Panasonic Bread Maker

[motco]

Well scusi! I owe Ducati (the brand of the current capacitor) an apology! Certainly the cap had declined to 2.3 microfarads but it is not the reason for less than optimum rise. The RS one in situ results in a 'large' wholemeal loaf with a crown that does not rise above rim of the pan. Perhaps it is a seasonal wheat effect. Or maybe a yeast batch variation - only time will tell.

 

[Rufusz]

Hi all!
I have an SD2511 bread maker with the "flat bread" symptoms. I checked the capacitor mentioned it this thread with a multimeter and it says 2.97 mF. So basically it looks OK. Can it be still faulty so worth changing?
BTW I checked the belt as well and it seems fine I can't get it to slip while holding one wheel.

 

[Excaliber]

Hi everyone, first timer. I have a Panasonic sd2501. It failed to go today and I found a resistor on the pcb has had a dry joint on one leg which I think has overheated the resistor. It is the large resistor R76 which is the one just under the blue wire in the picture in the initial post above. Can anyone identify type and resistance so I can try to track one down please.

 

[Mottie]

Hi all!
I have an SD2511 bread maker with the "flat bread" symptoms. I checked the capacitor mentioned it this thread with a multimeter and it says 2.97 mF. So basically it looks OK. Can it be still faulty so worth changing?
BTW I checked the belt as well and it seems fine I can't get it to slip while holding one wheel.

I was having 'flat bread' symptoms and had been having them for a while. I suspected it was a capacitor problem. I was using the original instruction with regard to quantities of ingredients. I used to buy the container of yeast but used it so little that I thought it was going off so I switched to the sealed sachets (Sainsbury’s own). I would use the recommended quantity from the sachet and throw the rest away so wasting about two thirds of the sachet. Wasn’t having great success. By chance, I read the instructions on the box and it said to use the whole sachet per 500g loaf and only use 320ml of water instead of the recommended 350ml in the Panasonic instructions. Result - perfect loaf!

 

[motco]

The water quantity varies in Panasonic's instructions depending on the machine. I used to have an earlier model and it said 360ml whereas the current 2501 says 370ml. Incidentally they changed from tbsp to tsp for the sugar. A 3:1 ratio.
I am back to having sub-ideal loaves and will strip the machine again and check the capacitor and drive belt... ho hum.

 

[Csfulham]

You guys are all amazing! I have a Panasonic SD-255 that I’ve used regularly for about 16(!!) years. The last few years it’s produced pretty stodgy bread, seldom rising above the pan; and the last couple of weeks it’s been getting even worse.

So today I replaced the capacitor using the above instructions. I bought one on amazon for £7
https://amzn.eu/d/h9T3zXC

I’ve put it all together again and started a cycle and the mixing motor is really going for it, with a renewed energy that I haven’t heard for some years!

Hopefully all is now well and thanks to this forum for saving me over £100 on a new bread maker!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Is the thread that keeps on giving!

 

[Csfulham]

Not had a loaf like this in at least five years!

 

[LNW56]

What to do when you have never seen a bread maker, let alone used one, but your 88-year old aunt thinks you can fix anything! The answer is simple and if you have found this thread you are already a good way to solving the issue. If it is not a loose/broken drive belt, then it is likely to be the capacitor.

I know nothing about electronics but can do a bit of soldering which resulted in the desired fix.

In order to help anyone else, I have put together a compilation of photos to show the process for my aunt’s PANASONIC SD-255.

When I tried the machine, the paddle turned but the power did not look sufficient to mix dough. I had no way of testing the capacitor as my muti-meter does not cater for microfarads (a measurement I had never heard of before). The difference when I had replaced the capacitor was very obvious and a well spent £12 (Nov 2024).

There appear to be two types of capacitor available for this model, one with pins which is soldered directly onto the PCB and the other with two long wires sticking out of the bottom.

I chose the latter on the basis that if I messed up the end of a wire I could just cut it back and try again. Once soldered on I could have stuffed it into the PCB housing compartment but I chose to take the tails out of the bottom and tie it in neatly to the cables that were already there, as shown in the pictures.

My thanks to all the previous posters without whose advice I had no hope of fixing the bread maker.

 

[Csfulham]

Great job @LNW56, I did exactly the same thing with my SD-255 this very morning, as mentioned above. I failed to take any photos though!

But I DID choose to stuff the new (same one as you bought) wired capacitor into the PCB housing. I was worried that letting it dangle below the housing would leave it too close to the heating element inside the machine - one to look out for.

 

[Csfulham]

Also, interestingly, my OEM capacitor was different to your aunt’s!

 

[LNW56]

@Csfulham, I followed the process mentioned in earlier posts where the capacitor was left outside the PCB housing. I ensured that I had a cable tie low down, around the yellow cables and through the screw hole tab on the new capacitor which keeps it well away from anything metal.
Great picture of a loaf – now I know what these things do as I have yet to see it in action!