Van

This is pretty simple... the failure is usually a broken solder joint.

In a few minutes, you can pry it open, reflow the solder, and get back up and running!

JET951

Its good for a temporary fix ( back up/ spare in glove box ) relay , but the main problem like in most relays is the coils/s windings fail & thats not economical to do anything thing with & new ones are cheap

Toran

Thanks Van!

Van

Yeah, if the winding overheats and burns out, you have to buy a new relay. For what it's worth, I see cracked solder joints more frequently.

It may be of interest to note that this cracked joint was on one of the big terminals (switched power) and not one of the electromagnet coils.

gregeast

Keep a butane solder gun in your glove box and impress the ladies by repairing your DME on the side of the road!

Which, hopefully, will make her forget that you're driving an old car that ends up on the side of the road...

Good stuff as always Van, you are a treasure to this community.

MAGK944

Two things that I would really like to see someone develop are:

1. A digital replacement for the DME relay; and
2. A digital replacement for the fan resistors.

How hard can it be?

Van

Radiator fans or cabin fan? Or both?

MAGK944

Radiator, those puck shaped resistors with the HD wires. As the cooling fans get old and start to draw more current the wiring to those resistors start to cook (if you are lucky) or catch fire. Has to be pretty easy to create a modern digital circuit that replaces those resistors.

KevinGross

Van, nice video, as ever, thanks for posting. Might want to consider reflowing solder on all the pads, not just the one that's currently broken: assume the others are on their way to the same age- and vibration-related fracture.