Tried swapping a bad capacitor on a 20 year old monitor and it went sideways fast

I was at a clients house last Tuesday trying to fix their old Dell monitor. Saw a swollen cap right away, figured I'd swap it out in 5 minutes. Well I pulled the board and one of the solder pads lifted clean off the board. Tried to trace the trace back to the next component but the board was so crusty it just flaked apart. Ended up telling the guy it was done for. He was bummed but I didn't charge him for the attempt. Has anyone else had luck repairing those old Dell LCD boards from like 2005 or is it just not worth the hassle?

2 comments

2 Comments

thead4426d ago

That pad lifting clean off the board is a nightmare, I've been there. Those old Dell boards were notorious for having terrible solder quality and brittle traces. You did the right thing not charging him, those monitors are basically disposable once they start falling apart like that.

palmer.henry26d agoMost Upvoted

That older Dell monitor from around 2011 or 2012 has a known weak spot. The power supply board sits right next to a vent that pulls in dust and heat, which softens the solder over time. If you tap the plastic case right above the power connector, you can actually hear the board flex. That's usually the first sign the pads are about to lift.