Motherboard "smell"

[nmmnp]

I've been working with a new computer at home for the last week. When it's running, there seems to be a strong "acid smell" coming from the machine that actually causes some irritation to the nose and throat. I've built several machines in the past and have had many new machines at work and have never encountered anything like it. Does anyone know if this could be caused by some excess solder or flux on the motherboard?? I can't think of any other component that could possibly cause this.

Thanks

 

[lashram]

what kind of proc mobo and hsf do you use..........maybee try to identify if the smell is from the mobo or from the power supply

any smoke?

though i allways talk to strangers....orson wells

 

[nmmnp]

It's been suggested that the acrid smell may be coming from the PSU. I tried disconnecting the PSU from the MB (to try isolating the source) but it wouldn't run. Can the PSU run without being connected to the MB??

Thanks

 

[Tommunist]

i think there is a way...but i do know that way. (just giving hope)

*** Duff Man says a lot of things, OH YEAH!!! ***

 

[jlanka]

from usenet:

============================================================
>What is the easiest way to test an ATX power supply without hooking it up to
>the motherboard. The fact that the motherboard turns it on and off makes me
>believe that I can't test it without a the motherboard. Is there a power
>supply tester out there that I can buy that will allow me to test the
>voltages of ATX power supplies?
>
>Thank You,
>Marty
>

1. Disconnect the main connector of the PS from the mother board.
Leave the CD, hard disk, and other components connected. (A load must
be on the PS in order to test it.)
2. With the PS plugged in, test the voltage on connection #14. Test
by placing one lead from your multimeter into pin 14 on the main
connector, touch the other lead to ground. (use one of the screws
attaching the PS to the chassis as the ground contact) You should read
5v. If not you have a PS problem.
3. If you read five volts the PS is producing the correct power-on
voltage. Normally when you press your power on switch this voltage is
shunted to ground ( goes to zero) this signals the PS to supply power
to the other connections. You need to ground pin 14 in order to
continue trouble shooting.
4. Using one lead from your multimeter, or a wire with bare ends,
touch one end to connection 14 and the other to ground. The PS should
start. (fan will come on etc)
5. If the PS starts you will need to make a temporary ground to pin 14
to test the other connectors. Press the exposed end of a wire into
connection 14. Use a toothpick or something similar to wedge the wire
into the connector. Screw the other end of the wire to the case. Now
your hands are free to test the other connections.
6. Using your multimeter test each connection for the proper voltage,
See the attached diagram. Touch one probe to the connection, the other
to ground. If all 20 connections read correctly (no less than 90% of
specified voltage), your power supply is working properly.
7. If your power supply tests ok you have a switch or MB problem
8. To bypass the switch, disconnect the switch from the MB. Place a
bare end of your ground wire into connection 14 on the main PS
connector. Bend the wire along the side of the connector, hold it in
place, and plug the connector into the MB. Attach the other end of
the wire to a ground screw and plug the PS in. If the switch is bad
your system should boot up and run normally. You can replace the
switch or you can make your pin 14 ground wire permanent and use a
power strip to turn you PC on and off.
9. If your PC does not boot you may a MB problem or a component
problem. Make sure you have a good ground connection to PIN 14 on the
main PS connector. Unplug the PS and remove all adaptor cards(modem,
video, etc) from the PC. Plug in the PS, if the PC boots you have a
problem with one of the adaptor cards. If the PC does not boot ,
unplug each of your drives one at a time. If the PC still will not
boot you have a MB or CPU problem.



<i>It's always the one thing you never suspected.</i>

 

[phsstpok]

Any chance the odor is coming from a laser printer? What you are describing sounds like a bad ozone filter.

<b>I have so many cookies I now have a FAT problem!</b>

 

[Crashman]

I had some QDI boards come with some kind of coating on some of the power regulating transistors and their heatsinks that made them look shiny (shelac maybe). The coating burned off the first time I fired up these things and let off a very pungent oder, but everything was fine.

<font color=blue>By now you're probably wishing you had ask more questions first!</font color=blue>

 

[jihiggs]

while were talking about foul odors, we have a very expensive printer at work, lexmark somthing, that makes a bit of a squeaking noise, i called in the service contract and they know what it is, the fusor, will cost about a g to replace so i decide to wait to see if the noise fixes itself. one day later this guy is complaining about the sound still, i tell him to wait it out. later people are complaining about a burning smell from the printer, i call out service contractor again, he finds cooked on petroleum lube all over the fusor! no one would fess up to it lol

how do you shoot the devil in the back? what happens if you miss? -verbal

 

[jlanka]

a little office romance perhaps?

<i>It's always the one thing you never suspected.</i>

 

[phsstpok]

That's sad, scarry, and funny all at the same time!

<b>I have so many cookies I now have a FAT problem!</b>

 

[Ptryans]

any funny smell coming from the computer no matter where has to be taken seriously.

This can be a capacitor that is broken and the silican inside is melting when you power up your computer.

My advice is strip the entire PC down. take the motherboard out and search near the power convertor. usually near the CPU sink bed. check the entire motherboard for black crusty stuff. if anything on MB. BIN IT.

It will catch FIRE. ( i should know it did it to me, once)

replace PSU in case that is faulty, do NOT test it with any equipment, cause the static charge will kill you if you touch it!

13.00 quid is nothing, just replace PSU.