Sooo, my KD C8 just died (total use time from the day I got it, about 10 minutes). Now it emits ~0.05 lumens of purple light and it blinks up to a lumen. Looks like burnt driver?
Sounds like it. You did try another battery in it didn't you? Just covering all angles.
Yes, it died with a blue trustfire and also tried it with an AW, same results. Both were 4.1V+ at the volt-meter and working great with other flashlights.
I tried to disassemble the pill but stopped early as I don't know how to do it without breaking it! Remove the black plastic on the led side or desolder the circuit side from the holder?
You can remove the driver by either desoldering it where it attaches to the pill or by carefully filing off the solder attaching the driver to the pill. It should come out rather easily after that.
The plastic ring centering the LED can be carefully pried out to expose the wires connecting to the LED.
Thank you JohnnyMac, I will try it and wire directly the led to a cr123 battery to see if it still works.
Which driver (and XML led if it is dead too) should I get for it (~3A - 4.2V)? Also, which wires?
Not sure the maximum LED star diameter it takes but you’ll be safe with any 16mm XM-L in your favorite tint bin. Go with this U2 1A bin & tint or if a 20mm fits (probably will without the plastic centering ring) you can go with this T5 1C bin & tint.
For the driver I'd go with one of the new AMC regulated drivers from KD. Lemme find a link for you...
Should be awesome when you are done!! 
Thank you! 
I secretly want the led to be dead too so I can rebuilt it with the U2 you suggested
Why keep it a secret? Just do it! 
That's why I thought the recommendation in another thread to Benny the Cop to carry a C8 as an EDC may be seriously bad advice...
Any electronic device can go bad. Even the most expensive lights crap the bed.
you are correct, of course, but it's an odds game, especially if your life depends on your light, as it might with a cop. I love budget lights, but if I was a cop the very least I would settle for would be a Fenix, I would not use most of the lights I currently own as EDCs.
The only light in my dozen or so I would trust in EDC is my Fenix TK-15. Tint, UI, and form is just perfect, when my ass is on the line (and even when it's not).