marlinspike

I haven't tried installing it yet, so I don't know that this is a problem, but I'm guessing that it is (anybody know for sure?)

Can it be fixed?

RCR Roscoe

id say yea. use some super glue to put it back together. but that trace to the outside needs to be bypassed. you can solder a wire from another point on it to one past the break. just be real careful with it all.

marlinspike

Is there some type of business that will do this for me in exchange for money? The be real careful part of those instructions has scared me.

Fabrik8

Just putting some super glue on the fractured surface isn't going to fix it; it will just break again when the bulb is twisted back into place. Actually, let me rephrase that. You're not going to be able to fix it with the types of super glue that you will buy locally. You might have some luck with some of the Loctite industrial products like some of the Prism line. Industrial supply places like McMaster Carr might be a good place to look. Get something in a gel form because phenolic circuit boards are porous and will wick up a liquid glue.

You would be better off adding some reinforcement to the other side of the board by gluing some strips of something or a ring across the surface of the board. You may or may not have to reconnect the traces depending on where the bulb socket actually contacts the plated ring on the circuit board.

marlinspike

Gluing I know - likely what I'd do for that is put some quick-dry gel CA on it, then on the non-circuit side paint it with two-part 2 hour epoxy, lay down a strip of fiberglass cloth, then paint over that with the 2-part again. The bulb socket contacts it in the middle (to right of the break), but what about that third pipe going to the side there with a break in it, doesn't that do something?

Admittedly, I don't know much about electonics, so I'm worried that if I just glue it together and put it in the car there will be some permanent damaged caused because that third pipe is a ground or something.

Fabrik8

Can't see what it does with the finger in the way.

If you need to jumper that trace, you can scrape the green soldermask off of the copper trace (down to the bare copper) and solder a wire to it. That trace is either a power or ground and it looks like they've run it around the corner of the board because it's only a single layer circuit board (cheapest way to do it).

brandini

it's almost fucked... almost.

Make sure the screw contacts the metal parts and you don't glue over the metal parts and prevent from making electrical connection to the screw. it'll fuck with the ground connection.

marlinspike

Formerly obscured part


Can I just give one of you money to fix it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYc05gZFly0

marlinspike

The bulb, btw, will stay in place without reattaching that piece, so that aspect of it is not a concern.

Fabrik8

Ok, well I'd just bypass the trace by scraping the soldermask off and soldering a wire to it. Don't worry about the broken piece if the bulb stays in place. You could also bypass it by jumpering a wire to some convenient solder joint on that same trace. Get creative..