Radiator sprang a leak...

[artoodeeto]

Just thought I'd ask, as it'll be a day or two before I get my new radiator (and thus a day or two before I can determine if my computer still works) - anyone had a radiator spring a leak and dump coolant on their RAM...while the machine was on?

I just revised my cooling system, and now have fewer fans on the rad. It appears I put a screw in too tight, which caused a crack in the rad somewhere (Black Ice GTX360). I ran the loop for several hours with the MB off to leak test, and it was fine. Then 2 days later...
I lost the picture on my screens, although power to the MB didn't shut off. I'm *hoping* since I use Feser 1 coolant, which supposedly doesn't conduct, that the coolant got into the RAM socket and created a barrier between the RAM and the socket, rather than shorting everything out.
I'm preparing myself for the possibility that the machine is toast and I'll have to spend $$ I don't have to fix it...ugh. Anyway, the coolant really only got on the RAM sockets and immediately around them. It didn't get on the processor, vid card, or really anywhere else. Anyone else ever experienced this? I've dumped coolant on the MB before, but it's always been off.

[xr4man]

all i can say is hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

i've sen things get wet and then work fine once they dried out and things bet wet and never work again. can't say for sure til you're ready to power up again.

[Kayin]

Sounds bad, man. Nothing stays nonconductive in a loop for long.

[artoodeeto]

yeah...that's what I'm afraid of. The new rad just shipped today, and will *probably* be here tomorrow or Wed.

[artoodeeto]

Got the new loop set up, and (no real surprise) the computer won't boot. The motherboard appears to power up correctly when I hook up the PSU: all the correct lights are on, the power/reset buttons work, the fans turn on, etc. The worst part is not knowing if it's just the RAM chips that are toast (I'm figuring it's at least those), or if the m/b is dead too.
I'm wishing I had a couple extra RAM chips to put in there; as it is I'll probably have to go buy a couple and hopefully be able to return them if the m/b itself is dead. I'll post pics of the loop soon - I'm actually rather happy with it. It's a marked improvement over the old one. I'm using fewer fittings, less tubing, the pump w/res on top is now silent, and filling/draining it is easier than it used to be. Now I gotta get the comp working again...


*Edit* - woohoo! Just put new RAM in, and like magic everything's back to normal, motherboard's fine. Now to see if I can still salvage my old chips (probably not, but worth trying...). And I have to be honest, while I'm relieved I didn't completely kill the whole thing, a little part of me is disappointed to not have an excuse to buy a new system...

[billygoat333]

a little part of me is disappointed to not have an excuse to buy a new system...

^^ The best excuse to buy new parts is when the old ones die!

Glad you got your Mobo working!

[artoodeeto]

^^ The best excuse to buy new parts is when the old ones die!

Glad you got your Mobo working!

Thanks! I've used that excuse a lot in the past, and as soon as I have a job again I'll probably use the ol' "But honey, if I upgrade my computer you can have my old one that's better than yours" excuse

Here's some pics: first off, the RAM chips that got toasted:

I don't know if there's any way to fix them, I've tried cleaning the contact pins with rubbing alcohol to no avail. I can't tell if they're corroded off or if they're caked with something. It'd be nice to be able to use them, but I suspect they're goners.

My new loop, MUCH cleaner than the old one. I eliminated about 18" of tubing, and am using 4 or 5 fewer compression fittings. The silver vertical thing sticking out of the top of the res is a cutoff valve. I'll use that when I drain the loop to make the loop into a 1-way path. Air compressor hose will go into the refill hole in the res, tube screws onto the capped T-connector, cutoff valve is turned, and voila! I can blow the coolant out into a bottle.

The new RAM chips:

And with the top back on. Now it's got blue light on the sides (looks cooler than before), and no bright blue light coming out the front as I eliminated a vertical fan that pretty much just blew dust in.

[AmEv]

These are not the RAM sticks you are looking for.


In fact, they're dead.