Quote:
Originally Posted by Jungle_Jim
Can you solder or do very basic electronics? Try fixing it yourself - it could be easier than you think, in fact it might be a 50p part and an hour's work.
I brought my TD-603 back from the dead by replacing the bad electrolytic capacitors. The ones that look like small batteries.
Open the lid, and remove the cassette mechanism - that lifts off to reveal the main circuit board. Look near the back of the board - close to where the multi-pin connector comes in - there's a large 2200uf electrolytic cap. Check that cap, and the other electrolytic caps around the board. Look closely for swelling at the top (if the top aluminium lid appears to bulge upwards - it should be flat) - or if any of the caps are leaking - normally at the base. Replace them with like-for-like same-spec low-ESR caps (can be another brand).
It's the same thing that gets hi-fi amps etc (in fact nearly all electronic gear): after a period of time - can be decades or less if it's cheap gear - the electrolytic caps die. The large ones in the power supply area are usually the first ones to look at because they've probably been getting hot, and the unit usually stops working once they go.
You can get a tester device for less than £20 which tests nearly all electronic parts and can tell you if a cap is knackered - very useful to have.
On my TD-603 I ended up replacing every electrolytic cap in the unit - about 40 of them! (Total cost around £25 ish). The main large cap was bulging and had leaked - causing circuit board damage - replacing and repairing that got it back up and running, but after desoldering a few other caps off the board to test, I found they had drifted a long away from spec (though were functioning). Replacing them will have returned the circuits to original spec, and I think the sound definitely sharpened up, with better bass. (It's not out-of-this-world but it's up against 240 wind-noise etc).
I left the cassette mechanism out, and dropped in a bluetooth receiver board with aux, and spliced in its signal lines, replacing the cassette pre-amp signals. It's very simple to do if you can solder.
Other than maintaining a stock look, I also decided to repair and re-use this TD-603 stereo because it's like the rest of the 240 - old-school enough to understand and repair and source spares for!
(NB caps can die without swelling, and unfortunately you really need to desolder them off the board to test them which is a palava).
John
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A good piece John, I’d certainly agree it is worth having a go at replacing the larger components (capacitors and resistors) on older equipment - it is no more difficult than building a Radio Shack kit. It is worth getting a multimeter that can test capacitors and diodes - good advice.
The counter is that okay-ish ICE has become so cheap to buy new that nothing much is really worth fixing any more (unless, like you, one wants to keep the original look of the motor car).
Alan