(Topic ID: 270461)

IDC Connectors "Blue-ing"

By CUJO

3 years ago


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  • 17 posts
  • 10 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 years ago by barakandl
  • No one calls this topic a favorite

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#1 3 years ago

Got an Alien Poker and noticed the IDC connector on the power supply board is turning blu-ish on the right side, possibly due to overheating?
I'm not quite sure why it looks blue and not burnt if it is heat related. Anyone chime in on if this is heat related, if it's time to repin/replace pins/etc?
Thanks!

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#2 3 years ago

Hopefully someone can chime in. I have not seen that.

#3 3 years ago

Green goo!!!

You usually see these on circa 1980 Stern games. Nobody really knows what it is but it might be the wire insulation breaking down?

I would very thoroughly clean all the good off the male and female
Connectors. If you are super worried replace at least the female connector.

Not sure if that stuff is conductive but why take a chance. I had an Ali with 7 or 8 goo connectors. Cleaned them and haven’t had any issues.

There’s a couple green goo threads here it you want to read more about it.

#4 3 years ago

I've heard it's the pigment in certain wire colors breaking down. Clean it off with some alcohol/etc, try not to get it in your eyes. Supposedly non-conductive.

#5 3 years ago
Quoted from CrazyLevi:

Green goo!!!
You usually see these on circa 1980 Stern games. Nobody really knows what it is but it might be the wire insulation breaking down?
I would very thoroughly clean all the good off the male and female
Connectors. If you are super worried replace at least the female connector.
Not sure if that stuff is conductive but why take a chance. I had an Ali with 7 or 8 goo connectors. Cleaned them and haven’t had any issues.
There’s a couple green goo threads here it you want to read more about it.

Hi Crazy Levi,
I searched for Green Goo on Pinside and didn't get any hits...I also have another spot with the 'blue-ing' going on.
I did pull off the connectors and cleaned the pins..sorry Blurry Pic.

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#6 3 years ago
Quoted from zacaj:

I've heard it's the pigment in certain wire colors breaking down. Clean it off with some alcohol/etc, try not to get it in your eyes. Supposedly non-conductive.

I wet a paper towel w/ some isopropyl alcohol and wiped the pins.. They weren't really dirty or blue.. Is where the blue-ing is occuring, are these "hot" pins normally and over time, start to melt the copper wire insulation into the connector I suppose as you stated.

#7 3 years ago
Quoted from CrazyLevi:

Not sure if that stuff is conductive but why take a chance. I had an Ali with 7 or 8 goo connectors. Cleaned them and haven’t had any issues.
There’s a couple green goo threads here it you want to read more about it.

I had to replace the whole wire, didn't conduct worth a damn

#9 3 years ago
Quoted from Cheddar:

I had to replace the whole wire, didn't conduct worth a damn

Hmm..I was more worried about it conducting and shorting to other pins on the connector.

So that's good I guess. I was able to clean all mine and no issues since.

#10 3 years ago

Blue or green color is usually a sign of copper being dissolved in some acid. Maybe the PVC insulation is degrading, giving some hydrochloric acid as by-product, which then reacts with copper wire giving blue copper chloride.

#11 3 years ago

Scrub it with alcohol and a toothbrush. Should clean up fine. It's the effects of the plasticizer in the wire's insulation leeching an oily film. Only certain colors of wire seem to be effected.

#12 3 years ago

Had this issue on 2 of the lamp driver connectors on EBDLE. I wasn't sure either, so I repinned both of them in case. Good to know it isn't too big a deal.

#13 3 years ago

pretty sure its the wire's insulation breaking down or maybe reacting with metal in the connector causing it to break down. If you redo the same wire it comes back after a few years. Got to cut back the wire and splice in a new length.

I haven't found the goo to cause conductivity problems but i am sure its not helping. I have wiped it clean and left it as is and have not had issues later down the road.

#14 3 years ago
Quoted from barakandl:

pretty sure its the wire's insulation breaking down or maybe reacting with metal in the connector causing it to break down. If you redo the same wire it comes back after a few years. Got to cut back the wire and splice in a new length.
I haven't found the goo to cause conductivity problems but i am sure its not helping. I have wiped it clean and left it as is and have not had issues later down the road.

Yes, not causing any conductive issues that I am aware of Andrew. Do you happen to know what those three wires do that the connector is blue-ing on?

#15 3 years ago
Quoted from CUJO:

Yes, not causing any conductive issues that I am aware of Andrew. Do you happen to know what those three wires do that the connector is blue-ing on?

not sure from memory. i think it is +5v's ground return wire going to MPU or driver. Check manual.

it happens on dark colors. Black, violet, green, blue. usually in games like 1978-1980, but may effect larger range. Seen it in classic stern and williams for sure. can't remember about bally.

#16 3 years ago

I’ve seen this also happen with old clear speaker wire where the green is visible through the insulation. I figured it’s copper corrosion or oxidation of some sort, but it will start at the wire end and continue up the wire for a few feet inside the insulation.

#17 3 years ago
Quoted from PNBLWZD:

I’ve seen this also happen with old clear speaker wire where the green is visible through the insulation. I figured it’s copper corrosion or oxidation of some sort, but it will start at the wire end and continue up the wire for a few feet inside the insulation.

Maybe some kind of reaction with the copper and something in the insulation?? Mixed metals touching at the crimp point too.

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