Classic II issues

[MultiFinder]

My baby, my beloved Classic II is starting to have some issues. It is making random noises. Every once in awhile, the speaker sounds like somebody's crossing its wires inside, you know that really ugly-sounding crackling/staticy sound? It'll go on for a few seconds and then stop. It's been doing this for a little while, but it seems that after I moved it to the other side of my desk recently it's gotten far worse. Any ideas on what may or may not be causing this strange behavior? If it's a sign of something bad, I'd like to nip it in the bud early on.

 

[nahuelmarisi]

Well, thinking positevely it could just be the speaker that's about to die. That wouldn't be so bad. You mention that if you move it the sound gets worse. I don't know that much as some ppl here but can that little speaker experience interference from something with a magnet, or a crt monitor?

Some speaker noises are asociated with bad capacitors on the analog board, although i wouldn't know which ones.

 

[MultiFinder]

Some speaker noises are asociated with bad capacitors on the analog board, although i wouldn't know which ones.

That's mainly what I was worried about :-/

 

[funkytoad]

It is making random noises. Every once in awhile, the speaker sounds like somebody's crossing its wires inside, you know that really ugly-sounding crackling/staticy sound?

I don't know if your is the same, But one of mine does the same thing as this guy's.Sound problems with Classic II's actually seems to be a wide spread problem.

 

[tomlee59]

Yes, this is a very common problem. The speaker itself is fine. The problem is caused by leaking capacitors on the circuit board. The goop is conductive, and causes things to be connected that shouldn't be. Symptoms include squawks, groans, burps, chirps and...silence.

You'll have to open it up and clean all the goop off. For a permanent fix, you'll also need to replace all of the capacitors. Some lazy folks (like me) have gotten away with just the clean (in a dishwasher, no less!), but that's just a short-term hack.

 

[Mike Richardson]

The motherboard needs new capacitors, no question about it.

I have successfully re-capped an LC II board and a LC 5xx board, but I ruined a Classic II board trying to recap.

 

[MultiFinder]

Dang, I was hoping that it wouldn't come to a recapping :-/

I'll try running it through the dishwasher first. What do I need to do for this procedure?

 

[funkytoad]

I'll try running it through the dishwasher first. What do I need to do for this procedure?

Before you do, you should be aware of the risks. I have heard numerous stories of people running it through the dish washer, and when it comes out, it doesn't work, or you get weird images on your screen. The person could have washed it wrong. But from what I see on other forums, it looks almost like a 50/50 chance.

 

[tomlee59]

For me, the dishwasher method is a method of last resort. I do it after I've tried all the usual things and failed. And only after a visual inspection reveals that goop has afflicted the board. So, really, what have you got to lose?

Whether or not you intend to re-cap, a thorough clean is a necessary first step. You can choose the dishwasher method, or a point-by-point clean with a cotton swab and alcohol, or any number of other methods. All of these will wet the board, requiring a thorough rinse and dry.

My own personal experience with this procedure is that, if you do it carefully, the clean will only make things better. Without recapping, I've seen closer to 80-90% success at getting it to boot (that's based on perhaps a dozen boards). My laziness prevented me from going further with the remaining couple of boards, but I strongly suspect that recapping would have brought at least one of those back to life. [And recapping is necessary for a reliable job in any case.]

If you choose the dishwasher method, just pull out any socketed things that you can readily remove (ram), and allow the board to dry very thoroughly before re-applying power. This latter step takes time, and impatient folks often rush it.

Again, if you've tried all the "normal" fixes without joy, you've got little to lose by washing the board. I only see potential upside.

 

[equill]

Keep in mind that, although many people have literally used a dishwasher to remove leaked electrolyte from logic boards, 'dishwasher' is a metaphor for what is needed. To be of use in an electrolytic capacitor, its liquid contents have to be water-soluble (or there will be no useful ionization). Water alone, then, will remove the alkaline goop (to use tomlee59's technical term) from an MLB. Warm to very warm clean water, alone.

Careful rubbing with a cotton bud (tip) may accelerate solution of crud from the board. Attention to detail, ie care, does the rest. Straight or branched-chain alcohols are not inherently superior to water in dissolving water-solubles. Thorough coverage of the whole board is advisable, as also is thorough drying of the board after copious washing. A week (as implied by tomlee59's note about haste) of passive drying in well-ventilated surroundings is not too thorough. Active ICs do not swim gracefully.

de

 

[pee-air]

Keep in mind that, although many people have literally used a dishwasher to remove leaked electrolyte from logic boards, 'dishwasher' is a metaphor for what is needed.

Bear in mind that "dishwasher" and "washing machine", the latter intended for cleaning of clothing or fabric materials, are not synonymous. One should never place a logic board or electrical device in a machine intended for washing clothing.

Needless to say, you should also resist the temptation to hasten the drying process by placing your logic board in a tumble dryer. The heat from the dryer could quite likely cause damage to critical components or melt portions of the logic board. The tumbling action of the dryer could also mean random breakage of the board and components.

The drying of the board may be greatly hastened by storing it in a climate controlled room. It is quite possible that you are employed in such a place. Most climate control systems maintain a constant temperature and remove excess humidity from the air.