Leaking Capacitors

[secman]

Chaps,

 

I have only found a quick mention of the Leaking Capacitors problem in a flakey server.

 

We have just had a motherboard replaced on a Dell SX270 small form factor PC. It was just under 3 years old and we noticed when speaking to the engineer that a number of the larger capcitors were leaking. We have since then checked at least 30 PCs from the same batch (purchased for summer 2003 installation) and all have either obviously leaking capacitors or "doming" on those with an "X" engraved on the top. We are just about to approach Dell on this issue because we are concerned that we may see successive failures on this batch of PCs.

 

HAs anyone else had a similar experience either with leaky caps or getting the supplier to replace the motherboards?

 

Thanks

 

Alan

[ChrisC]

I've only seen leaky/doming capacitors on quite old machines, 4-5years +, so I would deffinitely contact dell and try to organise something (please tell me you got the 3 year warranty!!!!)

 

Chris

[ico2]

If they are faulty, surely dell must replace them regardless of warrenty, or am I mistaken here.

[plexer]

Leaky capacitors absolutely goes back a few years apparently someone stole the electrolyte recipe and sold it to another manafacturer who then made it wrong and there are millions of these dodgy capacitors out there, most leak or dome but some have been known to explode off the board with a pop.

 

Ben

[john]

jeeps! sounds fanstasic I got HP to replace a big batch of faulty CPUs at one stage but took lots of pushing to get them to do them all rather than 1 by 1

[Inox]

yep, I have a school with 16 of the SX270's and have now had 6or so go in the past 6 weeks, all with the same 3 pacitors leaking and the X on the top sticking up instead of being flat. I spoke to a Dell manager today and was told that dDell were aware of the problem and if you ask your account manager about it they should be able to put a "special note on the order(s) with these machines on them so that the motherboards will still be replaced even after the warrenty runs out (I was told up untill Jan 2008).

They will NOT proactivly replace them, but instead the manager gave me his email address and told me to email him with the serial (can't think of the name dell use ) and he will sort it all out for me at dell's end instead of me having to waste 45 mins on the phone to them each week.

 

So I would suggest speaking to a manager where possible.

 

Hope you get yours sorted.

[plexer]

I've had caps go on rage agp video cards too as well as gigabyte motherboards.

 

Ben

[CyberNerd]

we've had someleaky caps on via boards, spare capacitors are cheap from RS/Farnell and they soldered on fairly easily

[Andrew_C]

I've replaced 17 caps on well over 50 Acer MoBos. I'm quite good at it now...

 

They were older models, about 5-6 years old now.

[Guest]

More info here.

 

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=24596

[secman]

Thanks for the information guys, the article from SYSMAN was particularly helpful. I will keep you up to date with progress when we approach the "Mighty Dell"

 

Alan

[PsychoTech83]

I've replaced over 80 A-Open MX4 and MX36 LE Motherboards that have had this problem. Lucky for us RM offered to send them to us free of charge......even though it wasn't strictly their problem.

[Ric_]

I have 30 SFF GX270 boxes and Dell have admitted that there was a problem with the mobos in them - domed capacitor problem.

[secman]

Chaps, Good News!!

The mighty Dell have agreed to replace all the Motherboards in the affected SX270 PCs. We are hoping to get an engineer in over the holidays to save disruption to classes.

So....

If you have any Dell SX270 Small Form Factor PCs purchased in 2003 speak to Dell NOW. (Your 3 year maintenance is running out!!). Don't know if this problem affects any other models so you should check a sample from this timeframe.

 

Alan

[_Bob_]

Hadn't heard of anything like this happening before i read this thread. Anyway since it's the hols i've had time to strip down one of our old servers and figure out why it randomly locks up. And guess what? On close inspection the capacitors are doming and appear to have leaked in places.

Dont think there's much chance of getting a replacement on this though, it's quite old and it's an elonex.

[Dos_Box]

Elonex!! Says it all really. Sorry, we just had some really awful re-branded laptops from them a few years ago. Dammed awful things they were.

[plexer]

But if they were rebranded then the hardware issues aren't elonexs fault really, maybe theirs for choosing crap systems I suppose.

 

Ben

[ChrisC]

Not much wonder why they've had problems eh?

 

Chris

[PiqueABoo]

Starting with my current home PC a couple of years ago (I got someone to replace the caps coz it's a dual CPU I'm fond of) I've seen zillions of these. There's a good overview of the problem, brands and the like at http://www.badcaps.net.

 

Key point: It's not just motherboards.

[plexer]

True we've had it with video cards too.

 

Ben

[ChrisC]

Mitsubushi tvs suffer from it a lot too!

 

Chris

[Abaddon]

We had this with a batch of 80 HP D530's that we bought three years ago. About half of them had motherboard failures due to this problem. I got HP to come and and replace ALL the motherboards on the ones that had not yet been replaced. Took them three days to get them all done.

[ITWombat]

Starting with my current home PC a couple of years ago (I got someone to replace the caps coz it's a dual CPU I'm fond of) I've seen zillions of these. There's a good overview of the problem, brands and the like at http://www.badcaps.net.

 

Key point: It's not just motherboards.

 

 

Here's a really bad example.

[john]

Ace! just pure Ace!

[ChrisC]

That's good.

 

And another webcomic I can while away the hours reading!

 

Chris