Editing Capacitor plague (section)

===Visible symptoms===
[[File:Blown up electrolytic capacitor.jpg|thumb|Closeup of a broken electrolytic capacitor vent and dried electrolyte residue]]

When examining a failed electronic device, the failed capacitors can easily be recognized by clearly visible symptoms that include the following:<ref name="SilChip2003"/>

*Bulging of the vent on top of the capacitor. (The "vent" is stamped into the top of the casing of a can-shaped capacitor, forming a seam that is meant to split to relieve pressure build-up inside, preventing an explosion.)
*Ruptured or cracked vent, often accompanied by visible crusty rust-like brown or red dried electrolyte deposits.
*Capacitor casing sitting crooked on the circuit board, caused by the bottom rubber plug being pushed out, sometimes with electrolyte having leaked onto the motherboard from the base of the capacitor, visible as dark-brown or black surface deposits on the PCB.<ref>Blown, Burst and Leaking Motherboard Capacitors - A Serious Problem, PCSTATS, 15 January 2005 [http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=195] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816143329/http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=195|date=16 August 2016}}</ref> The leaked electrolyte can be confused with thick elastic glue sometimes used to secure the capacitors against shock. A dark brown or black crust up the side of a capacitor is invariably glue, not electrolyte. The glue itself is harmless.

{{gallery |title=Visible symptoms of failed electrolytic capacitors |align=center|File:Bad Capacitor 01.jpg|Failed Chhsi capacitor with crusty electrolyte buildup on the top
|File:Defekte Kondensatoren.jpg|Failed capacitors next to CPU motherboard socket
|File:Badcaps-tayeh-4.jpg|Failed Tayeh capacitors which have vented subtly through their aluminium tops
|File:Elko-mit-ausgedrücktem-Gummistopfen.jpg|Failed electrolytic capacitors with swollen can tops and expelled rubber seals, dates of manufacture "0106" and "0206" (January and February 2006)
|File:vp6 blown capacitor.jpg|Failed capacitor has exploded and exposed internal elements, and another has partially blown off its casing
|File:Badcaps-choyo.jpg|Failed Choyo capacitors (black color) which have leaked brownish electrolyte onto the motherboard
}}