Simpson Vulcan Eco 500 Intermittant power board non powering up - any ideas?

[Kiwi_tech]

Hey all,

Hope someone reads this..... I have a faulty board on my Fisher and Paykel Eco 500 - They tell me they were made by simpson model Vulcan Eco 500 and were rebranded.

Any hooowww.... I have a problem where the machine sometimes will start without the fonzie belting the front panel approach!

Basically the lights all go out and you are not able to select any cycle button as no power seems to be getting to them.

I have had the control and display boards and it has had a high voltage flash in there and had blown off the ceramic insulation on the 285VAC VDR so I replaced that.

Am I correct in suspecting the voltage is transformed down to 12DC once it is switched into the board? there is a transformer on the control board and also a 12VDC power solinoid (Omron).

Since I am giving it a smack on the front .... and it goes and sometimes cuts out a few times then runs complete cycles.... do you think I could be the Omron Power solinoid? it was heavily burned inside and I did pull it apart and clean the contacts .... and it actually worked a soon as I put it bek into the machine....

Any ideas? here are some photos of the burned board area.

Hope someone can help as you cannot get the boards (obsolete) anymore. I am fine with desoldering and soldering in parts .... but do not want to replace all the components to solve this issue.

What else could it be?
Thanks
Shane

[Kiwi_tech]

I GUESS NOT THEN!!!!! Good on ya fellas!

[krazytech]

looks like a burnt Varistor.  blow up from overvoltage... Bruce a http://www.fixyourboard.com/

may be able to help or you could jump it out to see if it powers up.

[Kiwi_tech]

Hi Krazyteck..... have replaced the VDR that is burnt on the board in my pic..... but the prob is still there.

Sometimes the board powers up and sometimes it won't

YOu can here it beep when you shut the door when it is working .. but give it a good sharp smack in the right place just below where the board sits.....while holding in any button and you got a runner!

Could it be the contacts in the 12VDC Power relay on the board that is not contacting and has too high a resistance? not sure .... was hoping you could assist me to give me more of an idea.

it is only about $12.00 to buy a new Power relay (found the exact match from an electronics wholesale parts house in NZ. just wanted to prove it before I go ripping more parts out of the board and doing the non professional change and try technique.

Have tested the Switch on the door and all it good there and getting good stable. 240VAC into the machine and into the board.

Looking at the electronic switches i would suspect that there is low voltage to and from them to switch on the curcuits and using relays to get the solinoids to fire up?

Not sure .... just summising logically based on the non heavy dudy components on the board.

Your assistance is much appreciated and I do not want to retire this good old girl just yet.
Cheers
Shane

[tgoods]

Sounds like a cracked solder joint. Resolder the power terminals, relays and transformer. If you access the control while it's trying to run, check for voltage drops.  Check for 12vdc to the winding of the relay.  If you have 12vdc, check for 240vac across the contacts of the relay.  0vac means good relay, 240vac means bad relay.  If you don't have 12vdc at the relay, check the primary and secondary windings of the transformer.  But like I said before since it will run with a good smack, I bet it's just a cracked solder joint.

[Kiwi_tech]

Hey Tgoods,

Thanks for that!

I am unable to access the board while it is running, unless I bypass the switch and run a jumper (which I could do I of course). Will keep you posted.

Thanks again!

Cheers
Shane