Repair and maintenance tips
Practical guides to looking after an Amiga or a Spectrum: what to check before switching on, the typical faults of each model and how to avoid them.
These guides are for information. Working on old electronics carries risks: do it at your own risk, with the machine unplugged, and never open power supplies or CRT monitors. If in doubt, bring the machine to us.
- Leaking clock batteriesMany Amigas have a small rechargeable battery for the clock. Over the years it leaks an alkaline liquid that corrodes the traces on the board. It is the most common avoidable fault of all.Difficulty: Take care⏱ 1 h
- SMD capacitors on the A600, A1200, CD32 and A4000The later Amigas use surface-mount electrolytic capacitors. Over time they leak electrolyte onto the board: weak or missing sound, a noisy picture, failed start-ups. The fix is to replace them, known as a recap.Difficulty: Workbench⏱ 3 h
- Board beyond saving: transplant to a new boardWhen corrosion from a battery or capacitors has eaten traces and vias all over the board, there is an alternative to throwing the machine away: build a new board made by the community and move the original chips onto it. The machine stays the same, with its own case, keyboard and chips.Difficulty: Workbench⏱ 8 h