Electrolytic Capacitor Failure

Electronic equipment generally contains electrolytic capacitors, which have a limited life span. They tend to fail slowly but failure is accelerated by temperature. Failure usually becomes evident when the equipment is allowed to cool down. If the capacitor happens to be an essential "start-up" device, failure will show immediately upon an attempted re-boot without necessarily having a cooling down period.

I have personally repaired equipment such as routers, satellite TV receivers and TV sets but capacitor failure also affects just about everything on the market, including computers, camcorders, projectors, battery chargers, DVD players.... the list is endless.

The problem has become worse in the last decade because the market has been flooded with counterfeit capacitors and because there has been pressure to make equipment smaller with less chance to circulate cool air. Most people seem to deny the possibility of equipment failure at first, then shrug resignedly when it is finally proven. "Sh;t happens." But if more people complained about the failures, manufacturers might do something about it, instead of making products that last a year and a day.

Symptom

Cause - you can see that the top surface is bulging from internal pressure. This is a sure sign of failure.

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