Translations:Xbox:Clock Capacitor/4/en

Removing the Capacitor

1. Identify the clock capacitor. In 1.0-1.4 systems, it sits near the front left of the motherboard behind the first player controller port, underneath the CD/DVD drive. On a small amount of 1.4 motherboards, it may be a gold colored capacitor, identical to the one on 1.6/1.6b motherboards. It's still recommended to remove gold caps from 1.4 motherboards as they're unnecessary, but 1.6/1.6b systems require a few extra steps in order to disable the clock capactior.
   

   1.0 / 1.1 clock cap location.

   1.2 - 1.4 clock cap location.

   1.6 clock cap location, next to the IDE socket. Gold colored clock caps are less prone to leakage.

2. Remove the capacitor by wiggling it until it is loose, and then gently pulling it away using pliers or by hand. Alternatively, if you do intend to install a replacement, the legs may be desoldered from the underside of the motherboard to make way for the new cap - a video demonstration can be found on MrMario2011’s channel.
3. Check for any fluid leakage. This may be difficult to make out by eye - a high concentration of dust near the cap is a strong indication that a leak has occurred at some point in the past. Follow the below steps to clean it.
4. (Only for 1.6 consoles) Unlike earlier Xbox models, 1.6/1.6b models cannot power on without a working clock cap. Any capacitor can be used as a replacement, but if you wish to match the capacity of the original then choose a 2.5V 1F capacitor. An LED or diode can also be used in place of a clock capacitor for a 1.6 console. With a recent discovery by Redherring32, the clock capacitor on these models can also be bypassed with the removal of two resistors while wiring the postive terminal to 3.3v. The two resistors can also be rotated 90 or 180 degrees on one end so the bypass can be easily reversed if desired.
   

   Redherring32's method of removing and bypassing the clock capacitor on a 1.6/1.6b motherboard.