How to get my old Aiwa stereo out of standby mode?
November 19, 2016 8:20 AM Subscribe
I have an old Aiwa LCX-100 mini stereo system. It's not been used for for several years and now won't come out of standby mode. When I plug it in, the red standby light comes on and the green lcd panel lights up, but no symbols appear on the panel and no functions work. (The tape deck motor works (ff, rew, play) but no sound is produced.) It worked fine before storage and isn't damaged. Does anyone know how I can get it to come to life again, please?
I've tried plugging and unplugging the unit from the power while holding down the power button. I've also tried repeatedly pressing the power button.
I'd be very grateful for any help. It's a simple, old machine, but I'm fond of it!
I've tried plugging and unplugging the unit from the power while holding down the power button. I've also tried repeatedly pressing the power button.
I'd be very grateful for any help. It's a simple, old machine, but I'm fond of it!
Generally, the electrolytic capacitors in the power supply are the components that are most likely to go bad over time. The power supply probably produces multiple secondary voltages, which would explain why some functions seem to work and some don't. The capacitors themselves are cheap, but you'll need to find someone that enjoys tinkering with electronics to track down the bad cap (assuming that's the problem) and solder in a new one.
posted by doctord at 9:48 AM on November 19, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by doctord at 9:48 AM on November 19, 2016 [3 favorites]
nthing doctord, but it is difficult to identify bad elecrolytics, so it is usually best to replace them all (this finds the bad ones plus all the soon-to-be-bad ones).
posted by H21 at 5:00 PM on November 19, 2016
posted by H21 at 5:00 PM on November 19, 2016
Seconding doctord.
What year was your AIWA manufactured? I bought an (North American) AIWA in '96 based on my dad's (Eastern) AIWA from the early '80s.
That early 80's minisystem is still going strong; I replaced mine earlier this year because it went kaput.
First thing I(... had checked/would check) is if there are any accessible fuses on the backpanel. If not, probably time to ethically submit the unit to electronics 'recycling' or hazardous waste disposal.
One thing that worked - for a while - was to lift the unit about 8" from the surface and drop it. It worked for a [can't remember, some famous example of an early Apple Macintosh computer] since I suspect your problem is a cracked solder weld as a result of thermal differential stress, but if it works, it's unlikely to be a long-term solution.
posted by porpoise at 5:16 PM on November 19, 2016
What year was your AIWA manufactured? I bought an (North American) AIWA in '96 based on my dad's (Eastern) AIWA from the early '80s.
That early 80's minisystem is still going strong; I replaced mine earlier this year because it went kaput.
First thing I(... had checked/would check) is if there are any accessible fuses on the backpanel. If not, probably time to ethically submit the unit to electronics 'recycling' or hazardous waste disposal.
One thing that worked - for a while - was to lift the unit about 8" from the surface and drop it. It worked for a [can't remember, some famous example of an early Apple Macintosh computer] since I suspect your problem is a cracked solder weld as a result of thermal differential stress, but if it works, it's unlikely to be a long-term solution.
posted by porpoise at 5:16 PM on November 19, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by humboldt32 at 8:47 AM on November 19, 2016