How Much Does It Cost To Repair Traces On A Motherboard

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repair burned rail on motherboard

Discussion in 'Electronic Repair' started by [email protected], Mar 13, 2005.

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Hullo,
Well, having a bad day and burned part of the PCB on 2 motherboards. I
was installing into an former Compaq case for my neighbor. I left a
mounting screw where it shouldn't have been. Two motherboards later I
realized the error. What I get for doing this at eleven PM after a long
mean solar day at work. Thankfully these were cheap PCChips boards so I was only
out 85 dollars.

Long story brusque, there is an isolated part of the motherboard that is
damaged. If I tape a small piece of aluminum foil to span the gap in
the PCB track the motherboard will kick up nevertheless the display flickers
and ane can tell that the motherboard is not working so well. Whatsoever
communication on how to fix harm on the surface of a PCB caused by a brusk
like this? I don't want to only try and return these motherboards
since I think this would be rather quack given my mistake. Not
much feel in modest electronics repair so any obvious advice is
appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Tony
If the trace is visible, it's a simple matter to solder a jumper wire
over the damaged part. Possibly zip else is wrong.
--- sam
How many traces are damaged? Trace repair can be washed. But its not for
the feint of heart. The copper traces usually have a paint or protector
over it. You have to carefully scrape or sand this off on both sides of
the break to be able to solder to the copper traces. You lot then need a
pencil soldering iron with a very fine point tip. In that location are two means i
do this. One is a direct bridge repair. The other is a wire bypass
repair. On the direct bridge repair, i find some find multi strand wire
and take information technology apart to get a single strand. If its coated, then i scrape
the blanket off with a razor blade. And then i try to advisedly tack it on
the the board on both ends with solder. Then i form fit it to the
damaged traces and try to menstruum solder on the whole length of the repair
wire. Note if there are many small traces shut together this is dicey
because you lot can easily crusade a solder bridge when you exercise the adjacent ane.
The other way is to use a modest insulated wire to bypass the traces. In
the past, i have used wirewrap wire to do this. You can estrus the ends
and tin them without stripping the insulation off. You then find a point
somewhere on either side of the pause to solder on each finish of the wire
span. The cleaning the paint off the copper applies here too.

If its a large ground plane type of trace, i save former clippings off
resistors or such to use as bridges.

If your NOT skilful soldering and have the right tools, i would not
recommend doing this.

Good luck.

Bob Urz
If the aluminum foil fixes information technology, simply solder a piece of wire betwixt the two
points.
Invitee

If y'all're pretty sure that the only problem is the burnt trace(s), then
fixing the trace more permanently may well fix it. Besides soldering a
wire beyond the trace, in that location are also pens that have an ink with metallic
dispersed in information technology... you can "depict" a new trace on the circuit board. I
am not sure how fine of a line these will write; I merely know they exist.
To apply one of these, you lot have to make sure the good ends of the damaged
trace are bare (by scraping or heating the blanket abroad), just similar for
soldering a wire. And so, beginning drawing on the bare function of the trace,
and continue across the gap to the other bare role of the trace. It
will probably help if the gap area is relatively smoothen, and not rough.
Once you lot're happy that the motherboard is working, you might seal the
repaired trace with something like clear blast polish to keep it from
oxidizing.

If you alive in a large enough urban center, there is probably a local electronics
distributor (not Radio Shack) where you can go and purchase ane over the
counter. If not, you tin can get them from several post-order stores.
Digi-Central sells Excursion Works conductive pens in both "standard" and
"micro" tips for $17 each (but they will accuse you some other $5 if your
total order is less than $25). Mouser sells a Tech Spray pen for $13,
and the same Excursion Works pens for $16 each, no minimum order.

If you desire to attempt and solder a wire across the gap, yous might have more
success if yous can solder to where the ends of the trace are. Follow
the broken trace (with a magnifying glass) to see if it ends at a
component lead. Normally, the place where the component lead is soldered
to the board volition offer a bigger "target" to solder to than the skinny
trace. It might end at a via, which will look like a little circumvolve.
The via may go all the way through the board and the trace might
continue from the via on the other side of the lath, or the via might
only go through a couple of layers (most PC motherboards have multiple
layers, most of which you can't meet). If you lot can't tell where the via
comes out, so you'll have to just bridge the gap instead of going to
the end of the trace.

If yous do solder a wire and the wire ends up being less than an inch or
and then, you might seal the whole thing with clear nail polish every bit to a higher place. If
the wire is longer, use a couple of drops of epoxy or hot glue forth the
middle of the wire to hold the wire to the motherboard, and but seal
the ends with the solder joints.

If you determine you lot want help, a local Idiot box store might be able to practice information technology for
yous - lookout man out for the minimum labor charge, though. Some other identify to
try is a local vo-tech school that has a grade in soldering and circuit
board assembly; the instructor might plough your boards into a class project,
or exist able to point you at an "A" student who will solder for food (or a
few bucks, or whatever.) If there are any companies in your boondocks that exercise
electronic associates, somebody there will know how to set up information technology, but it might
be hard to get to them through the front desk-bound... see if you tin make
friends with one of the assemblers and offer to buy her (usually, merely not
e'er, it'due south a her) a squeamish lunch or an hour's worth of time to fix the
boards.

Standard disclaimers apply; I don't get money from any of the companies
mentioned above.
An honest homo!
Matt Roberds
Jump the damaged traces with very fine insulated wire and solder at both
ends (wire-wrap wire is practiced for this and probably available at Radio
Shack).
Utilise glue to tack downwards the wire to the PCB along it's length.

Jon

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