Garage door opener: pop & smoke

[Beartracks]

So there I was, working my garage door up and down a few times to spread around the white lithium I'd used on all the hinges and along the track, when there's a : OP:: and then smoke whisps out of the motor as it buzzes and tries to keep moving, and liquid drips out of the housing. I thought at first somehow the grease had tracked in, but no -- this sounds the likely scenario:

"When a capacitor goes wrong, it usually makes a loud pop sound like a miniature bang. In such an instance, smoke and acid from the capacitor spill all over the logic board, causing more damage to the circuitry."

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and presume this means I am in the market for a new opener? As opposed to, say, fixing this one...

I just hope I don't have to install a new track. That's kind of a pain.
Edit to add: Oh, crap. Never mind. I remember the track with the whole motor. Dangit. At least holes are already drilled.

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[eppur_se_muova]

1. The magic smoke got out ?? Oh no, that means it has to be returned to the factory to be refilled !

Seriously, I'm not sure how much "acid" is in a capacitor -- I would think that only results from the heat and reaction in air. But I would disconnect it and wipe off that board ASAP -- the residue may be something which accumulates water, and that could cause a short.

If it was just a ceramic capacitor (not unlikely in a high-power device) there may be only dust left, and an obvious burned spot on the board.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:E-cap-family-14-02-02.jpg


ETA: If you have the model number or the part number for the board, you may be able to find repair hints at a site like Ifixit.com. The older it is, the more likely someone has scanned and uploaded what you're looking for.

[Beartracks]

3. There was intermittent dripping onto the floor for a couple minutes.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. Hard to know if that was lubricant or electrolyte. In either case, I'd try to wipe that board.

Or at least get a look at it and decide if it's unsalvagable.

[Beartracks]

13. The capacitor blew its top.

Fortunately, the way it was positioned, it all blew into the plastic housing, barely any on the wires, and none on the two circuit boards.

I've got replacement capacitor on the way. It just clamps in place with the wires clipped to the end. $29 and free shipping!

But I couldn't find how to replenish the magic smoke...

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[eppur_se_muova]

17. That may look like good luck, but it could very well be good design. Hope it's as simple a fix as it looks !

[bullimiami]

2. Sounds possible. Blown cap on power supply. Sure could be.

The liquid is curious.
Unless is was super old and had a potted transformer burn up.

If it were me I’d just replace it.

[Beartracks]

4. I installed it in 2008. Genie brand.

[bullimiami]

6. It's had a long successful life.

15 years opening at least a few times per day.

Internet says life of opener is 10-15 years.

[Beartracks]

8. Yep.

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[Beartracks]

14. Just to follow up...

The starting capacitor blew its top bigtime. Fortunately, the way it was positioned, it all blew into the plastic housing, barely any on the wires, and none on the two circuit boards.

I've got replacement capacitor on the way. It just clamps in place with the wires clipped to the end. $29 and free shipping!

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[eppur_se_muova]

7. Genie does sell replacement boards, if it's not discontinued.

https://store.geniecompany.com/collections/circuit-board-1/circuit-board

If you feel like a DIY, info here:
https://www.aaaremotes.com/genie-parts-schematics/

If you can just get the model and part no., you may very well find it on eBay. Lots of old appliance parts there -- often unsold inventory, so like new.

[Beartracks]

9. Hey, thanks for this info.

[cloudbase]

10. It's probably the dielectric material in the capacitor.

It's a waxy substance in electrolytic capacitors that melts when heated

If you can, look on the capacitor's casing. If there's a visible + and -, it's definitely an electrolytic. They're easy to replace, provided nothing else in the circuitry if fried.

[Beartracks]

11. If so, would it be a solder -type replacement?

I haven't looked at anything yet. Still nursing a grudge against a simple task gone wrong.

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[cloudbase]

12. Maybe.

I don't have the knowledge of each manufacturer's layout. When mine went out, the capacitor was not on the circuit board, but was attached by a metal band, with leads that plugged in to the circuit board. Given that the capacitor might be considered a replaceable item, my guess is that would be sound design, but then there's more money to be made selling complete boards. If you know what you're doing, you can replace it on the board, or mount it in a handy spot and solder leads to the capacitor and board.

Good luck.

[Beartracks]

15. Just to follow up...

The starting capacitor blew its top bigtime. Fortunately, the way it was positioned, it all blew into the plastic housing, barely any on the wires, and none on the two circuit boards.

I've got replacement capacitor on the way. It just clamps in place with the wires clipped to the end. $29 and free shipping!

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[cloudbase]

16. Glad it's working out for you.

[alinasloane]

18. Doors

Sounds like the capacitor's definitely toast, and sadly, replacing the opener is probably the most practical solution. The good news? Since the track's already installed, swapping in a new opener should be much easier this time around. Just pick one compatible with your existing setup to save extra hassle!

[Beartracks]

19. Hi. Capacitor replacement was the only needed fix for the motor. BUT...

... it turns out my door spring was broken (it wasn't visible, since it was a Torquemaster), and the door had been operating with no counterbalance for, possibly 2-3 years as my best guess. The track visibly bowed during lifts, and I thought the door just needed to be lubed. LOL So I went ahead and converted to a standard torsion spring (got a pro to do that) after I had replaced the capacitor. Gotta say, I'm impressed with the Genie for doing all that extra work for so long.

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