eMac freezes randomly, open window turns into broken up jibber

I have missed all this discussion,while it was hapenning. I have read almost all of it finally today. I have an eMac that I have taken in the Genius Bar last year. They told me I have a bad video card (it was almost a 3 year old eMac that time); and that I need to replace the whole motherboard (600$ last years price). They did not discuss any other thing. I do not know what is exactly wrong with the video card. For almost a year and a half, I haven't been able to use my eMac. I had to buy an iBook to compensate for my eMac last summer, as I am waiting for some sort of recall to happen. Now there is the repair extension available for certain serial numbers. Mine is not included. I am extremely worried. Like many of us here, it is not a bill that I can easily chew on. I need the main home computer, as it had more space and capacities. I had a call from the Apple store to take my computer in tomorrow, and I am not sure what they will tell me. If the serial numbers for the Repair Extension are detected by the online discussions, consumer right discussions on other websites, and mac related sites, what if they have left some of our numbers out even if they pose the same problem, and even if their parts are manufactured elsewhere. Can a video card really go bad in 2.5-3 years? Here are the symptoms I face:

-Most recent: My eMac went blank-black. Occasionally my eMac displays image usually after sitting 1-4 weeks without a try to start it.
-Somewhere in between:Before it went completely black and blank, I have experienced heavy distortion, heavy flickering, and movement in display.
-Least recent: Before heavy distortion and flickering, my display settings would change on its own when my eMac is started. It would pincushion itself, it would move the display so far off the screen that the mouse would not used to look at the system preferences or to shut it down.

Ceren,
Just to clarify... the Repair Program was established due to a very specific problem, namely bad capacitors that were used by Apple in the eMac 1.25Ghz (and iMac G5) during the period of April 04 - Feb 05 or there abouts. With the eMacs, after 18 months they would all (if they had the badcaps) start to freeze up and become unusable due to the leaking/bulging capacitors.

By the sounds of it you have an earlier eMac? 1.0Ghz or 700Mhz maybe? By all means have a look inside to see if your capacitors are leaking/bulging, in which case you should push for a repair on those grounds.

This sounds like the video problem which affected some 1st generation eMacs. There is, or at least was, a repair program for that problem. Call AppleCare and see what's available and if you qualify.

same probs here, freezing not as much jibber but it has happened. Started about year and a half of running the machine. and i added ram when i purchased. This realley *****, I held apple in a whole different class. but now i'm changing my mind. I have to take it in and lose my comp I've only had it for under two years. Pcs last longer than that

Fedz I have a Mac Plus that runs as well as the day it was made over 20 years ago... any PCs like that?

Apple wasn't "at fault" here... they bought capacitors from a supplier who duped them (as well as Dell and HP, and no doubt numerous other PC manufacturers).

The only fault that Apple did have was in taking so long to set up the Repair Program, which is at least now available to anyone with the problem. If your serial number does happen to fall outside the program, but you have seen badcaps in your eMac, get on the phone and be heard, as I'm sure they'll come to the party.

I would try all 3 methods, multiple times.

my emac freezes every few minutes though sometimes i can go for 5 or 10. i took it to a mac store and they tested it and found nothing wrong. i even checked out the mouse and keyboard. i also reformatted. lastly i made sure i hadnt placed too much demand on the computer so i bought a powerful plugs designed for computers etc and also an external usb ports. i take the computer home it still is acting the same way. what do i do please pleae advise

You can add me to this list.

I just got off the phone with Apple and they basically told me that the serial numbers of the machines I'm having trouble with aren't covered, so I guess it's tough cookies!

All of the machines below have begun to have random freezes and upon looking at the capacitors under the bottom hatch, they're all in varying degrees of bloat, with one of them oozing.


G84402LFQJ8
G84402V4QJ8
G84402TQQJ8
G84402JFQJ8
G844027HQJ8
G84402GUQJ8
G84402SRQJ8
G84402LMQJ8

I have 16 eMacs in service in the building, so far, 50% of them are exhibiting this problem.

Additionally I have a problematic 17th eMac that DOES fall under the repair extension that has been dead for several months. I'm happy that they may actually fix it, but it would be nice if Apple would step up and broaden the repair extension program. Looking through the many posts, it seems they really had a lemon here.

I just got my eMac back after a new logic board was installed . SN. g8435a6pqj8 is in the range of affected eMAC ( per Apple extension program ) . Same symptoms as described . Used AppleCare for cost of re-pare. PROBLEM IS : the two caps visible next to the RAM are gold and black in color . The gold and black caps are supposed to be the bad ones. Can Apple be using bad logic boards to replace bad logice boards ??????? How can I be sure I have the new inproved board.
This question is directed to Apple Inc. and all others on this discussion.
Apple case # 66713903
Bill Brinkman brink29@cableone.net
928-708-0339 Pescott, Az

eMAC Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Well if I were you I'd call them back as those serial numbers you listed fall in the range of G8412xxxxxx - G8520xxxxxx which are covered by the REP.

I just wanted to let everyone reading this thread know that I've been having the exact same freezing/graphic jibber issue, w/my emac, which has worsened over the past 2 weeks. Today I brought it to a Mac Genius at the local Apple store. I barely had a chance to explain what I had read here, in this thread, about the caps on the logic board being bad; he politely stopped me and without going into too much detail, acknowledged that it was an issue with eMacs within my serial # range and that my machine was covered for the issue despite being a year past warrenty. The copy they gave me of the "Genius Bar Work Authorization" says that the logic board goes for 264.06 with labor at 135.00; of course the amount due is 0.00. I went in expecting to have to debate and be persistant, but was pleasantly surprised to be met with no resistance whatsoever. Some of my experiences in the past with Apple, regarding warrenty, had left me with the impression that there was a zero tollarence policy when an item was past the expiration date. Today I really feel that the company did right by me.

Hope this helps someone having the same issue.

eMac, PowerMac G3, PowerMac G5, Mac Mini Mac OS X (10.4.7)

macreay,
Open the inspection hatch under your eMac and look at the 2 capacitors (right side of the hatch). If they are bulging/leaking brown substance, you have bad capacitors. Call Apple and talk to an operator, get them to put you through to a customer support officer and tell them of your experience with {whoever looked at your eMac}. Tell them you now know about the eMac Repair Program, and would like to arrange for your eMac to be repaired. They should be able to help you from there.

hcoe,
According to
http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html
your eMacs were built in Oct04. This should well and truly place them in the covered period, as the badcaps were being used approx between April 04 and March 05.
Call Apple back, insist on talking to a service manager and being assigned a case number. Tell them you have physically seen the bad capacitors, and that you want them assessed individually (if they keep insisting you fall out of the covered serial numbers).
If you feel the person you are talking to is not being fair, ask for a manager. Not just Apple - in all things in life.

Sean,
Glad to hear you had such a straight forward experience. At least some Apple Repairers out there know what they're talking about.

I have this problem as well. Bought mine almost exactly two years to the day when this started happening (Sept 1st-ish). This thread has been a great help in figuring out what is wrong. Fortunately for me my eMac lasted long enough for there to be an Apple repair progam to be in effect.

My question is, can the bad capacitors also result in a failure of the Superdrive to recognize DVDs? Or is this only an unrelated coincidence? This has been another problem that has cropped up in the past week since the freezing began. CDs will still spin and play but DVDs will merely click and whir in the drive and then be spat out 30 seconds later.

I have this problem as well. Bought mine almost
exactly two years to the day when this started
happening (Sept 1st-ish). This thread has been a
great help in figuring out what is wrong. Fortunately
for me my eMac lasted long enough for there to be an
Apple repair progam to be in effect.

My question is, can the bad capacitors also result in
a failure of the Superdrive to recognize DVDs?

When my eMac had the cap problem, near the end it wouldn't play DVDs at all. The best it would do would be to whirr and then the screen would break up. It works now.

Or is
this only an unrelated coincidence? This has been
another problem that has cropped up in the past week
since the freezing began. CDs will still spin and
play but DVDs will merely click and whir in the drive
and then be spat out 30 seconds later.

Mine didn't get spit out.

Freezes daily now. Almost always at start up. Safari starting to freeze didn't do that a week ago. Opening ichat and moving the chat box around the screen causes instant freeze. Went to local Comp USA where i bought the machine and they sell macs. Was advised to go to a apple store. Sat I go, hope this prob. is solved. Have all the symptoms of you guys, Freeze, machine only one and a half years old, purchased aug.05. Got my fingers crossed. This is my serial number g843559rqjs this falls in the range correct?