[R-sig-ME] lme4 upgrade broke my old code?

[Stuart Luppescu]

Hello, I'm trying to update a mer object (here called crossed.lmer3)
created about 2 years ago using lmer of a version I don't remember. I'm
now using lme4_1.1-7   Rcpp_0.11.5  Matrix_1.1-5 in R version 3.1.2
(2014-10-31) Platform: x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu (64-bit). When I do stuff
that worked before, I get errors. E.g.:
> crossed.lmer3a <- update(crossed.lmer3, ~ . + cmclsach + crclsach)
Error: $ operator not defined for this S4 class

and summary() gives nothing interesting.
> summary(crossed.lmer3)
Length  Class   Mode 
     1    mer     S4 

Also, code from the examples from the lme4 manual also gives errors:
 str(terms(crossed.lmer3))
Error: $ operator not defined for this S4 class

Enter a frame number, or 0 to exit   

Can I get a little advice here, please?
-- 
Stuart Luppescu -=-=- slu <AT> ccsr <DOT> uchicago <DOT> edu
CCSR at U of C ,.;-*^*-;.,  ccsr.uchicago.edu
     (^_^)/    才文と智奈美の父
[Crash programs] fail because they are based on the theory that, 
with nine women pregnant, you can get a baby a month.
                -- Wernher von Braun