HELP!! My Powermac G4 is DEAD!!

[ReanimationLP]

:eek: When I turned on my Powermac G4 earlier, I expected it to spring to life. Instead, all I got was 3 beeps. No video, the drives spin up, etc. But it doesnt do anything, none of the chips get hot at all. x.x I think I'm gonna cry... :'(

[Demon Hunter]

Try resetting the PMU... it's a little button the size of a cookie crumb located on your motherboard.

[CanadaRAM]

> Try resetting the PMU

Also known as the Cuda chip. It's a round button about 2mm diameter on a square swith about 5mm square, it'll be soldered onto your motherboard. Press this for 5 seconds -- only do this but once, however.

If that doesn't help you may be in line for a new PRAM battery - 1/2 AA 3.6 V Lithium, available at better stocked Radio Shacks and electronic stores, about $8.00. Plan on a new one every 3 - 6 years depending on the Mac model and how much time you leave it turned off.

Three beeps means a problem with RAM, or the motherboard. Try removing all but your original Apple RAM, and put that RAM into a different socket, and boot again.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=95052

Thanks
Trevor

[ReanimationLP]

Thank you for the help. Its not beeping anymore, but it wont send the video signals too. I've tried all the PCI slots. x.x

[Mechcozmo]

Thank you for the help. Its not beeping anymore, but it wont send the video signals too. I've tried all the PCI slots. x.x

Hold Command+Option+P+R while starting up. This time, after 3 chimes, let go. The chimes are good. :)

This will zap your PRAM and, in theory, display at correct levels for your monitor so that you can see stuff again. Then you change it later.

[ReanimationLP]

Tried that. Didnt do anything. Thing only chimes once x.x

[KingSleaze]

Tried that. Didnt do anything. Thing only chimes once x.x

Keep holding command + option + P + R, it will give you the "startup" chime, but keep holding that key combination through three cycles of the chime. It takes a while.

[ReanimationLP]

Thanks everyone ^-^ Its back up and running, had to hold down the keys for a REALLY LONG TIME. Never chimed, but all of a sudden it gave me video.

[walkingmac]

Thanks everyone ^-^ Its back up and running, had to hold down the keys for a REALLY LONG TIME. Never chimed, but all of a sudden it gave me video.

YAY... glad to hear that. I had that happen to me about 2 years ago. very scary for us who have no idea whats going on. Good thing for places like this!

[ReanimationLP]

Yeah. Thank god for Macrumors. I have been using a mac for about 2 years now, but this is the first time I've ever had a hardware problem like that.

[Heilige]

I have the same problem with my powermac g4 yikes as well and resetting the pram doesn't give me a picture.. I upgraded the rage 128 to a radeon 7000 32mb card and... no picture on either of my monitors.. I also pressed the button on the motherboard and removed the battery same problem continues :-(

Does the video card have to be a mac version? My brother in-law said no since he installed radeon 7500s in quicksilvers

[Logik]

I have the same problem with my powermac g4 yikes as well and resetting the pram doesn't give me a picture.. I upgraded the rage 128 to a radeon 7000 32mb card and... no picture on either of my monitors.. I also pressed the button on the motherboard and removed the battery same problem continues :-(

Does the video card have to be a mac version? My brother in-law said no since he installed radeon 7500s in quicksilvers

yes... they have to be mac cards. they don't contain the same bios code.

[Heilige]

yes... they have to be mac cards. they don't contain the same bios code.

:eek: Uh oh, now I put the original card back in and I have lines going down the screen! :(