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Christopher A. Young
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www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"toller" wrote in message
...
My garage door opener stopped working; it just hummed for about 2 seconds.
For no particular reason I touched the starting capacitor and fixed it. It
ran okay for a couple days, then stopped. I touched it again and it ran
twice before breaking. Now my magic touch fails completely. (I can't find
any loose wires)
The manufacturer's best guess is that the capacitor is bad.
CY: Good fix, and good guess.


It takes a 53-64 mfd 220vac 30b0363 Fujitsu Towa no. gk-86

1) Any way to varify the capacitor is bad before replacing it? I put an ohm
meter across it, and it shows an open circuit, but since I have never tested
a good capacitor I don't know how much that proves.
CY: Take a VOM that has a meter needle that swings. Physically take the cap
out of the machine. Unwire it. Put the VOM to ohms, and put the leads on the
cap. Needle should jump a little. Reverse the leads, and needle should jump
a bit more than the first time. No jump? That's an "open". Pegs all the way
over and stays? That's a "short".


2) The manufacturer wants $20 for a replacement. Am I likely to find one
cheaper locally? Where, an electrical distributor?
CY: Maybe, I've not checked my catalogs. I get them through my HVAC parts
house, and I think they are cheaper.


3) There are two red wires going to one contact and two blues going to the
other. Is a capacitor symetrical, so if I got my contacts backwards it
would be okay?
CY: I suspect it's symmetrical, and doesn't matter. Sounds like a mylar foil
cap, not electrolytic.

Thanks