Chosen Solution
Hi! My Thunderbolt Display has been with me since I bought it new in 2013. Its developed a kind of caustic smell that gets distributed through the fans under the display. It could be due to dust buildup on the inside as it’s not a very strong smell, but will make a room smell a bit strange after a few hours. I don’t think it’s a power component that’s about to blow, but should I open it up and get it checked out?
The power supplies electrolytic capacitors have a fluid which when it is heated will give off a unpleasant smell. So while the display is working now it will finally fail. The black and green cylinders are the electrolytic capacitors. At least inspect them and cleanup any dust build up on the fan blades and case using a soft paint brush and a can of can’ed air to blow it out.
Replacing the power supply is not very difficult. Follow this guide to get the display off Apple Thunderbolt Display LCD Replacement and then its just a few screws and cables!
