VOGONS


First post, by Luke4838P

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Hello.
Bought two motherboards, both with soldered AMD 386 dx 40 and empty coprocessor socket.
Both had a nasty Ni-Cd battery that leaked its contents and ruined the motherboards.
The small one seems to have just eaten the protective paint.
It has been cleaned with white vinegar, contact cleaner and deionized water.
When cleaned, the area around the battery seems copper, it is safe to power it up or will it short the nearby components?

The second one came without a battery but the acid leaked, on the front it doesn't look too bad, but the back pcb shows more opaque around the area where the acid leaked.
I don't know if the traces are still there because they're dark, i need help with this one.
The copper traces seem to be still there but I'm not sure.
Scrubbing with a toothbrush and wd40 specialist electric (made it specifically for cleaning electrical contacts and sensitive electronics) has removed a little bit of the gunk and revealed a trace underneath.
Can it be saved?

Attachments

Reply 1 of 4, by konc

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Most probably yes, they don't look too bad. But: you really need to remove ALL sockets, connectors and components around the area until you stop finding battery damage indications. Cleaning what's visible is not enough, some times the nastiest things are hidden. Then check the traces with a multimeter.

Reply 2 of 4, by Luke4838P

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
konc wrote on 2023-05-14, 08:25:

Most probably yes, they don't look too bad. But: you really need to remove ALL sockets, connectors and components around the area until you stop finding battery damage indications. Cleaning what's visible is not enough, some times the nastiest things are hidden. Then check the traces with a multimeter.

Thank you.
I have already cleaned the keyboard connector, but if it's not working i'm going to replace it, the power connector had a bit of corrosion but it came off easily.
The keyboard controller IC seems to hide some corrosion underneath, but i don't have the tools to extract it, and i'm afraid that if i use a screwdriver it will bend or break the legs of the controller, so i'm not going to remove it until i have the proper tool to safely remove it.
If those traces are dark but it's not flat (tried rubbing with a finger and it seems there's something) it means that copper has oxidized turns this dark color?
Or has the acid completely eaten the trace and what i feel is the "shape" of the trace that was left?
If oxidized, what can i use to make it shiny again?

The first MB can be safely booted?

Reply 3 of 4, by konc

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Oh I just noticed the first board, there is nothing there.
I wouldn't bother with it yet, the other board needs a lot of work and is in a much more salvageable condition. Are these "before" or "after" photos? It seems like you need to literally desolder and remove everything, and I mean not just the chips but also the sockets, connectors and components. And then check tracks continuity with a multimeter, not with naked eye. I don't want to sound like an ass but if removing a chip is an issue, I wouldn't undertake the whole task on my own.

Reply 4 of 4, by Luke4838P

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
konc wrote on 2023-05-14, 09:37:

Oh I just noticed the first board, there is nothing there.
I wouldn't bother with it yet, the other board needs a lot of work and is in a much more salvageable condition. Are these "before" or "after" photos? It seems like you need to literally desolder and remove everything, and I mean not just the chips but also the sockets, connectors and components. And then check tracks continuity with a multimeter, not with naked eye. I don't want to sound like an ass but if removing a chip is an issue, I wouldn't undertake the whole task on my own.

Well, so i can use the first MB, because from the pics that i've found online, the first MB was supposed to have orange paint with a battery symbol, the paint came off leaving a copper plate, i was afraid that booting it up could cause shorts to the nearby components.
I had the doubt if i had to isolate the plate where the paint came off.
Anyway, i've carefully removed the keyboard IC with a flat screwdriver, and it has revealed that some of the socket pins (not the IC itself) are missing, i've checked if i broke them but there are no metal pins anywhere, so it means that the original "owner" broke them accidentally.
The IC socket had oxidized green pins all over.
The IC itself had some bent pins.
I cleaned the board some more, and it's looking a bit better.
Since i lack spare keyboard controller socket and i need to resolder a 2 pin header for the RST_SW that one pin was broken, i will send the board to a professional after cleaning the board some more.
I lack the skills to solder such things without causing permanent damage to the board.
I will, however, test the board before sending it.

Attachments