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Repair guide

Clean up an Acorn Archimedes battery leak

A buyer's guide for Archimedes machines calls battery leaks common, and a repair write-up shows how bad it can get on an A5000. Remove the battery, clean the area and check traces before powering the machine up.

Open the interactive checklist Tick off each step as you go. It saves in your browser.

Battery · Careful · about 100 minutes. Worth doing. Reports say this fix helps on many machines.

You are in the right place if: The Archimedes forgets its settings, or green and white corrosion is visible near the battery.

Before you start

  • Leaked residue irritates skin and eyes. Wear gloves and glasses.
  • If a leak has reached several chips or the backplane, stop and ask a specialist.
  • Do not power the machine up until it is clean and dry.

Board revisions and models

Battery type and position differ between the A3000, the A5000 and the A540. Check your model's board.

Parts you may need

  • Battery holder. Keeps leak risk off the board Amazon · eBay
  • Replacement cell. Check what your model expects Amazon · eBay
  • Thin jumper wire. Repair traces Amazon · eBay

Tools

  • Soldering iron and braid. Remove old battery Amazon · eBay
  • Brush and swabs. Clean residue Amazon · eBay
  • Magnifier. Inspect traces Amazon · eBay
  • Nitrile gloves and glasses. Protect yourself Amazon · eBay

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Step by step

  1. Unplug and open the machine Disconnect power and open the case. Keep screws sorted and photograph the layout.
  2. Find and photograph the battery Locate the battery and note polarity and nearby chips before touching it.
  3. Assess the damage Look for crust, discoloured solder and eaten traces on both sides of the board if you can see them.
  4. Remove the battery Desolder it carefully, or cut it away from its legs and desolder the stubs.
  5. Neutralise and clean Gloves and eye protection on, treat residue with a mild acid such as white vinegar on a swab, scrub with isopropyl alcohol and dry fully.
  6. Check traces and repair Under magnification, verify traces and vias near the battery and bridge breaks with fine wire.
  7. Replace the battery arrangement Fit a holder or an off-board cell, matching polarity and voltage to the board.
  8. Test the machine Reassemble, boot, set the date in CMOS RAM and power cycle to check it holds.
  9. Look at other known weak spots While it is open, check for the other faults listed in Archimedes fault guides.

Tips, tales and maybes

Found in write-ups and forum threads. These are other people's reports, not tested by us.

  • Tip (Medium confidence). ArcWiki's buyer's guide says capacitors rarely cause trouble apart from RIFA suppressors, while battery leaks are common. Source
  • Tip (Medium confidence). One retailer write-up documents restoring an A5000 after a battery leak. Source

Guides we used

We wrote the steps in our own words from these. They have the photos and the full detail, so please read them and support their authors.

Boards and models vary, so check what is in front of you. A repair can involve hot tools, chemicals and, on some machines, dangerous voltages. You do it at your own risk.

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