Hot take: The old trick with a heat gun and a zip tie saved a $15k unit from the scrap pile

We had a stubborn LRU from a Citation that kept failing its self-test, showing a vague 'processor fault' code. The box was set for removal and a $15k replacement. I remembered a guy in Denver years ago saying he'd fixed a similar issue by carefully warming the whole board to reflow a cold solder joint you couldn't even see. I figured we had nothing to lose. I pulled the card cage, set my heat gun on low, and slowly moved it over the main board for about 90 seconds, just enough to get it warm to the touch. Then I took a plastic zip tie and gently pressed down on every single connector and socketed chip while the board was still warm. Let it cool, ran the test, and it passed. Been flying for 6 months now with no repeat. Has anyone else pulled off a similar 'last resort' fix that actually held up?

2 comments

2 Comments

thead4412d ago

That's awesome it worked, but careful with the heat gun on low. Even that can get way hotter than a proper reflow station. You got lucky it didn't warp the board or melt something.

terry_shah1712d ago

How close did you hold the heat gun? @thead44 is right about the heat, I warped a cheap PCB last year by keeping it about two inches away for too long. You really have to keep it moving and check the board's temp with a laser thermometer if you can.