On Jun 25, 7:28 am, "Wesley Furr" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Groan....LOL!
>
> Do they tend to leak due to use (heat) and age, or is just being old enough
> for them to crap out?  I've got a little collection of old computers, just
> wondering if they are likely failing even though they are just sitting
> around 99.999999999999999999% of the time (or more).

Yep, the caps can leak just sitting around.  I'm not sure if heat
accelerates the process.

I've taken to at least removing the old SM electrolytic caps before
storing a machine away, if I don't have time to do a full replacement
job.  No point in saving a machine or logic board for later, if when I
take it out again, the traces and vias on the logic board have been
eaten away by leaking capacitor goo.

On a similar note, always, always, always remember to remove the logic
board battery before storing a machine.  If you think capacitor goo is
damaging, leaking batteries....Ugh.

Sometimes it doesn't take much age at all.  I have a IIci which had
capacitor damage back around '95 - '97.   I don't remember the exact
year, but I remember where I was living...   Leaking capacitors took
out a via and a couple of traces on the logic board and that was back
when a IIci was actually worth some money.   I was able to fix it by
cleaning it, tracing the damaged connections and bypassing with some
wirewrap, and replacing the dead caps.

Jeff Walther

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