My aging E32 740i is starting to show signs of various electronic components failing, from heating and AC issues to loss of seat memory functions and on and on... In many cases it is recommended to dismantle and then re-solder various connections inside certain components such as the CCM, ECU, etc.

This got me thinking about my history with Mac computers, specifically laptops.

Back in the mid-2000s or so the EPA banned the selling of computers with solder joints that contained any lead. Certainly not a bad thing environmentally speaking, but without the lead the solder joints became more brittle and prone to failure sooner than when lead was present. By the early 2010s MacBooks and particularly the larger 15" and 17" MacBook Pros began failing catastrophically due to this issue. Removing the logic board and sending it off to a specialist to have the solder "re-flowed" was considered the best option when a new logic board was no longer available through Apple.

Then someone figured out that you could remove all plastic elements from the logic board and do this yourself in your kitchen by baking the bare logic board at around 375°F for about 8 minutes in the oven. I have done this numerous times to my own Macs and for friends too, and it works almost every time, usually for at least 6 months to a year, but often much longer. It all depends on how many heating and cooling cycles the unit is subjected to, and the variation in temperature surely seems to play a part. I no longer shut my laptop down and leave it to cool in an unheated room after a session at full operating temperature. As I type this on my trusty 17" MBP built in 2011 I am thankful for every day that the old beast soldiers on thanks to how I treat it.

So getting back to Bimmers, at least in a car as old as mine there is surely a high lead content in the solder. If I were to try this baking method I would think the time and temperature needed to "bake" its components back to life would be less.

If anyone has insights into this I would love to hear them. In the meantime I am going to go research the melting points of various types of solder, and then grab a few spare components I have laying around and start prepping them for a little oven time.