Question Smoking PC after AIO Leak

[King Dranzer]

This guy had his Deepcool AIO leak. He took it out and dried everything for 2-3Days and reassembled the PC with new Corsair AIO. But now when he turns it on it is Smoking. Think it is the PSU causing that smoke.

What do you guys think. Please let me know what can be the cause.

 

[KananX]

Could be water somewhere that is evaporating, this is crazy. Just watch the PSU and see if the smoke comes from there, if you wanna know. Suffice to say I wouldn’t use the PC like this, something is wrong.

 

[Phaaze88]

Whoa...

What is the psu?
The smoke is rather blurry in the image, and looks like it's looping through the gpu, up through the AIO, into the room, and back into the gpu again.
Have they already tried setting up the bare minimum hardware outside the case?


Some glycol solution is still on the gpu's PCB?
That hairdryer in the background was used for drying? I can't imagine one blowing air hot enough to damage anything..?
I don't know...

Could be water somewhere that is evaporating, this is crazy...

See, that's what I was thinking: that there's some glycol solution that was still missed and is evaporating due to being warmed up.

 

[King Dranzer]

Whoa...

What is the psu?
The smoke is rather blurry in the image, and looks like it's looping through the gpu, up through the AIO, into the room, and back into the gpu again.
Have they already tried setting up the bare minimum hardware outside the case?


Some glycol solution is still on the gpu's PCB?
That hairdryer in the background was used for drying? I can't imagine one blowing air hot enough to damage anything..?
I don't know...


See, that's what I was thinking: that there's some glycol solution that was still missed and is evaporating due to being warmed up.

Whoa...

What is the psu?
The smoke is rather blurry in the image, and looks like it's looping through the gpu, up through the AIO, into the room, and back into the gpu again.
Have they already tried setting up the bare minimum hardware outside the case?


Some glycol solution is still on the gpu's PCB?
That hairdryer in the background was used for drying? I can't imagine one blowing air hot enough to damage anything..?
I don't know...


See, that's what I was thinking: that there's some glycol solution that was still missed and is evaporating due to being warmed up.

No he is getting burn smell and electric noise.

 

[King Dranzer]

And PC Shuts down on its own. Which is good.

 

[King Dranzer]

Can it be the PCIe riser cable

 

[Phaaze88]

Can it be the PCIe riser cable

That's why I asked if they already tried setting up the bare minimum, which also means no riser.

 

[King Dranzer]

That's why I asked if they already tried setting up the bare minimum, which also means no riser.

No he has not. Told him to do that. But is kinda scared.

 

[King Dranzer]

He called BestBuy and they said if he gets it to them it will take 12Days at minimum.

 

[Phaaze88]

Best Buy's Geek Squad? Probably depends on the area, but some of them are less competent than we are...

No he has not. Told him to do that. But is kinda scared.

Scared? It's part of the troubleshooting process, just like the drying he did.
Heck, if he draws the short straw with Best Buy, he ends up with no resolution and ~100 bucks shorter.

 

[King Dranzer]

Best Buy's Geek Squad? Probably depends on the area, but some of them are less competent than we are...


Scared? It's part of the troubleshooting process, just like the drying he did.
Heck, if he draws the short straw with Best Buy, he ends up with no resolution and ~100 bucks shorter.

He said that BestBuy will figure out what the issue is and RMA what ever is needed to be replaced and deliver Working PC all this for $200. Don't know what service that is. But yes he wanna take that route. He doesn't wanna do anything to it on his own anymore.

 

[King Dranzer]

Will let you guys know if BestBuy updates with the issue and resolution.

 

[Phaaze88]

Okey-dokey - will keep an eye out for update.

 

[helper800]

Best Buy's Geek Squad? Probably depends on the area, but some of them are less competent than we are...

You said, "...less competent than we are." Who are you as compared to Best Buy if you do not mind me asking?

 

[Phaaze88]

You said, "...less competent than we are." Who are you as compared to Best Buy if you do not mind me asking?

By we, I'm referring to you, me, and others who know our way around hardware and software. I've not assembled too many new PCs(just 5), but I have gone inside them many times - my own more than anything, as I can't keep my hands out of its guts for more than a few months.
I don't think that highly of myself - I am bloody software stupid. Beyond DDU - gpu driver update, motherboard support site for driver updates, malware scan, and reinstalling Windows, I'm not going to be of much help beyond that.

If only I was actually there with the above PC. It's easier when you're actually there with the patient.


The experience with Best Buy is a mixed bag.
There can be associates in one store that know their way around stuff, providing customers with some of their best experiences ever, and ones in other stores that are not so knowledgeable that miss things like, melted cpu cooler sticker causing overheats, loose connectors and other devices... some believe hot tube-cold tube is normal AIO operation! I'd say I'd fall in the middle.

Then there's management - it's not equal in all stores either. Some don't allow their technicians to do much more beyond virus removal and simple upgrades/hardware replacement. More than that, and it goes to the service center($$$).
Some can replace motherboards in desktops, but not laptops - if the customer brings another board, they may do it.
I suppose they do have the obligation of refusing service if it wasn't purchased there.



OH. Maybe I should've replied by PM..?

 

[King Dranzer]

By we, I'm referring to you, me, and others who know our way around hardware and software. I've not assembled too many new PCs(just 5), but I have gone inside them many times - my own more than anything, as I can't keep my hands out of its guts for more than a few months.
I don't think that highly of myself - I am bloody software stupid. Beyond DDU - gpu driver update, motherboard support site for driver updates, malware scan, and reinstalling Windows, I'm not going to be of much help beyond that.

If only I was actually there with the above PC. It's easier when you're actually there with the patient.


The experience with Best Buy is a mixed bag.
There can be associates in one store that know their way around stuff, providing customers with some of their best experiences ever, and ones in other stores that are not so knowledgeable that miss things like, melted cpu cooler sticker causing overheats, loose connectors and other devices... some believe hot tube-cold tube is normal AIO operation! I'd say I'd fall in the middle.

Then there's management - it's not equal in all stores either. Some don't allow their technicians to do much more beyond virus removal and simple upgrades/hardware replacement. More than that, and it goes to the service center($$$).
Some can replace motherboards in desktops, but not laptops - if the customer brings another board, they may do it.
I suppose they do have the obligation of refusing service if it wasn't purchased there.



OH. Maybe I should've replied by PM..?

You are good.

After that smoke and stuff he was kinda shaken which I can understand for first time experience. So he was not ready to touch it further and dropped it at the store.

I tried to explain him of some basic steps he could have tried to pin point the issue and now he is like "yes I should have" but sadly he already dropped it off at BestBuy.

Well lets hope the bestbuy guys can help him out.

 

[helper800]

You are good.

After that smoke and stuff he was kinda shaken which I can understand for first time experience. So he was not ready to touch it further and dropped it at the store.

I tried to explain him of some basic steps he could have tried to pin point the issue and now he is like "yes I should have" but sadly he already dropped it off at BestBuy.

Well lets hope the bestbuy guys can help him out.

They going to just plug that thing in and watch it smoke and be like, "we fixed it," after all the vapor dissipates. Another thing that it could have been is that AIOs do not all used distilled water and it could have been the residue of an additive that was smoking.

 

[King Dranzer]

They going to just plug that thing in and watch it smoke and be like, "we fixed it," after all the vapor dissipates. Another thing that it could have been is that AIOs do not all used distilled water and it could have been the residue of an additive that was smoking.

Don't know man. But then he shouldn't get the burning smell and electric noise right.

 

[Phaaze88]

AIOs do not all used distilled water

All AIOs use a glycol mixture, don't they?

 

[helper800]

All AIOs use a glycol mixture, don't they?

I believe most of them do, but I am not sure about all of them. Some are even refillable.

 

[helper800]

Don't know man. But then he shouldn't get the burning smell and electric noise right.

I was just trying to explain the smoke/vapor. All of the symptoms are not necessarily from the same cause. The initial spill could have caused damage to other components which are then causing the noise. The burning smell could be AIO liquid additives. What does the burning smell like?

 

[King Dranzer]

I was just trying to explain the smoke/vapor. All of the symptoms are not necessarily from the same cause. The initial spill could have caused damage to other components which are then causing the noise. The burning smell could be AIO liquid additives. What does the burning smell like?

But shouldn't it have dried out after almost 3days. He removed everything out of the case besides the Motherboard and PSU. He removed everything including CPU. The wet spots were on the riser cable. Which he left it to dry completely. And even all other stuff as well. I think 34-36hrs is a long time.

 

[helper800]

But shouldn't it have dried out after almost 3days. He removed everything out of the case besides the Motherboard and PSU. He removed everything including CPU. The wet spots were on the riser cable. Which he left it to dry completely. And even all other stuff as well. I think 34-36hrs is a long time.

If there were additives they would not have evaporated with the fluid.

 

[King Dranzer]

If there were additives they would not have evaporated with the fluid.

Hmmm.... that may be the issue.

 

[KananX]

Hmmm.... that may be the issue.

This means, you have to clean it more thoroughly and if the coolant went into the PSU you have to open it and clean it, but only a expert can do that, as opening a PSU is dangerous, it’s charged with high currency unless completely discharged.