunately, it made no difference with the Fault 33 issue.

Not that it matters, but I was unable to flash it back to the Z1 Auto version. That software refuses to upgrade it, saying it's incompatible with my device. Another example of Breas thwarting us at every turn. The Z1 updater had no problem downgrading my device with a wrong version but the Z1 Auto updater refused to upgrade my device with the correct version.

I also called their tech support to see if I could get any help. The rep readily acknowledged the problem and apologized but would not offer any advice on how to reset the device or anything else other than looking for more money to send it in for an upgrade. This is as clear a latent defect as I've ever seen and I'm surprised no one has sued them. Needless to say, I would not advise anyone to do business with this incompetent company.

I changed the internal battery, as suggested here, that did the trick

Davidrb11 wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 28, 2023 3:06 pm

I changed the internal battery, as suggested here, that did the trick

Interesting! Wonder why that worked for you but not me. Do you have a Z1 Auto?

Well add mine to the long list of HDS z1 machines that have failed. I replaced the battery on the circuit board with a exact replacement from Digikey but after reading this thread it seems the there are other settings critical to the operation of the device that are lost. Still get a 33 Fault after flashing the firmware and setting the date/time. Used the device perhaps 100 nights from 2017 to 2023.

All the Breas links in this discussion thread are 404 errors now and while I've seen the z2 for sale on some sites, on others I've seen it listed as discontinued.

So,

I need a replacement that I can run off 12 or 16 volt power supply or standard A/C service. Any suggestions. I saw the resimed mini mentioned.

pocobueno wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 15, 2023 9:37 pm

Well add mine to the long list of HDS z1 machines that have failed. I replaced the battery on the circuit board with a exact replacement from Digikey but after reading this thread it seems the there are other settings critical to the operation of the device that are lost. Still get a 33 Fault after flashing the firmware and setting the date/time. Used the device perhaps 100 nights from 2017 to 2023.

All the Breas links in this discussion thread are 404 errors now and while I've seen the z2 for sale on some sites, on others I've seen it listed as discontinued.

So,

I need a replacement that I can run off 12 or 16 volt power supply or standard A/C service. Any suggestions. I saw the resimed mini mentioned.

Still available as far as I know. I have a Z2, and I have been happy with it. I was fortunate to be able to return my Z1 during the trial period, and upgrade to the Z2.

https://www.breas.us/en-US/products/sle ... py/z2-auto

The link above is active. I think they are offering some accommodation on the Z2. If you were happy with the unit, that may be an option, but I can understand if you may not want to do that.
Another decent option is the ResMed Air Mini.

Hi team, I'm in Australia and had to send my main machine back for a warranty job which is interstate and could take up to a month, I go to the cupboard and get my Z1 out which has only been used for camping trips maybe 20 times since purchase in Oct 2018 and yep fault 33. I was up to the early hours googling stuff and found this thread, anyway I contacted the supplier here and they told me to post it back to them and they will repair at no cost and get it back to me quickly, I only have to pay postage. I'm glad I didn't throw it against the brick wall last night because I had my arm cocked ready to hurl it. I let you know how it goes.

Update, Remsleep have now told me Brease will give me %50 discount on a new Z2

I have the same problem with the Fault 33 on my Z1. I called HDM/BREAS and spoke with their customer service department, they confirmed the issue with the internal battery as everyone else has commented. I guess it could have been avoided if I had plugged my unit in for 24 hours one day a month to charge the battery but truth be told it's been in the closet since December. The option they gave me was to refurbish my Z1 with the internal electronics of a Z2 and that would eliminate the problem going forward. They will replace virtually everything but the motor itself for a cost of $245.00 with a turnaround time of about 4 weeks, they did offer to sell me a Z2 for $599.00 and can ship immediately. The repair doesn't seem like an unreasonable price so I'm going to go that route.