Time Capsule Powered Off, Won't Power Back On

Hi Ronniebel, good for you. You are few of the lucky ones.

I was one of the early ones and posted here on Dec 17, 2009.... I have something to report.

I had held on to my dead TC in the hope that Apple would relent and let me keep the data. My first support ticket expired. On seeing some good results on this thread I called them again in Jan 10, but still no dice, they wanted my old one back.

I deal with legal issues concerning commodity trade and had backed up certain non-disclosure documents on the TC, and what is more, had shown off to my clients how safe they were!!! So I had a legal complication in handing over the TC to anyone.

I called Apple again now. Amazingly, I went through the same 'no, we do not know it is a problem' at the first tier but later got to speak to the supervisor, one Kavi. He was very helpful. I explained why I could not hand over. He came up with a solution that he will put it in writing in my case file that the TC would be destroyed on receipt.

I went over to the service provider (no, there are no Apple Store where I live) They took it and about a week later called to say my replacement had arrived. I suspect they were told to hand over from stock because when I checked the Serial number of the new TC, this is what it said:

Model: - Time Capsule
Codename: - "M52"
Build Year: - Your Mac was built in 2008.
Introduction: - January 2008
Discontinued: - March 2009
Support Status: - Supported
Warranty Ends: - The default warranty ends around Mar 2009.

The theory that certain serial numbers/production period are withdrawn/suspect/ is out the window. They gave me the same period produced device, same range serial number.

However, here is the good part, there was a link to verify the warranty status which went to selfolve.apple.com and this is what it said:

Repairs and Service Coverage: Active
Your product is covered for eligible hardware repairs and service under Apple's Limited Warranty.
Estimated Expiration Date: May 19, 2011

Overall therefore, I think Apple did what was right. They replaced with a new one and revalidated warranty for one year.

However, what I have is the same thing that expires in 18 months and not a new one or refurbished or anything. Objectively speaking, and in view of the fact that the problem is not yet officially 'recognized', I would think that Apple did what they do which is to stand by their product by replacing and extending the warranty..

Since I have no use for the usb port. (all my printers are wifi and the ethernet ports plenty for anything else), I will buy a $5 usb cooling fan and have it blow cooling air on the outside.

Perhaps that is one idea to make it last longer but I hope Freddie/Ray/Chris and other experts will comment on this method. I know the plastic is not a good conductor but I think to some extent a USB fan might mitigate some of the heat build up problem.

Let me say once again here that if you call Apple support/care, they will listen to you. You need to be polite, persistent and peaceful to get this resolved. They will do it.

Perhaps by May 2011, there might be an official recall/replacement!!

I posted at the parallel thread as well.

Thanks for the info. I actually spoke to my good friend that bought the same time capsule and his died a few months ago. The apple genius just swapped it out for him even though it was well over warranty.

I actually had my time capsule in storage for 1/2 a year as I was moving and hadn't moved into my new home. I actually found the original receipt and I purchased it in april of '08. I have had it roughly, 26 months. Less the 6-7 months in storage.. and I am right around the 18-19 month d-day for the power supply. Seems obvious that this is a problem.

Going to call apple tomorrow... My house is full of apple products.. I actually just bought an iPad today! I came home to find my router dead.. so I haven't even been able to use the ipad properly yet.

ah well.. bad luck I guess.

Your data can be saved but you must act quickly! No kidding, Apple will send you a replacement (refurbished) TC but they will want the dead one back within TEN DAYS or they will charge your credit card for the price of a new one!

You need to extract your old Hard Drive from the dead TC without signs of tampering. Several ways around this time limit problem: but the Open the TC yourself, VERY carefully removing the rubber boot, removing 10 tiny screws, removing the base plate (not detaching the fan), do the same to the other (replacement) unit. Then swap the drives, clean up the send-in unit and return. All this can be done in a matter of hours but the dead unit has to make it back to Apple ASAP.

You can do all this yourself or send everything to an experienced TC repairer (check Ray's list) and let them dead brick return to Apple. Otherwise time is of the essence.

As an aside, if it is only Time Machine data, you can make a new backup. If you had other valuable files not backed up anywhere else, then you really need to get at the HD. Don't accept a refurb until you have plans in place is my advice.

Dale

My 500 Gb Time Capsule died yesterday - no light. I bought it on May 1st, 2008 - 26 months.

I went to the Apple store and the Genius didn't even look at the device. He asked me if I have AppleCare for any Macintosh system -I have several in the family.

He told me they would replace it with the same model with a 90 day service warranty. He registered the Time Capsule to one of my Macs as a Wireless Device for that system and ordered one for the replacement. He said they usually get them in 24 hours. They will call me when it comes in.

I am presently using a spare AirPort Express as my wireless access point. I really wanted the new model but, today, I saved $299 + tax.

Ninety day warranty means that the TC is a refurbished model which means that nothing has been done to the design. The PSU is still an UNCOOLED hot brick and chances are even money that it will die of heat stroke within the same period.

Best not to trust any irreplaceable files on there unless you are willing to open it up later and extract the HD to an external case.

Welcome to Apple Discussions

Please do not write your full serial number at any public forums. I have reported this to Apple to edit.

Hope you have time to go through this thread a bit in detail. There are many options available to you. Especially for you in Australia I would think you might want to see [this|http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and -modems/apple-time-capsule-repair/apple-time-capsule-repair-type2].

Hello Fedy71,

My own first TC was beyond the 'accepted range' and suffered a mysterious failure caused by heat stroke. I initially swapped out the PSU and fitted an external CISCO unit. It then worked just fine. I checked the internal supply, assuming it was the culprit and could find no problem and with the unit on load it worked very well indeed.

I altered the fan modification (turning the fan over so it blows through the PSU), put the PSU back and it has worked fin ever since.

Yours has overheated, almost for sure but as to identifying the actual fault, that is another matter. A very high percentage suggests the power supply unit, followed by the main logic board and then the sub-boards like the WiFi (although the last failure will not kill the main supply rails).

As ever (and I endlessly drone on about this) there is a DESIGN FAULT, which has NOT BEEN FIXED. Cosmetic niceties have got in the way of sound engineering practice.

If it heats up like a *pressure cooker*; if it sounds like a *pressure cooker* and if it rapidly gets to the heart of pieces inside it and cooks them from within... *it's a TC!*

No, no no... wait! DO NOT use the Time Capsule as a *pressure cooker!* That was just me being silly and using a +cruel and crude likening+ to a steam driven domestic cooking device and a Time Capsule.

I can't imagine what came over me... strange that I could think of a "server grade" piece of high-tech storage equipment (that must be *unquestionably reliable* for its back-up task) and +a closed volume container that gets hotter and hotter until things are cooked!+

They are completely unalike, aren't they?

Sorry for creating such confusion... just me imagining things.

Meherally's more sane and measured approach will usually win the day and get you a nice crisp unit and keep you happy.

My use of sarcasm and irony will probably not have the desired effect of getting noticed within the corridors of power at the Apple mother ship... which is a shame... the design flaw persists and so will I until it goes away. Apple customers deserve something better than they are getting... I'm one of them and nothing 'design wise' has happened on the TC yet.

Maybe I'll start putting my 'rants' into a blog?

Kind regards,
Chris Fackrell,
York,
UK.

Mine died this morning. March 2008 purchase.

Called Apple and after going through some questions - did you drop it? have tried plugging it in elsewhere? etc they agreed to send me a new one.

I've got to return the old one back to them by UPS otherwise they'll charge me for the new one but seems fair enough. Not looking forward to doing the first back up again but it's no great shakes.

iain.

Tracy, Thanks for the kind words. FYI, I didn't replace the capacitors AND added the external power supply! What I actually did was REMOVED the defective internal PSU and replaced it with an external PSU...which is a much better modification.

From what I gathered in this post, even if you manage to evoke compassion from apple customer service and they offer you a replacement, they still keep your HD and your data is gone.
I'd try one of the homebrew fixes with the DIY external power supply. There are links a few pages back if I'm not mistaken.

Message was edited by: Gareth G.

As Gareth suggests above, the only thing wrong is the power supply. Your TC is otherwise fine with your data intact on the disk and the wifi also works. You need to replace the power supply and keep going..

Apple will not help you. They have hardened their position since they set the extended warranty for the first batch of series 1. And it will become a problem for A1302 model.. afew have already crossed my desk. Just the numbers are not big enough to trouble Apple.. The idea of a backup device that lasts 17months is not at all troubling to them.

There are a number of people in Netherlands who can repair your TC for reasonable cost.. just check the list.
http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repairers

The Apple replacement for my 1st gen TC just died a few days ago (ser. # XX823XXXX). Same symptom as the first one: sudden death, after plugging in, just a brief flicker. All symptoms of power supply failure. I took it to the Apple Store, but they said it was out of the warranty, which was dated back to the original purchase date even though this unit was only 15 months old or so. I think the design problem is still there and I wouldn't consider buying another. This is the dark side of high concept design. Sometimes you just have to cool things!