Who let the smoke out?

Pauline has a theory that all electrical/electronic components have a
certain amount of smoke inserted in the factory and, when the component
fails, the smoke escapes.

This has just been proven correct by a friend that put the battery back in
his bike this morning and connected it the wrong way round; resulting in the
the smoke being let out of his rectifier.

So who's more stupid?

 

This is Magic Smoke [TM] it is *not* inserted in the factory as an
indicator that the unit has failed, it is the stuff that makes the unit
work in the first place. When the smoke gets out, the unit stops
working, i.e. the Magic Smoke has escaped.

I had fun explaining this to an Italian once, the smoke got out of a
power supply and it stoppped working. He, like you, thought the smoke
was a side effect when clearly it isn't.

DO NOT try and recapture the smoke and force it back in. This is *very*
dangerous. Take it to a qualified technician who has the relevant
safety certificates and he will put some back for you.

 

Wrong way around. If you let the smoke out, the unti fails.

--
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Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 2.0 TS
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

You can't blame the people at the factory that put the smoke into the
components... They're just doing their job...
--
O
1 Black, shortly to undergo extensive surgery.
1 Red, undergoing lightweight surgery. -----
1 Blue, for Power-Ranger baiting. | o |
Numbers ... | o |
Stuff ... | ooo |
Life ... -----

 

Its all a con. They know that to put the smoke back in you need to go
to a dealer who has a certified smoke putter-backer machine and he can
charge you any price because he knows you need that smoke. It's not
magic, just a government controlled farce involving all electrical
equipment.