soldering help please

[sublime90]

ok i have my messiah 2 installed for about 3 years no problems ever (i installed it myself) now this 1 wire has come undone and simply will not stay! i solder it and its on good.....then i play a backed up game, everythings fine, i turn the console off the next day my copies wont load....that wire has come un soldered!!! this has happened like 5 days in a row now and its getting on my nerves, i used flux and everything. should i just discard that wire and put a new wire on? i need some help here because it simply wont stay soldered now, its just that 1 wire!!

[lufcfan]

Replace the wire, but scrape the point with a fibre-glass pen - or a razor blade (but be very careful w/ the latter option)

Use LOTS of Flux, tin your wire, place a little solder on the end of your iron and hold the wire to the point. Place the iron on the wire for a few seconds and give it a soft tug to check everything's in place properly. Then stick the wire down, reassemble and test.

Hope that helps...
LUFCfan

[sublime90]

ok i'll try that. it always seems like its going to work, i used LOTS of flux before and was generous with the solder and i tugged it and it wasnt going anywhere, then when i turn it on it had somehow come disconnected, now i have to search for the wire to replace it with, i just wish it would stay! lol, how do i tin the wire, do you mean coat it with solder? i have a 15w soldering iron and sometimes i think it gets so hot that it doesnt work, i tried soldering it and the solder just sticks to the iron itself, i never really had soldering problems before now this has to happen

[lufcfan]

Don't use too much solder as that can cause as many problems as having too little.

As for tinning - yes just coat the wire so a little 'blob' is on the end of the wire.

If you're having problems with solder sticking to the tip - just clean the tip. To do this, melt a blob of solder onto the iron tip and roll it around in the blob, or use some tip tinner/cleaner if you have some laying around.

[Warlock]

Originally Posted by sublime90

how do i tin the wire, do you mean coat it with solder

Exactly. I use tip cleaner when i solder. Just dip the hot iron tip in it and It keeps the solder from sticking to the tip of the iron

[sublime90]

yeah i have tinner and i just used it but no luck, i think i need to clean the surface in trying to solder (like you guys said to) because of the fact its not sticking it must be dirty, this is causing me such a headache, its the 1 wire with the smallest point to solder to, i'll eventually get it

[lufcfan]

yeah - if the point aint clean it can cause mega problems when trying to get stuff to bond...

[Warlock]

Or if you have enough extra length on the wire you can just cut the tip off. Your probably not getting the point clean which is why you are getting a poor bond.