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Thread: blown capacitor

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    Default blown capacitor

    how do I check if a capacitor is blown using a multi metre
    thanks



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    Member GavinSV's Avatar
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    A hole in the top where the smoke came out is generally a good test

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    Ideally you would use an ESR meter but depending on the value of the capacitor if you put the multimeter across it in low ohms setting you should see the reading flick low and then the resistance reading will increase. That method is not very accurate and only gives an indication. It will tell you if its open circuit or shorted however.

    If the capacitor you suspect of is of a common type it’s perhaps best to simply replace it. I tend to do that when replacing capacitors in power supplies as most of them cost about 40 cents each.

    In some cases you can tell a capacitor is sick by appearances by the top bulging or leakage at its base. That’s a common mode of failure in computer motherboards and power supplies due to heat or a fan failure.

    I have an ESR meter and that takes the guess work out but unless you’re going to be doing a few jobs it’s perhaps not worth the expense of building one.

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    I have a home made ESR meter better than sliced bread
    Before I made the ESR meter the visual inspection bulging and leaking
    and when soldering the the caps you could smell a strange smell and
    here the fluid bubbling from the heat from the iron

    I think Jaycar sells ESR kits, so worth it if you play with old electronic stuff

    cheers
    When you do things right, people won't be sure that you have done anything at all

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    Junior Member eastlake's Avatar
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    The ESR meter is the way to go, there is a design in kit form that is available from Jaycar that is good enough to allow you to test the component in circuit and get usable measurements
    Common sense isn't !!!

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    Judging by the top of this cap, largest one in the center, you would say it's blown?

    Last edited by sparky69; 28-02-08 at 01:10 PM. Reason: picture not attached

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    You would be Judging right
    When you do things right, people won't be sure that you have done anything at all

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    What's this board out of ??????????
    I have never seen a big cap like that go bang in the if section
    You might want to check the reg that is next to it also
    (the one with the heat sink on it)
    When you do things right, people won't be sure that you have done anything at all

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    "A" Board (power supply, tuner, audio amp) out of a Sony RPTV KP-FW46M31

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    Quote Originally Posted by boily View Post
    how do I check if a capacitor is blown
    sniff it

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    looks a lot like over voltage into that area to cause such a bulge in the capacitor. be very wary of this job, might be a mains surge or lightning strike?
    power pcb must have serious problems
    member. Austech dog squad: if it can be fixed the dogs will sniff it out

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