# Dexcom sensor failed on startup
**URL:** https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575
**Category:** C/GM
**Tags:** transmitter
**Created:** [November 6, 2017, 11:29pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575 "2017-11-06T23:29:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sam](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Sam)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2017, 11:29pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/1 "2017-11-06T23:29:07Z")
Brand new dexcom sensor failed on startup 3 times now? Know any tricks or just give up on it. Warms up for about 10 minutes then says sensor failed.
ETA I just noticed that this and all my other sensors expired 9/29. Is this a factor? Should they still work?
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### Author:  [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/2 "2017-11-06T23:56:01Z")
I’ve used expired sensors with no problem. How soon is your transmitter set to expire? I’ve seen a similar failure with a transmitter that was about to go bad.
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### Author:  [@Sam](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Sam)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/3 "2017-11-06T23:56:36Z")
Put on a new sensor and it did same exact thing. Tried starting it with the receiver instead and the receiver said that the transmitter battery was too weak to pair (had about a week left on transmitter I thought, but too late to check now). When I tried to start it with the phone it warned me that transmitter would expire in one week and this would be its last session
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### Author:  [@Sam](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Sam)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/4 "2017-11-06T23:58:26Z")
Doubt dexcom will be interested in replacing expired sensors, guess I better just order more
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### Author:  [@Chris](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Chris)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 12:56am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/5 "2017-11-07T00:56:52Z")
Having only used unexpired ones, I can say I have never seen that behavior before. Bummer.
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### Author:  [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/6 "2017-11-07T01:04:42Z")
There’s a way around that expired business. We can txt about it if you want.
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### Author:  [@MM2](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/MM2)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 1:08am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/7 "2017-11-07T01:08:22Z")
I just used a sensor that expired 9/14/17, started it 10/10, and lasted until yesterday (11/5), one of my longest runs.
Hope they all do that well, I have another box with same date.
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### Author:  [@Sam](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Sam)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 1:17am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/8 "2017-11-07T01:17:03Z")
Yeah Eric’s suspicion was right— it was an “almost dead” transmitter that caused the problem, when I tried to start with the receiver instead of the phone it said that and a new transmitter seems to be working now
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### Author:  [@TiaG](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/TiaG)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 1:59am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/9 "2017-11-07T01:59:44Z")
We’ve had a few just go bad on startup but usually after the first failure it just tells you to replace. Incidentally we have had a run of bad sensors lately, which go bad after just a few days and are really jittery soon after insertion, and even a few that simply didn’t work from the get-go. Anyone else experiencing this? One possibility I’m worried about is that maybe Samson has developed scar tissue on his arms where his sensors are placed, but I haven’t heard of scar tissue being a big issue with Dexcom sensors.
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### Author:  [@Chris](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Chris)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 2:02am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/10 "2017-11-07T02:02:24Z")
@TiaG, we have not had any bad sensors. It is worth pointing out that we have a bit more real estate in a 14 year old than you do.
With that said, we use the back of the arms exclusively, and have had no issues.
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### Author:  [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 5:01am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/11 "2017-11-07T05:01:46Z")
> [@MM2](#):
>
> started it 10/10, and lasted until yesterday (11/5),
Nice run!
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### Author:  [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 5:02am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/12 "2017-11-07T05:02:59Z")
> [@TiaG](#):
>
> Anyone else experiencing this?
@TiaG, we have had exactly the same problem for the past 6 weeks. I am not quite sure what to make of it. I have been having my son drink more to see if it is a hydration issue.
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### Author:  [@Millz](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Millz)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 5:32am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/13 "2017-11-07T05:32:20Z")
@Michel @TiaG how long have you each had the sensors that are giving you more difficulty? Hopefully there not a quality control issue?
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### Author:  [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 8:10am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/14 "2017-11-07T08:10:19Z")
For us 5-6 weeks. But these are fairly old sensors, although still current.
[Edit] sorry, misunderstood your question yesterday: they are about a year old.
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### Author:  [@Thomas](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Thomas)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 12:19pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/15 "2017-11-07T12:19:23Z")
We continue to run 11~13 days per sensor quite consistently.
Currently we are using sensors that still have 6 months to go before they hit expiration.
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### Author:  [@MM2](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/MM2)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 1:41pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/16 "2017-11-07T13:41:01Z")
I hope it continues with current sensor from same Lot.
Typically I average around 14 days.
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### Author:  [@TiaG](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/TiaG)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-failed-on-startup/2575/17 "2017-11-07T16:55:06Z")
IT’s been about a month or so.
**ETA:** Actually 6 weeks is probably more accurate. We first started having trouble when I was still pregnant.