Quote:
Originally Posted by rwagoner
Do capacitors ever work better after not being energized for a while? Doesn't seem likely, but I just don't get it.
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Generally speaking, no - it is usually the opposite - electrolytic caps love heat and hate cold.
When I suspect lazy electros, I get out my heatgun and warm up a section of the board and look for improvement. If the situation improves, it's likely to be a lazy cap.
Turn your boards over and look for dark spots from electrolyte leaking. It will look like a splotchy area.
Zenith caps of that area leak like crazy, but virtually never make themselves known by venting the top out in a nice bulge. But they do leak down their legs and it works its way to the bottom of the board. As it gets work, it attacks the solder mask and the solder connections turn dark gray or black.
If you see evidence of this, replace any cap on the top side that is over the splotchy bottom area.
John