ibook G4 logic board fix

Hi everyone.
I just have the same problem (or similar), black screen suddenly, just when I wake up the ibook. Sometimes with to sleep again and wake up the screen turn on, sometimes I had the fan noise and the only way to use the compute was turn off pressing the power key some seconds ...
But today I try to put the old battery (I have a new battery from the Battery Exchange Program) and now it looks to work fine. Can the new battery have relation with the problem?

My iBook G4 from late 2004 has developed the same problem in the last two weeks, screen goes black for no apparent reason, other than possible heat build-up. This comes weeks after the mouse began going erratic on my other iBook G4. Very discouraging.

I do feel that Apple should address this production problem - it seems that a lot of others are having this issue. A 2 year old laptop should have this problem.

As a possible solution, the external display adapter still works, so if one has an old monitor (VGA) or extra TV around you can hook the iBook up to that.

iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Well, you can add me as another victim of this issue from the sounds of it. It happened literally without warning and until I found this thread, I had no clue what had just happened.

And my iBook G4 1.2Ghz turns 2 in just a few days too... 😟

I'm going to see if I can get the thing working agian, with thanks to all the excellent help that is available on this thread.

Well, now... this probably isn't good. It doesn't seem to even power on anymore (SIGH I think I just lost it...)

I had the entire logic board on my 1,2ghz 12" iBook G4 replaced back in may on Apples expense (thanks, Norwegian consumer legislation) following the symptoms you described.

However, now the error occurs again, and it is obviously a hardware issue: none of Apples 101-fixes helps (PRAM, PMU, etc) but leaning on the left palmrest with my elbow does, and voila the machine chimes and boots. When I remove the elbow, graphics fail pretty much immediately.

This level of build quality is a disgrace to Apple; I would have expected a brand new logic board to handle more than seven months of regular use.

Rather than covering the 800$ replace-and-repair or producing new G4 logic boards altogether, it seems reasonable that Apple offer MB replacements for all affected customers or offer 800$ discounts on new portables.

iBook G4 1,2ghz Mac OS X (10.4.8) 1,2gb ram, 80gb hdd

Well, allowing the unit to cool down overnight has brought it back to it's original problematic state (hopefully, it was just something overheated breifly that caused the no-power scenario).

My symptoms seem very similar to the ones described here, the movitor actually flickers on briefly and goes off during the bootup process (I get the grey Apple logo and then, bam, it's black (but the apple logo on the cover stays lit).

No amount of presure I've been able to provide to the left palm-rest has brought the screen back yet.

Unfortunately, with almost 2 years of ownership, it doesn't seem likely that I'll get any kind of break from Apple.

Rob: Maybe you're having problems with a different component?

After pressing the power button (without applying any pressure to the palmrest), my iBook doesn't give a startup (ROM) chime, the screen stays as black as ever, the fans get spinning and mostly accelerate into the characteristic mooing sound.

..and that's exactly the same symptoms my previous faulty logic board had. Meaning you can change these logic boards indefinitely to no avail, giving you only (800$ worth of) temporary relief until the next board fails.

The irony should not be easily lost on this one.

I was replying to this thread while typing on my working iBook G4. My roommate had assisted me because he is a bit more familiar and we had surmised that there may have been a short.

He was able to keep the laptop running without the bottom on for several hours and we figured that since the problems started shortly afterwards, something might be shorting out. We removed the EMI shield and the laptop seemed to work fine.

He did note a frayed wire near the hinge. It is black and runs near the hinge on the left side (looking from the 'front' of the iBook). It is a fairly thick wire, so several strands were cut from the orginal. We surmised that the frayed wiring was coming in contact with metal (The EMI Shield) and something was shorting out.

We also had to do a PRAM reset a few times, and an icorrect clock date would come up briefly, seeming to support our theory.

Well, as I said, I was responding to this thread on the iBook. I moved slightly and adjusted the iBook from the left front corner and wouldn't you know it... **** thing went dead again.

I popped off the bottom and proceeded to wrap the damaged wire up. Not easy. However, the unit remains dead. I get power, I hear the HD spin up a bit, but no chime. No whirring fan either.

My train trip is 6 AM Friday morning and I have no laptop for the trip right now (and it's been up and down like a yo-yo for me all week).

I just need it to last the next two weeks until I get back from my trip and it can die then if it needs to. But I don't know if I can get it running again, and keep it running, for the duration.

this describes my problem perfectly!

Heat is a major factor. If I do not use my IBook for an hour and the charger is not connected, I will be able to boot up the computer. 10 minutes later the screen freezes and and I am unable to subsequently boot up until it rests for an hour again.

I have just called Apple in Cork, Ireland about this problem. Both technical support and customer relations will still not sympathise.

Arghhh! What will it take to get recognised? I beg everyone with this problem to log a call with Apple. Please get a case reference number too.

I'm about to draft a long letter of complaint with evidence of their lacklustre manufacturing quality.

Apple, please please recall this iBook G4. You've already made your millions from us punters!

Neil

Okay - I'm on the phone to Apple now and am providing evidence to my support case with them by giving them the URL of this discussion, the petition and the fix it guides. I'm not opening my iBook and want compensation. I'm prepared to begin a legal argument about this defective product!

Also got the same problem on my iBook 12". I fixed it using the guide ... but it's not as stable. Sometimes the screen goes black (still running) I just have to force a power down (keeping the power bouton pressed) and restart the ibook 😟.

As I have opened it I doubt Apple will ever fix mine. (early 2005 1.2GHz model)

Keep up the "fight"

Please, please keep us updated on your discussions with Apple. I had no luck after speaking with them multiple times, and was quoted $1000CAN from 2 different Apple service centers for the logic board. As a student, I can't afford the fix or a new computer. I've been using Apple since 91, and have never bought AppleCare because I'm used to their products lasting (ie. my 1989 IIci still runs beautifully). I wish they would extend the recall program.

iBook G4 933mhz Mac OS X (10.3.9)

As you live in the EU, you have some unique consumer laws saying that products must last a "reasonable life span" ..

I'd suggest either trying to get Apple's refusal to repair in writing, or contact the trading standards people in the district the system was purchased.