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Author Topic: Power Supply G4 MDD has died  (Read 9263 times)

Offline gunug

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #30 on: February 17, 2007, 10:42:38 AM »
I think it likely you've just run into one of those rare cases when things go wrong in three's or two's or whatever.  I was listening to Car Talk on NPR this morning an a guy was talking about his old "beater" pickup truck he uses to scrape the snow off his long driveway and it had no head lights, no exhaust system, and a leak in the power steering.  Things wear out!   smile.gif
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Offline chriskleeman

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #31 on: February 17, 2007, 11:30:31 AM »
QUOTE(gunug @ Feb 17 2007, 11:42 AM) [snapback]119295[/snapback]
I think it likely you've just run into one of those rare cases when things go wrong in three's or two's or whatever.  I was listening to Car Talk on NPR this morning an a guy was talking about his old "beater" pickup truck he uses to scrape the snow off his long driveway and it had no head lights, no exhaust system, and a leak in the power steering.  Things wear out!   smile.gif


Yeah, I listened to that one myself this A.M.! Whilst groping around inside the MDD.

Well, that's true, things do wear out, but one would hope that a computer like this would last more than 2/12 years before stuff like this starts...

Oh well, back to the drawing board, it's now shut itself off three times since I posted this morning. : rant.gif huh.gif  dntknw.gif

I just reset the PMU, maybe that'll help. At least now when you hit the power switch it comes on again, which it wouldn't before...

gnug, have you ever seen power supplies act erratically? I work with a lot of electronic gear and that's not been my experience... Thinking.gif

Might be time to take it to a repair shop, or throw it overboard... wacko.gif

Chris K
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Offline gunug

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #32 on: February 18, 2007, 11:32:50 AM »
I got the PM and decided to answer you here.  Some ideas:

1) You said that you reset the Power Management Unit; but did you reset the NVRAM:

[attachment=134:attachment]

[attachment=135:attachment]

As a diagnostic procedure you could also leave it turned on in Open Firmware mode and see whether it shuts down there as well; if it didn't it could be some sort of Operating System glitch.

2) You could also try updating your Open Firmware:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120068

This might replace some corrupt information in the Open Firmware!

3) It could be a thermal shutdown problem either in the power supply or the motherboard.  I think you can run that thing with the side open and if you do that and run a household fan full speed into the open box would it make any difference in the time before it shuts down?  If it were to make a difference you might want to sell that power supply back to the people that you bought it from; it's unlikely to be the motherboard because you've had it all along.
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Offline jcarter

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #33 on: February 18, 2007, 11:38:43 AM »
Remember my problem with this back in August?
Apple paid for the whole repair, including the parts, the power supply and the logic board.
Jane
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Offline chriskleeman

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #34 on: February 18, 2007, 12:16:03 PM »
QUOTE(gunug @ Feb 18 2007, 12:32 PM) [snapback]119384[/snapback]
I got the PM and decided to answer you here.  Some ideas:

1) You said that you reset the Power Management Unit; but did you reset the NVRAM:

[attachment=134:attachment]

[attachment=135:attachment]

As a diagnostic procedure you could also leave it turned on in Open Firmware mode and see whether it shuts down there as well; if it didn't it could be some sort of Operating System glitch.

2) You could also try updating your Open Firmware:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120068

This might replace some corrupt information in the Open Firmware!

3) It could be a thermal shutdown problem either in the power supply or the motherboard.  I think you can run that thing with the side open and if you do that and run a household fan full speed into the open box would it make any difference in the time before it shuts down?  If it were to make a difference you might want to sell that power supply back to the people that you bought it from; it's unlikely to be the motherboard because you've had it all along.


Ok, I just did that, we'll see...

I am thinking at this point that the power supply may be at fault, again... When I put in the new front panel switch, it started right up, and then began to shut itself off again randomly. The difference is that before I put in the new switch, I didn't get a power deflection (you know, how the lights dim a bit when you plug it in... I have a desk lamp on the same circuit... as soon as you plug in a computer you see a voltage deflection). As soon as I plugged in the MDD with the new switch in it, I got that for the first time since I had plugged it in after the power supply was repaired.

Now this afternoon, about 45 minutes ago, it died again, and this time, no power deflection plugging it in until I came out just now and started it up again. The first time I started, it went through the boot process, and then immediately shut down. I booted again, and now I'm up and running until it shuts itself off again. I think there is something not soldered correctly in the power supply repair, honest to God...

Jane, I wish I'd bought Applecare...

Chris K rant.gif
« Last Edit: February 18, 2007, 12:24:54 PM by chriskleeman »
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Offline jcarter

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #35 on: February 18, 2007, 01:56:11 PM »
Hi Chris,  I didnt need Applecare for this, because it was a known problem. Somebody here at TS gave me the link, so I looked up the serial number, and it was one of the machines listed in the range of numbers.  Someone(perhaps here?) said not to open the machine, as then the warantee would not be good.
 So I took it in to our little local Mac store, and they replaced the power supply, I mentioned the logic board.  But they thought it didnt need that, and the new power supply failed while they were testing it, so ordered both, and replaced them both.  Free.  The little store was reimbursed in full by Apple.
Jane
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Offline chriskleeman

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #36 on: February 20, 2007, 08:00:49 AM »
Jane, do you still have the link somwhere?

Thanks,

Chris K
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Offline jcarter

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #37 on: February 20, 2007, 08:22:55 AM »
This is one of them, there were a couple of non-Apple links with more specfic information.  Some people discussed the 'sounds and smells' that their Macs made when they failed.  Mine stunk like a burning transformer when I had come back from a bike ride.
http://www.apple.com/uk/support/imac/power...epairextension/
Jane
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Offline chriskleeman

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #38 on: March 27, 2007, 11:23:28 AM »
Well, one more time for the MDD!

I finally got the power supply back from GalaxyHP, I've installed it, and now I'm powered up and running... I'll burn it in and see what happens. I'm even writing this post from it... WOW.gif Got it back last Thursday or Friday, but I couldn't bring myself to install it until today sweatingbullets.gif

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, looking up some Voodoo spells, some Shaman incantations, doing a little dance, hoping that all it's little electrons behave themselves... and keep doing their happy little electron dances for a good long while this time!

So, join me in raising my glass to the MDD Almighty, maybe this time, the MDD Gods will smile upon me notworthy.gif and my machine will stay risen from the dead!  clap.gif

Chris K wacko.gif
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Offline pendragon

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #39 on: March 27, 2007, 11:45:09 AM »
Chris,

While I have not contributed to this thread, I have been following it.

thanx.gif for sharing your ordeal and success. No doubt we all learned from it.

And of course, congratulations for a job well done!  clap.gif  salute.gif
« Last Edit: March 28, 2007, 08:57:19 AM by pendragon »
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Offline gunug

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #40 on: March 27, 2007, 02:03:15 PM »
Chris - I guess I didn't realize this was still going on; you have amazing clarity of purpose and true grit!   WOW.gif
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Offline krissel

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #41 on: March 28, 2007, 01:15:26 AM »
clap.gif

Hope it holds out for you!
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Offline kelly

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #42 on: March 28, 2007, 08:45:54 AM »
Good deal Chris. Knock on wood. smile.gif
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Offline chriskleeman

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Power Supply G4 MDD has died
« Reply #43 on: March 28, 2007, 10:34:02 AM »
Thanks everyone for the good wishes!!!

So far, 24 hours, still working, such a nice machine when it works!!!!

Not ready to re-install the bigger drive I've been using in the DA yet, or put the Superdrive back in yet, but if it keeps working for a few more days, I will probably relent!

No comment on the 2nd power supply repair, just yet taped.gif

 thanx.gif

Chris K
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