12 V router power adapter, intermittent failure, repair of break in output cable.

Step 1

Repair step

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• 12 V wireless router power supply, with the typical fault of an internally broken cable that these types of power supplies often have.
• By moving the cable, we can determine approximately where the break point is, which is generally always at the power supply outlet.

Step 2

Repair step

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• By moving the cable while the device is plugged in, we can see at what point, when moving it, the device turns off.
• By making various curves and bends, we will try to pinpoint the location as accurately as possible to cut in that area; sometimes it is not possible to hit the mark, and we have to test to see if we can locate it.

Step 3

Repair step

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• Centering the point approximately, we will first cut the wall pass-through sleeve to see if we can locate the point of internal breakage.

Step 4

Repair step

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• Trim the wall-pass-through sleeve slightly and test again in the socket to see if we can center the internal break point.

Step 5

Repair step

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• If we locate the possible point, we will proceed to cut one of the 2 cables to perform tests again.

Step 6

Repair step

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• Since the exact break point to be repaired cannot be located, the next step is to pry open the power adapter with the help of a medium-sized knife to be able to apply leverage and force on the gasket until it separates and pops off.

Step 7

Repair step

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• With the casing separated, the next step is to re-examine the cable at the bend it makes. We will attempt to cut the grommet, trying to break it as little as possible so that it can be recovered.

Step 8

Repair step

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• Views of the cable and salvaged wall pass-through.

Step 9

Repair step

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• Before repairing or soldering the cable, slide on the three sizes of heat shrink tubing to perform the final repair once the cable is fixed.

Step 10

Repair step

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• Process views.

Step 11

Repair step

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• Remove the 2 cable fragments from the PCB and solder the 2 cables to the PCB once the problematic fragment has been removed. Leave a wide cable bend so that the cable is not damaged by stress and pulling.

Step 12

Repair step

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• Move the heat shrink tubing and heat it layer by layer with a heat gun.

Step 13

Repair step

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• Views of the reassembly phase heating each layer of heat shrink tubing one by one.

Step 14

Repair step

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• Assemble the two halves of the casing; we will secure them with a few drops of cyanoacrylate-type glue. Note: just drops; we must not fill the entire gasket so that it can be disassembled and repaired in the future.
• We will force the two halves together with a few turns of electrical tape applied provisionally.
• And if we have large-diameter heat shrink tubing, we will reinforce one side of the power adapter with it; since it did not fit, it was widened with the help of flat-nose pliers before being reheated to shrink it.

Step 15

Repair step

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• Heat the transparent heat shrink tubing so it shrinks and conforms to the housing.
• Test the power supply; the router turns on correctly.
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