strange component

my 41 packard windshield wiper has a 1 inch by 1/2 by 1/4 black gizmo with an arrow with 3 dots above a bar with one dot what is it and can it be replaced

0 wendypreston over 15 years ago

Ian,

Any chance you could please post a picture? Are there any other identifying marks or numbers on it anywhere? Why do you need to replace it - has it stopped functioning, and if so, what was the function?

Thanks!

Wendy
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0 Former Member over 15 years ago

I think this could be the picture of it but i'm not sure exactly what it is, maybe a capacitor to suppress noise?
you could try the forums on http://packardinfo.com/ im sure someone there would know.

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0 Former Member over 15 years ago

The picture you sent is not the same as mine but very close. The arrow sugests to me that it may be a diode. my unit is not working corectly and I can find nothing wrong with the unit so I suspect failure of the strange thing. I am rebuilding a 41 Packard and am hung up while I try to fix the darn wiper. I will go to the Packard web site amd try them. thanks.
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0 Former Member over 15 years ago

Hi Ian, could you upload a closeup of the component?
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0 Former Member over 15 years ago

i do not have a digital camera but it looks exactly like the black component in the picture that was posted
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0 WestfW over 15 years ago in reply to Former Member

Ah. Looks like an old-style "Molded Mica" Capacitor; I've seen them in old audio gear.
Some general info and more pictures here:
http://www.radiomuseum.org/forum/replacing_old_capacitors.html
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0 WarrenW over 15 years ago in reply to WestfW

Yes it is a capacitor. There should be numbers in the circles to give you the value.
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0 Former Member over 15 years ago

That's a capacitor on the motor, likely for inteference suppression for the radio. The rectangular molded capacitors may be paper dialectric instead of mica dialectric; this depends on the value range and cost requirements. It's likely that a paper dialectric molded capacitor is no good by now, since it is very old. The molding material was not always good at sealing around the leads, so these capacitors were exposed to air and moisture, etc. People who restore old radios always replace all the molded capacitors without bothering to check them, since they often leak severely.

Here are some links that show reading the color code, represented by colored dots on the capacitor body (I don't think these examples are exahustive, but one may match what you have.)

http://www.tpub.com/neets/book2/3g.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/funwithtubes/How_To-Reading_Codes.html

http://www.vcomp.co.uk/components/cap_codes/cap_codes.htm

I recall Radiotron Designer's Handbook had a color code chart in an appendix.
Old copies of the ARRL's Radio Amateur's Handbook has had similar info if you look at copies from the 50's.
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0 Former Member over 15 years ago

Nice one Jeff. I love how answers to questions on element14 reveal some really interesting links
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0 Former Member over 15 years ago

here are pictues of this strange electronic gizmo.....
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