AF Stopped--Nikon 70-200mm f 2.8 G II VR

I have a Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 G II VR lens where the AF will not engage. It happened while shooting on Wednesday when it just stopped working. I tried it on different Nikon bodies but with the same result-No AF.

Today I cleaned all of the contacts on the lens and my Nikon Bodies. I mounted the lens and the AF worked on two bodies so I thought "problem solved." However it stopped working after about five shots on my D 800e. I can hear the VR engage when it is turned on so I am pretty sure the contacts are OK.  I have tried all of the different settings on the lens, but AF is dead. 

I am assuming the AF motor in the lens needs to be replaced or fixed and this means sending the lens to Nikon. Before I do that is there any other thing I can do to try and get the AF to engage? And which Nikon service center do you suggest I use? (I live in TX.) 

The lens does have a lens coat on it but I do not see any hidden buttons. 

I bought the lens from a retail store in the US on Sept 20, 2012. 

Thanks.

Joe

Make sure another lens works OK to rule out a problem with the body. If all is well with another lens then your 70-200 will need to be serviced.

Thanks EJ. Other lenses work OK with the camera bodies so it looks like i need to send it to Nikon.

Joe

Yup The repair won't be cheap but when you get it back the lens will essentially be like new. They will fix anything and everything that might even be remotely wrong with it. They don't only address the issue you sent it in for. The repair cost tends to be a single number no matter what they have to do to it.

I sent the lens to Nikon Service in Los Angeles on Monday for repair. I will let you know the results when I hear from them and get the lens back.
Thanks again.

Joe

I got my lens back from Nikon (Los Angeles) on Monday April 23rd. I had sent it to them on April 2nd and I approved the repair on April 17th or thereabout. Nikon did not have to replace the AF motor. They said the problem was a bent bayonet mount. They replaced the lens bayonet mount and checked lens communication, zooming mechanism, focusing mechanism and gave it a general clean. Repair costs were $462. With shipping and tax, total was $516.90.

Lens seems to work just fine based on some simple shots. I guess I need to fine tune the AF again.

The time it took was less than I had anticipated. No complaints as of now.

Joe

Good to know that the problem is now resolved, Joe!
But did you drop the lens by any chance before the repair?
Just wonder how the bayonet mount was bent in the first place ...

KK, I had not dropped the lens. I do not know how that part got bent. The only thing I can think of is that I may have done it while mounting the lens to a camera body. I do not even know what that particular part of the mount looks like.

Joe

For what it's worth, in the lens manual, Nikon says to support the lens and avoid allowing it hang from the mount (as you know it is heavy) but always hold camera and the lens. That's fine but what if you're using two cameras? I use a Black Rapid on the lens mount which has worked out okay so far.