# Elcon 1500w capacitor change



## kennybobby (Aug 10, 2012)

Do you have any tools to measure the temperature of the device? It is rated for up to 110 C, so hot to the touch may well be within spec.

That is an EMI suppression capacitor used on the input AC power and on the rectified DC. See the Elcon schematic thread, AC input schematic. Other values could also be used, e.g. 1.5, 1.8, 2.7, 3.3, 3.9, 4.7, etc.

You aren't running the charger with the heatsink clamps removed are you?


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## Yabert (Feb 7, 2010)

kennybobby said:


> That is an EMI suppression capacitor used on the input AC power and on the rectified DC.


Are you sure? I ask because there is another capacitor, who is the same, closer to the AC entry (see gray part at the right on charger picture first post).
About temperature, I don't have good value for sure because the charger is in the car at a temperature around -10°C.
And yes, I used the charger without cover.


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## Yabert (Feb 7, 2010)

kennybobby said:


> See the Elcon schematic thread, AC input schematic.


This nice thread: http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/tcch-elcon-1-5kw-charger-schematics-89470.html
I saw a 2,2 uF capacitor next to the AC entry. The problem on my charger is the second 2,2 uF capacitor (B on picture)



> Other values could also be used, e.g. 1.5, 1.8, 2.7, 3.3, 3.9, 4.7, etc.


Sadly, I don't understand uF value. By comparison, a 10Ah cell will suffer harder than a 20Ah cell under 20A load, but what about a capacitor?
Also, is it need to be rate over 400VDC?


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## electro wrks (Mar 5, 2012)

Is your problem similar to this one(posts 75-80)? :http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forum...arger-troubleshooting-and-repair-90162p8.html


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## Coulomb (Apr 22, 2009)

Yabert said:


> I saw a 2,2 uF capacitor next to the AC entry. The problem on my charger is the second 2,2 uF capacitor (B on picture)


Yes, the capacitor marked A on your handy picture is across the incoming mains. The one marked B is immediately after the bridge rectifier. So it effectively sees the same AC voltage as the mains (nominally 240 V). So your 200 V rated capacitor is a little under rated.



> Sadly, I don't understand uF value. By comparison, a 10Ah cell will suffer harder than a 20Ah cell under 20A load, but what about a capacitor?


In most applications, the capacitance value of a capacitor is rather critical. That's why there are thousands of values of capacitors, from a few picofarads to several farads (a staggering range of some 13 orders of magnitude).

However, when the are used, as here, to suppress transients, their exact capacitance value is not overly important. I'd still like to get the right value, as you have. But I'd also strongly suggest that you get the right voltage rating. Using it over its ratings is likely blowing the safety "fuses" that are inside these safety capacitors (this one is X2 rated; google safety capacitors if you are interested in the details). So very likely in short order, maybe already, it will have reduced its effectiveness so that it's not doing its job. That's OK until the next transient comes down the line from the neighbour's welder.



> Also, is it need to be rate over 400VDC?


No. This one will only see the peak of the mains voltage, which is some 240 x sqrt(2) ~= 340 VDC. It will also see every voltage from there down to zero, 120 times per second. [ Edit: so you have enough DC rating, but not enough AC rating. ]

I recommend getting the correct rated capacitor. This is the same part as I have used in a charger repair:

EPCOS B32924C3225M000 CAP, FILM, PP, 2.2UF, 305VAC, RAD (Newark)

I can't easily see the US shipping costs from here (Australia), but you could probably order 9 or 19 spares and get "free" shipping, or order one or two and pay 5-10 times as much as the capacitor(s) in shipping.

[ Edit: the same Epcos capacitor will be available from other suppliers, such as Mouser and Digi-Key. They will also have other manufacturer's parts with the same ratings, but that's harder to check that you are getting the right thing. The original capacitors are made in China, and are not readily available in the West, as far as I know. ]


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## Coulomb (Apr 22, 2009)

While you're waiting for your capacitor(s) to be delivered, you can amuse yourself by reading how I was chasing audible clicks from these very capacitors, in the troubleshooting and repair thread:

http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=754002#post754002


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## Coulomb (Apr 22, 2009)

BTW, what's the red material around your input relay? I've never see that in a charger.

Whatever it is, it may be the cause of two of your nylock nuts rusting. That suggests water, which could be the cause of your charger problems.


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## Yabert (Feb 7, 2010)

Coulomb said:


> BTW, what's the red material around your input relay? I've never see that in a charger.


Haha! Well...
Considering my lack of electronic knowledge I proceed like that:

1-I smell the electronic burn in my charger after a charge.
2-I open the charger, try a charge and look inside to see what happen.
3-I saw a sparks in the area of the capacitor.
4-I tried to spray some insulating varnish...
5-I tried another charge... burn smell remain... the problem is somewhere else!
6-Dismantle the PCB and ask help from peoples smarter than me 

Thanks for the help. It will be useful.


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## Yabert (Feb 7, 2010)

I've been able to find capacitor locally.
I have a 2,6 MFD 300VAC and a 2,2K 400V (seller tell me it's the same as my 2,2 uF).
Just a sanitary check, which should be weld in my charger?
Thanks


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## Coulomb (Apr 22, 2009)

Yabert said:


> I've been able to find capacitor locally.


Those aren't safety capcitors; they don't have an X rating (e.g. X2). So you'd be replacing a safety capacitor with a non-safety capacitor.

Usually, this is a very bad idea. In this case, it's maybe not too bad, but I would not do it.


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## Yabert (Feb 7, 2010)

I did a last try to find a capacitor at another store. I found for 0,49$ CAD a 1 uF 275v (WXE-105K Q 1.0 uF 275 SH 40/085/56 X2).
Really physically similar to the original, but 1uF instead of 2,2uF.
Hope this can be fine for my charger.

Any thought?


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## kennybobby (Aug 10, 2012)

That should work okay. It will provide a slightly higher impedance at 50 or 60 Hz than the 2.2uF cap.


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