Capacitor Leakage and Circuit Board Corrosion
We recently received a Porsche 911 Carrera Sachs electronic module, part number 911.618.112.00, after the customer discovered corrosion inside the unit and asked us to assess whether we could repair it.
Our technician opened the module and inspected the circuit board under magnification. We quickly traced the problem to leaking electrolytic capacitors. As capacitors age, they can leak electrolyte onto the PCB. The electrolyte then attacks the copper tracks and can eventually break electrical connections.
In this module, the leaking capacitors had already caused visible corrosion and damaged several circuit board traces. The photo shows the affected area around the capacitors, where the corrosion has started eating into the PCB tracks.
How we’re repairing it
To restore the module, we’re:
- removing all six ageing electrolytic capacitors
- thoroughly cleaning the leaked electrolyte and corrosion from the PCB
- replacing the capacitors with new components
- repairing the damaged and broken circuit traces
- inspecting the surrounding components and tracks for hidden corrosion
- electrically testing the module after completing the board-level repairs
The module uses:
- 2 × 47µF 10V capacitors
- 3 × 4.7µF 50V capacitors
- 1 × 220µF 16V capacitor
Replacing only the visibly leaking capacitor wouldn’t make much sense on a module of this age, so we’re replacing all six electrolytic capacitors while we have the unit apart.
Repairing the original module instead of replacing it
Older vehicle electronics can become increasingly difficult and expensive to replace. Used modules may have the same age-related problems, while replacement units can also require additional programming or compatibility work.
Where possible, repairing the customer’s original Porsche module at component level can therefore offer a much better solution.
Once we finish the capacitor replacement and PCB trace repairs, we’ll carry out electrical testing. The module will then need testing in the vehicle to confirm that it operates correctly. With corrosion damage like this, we can only confirm the final outcome after completing the repair and testing.
At Device Repair Guy, we repair automotive electronic modules at circuit-board level, including ECUs, TCUs, BCMs and other control modules affected by capacitor failure, corrosion, damaged PCB traces and electronic component faults.
If you have an automotive electronic module that has failed or suffered corrosion damage, we can inspect the circuit board and determine whether component-level repair is possible.