drisin80

i have seen other posts on repairing solder joints on circuit boards--especially the convertible top module. i need to do a similar temporary repair on my alarm module (will buy a new one anyway--just want to see if solves my electrical problem) i need to replace a resistor, and repair a crack in the soldering in the circuit. any helpful hints--- never tried this before. i will need to do this on the convertible top module later due to intermittent function. tom

Edgy01

It can be done but to make matters worse the solder that most consumers can buy today is higher in tin content for lead and thus much harder to work with,--necessitating higher temperatures for it to flow. Be careful!

Indycam

If the thing you are working on has ICs , a high quality iron is a must . A bad iron can leak voltage into the thing and blow parts . If you need something done , maybe find a electroincs repair shop that has a tech with a soldering / desolder station . They could redo all the cold / broken joints for next to nothing .

http://www.wassco.com/soleq.html

swmic

Find an old circuit board and practice. It's not that hard. I'm assuming you are working on an older board. Not something newer with surface mount components. That's much harder to work on. Most small irons at Radio Shack should work fine. The things you have to worry about are too much heat and static charge. If you stick with a smaller iron and work quickly, you should not have any problem with heat. To prevent static charge from zapping a part, ground yourself and the board before touching it. You just don't want to walk across the room and grab the board you are working on. If you build up a static charge and then discharge it through the board, you stand a chance of taking out something on the board. You may also want to purchase a can of flux remover to clean the area when you are done. Flux is very corrosive and you should wash it off when your done working on a board.

Good luck!

Indycam

Cheap irons can leak voltage . Not just static , but voltage that runs the heater can leak out the tip . Be very careful , test the iron with a multimeter before blowing things up . I had an iron long ago , before I bought my soldring / desoldering stations , that was a killer .

drisin80

repaired alarm module with new diode, and repaired break in circuit. soldered everything up, and worked like a charm. next to tackle the convertible top module. thanks to everyone. by the way,i just got everything at radio shack--used the smallest iron they had and 90/10 solder recommended for boards--worked great---very quick, and no heat buildup.

springer3

If you can, get your board under a microscope and look at all the solder joints - especially ones you do if you are not sure what you are doing. Any joints that don't have smooth and glossy surfaces should be re-worked. I have see bad solder joints that looked OK to the naked eye.

Good luck.