[colug-432] Motherboard w/bulged capacitors: 50% Success Rate

[jep200404]

Angelo McComis wrote:

> How is your success rate with swapped caps? 

My success rate is 50%. 

I replaced some bad caps on a motherboard at a COLUG meeting 
a while back. My most recent success was with an LCD monitor. 

   http://www.colug.net/pipermail/colug432/2009-August/000051.html

> And what makes them bulge/leak, anyways?

Bad electrolyte formula. 

> And, are bulged caps always a sign the capacitor is bad or just one of
> those situations where if things aren't working as expected, and the
> capacitors look damaged, that's probably the culprit?

If a capacitor is bulged, it is bad. 
Bad caps are a very common cause for electronics to fail. 

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

This has been a familiar topic on this list.