Why the hell does beating electronics work?

[Diomed]

I know there is no reason that beating or smacking electronics that are unresponsive should make them work.. But in many cases it does for me.

What the fuck is up with that?

[Mr Pheer]

Did you try asking Han Solo?

[CYF]

gotta show 'em who the boss is.

[BIGTYMER]

It only worked on old TVs years ago for me.

[d-null]

cold solder joints possibly connect again with a smack

[Max Potential]

I know there is no reason that beating or smacking electronics that are unresponsive should make them work.. But in many cases it does for me.

What the fuck is up with that?

Inquiring minds...

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/.../t-195304.html

[Vapid - BANNED FOR LIFE]

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

[FlowerKid]

Bad soldering or bad connections inside.

[anexsia]

I used to beat the crap out of my old Nintendo console.

[Harmon]

I beat my cock and it works. Why?

[DamianJ]

It's called Percussive Maintanence

[JFK]

It's called Percussive Maintanence

Would Beat it by MJ be appropriate here ?

[DamianJ]

Would Beat it by MJ be appropriate here ?

That should be the porn industry's anthem anyway

[martinsc]

it always worked on older TVs.... always....

[Voodoo]

Some people got Fonzie Powers... Some people don't.

[srockhard]

I regularly beat my Brother.....laser printer. The fucker discontects himself from the network almost daily. When the beating is too severe I end up using old Hewey Packard but sometimes his ink jet gets a little messy.

[blackmonsters]

I have found that beating the product is most effective on TVs.

[Killswitch]

Same reason beating your wife and kids make them work again too.

[woj]

Same reason beating your wife and kids make them work again too.

[Spunky]

I usually like to bounce them off a wall or two

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

Kill your TV...

ADG

[fitzmulti]

I used to beat the crap out of my old Nintendo console.

[livexxx]

Typically dry solder joints where the surfaces of both connections are not tinned properly. Real bad ones form like a tube around the legs of components and over time oxidation within that forms a barrier. A good belt can re-form the contact albeit temporarily. Likewise similar problems happen with connectors and leads. Also crimped wire connections can oxidise and a jolt can re-connect by piercing the oxidation.
Loose non housed connectors , same as before. Switches and anything mechanical can also exhibit the same problems.

Sometimes also called cold solder joints, i've fixed a few with re-soldering after inspection, but it's a bit of an art to spot them and you need to be good to solder too. Luckily I worked on a missile guidance production line with 50 women but even then a good whack was the best solution (only for the argentinian export market)

[2MuchMark]

I know there is no reason that beating or smacking electronics that are unresponsive should make them work.. But in many cases it does for me.

What the fuck is up with that?

If you had a Mac you wouldn't have to beat it because it would work perfectly, every time, all the time.

/runs away..

[JFK]

If you had a Mac you wouldn't have to beat it because it would work perfectly, every time, all the time.

/runs away..

GROAN, yes you better hide

[georgeyw]

If you had a Mac you wouldn't have to beat it because it would work perfectly, every time, all the time.

/runs away..

Go back to pulling yourself off over electric vehicles.

[John-ACWM]

I used to beat the crap out of my old Nintendo console.

[Killswitch]

If you had a Mac you wouldn't have to beat it because it would work perfectly, every time, all the time.

/runs away..

[john FVC]

Go back to pulling yourself off over electric vehicles.

[RKLover]

http://youtu.be/dEkOT3IngMQ

[2MuchMark]

Go back to pulling yourself off over electric vehicles.

Please don't pick on me because I am different. Electric cars and I have a special bond that you will never understand. never!

[iwantchixx]

For complex electronics, it was solder joints, sockets and etc get loose/corroded over time. Circuit boards and solder paste contains highly corrosive chemicals. By beating it, you are merely temporarily remaking the electrical connection until it "falls off" again.

Resisters are culprits too, they dry out over time. Every type of resister dries out and becomes crumbly inside, certain ones take a few years, some take decades but a quick punch can sometimes make the connection good enough to start working temporarily until ti heats up again, thus then needing another beating.

For CRT tube tvs, it was mostly the yokes and power supplies that needed the jolt from a beating.

For stereos, it was volume pots and mains voltage supply lines across circuit boards and of course, the IC's and/or transistor's solder joints loosening from heat and vibration.

I recently retired a PC that needed to be kicked sideways with a flat foot to get it to see the NIC card.. fun times.