I have a computer problem.
The computer, an eMac. The cheap iMac made for schools. It's been a swell computer. But now it has a swelling capacitor.
The thing has been having odd freezes, where the arrow can move but nothing happens when you click on anything. Sometimes the screen gets all busted up, like it was made of glass that just cracked in straight horizontal lines.
I did various software checkups and disk repair and reinstalled the system, but nothing cured it. I even zapped the PRAM.
So I've been haunting Apple support boards, looking to see if anyone has the problem. Found that I'm a victim of the Capacitor Plague. It's a problem with eMacs. My model, purchase date, serial number, all fall in the bad target area.
I opened up the hatch and saw that one cap was swelling at the end. It hasn't yet begun to ooze brown goo.
Here's a photo of someone else with the problem.
Of course Apple offered in 2006 to fix the problem for any eMac less than three years old. I didn't hear about this. I was having no trouble then. My eMac is 3 and 1/2 years old. A sick toddler.
I'll call them and beg. But my question here is, could anyone fix this? I've read that all you need to do is take out the bad one, solder in a good one. It sounds simple, maybe. I wouldn't know what I was doing. But if someone could do it, I would reward them splendidly.
Danger Will Robinson
Danger Danger Will Robinson. Capacitors store electricity and have the unique capibility to discharge all their power in one mighty ZAP! Zappies probably won't kill you unless you make a path across your heart to ground but they can make yer finners tingle for a time. I think if you used insulated diagnal cutters to snip one lead and then touch a skrewdriver between the two leads to discharge the cap you should be ok. DISCLAIMER: I don't know for sure cause I've never done this before. clipping one lead should isolate the cap from the circuit so the discharge only affects the cap itself. I think you could clip both leads and then discharge the cap, or not, but it may bite you later if you forget about it. Then solder in the new cap. Final warning, overheating can ruin some electronic components so solder quickly, and clip on a heat sink if it's close to other components. If you're not courageous I think Applied Intellect could do it fairly reasonably: http://www.appliedintel.net/
Illuminating/Frightening
Your technobabble is illuminating and frightening.
I called a guy in India who had a very good midwestern accent, and he helpfully set me up with an appointment at the Grand Rapids Apple Store. They think I may fall under the extended warrantee that Apple put out when all these eMacs began having the same problem. I may get it fixed for free.
--your radio friend, Bat Guano
AI
Those Applied Intellect people look like option 2. In fact they look less of a hassle than option 1.
It's such a gamble.
--your radio friend, Bat Guano
illumi-ninny
I just looked at the pic of the cap and it's right on a circuit board, not a soldering job I personaly would undertake. I learned to solder in order to do simple fixes to my guitars and pedals when they'd go wonky. Good luck with appointment, U1o0's advice on another board seems good as well.
maw and paw
My mom and dad go to the Grand Rapids apple store for their computer lessons on the macbook they got themselves for Christmas. Since they had never touched computers before, they figured lessons would be GOOD. They have been EXTREMELY pleased with their "little apple boy" as mom calls her teacher. She's so computer-savvy now that it freaks me out a little, as I have learned technology mostly by force and blind groping....which some may say sounds like every date they've ever had. But i digress.
No Bench Fee
The AI guys might be cheap, might be pricey... but at least they have no bench fee, so you can drag it in there and they'll give you an estimate for free. If you don't like it you're not out anything other than time and effort. Ken's Electoronics might have the part locally.
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