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In Part 3, I will explain the required tools and replacement components in more detail, as well as provide some practical tips for completing the repair.

This job may be difficult for anyone who has never done soldering or desoldering before. The tools I use are certainly not professional-grade, so electronics repair experts reading this blog may find my setup rather basic.

If you already have professional equipment or know a better method for replacing the components, please feel free to use the tools and techniques that work best for you.

Tools Required

The tools I mainly use are shown in the picture below. The complete list, including where they can be purchased, is as follows:

• Work mat – Not shown in the picture, but a mat measuring approximately 500 × 500 mm would be useful. Any suitable work mat will do.
• 1.5 mm desoldering wick/braid – Jaycar
• 0.7 mm solder – Jaycar
• Third-hand PCB holder – Jaycar
• Solder sucker – Jaycar
• 48 W temperature-controlled soldering station – Jaycar
• Screwdriver – Any suitable type
• 127 mm precision angled side cutters – Jaycar, or any similar product
• 99.8% isopropyl alcohol spray, 250 ml – Jaycar
• 250 mm multigrip pliers – Bunnings or Mitre 10

1. Remove the Relays and Capacitor

Secure the circuit board in the PCB holder, as shown in the picture below. Using a soldering iron and solder sucker, remove the four relays and one capacitor from the board.

The method that worked best for me was to remove as much solder as possible quickly with the solder sucker, then use desoldering wick/braid to absorb and clean up the remaining solder.

I found that 1.5 mm desoldering wick worked best on this particular circuit board. A thicker wick made the desoldering process more difficult.

I strongly recommend applying the soldering iron to the circuit board only for short periods, allowing it to cool between attempts if necessary. If you hold the soldering iron against the board for too long, the copper solder pads or traces may lift away from the PCB. Once this happens, the circuit board can become extremely difficult—or even impossible—to repair.

Once all the solder has been completely removed, turn the circuit board over and carefully remove the relays and capacitor using multigrip pliers. Avoid using excessive force, as this may damage the PCB or lift the solder pads.

This is the most important part of the process, so take your time and be especially careful.

2. Install the New Relays and Capacitor on the PCB

You will normally find two types of relays fitted to the original circuit board: SMI-24VDC-SL-A and SMI-24VDC-SL-C.

All of them can be replaced with the five-pin SMI-24VDC-SL-C, so there is no need to purchase the four-pin SMI-24VDC-SL-A separately. The SMI-24VDC-SL-C relay can easily be ordered by searching for its part number on AliExpress or eBay.

The replacement capacitor can also be purchased inexpensively from websites such as AliExpress, RS Components or element14. Look for a radial-leaded electrolytic capacitor with the following specifications:

• Capacitance: 1,000 µF
• Rated voltage: 35 V
• Tolerance: ±20%
• Type: Radial-leaded electrolytic capacitor

Install the new relays and capacitor on the PCB, then solder all their pins securely.

Important: Electrolytic capacitors are polarised. Make sure the positive and negative leads of the replacement capacitor match the polarity markings on the PCB. Installing it in the wrong direction may damage the capacitor or the circuit board.

Once the soldering is complete, spray the soldered side of the PCB with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and clean away any remaining flux or residue. It is also a good idea to clean the remote-control circuit board with IPA at the same time.

Allow all the boards to dry completely before reinstalling them in the cover panel. Once everything has been reassembled, you can prepare to test the repaired garage door opener. See in the pictures below.

3. Reassemble and Test the Garage Door Opener

The circuit board repair is now complete, and the opener is ready for testing.

Testing is straightforward. Reinstall the repaired rear panel on the opener and reconnect the operating-switch wires. Make sure the panel and all connectors are securely fitted before reconnecting the mains power.

Turn the power on, then operate the garage door using either the wall switch or the remote control. If the door opens and closes normally without the previous clicking or intermittent fault, the repair has been successful.

Important: Do not touch the circuit board, wiring or internal components while the opener is connected to mains power.

What’s Coming Next

In Part 4, I will upload a PDF copy of the original manual. It should be helpful if you need instructions for setting the door’s initial travel limits, programming the remote controls or adjusting other opener settings.

I will also cover other common faults and troubleshooting methods beyond the circuit-board problem explained in this article.

In some cases, the transformer on the main circuit board may fail, burn out or show visible heat damage. I plan to explain how this type of fault may be repaired or modified.

Another common issue occurs when a fault in the remote-control receiver board prevents the remotes from operating the door. I will explain possible repair and modification methods for this problem.

Stay tuned for the next parts of the series!