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Questions about damage to circuit board

IrJoWo99

Apr 23, 2013
3
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Apr 23, 2013
Messages
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Hi,

Was keeping a remanufactured car computer for a 1993 model car in my trunk and found it wet (some pretty heavy storms recently.)

I unscrewed it to clean/dry/see the extent of damage. While doing this I removed my fleece vest and noticed some static discharge when I touched circuit board.

I am wondering if there is any simple way to test it w/o plugging into car, because I have learned that plugging in a damaged electronic item can mess up other stuff. My plan is to clean and dry it first since I noticed a few parts that look damaged from the water.

Thanks for any additional thoughts.
 

davenn

Moderator
Sep 5, 2009
14,254
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14,254
Hi
welcome to the forums :)

If you have zapped it with static, the damage could be wide and varied
and added to that, static damaged components dont necessarily fail completely straight away ... they can fail in weeks to months.
And that is what makes static damaged electronics really unreliable. It may "appear" to be working at the moment, but then fail unexpectedly at a very inopportune time.

Imagine that happening to car when you are driving out in the middle of nowhere, 100 miles from help !!

Dave
 

IrJoWo99

Apr 23, 2013
3
Joined
Apr 23, 2013
Messages
3
Yeah, thanks for giving me the hard news. I just thought there might be some way to at least wire in a fuse or something so that at least the computer wouldn't spread the damage around. I have the old computer which still works, so it might be workable?

Just hate to see all that money wasted.
 

davenn

Moderator
Sep 5, 2009
14,254
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I just thought there might be some way to at least wire in a fuse or something so that at least the computer wouldn't spread the damage around.

that doesnt really make any sense. sorry

any damage done to it will be permanent and as I said earlier can show itself as various faults for some time to come.
You really have no choice but to get a replacement.

Dave
 

samuelolabode

Apr 24, 2013
1
Joined
Apr 24, 2013
Messages
1
Simply throw it away.

Hi,

Was keeping a remanufactured car computer for a 1993 model car in my trunk and found it wet (some pretty heavy storms recently.)

I unscrewed it to clean/dry/see the extent of damage. While doing this I removed my fleece vest and noticed some static discharge when I touched circuit board.

I am wondering if there is any simple way to test it w/o plugging into car, because I have learned that plugging in a damaged electronic item can mess up other stuff. My plan is to clean and dry it first since I noticed a few parts that look damaged from the water.

Thanks for any additional thoughts.

Consider the extent of damages due to electrostatic and water, the efforts you will need to put in to fix it if it will ever work again will be too much compared to the cost of the item. Simply throw it away.
 
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