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Need some guidance on a disgusting situation!

R

Reedp

New Member
Last summer I picked up a free Yamaha RXV-371 on Craigslist that wouldn't power up. The guy gave me the receiver, 5 speakers (entry level Yamahas that suit my needs just fine), and the Yamaha powered sub. There were 2 bulging caps on the output board. Replaced them, followed steps in the service manual to get it out of protected mode and been using it for about 14 months with absolutely zero problems.

Started to notice the sub was not performing at the same level as a year ago so today I decided to open it up and perform some maintenance. Turns out, a mouse beat me to it and by the looks of it he beat me to it a LONG time ago! He was introduced to 120V AC on the input board. What I think happened is this is what caused the problem for the previous owner. He sat on it for a couple months before letting it go and I'm sure he didn't know it was in there. It certainly didn't get in there since I've owned it. I have pictures if anyone really wants to see it. Fuse was not blown, and the sub has been fine for me until about a 3 days ago. How this didn't cause a fire or even a rancid smell for over a year of almost daily use is beyond me. It's the luckiest unluncky thing to ever happen to me!

I tackled the unpleasant task of getting everything out of there () that I could. The cleanest way to say it is there is some stuff left on the input board that has been cooked on there pretty good. I'm REALLY hoping someone can tell me if I can find a replacement board to save me the task of trying to scrape off this one. Not only is it disgusting, I think I'm going to have nightmares about Hanta virus for the next few months.

Does anyone have some suggestions on how to go about this? Ideally I'd like to just cut the wires at the board, and solder them to a replacement board if possible. Any guidance or advice would be greatly appreciated!

The Sub Model is YST-SW012. It's the small board that contains the fuse and power input.
 
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Contact cleaner? Sprayed heavy and soak. Not sure, but would try it, if mine. Use a soft paint brush while wet, then spray again.
 
Also, boards usually can be washed under a water tap. Check the thread "deep cleaning an amplifier" here at AK.

Mouse poisons cause some dehidratation of the animal, leaving it dry from the inside without odor or smell. It's made on purpose so hidden dead animals don't cause smells. I can't tell about virus or contamination, but some expert can answer your question.
 
Are there any components on the board apart from the the fuse and a couple of wires ? photos ?
The schematic suggests not - in which case, just de-solder it and scrub it with washing-up liquid etc. in the sink.

Capture.JPG
 
wear gloves and soak the unit with IPA, put under strong UV light (wear glasses), then clip
it out and dispose,
after
you find a parts unit, or even that board (if so, replace the parts, resolder everything),
and replace original.

do spray/clean/disinfect the inside covers and bottom in case death fluids migrate.
 
Thanks you every one for the advise. Luckily, it looks like the fluids didn't migrate much at all. I'm assuming this is because of the heat involved. This is the top of the board. I am also going to include an image of position that mouse was actually in so you can get an idea of what I mean. (It's a dead mouse so if it's too much to handle for you maybe don't look.) If you need them I can post a photo of the other side of this board which is the the pretty gross. Side which said "matter". I have the inside of the actual box cleaned up pretty well. My neighbor gave me some disenfectant stuff and recommended some kind of light bulbs that will kill microscopic pathogens somehow by placing it near the opening and letting it illuminate for a few hours.

IMG_20181019_172005.jpg jpeg-imag.jpg
 
I would remove the board and soak it in a disposable container. I would soak it in water that is close to boiling temperature and something like Tide, Dawn, Simple Green, or a combination of all. Using gloves and a mask scrub it with a sacrificial plastic scrub brush. Hopefully that will dissolve that mess. Then rinse and repeat. After the gunk is completely removed, spray it down with alcohol then after that evaporates, something like QD Contact Cleaner. Let it sit in the sun for a few hours dry.
 
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I agree, if the board is just to connect some wire and hold a fuse, I'd discard it and hard wire everything with an inline fuse holder.
 
From what I remember studying Biology, viruses and bacteria generally die shortly after the animal dies. This is because all the water evaporates, and even germs need water to survive. Put on gloves and mask and just clean it off as suggested above. Don't be so squeamish, it won't kill you. Mind over matter.
 
I have everything cleaned up and unfortunately I had to replace some awfully bad corroded wires. I've been searching high and low for these connectors. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I've had no luck!IMG_20181022_142815.jpg IMG_20181022_142815.jpg IMG_20181022_142836.jpg
 
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