Level 1

6 points

Time Capsule Powered Off, Won't Power Back On

My Time Capsule was running just fine, then spontaneously just powered off by itself. All the other devices in the power strip were fine and I tried switching outlets, plugging it directly into the wall, and unplugging the TC and plugging the power cord back in. The network port lights in the back are out and the light on the front is dark. However, when I first plugged the cable back into the TC, the network lights came on for a split second. I'm guessing that there's a power connection fried (because if it were a power supply failure the lights would not have blinked on at all).

Any suggestions? Thanks!

iMac G5, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Aug 27, 2009 8:58 AM

Top-ranking reply

LaPastenague

Level 9

67,322 points

Posted on Jul 5, 2010 1:14 PM

Basmar wrote:
Well you can add me to the list of ever growing users that are having the PS problems with their TC!!! I'm going to hit up Apple and see what they will do for me... Replacement would be great, but I'm not holding my breath

Unfortunately in Australia, Apple doesn't have the enlightened policies they do in Euro and USA.. here they just put their fingers in their ears and sing ting-a-ling-a loo!! But if you have AppleCare on any current product then they should replace it.. otherwise talk to a repairer.. see the list.

http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repairers

I have done about 50 all up now.. !!

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1,343 replies

rdalem

Level 1

50 points

Mar 31, 2010 7:36 PM in response to iGeek2007

Good photos and clear instructions. http://www.applefritter.com/node/23907

Either put the original drive back in after getting data off or buy a beater off eBay and throw it in, keeping original HD.

If you exchange at Apple store, they most likely will want you to turn over the TC then and there, with no hope of recovery. If you contact Cust Svc you will get a refurb model but probably have 30 days to return dead TC, enough time to transfer data.

Whatever you do, don't trash the TC, outwardly at least.

If you would rather repair than replace, here are some experienced repairers: http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repairers

Apr 5, 2010 8:16 PM in response to Kevin Emery

I also had a TC fail. However, I did the mod with the fan to keep it cool, and then it failed a month later.
I changed the capacitors on the powersupply board of the TC with instructions from: http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repair/apple-time-capsule-repair-type2

Now it is back up and running, will see how long it lasts.

BTW I went to MacMall in Santa Monica, CA and I was told since I did the fan mod, I lost any chance at a warranty repair/exchange.

My advice: try and get a new one from Apple before you do anything, and do not do the fan mod, it does not completely prevent the failure.... and then one is out of luck with regards to Applecare.

Apr 6, 2010 12:05 AM in response to Colin Mccannel

Colin Mccannel wrote:

My advice: try and get a new one from Apple before you do anything, and do not do the fan mod, it does not completely prevent the failure.... and then one is out of luck with regards to Applecare.

The fan mod will not prevent failure of a TC that has been running for 17months.. basically the damage is done.. I have done preventative repair on the TC at around 15months.. the result is very interesting.. the first capacitor in the supply was completely dead.. the second cap was still good. But it is rated at only 2.2AMP ripple.. when you draw 3A from the supply which it will do during disk read and write, the high ripple will kill the capacitor even if the fan is on.. you need to fix the cooling straight away.. on the new or refurbished one.. not wait for a few weeks before d-day.

I do agree though.. get apple to replace it so if you have a TC that has done 17months duty.. do a backup somewhere else of everything on it.. but keep the tc running flat out.. copying files.. anything back and forth until it dies.. then get apple to replace it. Then you can start afresh with the new or refurbished TC.

Apr 30, 2010 2:39 PM in response to grepe

Hello Grepe,

Sad, really sad. Mine went the same way and I presumed 'server grade' meant it was bullet proof. Not really sure what the 'server grade' actually refers to? The hard drive in mine was nothing special, just a Seagate 500GB drive that ran a bit warm and hummed to itself (didn't know the words?) when accessing data. The failure was the PSU.

If you have read the long rambling tale of the 1000s of folk who have complained about their TCs going 'phut' on this very forum, you will also know that a repair is possible that will allow your data to be recovered and the TC thereafter to run as cool as a very cool thing (thank you Richard Curtis).

See the list attached to this link:

http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repairers

and choose who you want to fix it. You have someone almost on your doorstep, so go for recovery first and the mod as an extra (but necessary) addition.

Regards,

Chris Fackrell
York,
UK.

May 9, 2010 1:51 AM in response to Ryan Young

Hello Ryan,

It seems like Apple are now doing the correct thing and replacing TCs without a quibble. This is a good thing since happy customers are what Apple wants and needs. If you are happy with this, and very many would be, great - a result!

There is still a fundamental problem with the design of the TC however, in that Apple put a non-working fan inside a sealed case. Make the fan work and put outside air, inside the PSU and the whole 'problem' will simply go away. Cool running TCs don't die of heatstroke.

Apple could feasibly just swap out all defective TCs into the future and do nothing at all to modify the design, which is I suspect the path they will follow.

Above all, if you want to keep your long-stored data intact and not simply give it away, fix the PSU and modify the case to make the fan do something meaningful, or get someone to do it if you cannot. Ray Haverfield's list is still valid:

http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repairers

Cheers,
Chris Fackrell
YORK,
UK.

May 20, 2010 1:50 PM in response to Frank Rader

hey all - just to chime in here. i became a victim of the "white brick" this afternoon. just suddenly died and wouldn't power back up.

was purchased new from Apple in 2/2008 - so way out of any warranty and i have no Applecares at the moment.

after reading this post and a bit research on the net i called Apple just to see if they would do anything about it.

to my amazement they are sending me a replacement as we speak at no charge. no doubt a refurbished one. i'll repackage and return mine - all shipping covered as well.

quick and painless. kudos to apple for being fair with this one!

good luck to all with this problem!

Jun 6, 2010 9:09 PM in response to rdalem

Just a follow-up. I scheduled apple support to give me a call. I wasn't expecting much as the product is out of warranty, but the answer is always "no" if you don't ask, right?

I explained to apple support what was happening to my time capsule and how my other friend had the same problem. I also mentioned the community forums here with others experiencing the same troubles. The apple support lady was nothing less than amazing! I know why I continue to buy Apple products for over 10 years.

She guided me through some "obvious" make sure it is broken troubleshooting steps. Oddly enough the timecapsule actually turned on the first time I re-plugged it in. It failed every other attempt, which is an obvious sign the capacitors are failing.

She seemed to be well aware of the issue. We were very polite to each other and she consulted with a higher up to see if she could do anything for me. She came back on the line and notified me that they would send me a replacement!

Wow. It made my weekend. I really do love the apple routers in regards to the airport utilities, so it is nice to have another coming to me. I configure sonicwall routers at work so you can understand how nice it is to have a home router that just requires button clicks.

Now, even though there is obviously an issue with the power supplies, my timecapsule was clearly out of warranty and apple didn't have to help me at all. That says a lot that they did.

For others having problems... I would suggest people use the online support callback feature.. You fill in your product serial number, configure a few drop downs of the problems you are having (dead unit / power supply is one of the drop downs coincidentally) and write a brief explanation of your problem. You then schedule a callback and have someone directly from the wireless division call you. No messing around with phone options.

Oh yeah, be nice to the support, they are people too!

Aug 14, 2010 9:07 PM in response to elroySF

Mine fried a few days ago. SN XX814XXXXXX. The local Apple Store gave me a replacement refurb XX809XXXXXX. It shut itself down 3 times in 4 or 5 hours of operation. They had no more replacement units so gave me a brand new dual-band with the same storage (1 TB). Stellar service despite the initial hiccup. In case it's scrolled back aways, here's the repair program: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3351 . I think it will ultimately be extended past the serial number range shown there until they get to the much newer range which uses lower power hard drives and improved thermal paste.

Dec 29, 2010 6:51 PM in response to wrast

I had the same issue last night. Apple is replacing it free of charge. Depending upon when you bought it, there was an issue with them shutting down.

I went into the store and dealt with the Genius bar. I get a replacement in a week. Additionally, they are transferring my data off the old one.

Jan 20, 2011 3:21 AM in response to freddietheone

After ~20 months, my TC lost power and was also out of warranty and out of serial number range for the Apple replacement program. Like everyone else on this thread, I got no help or interest from Apple.

I elected to follow the advice I found in another post on this thread. I contacted a 3rd party vendor who replaced the capacitors AND added a new external power supply. It cost $130 and he did the job (complete turnaround) in less than a week. I've been impressed with the work. He's Larry Heiberger (lhibrgr@gmail.com).

Feb 9, 2011 2:56 PM in response to C0W80Y

I am interested which actual model yours is. The earlier one certainly had lots of issues but later ones now reaching the 2years mark are also failing fairly regularly.

Apple certainly has used the limited serial numbers, which amounted to the first 6months worth of production to limit the fallout, from their side. But in no way was there a major change in the design at that point. In fact ones made today still use exactly the same shell and lack of cooling. Just the power supply was purchased from a different supplier and is somewhat better layout.

Almost always the issue is power supply and you can replace it yourself with an external one, if you have some basic skills at repairs.
Or I have got a list of repairers who can fix it for you.
https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modem s/apple-time-capsule-repairers

The cost to repair is cheaper than data recovery and at least you get your files back. Plus a working TC which will be very reliable with an external power supply. (Or a totally refurbished internal supply and the fan modified with the case to draw in cool air continuously). The poor thermal design of the original is the killer.
It is also important to manage your backups. Remember any drive can indeed die, so all your files should be held in several places. Never trust a single drive. Especially a device like the TC which has no mirrored raid and so a failure will be catastrophic.

Aug 16, 2011 5:08 PM in response to Daniel Davis

Daniel Davis wrote:

Screwed too today. Second one...my replacement died and Apple wouldn't replace as they use original purchase date as benchmark.....pretty angry

How long did the replacement last?

You can fix it with a replacement power supply or better yet using an external power supply like the cisco.. described here.

http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repair/cisco-adp-30rb-4pin-molex

The rest of it will be fine .. well in 99% of cases it is.

Just the power supply and somehow the replacement ones never seem as solid as the original which was pretty flakey to begin with. The approach to powering it internally with cooling is just wrong headed, directed by interior decorators with over sensitive hearing. You can build it without active cooling by using an external power supply. Or using an aluminium flutted top case with external antennas.. but not the way that Apple did it. Thick plastic and torturous path to convective cooling.

Jan 4, 2012 1:01 AM in response to stacyparrish

Hello Stacyparrish,

All the TCs to date have a basic design flaw. They overheat. The flaw would cost too much money to design it out of the product, so Apple have 'beefed up' some aspects of the innards of the TC but not quite enough to make the product 'solid'.

To recap (I have done this before):

1. There is NO AIR INLET hole for the in-built fan.

2. The in-built FAN POINTS THE WRONG WAY.

3. Until the most recent model; the FAN IS NOT TURNED ON.

The fan now runs proportional to the internal temperature probe that is stuck onto the side of the internal hard drive. This is a seemingly sensible place to put the probe but the hard drive does not generate the bulk of the internal heat; the PSU does. On a warm day the internal temperature of some key components, in the PSU, goes beyond the recommended maximum.

The PSU has a plastic wrap to screen and insulate it from other components. It is open at both ends and air can be blown through it.

The fan, presently pointing the wrong way, can be made to blow air through the PSU case and when this is done the whole case temperature drops by some 10 to 11 degrees C. When this is done the excessive heat is removed and the whole TC settles into a reliable mode of operation.

Putting in a PSU, of different make that can withstand the high temperatures, stops the weakest link being the power supply. However, the 'fault' then moves to the next weakest link in the chain, probably the voltage regulators on the main board, which ar surface mounted and far more difficult to repair.

Putting in a 'Green Drive' that will take slightly less current and therefore produced slightly less heat build up merely forestalls the inevitable failure of the TC, because IT RUNS TOO HOT.

Ray Haverfield (Lapastenague) was at the vanguard of TC fault finding and prefers installing an external PSU. This has many technical advantages, not least removing at a stroke the major source of the damaging heat. He and many other 'fixers' prefer this option. See his wonderful site on:

http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repair

I, on the other hand, created a far steeper and rocky path for myself by trying to fix 'the design' of the TC, which is where I am now. I have probably optimised the present set-up but need to work on the fan speed control rather than permanently at half speed.

I have asked Apple for comments on what I do, on this and via their feedback option. I have done this more than once.

A deafening silence so far.

Regards,

Chris

YORK, UK.

(www.fackrell.me.uk)

Jan 6, 2012 3:00 AM in response to iamback_it

After the number of places you stuck your probes, if it wasn't dead it is now. And since you survived it.. be thankful and move on.

You have an excellent set of logic board plugs.. soldered into the now useless power supply. Unsolder them.. and solder wires to them.. so you can connect the new power supply.

There is the full screed with pics even to show you how to convert a Cisco power supply .. which unlike the Apple one could go another 20years.. although ironically made by delta..

http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems /apple-time-capsule-repair/cisco-adp-30rb-4pin-molex

This can cost you $20US plus posts.. there are heaps of them on ebay in USA.. and HK.. but I find the HK ones a bit rough..

CaptBill

Level 1

1 points

Feb 16, 2012 5:04 PM in response to Carlo TD

Carlo, your TC is probably dead. In Gen 1 Time Capsules the power supply often fails. If you call Apple Customer Relations they might replace it. I had the same problem as you and Apple has replaced mine even though the replacement program ended in Aug 2011.

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Time Capsule Powered Off, Won't Power Back On