On 18 Dec 2010 at 19:08, Tony Duell wrote:
re you doing the repairs with lead-free solder,
or leaded solder? I am
told you cna use the later to repair the former (technically), but in
the UK it's illeagal to do so commercially. But for your own stuff...
I repair with leaded solder. As yet, only New Jersey is the only
state working on regulations akin to the EU RoHS.
It works fine.
Yes. I have been told that there are in fact several differnt lead-free
solders, and in come cases it can cause (even more) unreliabilty to
resolder with the 'wrong' one. On the other hand, lead/tin solder is
compatible with anything :-). Quite how I am expected to know what
lead-free solder to use on some item for which there is no chance of
getting a service manual is beyond me, but I guess this is just another
way of making things difficult to repair...
I see... A lot
cheaper than the official repair of replacing the PCB
(in my expeirence car electronic modules are a form of legalised
robbery!), and doubtless much more reliable.
You're not just whistling Dixie! A headlight relay for the Volvo can
Actually, many spares are legalised robbery. I used to joke that DEC
stood for 'Darn Expensive Components' after some of the prices they
quoted for spares for my PDP11s But that's by no means an isolated case.
be had for no less than about $220. Open one up and
there's a relay
and a 4000-series CMOS IC and a few discrete components.
Your are lucky that they used a recognisable IC. A lot of automotive
stuff usese custom parts :-(. Of course this doesn't stop you resoldering
them.
Actually, the woekshop manual (factory, not 3rd party) for our Skoda says
that the Instrument Panel Insert must not be dismantled. Now, the
Instruemnt Panel Insert is the unit that cotnaisn the 4 analogue
instruments (including the pointers/dials, all actually electroncially
controlled), a coupel of LCD displays, warning lights (LEDs), etc. It
also contains the odometer (obviously) and the immobiliser controller. So
I could understand why there might be secrutiy features in it. But I
can't find any more details
Highway robbery indeed.
Oh, and 'special tools'... I can rememebr when special tools were only
needed fro rearely-done jobs, when they genuinely were needed, and when
you got the drawings ot make them in the back of the workshop manual. Now
you seem toneed them for just about every job on a modern car, even the
annual service. And the only reason you need them is because it's been
designed to need them, it could have been designed so you didn't need
them.Jsst another way of exteacting money from you for a special drift or
spacer or... that you could turn yourslef if they'd tell you the
dimensions...
Oh well..
-tony