Van's Aircraft has published a new Service Bulletin (SB 19-08-06) that describes steps to be taken on certain RV-12iS aircraft, in order to capture detailed photographs of two electronic components and then send the photos to Van's for review.
In limited cases, solder on AV-60000 and AV-60009 electronics modules may not have been heated sufficiently to ensure a strong enough solder joint. In those cases, there exists the potential for intermittent electronic issues.
Photographic examination of the components will allow Van's staff to visually determine whether or not the module's solder joints are properly formed and acceptable. In the event the soldering of a module in the field is determined to be insufficient, the module will need to be shipped to Van's for service. In this case, Van's will pay the shipping costs to return the defective module to Van's, and to deliver the repaired/replacement module to the customer.
When taking the photographs, please ensure that 1) plenty of light illuminates the subject - a flashlight or similar source may be used, and that 2) the photos are close-in, sharp and taken in high resolution. Most modern smartphones should be able to produce acceptable images.
Note that Van's has identified and confirmed the root cause of this issue and has made changes to its manufacturing processes as a result.
In limited cases, solder on AV-60000 and AV-60009 electronics modules may not have been heated sufficiently to ensure a strong enough solder joint. In those cases, there exists the potential for intermittent electronic issues.
Photographic examination of the components will allow Van's staff to visually determine whether or not the module's solder joints are properly formed and acceptable. In the event the soldering of a module in the field is determined to be insufficient, the module will need to be shipped to Van's for service. In this case, Van's will pay the shipping costs to return the defective module to Van's, and to deliver the repaired/replacement module to the customer.
When taking the photographs, please ensure that 1) plenty of light illuminates the subject - a flashlight or similar source may be used, and that 2) the photos are close-in, sharp and taken in high resolution. Most modern smartphones should be able to produce acceptable images.
Note that Van's has identified and confirmed the root cause of this issue and has made changes to its manufacturing processes as a result.