Wiki

Il existe une multitude d'informations en ligne pour vous aider à réparer vos gadgets. Nous vous donnons ici quelques pistes pour vous aider à les trouver.

Que rechercher

Lorsque nous avons besoin de documentation sur les réparations, nous préférons qu'elle corresponde directement à la marque et au modèle que nous tentons de réparer. (Il existe parfois des "familles" de produits, où nous pouvons nous contenter d'un produit similaire et récolter des informations sur la réparation de ce produit).

Repérez la marque et le numéro de modèle sur vos appareils. Ceux-ci sont parfois étonnamment difficiles à trouver ! Dans ce cas, vous pouvez commencer par une recherche d'images générique, en entrant la marque, le type d'appareil et tout autre élément d'identification dans un moteur de recherche avec recherche d'images. À partir d'une galerie d'images, vous pourrez peut-être identifier votre marque et votre modèle spécifique.

Ideally we are looking for more than one guide or resource, so that we can compare and evaluate the relative effectiveness of each.

Service manuals

In searching for repair information online, the "holy grail" is a manufacturer's own service manual. These often offer schematics, disassembly guides, and common repair advice, all in one place.

Some manufacturers have these on their websites (and they can be hard to find, even so!), but other manufacturers deliberately try and limit our access to them. Using a search engine, we can sometimes locate leaked versions of service manuals. There is even a black market for these - participate at your own risk!

Generally speaking, service manuals are easier to come by for older equipment that has a cult following, or a large hobbyist user-base, for example hifi and audio equipment.

Disassembly guides

If we cannot find a service manual, the next thing we are usually looking for is reliable information about how to disassemble a device, and therefore how it is put together and what it has inside. Disassembly videos abound on Youtube. The problem with these videos is that they are often very long, and often we are only looking for a couple of key moments in the video. In low-bandwidth or time-sensitive situations, they can be a nightmare.

So generally speaking, we would give priority to disassembly guides with still photos and explanatory text, in the style of iFixit. But other people offer them, like this firm that repairs hair straighteners.

Some parts sellers include repair information - and simple tools - when they sell a spare part. This can be useful but, as with any third part resource, these should be evaluated carefully and critically.

Threads on forums

There are a number of reliable, specialist forums for information on electrical and electronics repair and maintenance.

Sometimes these can be very intimidating, technical conversations. However if you are able to find a thread with detail about your particular fault - it could be the key to helping a Restarter save your e-thing.

One-star reviews on Amazon

These can be a treasure-trove of data on common failures in products. Ignore the aggregate rating, as it can conceal numerous one-star reviews. This pricey kettle is a great example.

Websites

We maintain a list our favourite websites for repair resources.