Should I worry? (Packing my A500+ ... for now)

[sim085]

Hi,

I had to pack my A500+ and I do not think it will see any daylight until next May! I have removed the Leaking Battery from it and cleaned the area with Vodka (I only had that at home). This was around a year ago now, and the A500+ never failed me once!

However yesterday before packing it I checked the motherboard and still saw some bluish thingy on the some of the nearby chips - however I cannot tell if it has increased or not since I do not remember how it was before?

My question is this, Can some of the acid that may have leaked (which was definitely not much) still be damaging my motherboard ... after a year has passed?

Regards,
Sim085

[dougal]

It is possible but not likely ..  I would try cleaning it up using an ISO cleaner or something .. They have at G&E , just ask for circiuit board cleaner .

I've dealt with quite a lot of A500+'s with leaky batteries and 2 even died on me . Managed to fix one and bring it back to life , the other needed a new motherboard .

[sim085]

It is possible but not likely ..  I would try cleaning it up using an ISO cleaner or something .. They have at G&E , just ask for circuit board cleaner.

Ok, I will have to postpone it's temporary-retirement for today and clean it using a contact cleaner - just to make sure there are no bad surprises next May!

[dougal]

Ok, I will have to postpone it's temporary-retirement for today and clean it using a contact cleaner - just to make sure there are no bad surprises next May!

Dont forget your toothbrush .. very handy to clean with but dont press too hard on the traces or else you will do like i did and severe a trace and that is a bastard to fix .

[Methuselas]

@ Sim,


Vodka??? You're need to watch that, Sir. You're lucky that A500 is old enough to drink. There's stiff penalties for giving minors alcohol and if the Amiga community isn't in the minority, I don't know what is... XD

[save2600]

Battery acid corrosion continues to creep, even after you clean. The best way to fully prevent this from happening is to bead blast the surrounding area and then seal with silicone or this other paste like circuit board stuff that escapes me right now. Until then, the creep of that corrosion will continue on for a while. Sorry for the bad news, but dealing with old pinball machines that have the same problem, I'm quite experienced with this.

Next best thing if you don't own the proper equipment is to try to stabilize the acid with vinegar, then rubbing alcohol... gently swirling/cleaning with a soft bristled toothbrush. And as someone else mentioned... be careful with the tooth brush. It can whisk away those tiny delicate traces. Then you'll really be screwed as you try to jump everything with tiny wire and solder  :-(   Which might end up happening a few years from now anyway in an attempt to resurrect the board.

[sim085]

Which might end up happening a few years from now anyway in an attempt to resurrect the board.

[Damion]

In addition to what everyone else said, a little baking soda/distilled water with your toothbrush works very well to clean off the corrosion. Rinse everything with distilled water when you're done cleaning.

Replacing all corroded components is also a good idea, albeit a PITA.

[sim085]

Hi, I unpacked the A500+ again and cleaned it as best I could. I attached some photos of the final result. I can still some corrosion (blue) on the fingers of one of the chip but all the rest looks ok to my inexperienced eye.

If I clean it regularly then is there still the possibility that the motherboard might die? I may consider changing the chip if it becomes too dangerous to keep it there!

Edit: The chip which seems to have most corrosion is the U12.

[save2600]

Gosh - that looks pretty good to me. Looks more dusty than corroded. Go ahead and douche her down with some baking soda like Damion suggested, then vinegar, then rubbing alcohol and you "should" be fine. Toothbrush with baking soda and vinegar then rinse with rubbing alcohol or distilled water only if you're sure it all gets wiped up and dissipates (stick with alcohol if you're anxious to test right away).

Good luck little buddy! Your board doesn't look that bad. If years down the road you need to replace U12 - big deal!

[rkauer]

Why people don't recommend washing (yes, real water wash) the board in a dishwasher (ecological cycle, no more than 60°C) is beyond my understandment.

 Wash it with dishwasher and let it dry in a vented cupboard before pack the board away.

[sim085]

Wash it with dishwasher and let it dry in a vented cupboard before pack the board away.

Would this be enough to clean away any acidity left by the leaking battery? If yes then I prefer using this option rather then baking soda, vinegar, and alcohol. The latter sounds very messy!

[rkauer]

Pour some vinegar or lemon juice over the board half an hour before toss it into the dishwasher with pure water can do wonders for neutralizing and cleaning the motherboard.

[sim085]

Pour some vinegar or lemon juice over the board half an hour before toss it into the dishwasher with pure water can do wonders for neutralizing and cleaning the motherboard.

Ok, I'll need to build strength before I manage to leave that motherboard in the dishwasher all alone In the past I was always told that water and computers don't go well together!

Just another question to make sure I don't do anything wrong – Do I need to remove the Processor before? Or I can just leave all chips on the board?

[skurk]

Ok, I'll need to build strength before I manage to leave that motherboard in the dishwasher all alone In the past I was always told that water and computers don't go well together!

As long as you leave it off a while before washing it (let caps discharge) you'll be fine.  No electricity = nothing to worry about.

Example: I washed a USB keyboard in the disher a few weeks ago.  I let it dry a whole weekend before reconnecting it to the computer.  Resulted in a keyboard that not only looked new, but also had that "new feeling".

I didn't remove a chip.  Just peeled the keys of (to get a deep clean) and threw it in.