FORD 1996 ECU RECAP: Aluminum - Polymer worth bothering?

[Cartel]

I will be pulling my crown vic ECU and recapping it. 3 in total, 47uf 16v x2 and a 10uf 63v
I hope they havent puked yet. I was thinking of replacing them with Aluminum - Polymer thru hole caps. probably 47uf 25v and 10uf 80v
They arent cheap. Anyone have any experience with them? Am I wasing my money on premium caps?

Nichicon PLV series

thanks

[CapLeaker]

All older ECU’s I’ve done, I replaced the old caps with either Panasonic, Nichicon or Rubycon low ESR, low ripple, 105c rated caps. Never had a complaint with capacitors coming back and I like to keep it that way.

[sam_sam_sam]

All older ECU’s I’ve done, I replaced the old caps with either Panasonic, Nichicon or Rubycon low ESR, low ripple, 105c rated caps. Never had a complaint with capacitors coming back and I like to keep it that way.

What are the issues when the capacitors go bad and how do you determine weather or not it is a capacitor issue or something else

[stj]

sam_sam_sam bad ecu caps usually leak on the tracks - specially Honda ecu's

[CapLeaker]

What are the issues when the capacitors go bad and how do you determine weather or not it is a capacitor issue or something else

Also Ford, Toyota, Cummins, etc do all the same thing. First off is a complaint something isn't working, or engine runs like crap. Open up the ECU and you find leaked out capacitors, rotten holes and traces. Fix it up and to 90% that was it. Sometimes there is something else still not working, but that usually has a different damage. I also get water damaged ECU's and basically I end up checking each component on the board around that damaged area. It takes a long time to do an 18 wheeler ECU. Sometimes I get lucky like that excavator ECU with the burnt MOVs. I don't do ECU's a lot, but here and there.

[Cartel]

I was thinking since Aluminum - Polymer has no liquid they would never leak. I dont plan on having the car another 30 years so maybe regular caps would be good enough

[stj]

yiou wont get polymers under 100uf,
just use panasonic FC series if you care about AEC-Q200 rules.

[Cartel]

yiou wont get polymers under 100uf,
just use panasonic FC series if you care about AEC-Q200 rules.

PLV1K100MCL1

[momaka]

yiou wont get polymers under 100uf,

Actually, I think there were a few Japanese ones that went as low as 47 uF. Forgot which brands and series, though.

Otherwise, I agree, I think Panasonic FC and FP series, along with United Chemicon LZA are the way to go, as those are all approved for automotive use (AEC-Q200 compliance.)

If the original caps are Nichicon PL, those are obsolete series now. Their current replacement is the PM series. I'd say replace them, because I've seen a few PL series start to show signs of "about to leak electrolyte from the bottom", though never seen any do it yet (not it my own stuff anyways.) The PR series are well-known for doing that, though. Being related and both quite old at this point, I can't say you'd be wasting money replacing them, at least if you intend to keep the vehicle for as long as possible.

BTW, also beware of UCC LXF series - same issue with leaking from the bottom like Nichicon PR. In fact, a lot of the early low ESR series based on quaternary ammonium salts had this issue. So these old series should always be checked and/or replaced, especially if they have been in a not-so-friendly environment, like automotive use (vibration and wide temperature swings.)