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Q: PowerBook G3 Pismo 400MB, 128MB RAM, doesnt turn on

Just got this Mac off the 'net. It just doesnt turn on. Battery is dead , but it's plugged into AC adapter. I also unplugged the PRAM battery since I heard about that being part of the problem.

Any else I can do?

This Mac seems dead. Hitting the RESET button in the back and the Power button does nothing.

Mac mini Core Solo 1.5GHz stock, iMac DV 400MHz, Beige G3, Power Mac G4/350 AGP, Mac OS X (10.5), Mini has 512MB RAM, 60GB HD

Posted on May 31, 2010 12:51 AM

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Q: PowerBook G3 Pismo 400MB, 128MB RAM, doesnt turn on

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  • by Texas Mac Man,

    Texas Mac Man Texas Mac Man May 31, 2010 1:48 PM in response to be236
    Level 8 (46,611 points)
    May 31, 2010 1:48 PM in response to be236
    Here's what the Pismo Service Manual says.

    *Computer won’t power up*
    1. Restart computer by pressing the reset button on the back of
    the unit. Wait five seconds and press the Power key.
    2. Try known-good power adapter.
    3. Try known-good, firmly seated, charged battery. Repeat.
    4. Connect power adapter and restart computer in 3-4 minutes.
    5. Disconnect internal keyboard completely and try powering up
    unit. If unit powers up, replace keyboard.
    6. Verify microprocessor card is firmly seated.
    7. Replace sound card.
    8. Replace power supply card.
    9. Replace microprocessor board.
    10. Replace I/O logic board.

    Are you sure the Power Adapter is good?

     Cheers, Tom

  • by be236,

    be236 be236 May 31, 2010 3:40 PM in response to Texas Mac Man
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Desktops
    May 31, 2010 3:40 PM in response to Texas Mac Man
    Ok, this:

    Computer won’t power up
    1. Restart computer by pressing the reset button on the back of
    the unit. Wait five seconds and press the Power key.
    2. Try known-good power adapter.
    3. Try known-good, firmly seated, charged battery. Repeat.
    4. Connect power adapter and restart computer in 3-4 minutes.
    5. Disconnect internal keyboard completely and try powering up
    unit. If unit powers up, replace keyboard.
    6. Verify microprocessor card is firmly seated.
    7. Replace sound card.
    8. Replace power supply card.
    9. Replace microprocessor board.
    10. Replace I/O logic board.

    Are you sure the Power Adapter is good?

    I've already done steps 1 to 6.

    Steps 7-10, I have no idea how to replace those parts. I'm not sure how to tell if Power Adapter is good. I just did a visual inspection inside and all the cables look connected (except for the antenna to airport and the PRAM battery connector).
  • by be236,

    be236 be236 May 31, 2010 3:51 PM in response to be236
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Desktops
    May 31, 2010 3:51 PM in response to be236
    Update: I just put in a GOOD battery from another G3 PowerBook, did the Reset button, wait 5 seconds (you really have to wait 5 seconds, maybe I wanted just 2-3 seconds in the past)... and I was so surprised when I hit the power button that the Mac turned on!!!

    Yeah! Now to put in a good ATA hard drive and try to install Mac OS 9 and partition it to 2nd partition to install Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4, assuming it doesnt have the freezing problem during install that happens on my Lomboard G3 (which I think I have given up to leave it at OS 9 only... darn!)....

    Andrew
  • by be236,

    be236 be236 May 31, 2010 4:28 PM in response to be236
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Desktops
    May 31, 2010 4:28 PM in response to be236
    Update again: I'm guessing the internal power adapter is bad.... since when I take out the battery, I cannot turn it on with the external adapter plugged it (this external adapter works on my Lombard just fine)...

    Also, when I'm in OS 9, I see the battery is fully and in the control strip, it doesnt show I am plugged into electricity, though I really am plugged in.... so it seems like I will have to operate this Mac with always it using the battery.

    Also, when I installed Mac OS X 10.4, it says "you're installing without an AC adapter plugged in," even though I am.

    Anyone know how to troubleshoot this problem? I have the Mac fix it guide that shows the location of parts... etc... help?

    Message was edited by: be236
  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder May 31, 2010 4:59 PM in response to be236
    Level 9 (60,667 points)
    Desktops
    May 31, 2010 4:59 PM in response to be236
    In Macs like yours, when someone walked by and tripped on the power cord, it jerked the power inlet port around so hard that the solder connections from the socket to the board inside fractured. Sometimes by wiggling it very slowly you can find a position where it makes contact again and starts to charge.

    The long term solution is a substantial tear-down of the computer to get at the sound card, where the power port is mounted. Then solder it back in place (no precision required) and you will have your charging back again.

    It is possible that there is a more complex problem, but this one is so common, you should look at it first.

    The idea that a seller who used this unit for more than a day was unaware of this problem is preposterous. If they did not disclose this obvious defect, you should return the unit.
  • by Texas Mac Man,

    Texas Mac Man Texas Mac Man May 31, 2010 5:09 PM in response to be236
    Level 8 (46,611 points)
    May 31, 2010 5:09 PM in response to be236
    Glad you got it started. The external power adapter must be bad.

    Here's a great site if you plan to repair/upgrade the Pismo.
    http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Device/PowerBookG3Pismo

     Cheers, Tom
  • by be236,

    be236 be236 May 31, 2010 5:18 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Desktops
    May 31, 2010 5:18 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Ok, the repair guide PDF shows the sound card under the trackpad location, which is far from the power connector at the top right of the Mac... I would have thought the break in the solder would be there at the top right (I know how to use basic soldering skills)....

    So I guess I can tear this Mac apart and see if I see any broken solder/connections...

    Edit: Ok, under the trackpad is the power card... so I was wrong... now I see the sound card is near the power connector.. so seems I have to really disassemble the casing which appears like a pain.

    Message was edited by: be236
  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder May 31, 2010 5:20 PM in response to be236
    Level 9 (60,667 points)
    Desktops
    May 31, 2010 5:20 PM in response to be236
    The sound card is where it connects on the Wallstreet -- my bad.

    The power socket will be soldered to a board right under where the power comes in. But before you teart it apart, you should definitely wiggle it. Macs with this problem have a really sloppy, wiggly feel to the power socket. It is unmistakable. If yours feels solid, it does not have this problem.
  • by be236,

    be236 be236 May 31, 2010 5:33 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Desktops
    May 31, 2010 5:33 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Ok, I wiggled the power connector while its plugged in and there's a little wiggle, but not much.. it does seem relatively solid... I have a volt and ohm meter I could use to see if there are connections if you tell me how/where to probe... as you said, if it feels solid, then maybe my sound card is good?

    Could it be the power card under the trackpad? I do have a working Lombard I could pull over to put into this Pismo if needed... I assume the parts are interchangeable (except for the CPU card)....
  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder May 31, 2010 5:45 PM in response to be236
    Level 9 (60,667 points)
    Desktops
    May 31, 2010 5:45 PM in response to be236
    As Texas Mac Man posted before, the next most likely thing is the power adapter itself -- the rest of the components are fairly robust.

    If the outer rings on the power adapters are the same size, the power adapters will interchange. But there was a move to a smaller outer ring for later models at about this time.

    I do not think you will find anything that interchanges between your two Macs -- maybe memory modules, but that would be about it. Each is a very different design.
  • by be236,

    be236 be236 May 31, 2010 7:10 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Desktops
    May 31, 2010 7:10 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Actually, the AC adapter is GOOD, because I can use it on my Lombard G3 and it works fine and I can see it charge up the battery...

    It must be something internal...

    And the battery is almost dead though, since I can fully charge it to 4 green lights in 2-3 hours, then when I use it without AC plugged it, in runs for about 5-10 minutes and quickly goes dead to 1 blinking green battery light...
  • by Niteshooter,

    Niteshooter Niteshooter Jun 4, 2010 4:10 AM in response to be236
    Level 2 (454 points)
    Jun 4, 2010 4:10 AM in response to be236
    Grant was right the first time.

    The most common issue with the Pismo and not charging is that socket that looks like an female RCA plug on the back of the Pismo.

    Even a little bit of wiggle usually means the soldier joints have failed. It is a PITA to get to but once you have taken one apart a few times it's pretty straightforward. Do not get lazy and try and pry the board out, it is attached with fairly long pins which you can damage if not pulled straight up and out!

    I have rarely seen this board actually die, almost always the soldier joint fails because the plug on the AC adaptor is a bit to tight so when you force it off the Pismo this works the soldier joints on the connector loose. In other words if the plug on your adaptor is a bit loose do not crimp it down to make it tighter!

    The most common way to start a Pismo that has 'died' is to pull the PRAM battery then hold down the power button for a few seconds or do a PMU reset.

    Yup your battery is kaput but they are now pretty old....
  • by be236,

    be236 be236 Jun 4, 2010 8:56 AM in response to Niteshooter
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 4, 2010 8:56 AM in response to Niteshooter
    Well, I'm using the battery from a Lombard Mac for this Pismo, which allows it to run for about 10-15 minutes before the battery is drained, since it cannot charge up.

    As for the "RCA-plug-like connector" for the AC adapter.. it wiggles ever slightly and if you think the solder joint is broken, before I open it up (PITA, I know from looking at various PDFs showing the tear-apart instructions), can I use a volt/ohm meter to measure that connector to confirm the broken solder first? If so, can you tell me what to look for in terms of numbers/ohms, (say from a good working unit)?
  • by Niteshooter,

    Niteshooter Niteshooter Jun 5, 2010 4:32 AM in response to be236
    Level 2 (454 points)
    Jun 5, 2010 4:32 AM in response to be236
    Hmmm can't have 8 Pismo's sitting around here and have repaired probably 20-30 but right now don't have any that have batteries that hold a charge. Granted you'd probably get a reading of zero if there was no connection since the soldier joints are broken hence no circuit to complete......

    Honestly though what are the odds that the plug is bad?
    -you can boot from an almost dead battery that is charged in a Lombard, therefore proving that
    the Pismo will run and that the connector for the battery and power board there is good.
    -the plug has a bit of a wiggle, which is how I test for bad power plugs on those laptops.
    -the Pismo won't charge said battery but will somewhere else.

    From experience it's typically the plug, especially if you have the original power adaptor and when you plug it into the Pismo it's a very tight fit. If so then from years and sometimes just months of use that has worked the soldier joints loose. Especially if the owner instead of pulling straight back and out on the connector twisted it side to side to loosen it up first.....
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