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Can I fix this, or is it toast?

turboranger91

Well-Known Member
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October 13, 2008
Messages
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City, State
Kansas city
Year, Model & Trim Level
94 Eddie Bauer 4x4
I've got a 1000w amp that I've been using for years. Took my subs out a few months ago to make some room, but when I put them back it, the amp wasn't coming on. After checking all the wiring, I decided to open up the amp... To find this. Two spots of corrosion, with one of the bars broken. Is this something that I can undertake at home, or should I start shopping for a new amp?
20150105_120849.jpg
 



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You can try to clean up the corrosion with a baking soda/water paste, perhaps using something like a soft toothbrush to gently scrub the affected areas after letting the paste sit there for awhile.

There is also spray-on circuit board cleaner, which is what you'd probably want to use after the baking soda.

Once the corrosion is gone, you'll be able to see any damage and get a better idea of what you'd need to repair.


Going by the photo, it looks to me like the brown cap on the right side above the W149 blew and slowly leaked it's electrolyte. Not sure if this is actually the case since there is electroyte all over the place away from that cap, but the corrosion may have spread on it's own if crumbs were knocked loose from vehicle motion and made their way to other components.

You can remove and replace the caps with new ones if you can do soldering, and you might even be able to repair any broken traces or metal connectors with soldering as well, but whether or not it is worth your while or the cost of the repair depends on the amp.

If it's a quality brand name amp, especially something old school and no longer manufactured, it may be worth the time and money to repair it back to operating condition, or at the very least cleaning up and selling as-is to someone who wants it and would repair it or pay to have it repaired.

If it's just some low-end amp (that doesn't even come close to 1000W), which is quite likely given that low-quality components usually cause these kind of failures, then you are probably better off putting any money you would have spent on a repair towards a new amp.

What's the make/model of the amp?
 






You can fix it.
Get a good electrical cleaner, and clean that up.
Get rid of ALL the corrosion on both sides and ensure it's clean.
Then solder anything that's loose/broken. This shouldn't be too bad.
 












Decent 200W amp. Great for a subwoofer.

Sure, that kind of corrosion, especially if caused by a leaking capacitor will eventually eat away the connections between components on the board.

Once you clean it up, you might have a better idea where the break is, but if everything looks good except the cap, it may be the only thing needing replacement, though if one cap leaked and caused damage, the other caps may not be far behind so you might as well replace those at the same time.


This actually happens to the ECM/PCM on the Explorer too, since Ford used cheap capacitors and they eventually leak, corrode the circuit board, break connections, and cause weird no-start and fuel pump issues that people spend a lot of time trying to figure out.
 






After cleaning it up a bit, the capacitor actually looks just fine. I see no leak marks from it. That "bar" on the other hand, is corroded completely off. What sort of metal is that? It almost looks like I could cut a safety pin or paper clip, and solder that in its place.
 






I wouldn't solder a paperclip in. Get a piece of wire if you must, but don't use a paperclip.
 






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