W221 harmon kardan amp

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Borys

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 16, 2011
Messages
1,812
Location
Nowe nad Wisla
Car
2005 cl500
Guys,
Did anyone found a solution to prevent the amp failing against moisture, water? I got mine fixed last year and yesterday after 15months it failed. It happened while this dreadful weather invited itself in. Every morning car was dumped, windows steamed so who knows what was going on inside the boot. It may be other issue but last time diagnosed as was water damage. Funniest thing I did a test with pouring tons of water at boot area and whole amp area was dry as a bone.
Command online couldn't fix the amp last year also but a handy retired gentlemen got it running in his shed. Will give him a call tomorrow
I hope it will be possible again
Any experiences around the forum which could direct to a improved solution for this issue?


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Something like that, I would buy or get hold of a few desiccant sachets (silica) and strategically place them around the amp. They will need to be secure.

If you are not getting any obvious leaks it sounds like atmospheric moisture so it doesn't seem like you are fighting a losing battle.

If it still fails, I wonder if it is damp causing it or whether it's something else.
 
Funny it started to work today
I'll get it wrapped in something cozy so it will feel warm hi hi. As a appreciation I hope it will behave
Thanx


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Well, maybe try and avoid direct contact with the amp as it needs to lose heat as it is designed to do - otherwise it will overheat and that may kill it!
 
Most printed circuit boards in the automotive industry are not surface protected
today. The manufacturer counts on the the non-existence of contaminations
on the boards. Well... It normally works until the vehicle is well beyond any warranty...

The boards are clean, until exposed to the normal athmosphere.
In my old CL (215) the Booster amp was located between the inner lining
and the metal in the booth. The CD player had the most stupid placement
just behind the rear left wheel. In the bottom there was a water venting hole
where moisture could and did get in.

There is only one thing to do which unfortunately requires taking the unit apart:

Painting the circuit boards with Conformal Coating (Polyurethane lacquer).

This has to be done making sure that this lacquer never touches connectors or metal parts that needs
to be in contact with one another.

First the board must be checked for any corrosion caused by moisture that have built
metal paths (bridges) on the circuit boards. This is a galvanic process that can take time.
The symptoms can be erratic behavior or functionality that comes and goes
as the condensation builds or the amp dries.

If so, the small bridges, sometimes not easily visible to the human eye
must be brushed away (metal or *very* stiff non-metal brush).
One sign of them is a shimmering (very) thin layer
of greyish or metal-looking color where there are NOT supposed to be contact.
(eg. between +12V and GND) At the same time, outmost precaucion
must be observed so that the copper traces do not gets destroyed
in the process. When there are no more visible signs of any visible
galvanically formed bridges, the board can be lacquered.

Polyurethane lacquer smells "Cancer" so extremely good ventillation
is necessary.
 
Got the part number for your amp ? I've got one here from my clk that I was going to chuck in the bin as I've dumped all the fibre optics
 
There are two compatible

A2218701789 & A2218701889

Thanx


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For some reason thought yours was a 211 !!
 

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