On Tue, 2006-09-12 at 18:58 -0400, Jim Cornette wrote: > Mikkel L. Ellertson wrote: > > Paul Johnson wrote: > >> Where to check: Look on the motherboard for small black cylinders > >> with silver tops. The cylindrical capacitors are about 1/4 of an inch > >> in diameter and one half on an inch high. The silver tops have an X > >> on edged them. Those silver tops are supposed to be flat or slightly > >> sunken in, not convex (swolen). They are NOT supposed to look like > >> cupcakes baking in the oven, in other words. > >> > > For future reference, that is a + and not an X. If you look > > carefully, you will notice one of the leads is below the +. Those > > are what are called electrolytic capacitors,and have to be hooked up > > correctly. If you mix the + and - leads, they tend to die rather > > quickly, and sometimes make a mess. > > > > Mikkel > > Thanks Paul and Mikkel for the feedback. I am not experiencing any > current problems with the GX270. I'll open the chassis and check out the > Electrolytics in the area that you mentioned on the motherboard. The > "cupcakes" ought to be pretty puffy by now. I guess safety glasses would > be in order before opening up the chassis. Not if the power's off. Electrolytic capacitors can explode if wired backwards (tantalum caps are notorious for it). You're fairly safe if power is off when you open the box. I would recommend gloves if you plan to handle them them...while the electrolyte is usually not very toxic, there are some that use a mildly caustic solution and may burn sensitive skin. Thou hast been warned! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer rstevens@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx - - VitalStream, Inc. http://www.vitalstream.com - - - - If you can't beat your computer at chess...try kickboxing! - ----------------------------------------------------------------------
