Newbie: 8053 escavator... how to know if set has good LA's?

[martin1965]

Hello all!

After many years in the Dark Ages, time to go back to LEGO! And after the 8880 i bought (but still didn't harrived), i'm drooling over the 8043 escavator... :)

I've read a few thing about the problems on the Linear Actuators. Since the stores near me don't have the 8043 in stock i would probably buy online. The problem is, how to know if i'm ordering a set with the improved LA's? Or there are no set with good LA's and i have to contact LEGO Customer Service?

So, my questions are:

- are sets with "good" and "bad" LA's?

- if there are "good" ones, is there anything on the outside of the box that i can check for a good one? Like a sticker, or check the serial number (for instance, serials above 123456 are set with good LA's) ?

- or the LA's are all the same on all 8043 sets and i do have to contact LEGO to send me new ones?

Like i said, i will probably online and i want to check with the seller if i'm getting the 8043 with the improved LA's (if this is possible without opening the box...).

Thanks again!

[dolittle]

If you plan on buying a new set, you will get Good LA

If you buy an old set, and find the parts to be malfunctioning, you can contact LEGO support/sales and they will send you a service pack.

It is easy and you should not worry about it

[DLuders]

@ martin1965: There are no identifying marks or numerals on the outside of the 8043 box to be able to tell whether it is an "old" or "new" version. However, The Lego Group supposedly "pulled" all of the old, unsold 8043 sets to replace the four Linear Actuators that were causing problems. Once you open the box, look at the four-character number/letter ID number stamped on the Linear Actuators themselves (near the orange part at the right end of the LA pictured below). If the code is "36X0", "37X0", "38X0" or above, you know you have the NEW Linear Actuators. The first two numbers need to be equal to (or greater than) 36. The last two digits could be "X0" or something else -- it doesn't matter.

As dolittle mentioned, if you got the old LAs, contact Lego Customer Service and get a free Service Pack.

Edited September 28, 2011 by DLuders