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Today at Atelier Kaz - Private NSX Enthusiast, ex-Honda R&D engineer with F1, Indy/CART background

Audio Head unit, Bose AMP 03

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However, as the damage was so severe and deep, decided to test it using my NSX in order to inject real world ACG and IG noise plus vibration and thermal shock.

Carried out more than 30min test driving session and happy with the result.

Back light also tested.

Please ignore my clock and CCU display illumination control as I disabled them long time ago so that it always stays at max brightness regardless of the lighting status.




















USA Spec CD changer port adaptor connected to test the ACC line.




As always, when everything works, to my hearing frequency sensitivity, the OEM package is well beyond my requirement and no need for the aftermarket head unit, speaker, AMP, etc.


















Back to Bose AMP.......

Some of the caps were still leaking heavily.

















Lots of cleaning, scraping and re-soldering…..

















Uprated the caps, quick bench testing including the amp gain control and happy with the result so new hot melt glue applied.



















Thermal compound applied and ready to put the AMP back in the speaker box.




















Again, tested it for more than 12Hrs including thermal shock and gain control.








Happy with the result so time to return the head unit and the speaker box.


Thank you for using my service and hope the owner will enjoy the nice sound system again on his/her NSX.


Now back to the other audio head unit…..

It's really big challenge.....

And I already have another NSX waiting for my emergency service….




Kaz











Comments

  1. ozon02's Avatar
    Reading your blog - fixed electronic boards - replacing leaky capacitors.
    I want to ask which boards this problem most often affects (CCU, ECU)? Without some cars will not go (engine management) and I'm afraid of it. Other like Bose do not have much importance and easy to buy.
    Based on your experience .... regards Mario
  2. Kaz-kzukNA1's Avatar
    Hi, Mario.

    All of these issues are caused by the leaked acid from the aluminium electrolytic capacitors.

    If you check the data sheet of these capacitors, you will see the life expectancy when operated at max operating temperature so nothing unusual.
    For example, 1,000Hrs at 105degC.

    It's just a matter of when and not if.
    Any electronics components using this type of cap will experience the same.
    It's just the environment of being used on the car is much severe than being used inside one's house.

    Almost all of the electronics components used on the following units are before the era of RoHs so you may find difficulty in sourcing the same parts as most likely, they were discontinued long time ago and being replaced by the RoHs compliant components.

    It's hard to tell which controller would fail first than the others as multiple conditions are involved.
    On top of this, the manufactures changed the spec of the components used on the circuit board so that made huge differences as well.

    For your reference, ECU, TCS, EPS, ABS, AT, etc controllers would survive much longer than other units on our NSX despite they are using certain Al caps.


    Some of the information for you.

    CCU:
    Unless you have later model (around 00+, I guess), too late and the damages were already done.
    Even if the A/C works, it doesn't mean your circuit board is free from the acid leakage.
    You just haven't seen the actual damages yet. Act immediately.

    For the later models, best acting now as the damages would be at minimum level.


    Bose speaker AMP - all three:
    Bose changed the design and spec of circuit board/components depending on the year model/type over the years but all of them will fail.
    Act now.

    It's not just NSX as the base design of the circuit board is the same on many production cars with Bose speaker.

    If you have friends in US, you can buy new speaker enclosure (not just the AMP but the entire AMP+speaker+speaker box) at very good price.

    Bose Germany will sell just the REAR AMP (the one in the passenger footwell, for the clarification, just the AMP without the speaker nor the speaker box,) but not the one in the door.


    SRS:
    By the time you saw the SRS warning light on the dash with blown #1 10A fuse at the fuse panel inside the cabin, it's too late.

    Having said this, this unit seems to vary when it comes to cap acid leakage.

    Some failed at much earlier stage than others, some of the early '90s models are still fine with almost no leakage, etc.

    SRS is a safety device so you should replace the unit with a new one (but some of the spec are already discontinued) and not repairing.
    Depending on the spec of the SRS, I saw on Prime that the circuit board from old Legend models were the same.


    Audio Head Unit:
    If you want to stay with the OEM look, act now.
    All of them will fail eventually.

    Alpine changed the circuit board design many times and also it's different depending on the country spec (diversity system) but sooner or later, all of them will fail.


    Dash gauge:
    If you start seeing 'BRAKE LAMP' warning light on the dash even when all of the brake light bulbs are fine, that's the first sign of the failure.
    Eventually, it will disappear and you would think that the issue is gone but it's not.
    It relates to other conditions (such as humidity, temperature, etc) and the issue is just hidden.

    Next time when it comes back again, you may see extra issues such as door ajar warning light stays on even both doors are closed, etc.

    You must, and I'll repeat, you must act immediately as this could cause small fire inside the cabin.
    In Japan, this incident involved Honda, gauge manufacture and fire department for the review.

    Re-calibration required after replacing the parts.



    Off topic
    Main Relay & Fan Control Unit:
    These will fail due to soldering crack.

    With the Main relay, the manufacture changed the soldering process so if you buy new one now, you will have better chance of surviving without experiencing the soldering crack for much longer period than it used to be.

    Just re-solder the old one and keep it somewhere on the car.
    It could help another owner stranded at the car meeting.

    For the Fan Control Unit, the first sign would be that the rad fan (and even the eng bay cooling fan, if you have one) starts operating even before starting the engine (when you turn the IG key into P2 ON position) despite the engine is still cold.

    There are lots of joints to re-solder but just take your time.
    In the past, when I bought new one, checked the soldering level and still, there was not enough solder so applied extra before installation.
    Haven't checked recently so not sure about the soldering method used on the latest batch.


    Integrated Control Unit:
    Very rare to fail but it did fail on several NSX.

    Mounted above the fuse panel inside the cabin.

    The symptom could be failing to operate the rear window defogger, no variable speed wiper control, etc.



    Kaz

    Updated 30-11-2017 at 12:38 PM by Kaz-kzukNA1 (extra info for FCU)
  3. ozon02's Avatar
    Thank you for your valuable answer. On the basis of your blog and my bad experience this year I would add EPS-controler (error code #22) burn out relay contact

    Regards
    Mario