Replacing axial caps. Can I use radial electrolytics?

[Josepsp]

Oops, I did miss that it won’t boot.

As for cars: they used to be simple. One of the biggest changes in cars over the past 30 years or so is the electronics. They’ve gone from “simple” ECUs controlling simple 12V lines to monster integrated systems running on networks with encryption all over the place. (There are some very sound reasons for locking down at least critical systems, but it’s a PITA for third party repair, including DIY.)

Being an issue located in the power supply I feel slightly more confident to perform diagnostics. Somehow I am more familiar with how they work and have even had some success in easy repairs. The original malformed CRT display and signal acquisition issue were way out of my comfort zone.

My experience in automotive carries from the last century, always with second-hand stuff and in the last years has been focused on motorbikes, so I've been lucky enough to spare the recent exponential increase in complexity and the drift towards software and DRM.

Beyond the ECU the electrics in the vehicles I've worked with were ridiculously simple and easy to follow, and even those ECUs were to some extent understandable and hackable for the average Joe. My own motorbike's (2012) injection has a Frankenstein solution to fix a burnt ECU output using a 555 and a few passives patch board inside a relay. One of the works I'm most proud of and probably the early one that pushed me towards this field.

The definitive stimulus went from my other passion and also career choice which is IT. Both my old 386 and 486 early computers developed serious hardware problems, which going below certain layers are impossible to diagnose with the tools a regular IT guy has, so here I am: learning electronics to fill the gaps.

[wizard69]

If you have actually tested the caps and they are bad, I wouldn't put old caps back in the unit.   That is buy new ones and further buy good quality ones.   I'm rather surprised that they are all bad so you might want to check you testing hardware.

As for this scope as a piece of test equipment I think you need a change of attitude.   if you get it to work it can be useful for years even if it is never calibrated.    Depending upon what you are doing simply seeing the wave form can be very enlightening.

As for the cost of components, have you looked for EU distributors that will ship to Spain?    That is a get on a web site, order the components and have them shipped in.   Charging what amounts to $1 a resistor is a rip off if that is what your local supplier is doing.    As for local employment conditions, it sounds like there is a business opportunity selling electronic components.   Otherwise I have to agree with others, stay off EBay and the China sites and stick with high quality caps.