Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

FYI: Apple no longer considers iMac G5 midplane a user-servicable part

S

salmon

macrumors regular
Original poster
I've been having some trouble with my iMac G5, and the hardware test CD indicated it was a video card problem. This was expected, because the video was all jittery and the system became terribly unstable.

So, I called up Apple to get them to send me a new midplane assembly, and the (very nice) support person was having trouble understanding why it wasn't on the list that she could ship out. She did some investigation, and discovered that it was intentionally not on the list anymore because it's a no longer considered a user-servicable part.

So now I have to take it into an Apple repair shop - which really sucks, because I live quite a distance away from one, and I just had surgery and can't drive.

Just FYI, in case others had to go through the same thing.
 
salmon said:
I've been having some trouble with my iMac G5, and the hardware test CD indicated it was a video card problem. This was expected, because the video was all jittery and the system became terribly unstable.

So, I called up Apple to get them to send me a new midplane assembly, and the (very nice) support person was having trouble understanding why it wasn't on the list that she could ship out. She did some investigation, and discovered that it was intentionally not on the list anymore because it's a no longer considered a user-servicable part.

So now I have to take it into an Apple repair shop - which really sucks, because I live quite a distance away from one, and I just had surgery and can't drive.

Just FYI, in case others had to go through the same thing.
Click to expand...
Go buy AppleCare for about $169 and that will turn your warranty into an onsite. Then they should come to you whenever you have problems.

jon
 
iJon said:
Go buy AppleCare for about $169 and that will turn your warranty into an onsite. Then they should come to you whenever you have problems.

jon
Click to expand...

Um... what? AppleCare isn't an onsite warranty. To my knowledge Apple does no such thing. His iMac is probably still under warranty, and the only thing AppleCare does is extend that another two years.
 
dferrara said:
Um... what? AppleCare isn't an onsite warranty. To my knowledge Apple does no such thing. His iMac is probably still under warranty, and the only thing AppleCare does is extend that another two years.
Click to expand...

"The AppleCare Protection Plan includes up to three years of onsite service for desktop computers. The plan also provides global repair coverage for portable computers and Mac mini, which can be very important if you travel abroad. Apple-certified technicians perform repairs using genuine Apple parts."

Now it's not available in all areas, but he might be in luck.

jon
 
Considering the trouble some people have experienced replacing it, and the number of times the cs people have told people to take the machine apart and try again...

It's probably easier to let it be handled by somebody that does quite a few, instead of getting customers frustrated.
 
sigamy said:
Please tell me this was a Rev A iMac????
Click to expand...
It wasn't just Apple that got nailed, a bunch of faulty capacitors entered the supply chain in a variety of products.

So basically anything that'll get hot can cause these capacitors to leak and/or burst.
 
iJon said:
"The AppleCare Protection Plan includes up to three years of onsite service for desktop computers. The plan also provides global repair coverage for portable computers and Mac mini, which can be very important if you travel abroad. Apple-certified technicians perform repairs using genuine Apple parts."

Now it's not available in all areas, but he might be in luck.

jon
Click to expand...

Yes but I think this means you go to an Apple Authorized Service center. Or maybe I'm wrong? Some guy in an Apple van comes and says a cheery Hello? 😛
 
dferrara said:
Yes but I think this means you go to an Apple Authorized Service center. Or maybe I'm wrong? Some guy in an Apple van comes and says a cheery Hello? 😛
Click to expand...

depending on where you live, i would say so, this is obviously a worst-case senario, and probably rarely happens, more often than not apple will probably have it shipped to them, which is just easier or have you take it to a service center
 
dferrara said:
Yes but I think this means you go to an Apple Authorized Service center. Or maybe I'm wrong? Some guy in an Apple van comes and says a cheery Hello? 😛
Click to expand...

Apple will hire out a reseller and dispatch them to their house and fix it. If it's a lot of work they will take the machine and fix it at their service center and return it to the customer. Trust me, I know how this works.

jon
 
Last I heard, you could mail it in. But it does take a bit longer to get back. Even if they do overnight shipping both ways.
 
I had an onsite (at my house) repair of my Powermac G5. If you have purchased Applecare they have a local repair service come to your house and do the repair onsite. They brought a new logic board and 4 dimms of memory to repair my system. It only ended up being one of the pairs pairs of Apple RAM was bad.

The Apple phone rep told me to take my Powermac in to the local repair center. I then asked about the onsite repair... After additional "troubleshooting", they dispatched an onsite repair person 48 hours later. (The repair person calls 24 - 48 hours later to schedule, then usually comes the next day).

If possible, DO NOT take a desktop system in for repair, make Apple come out and fix it on site. That's what Applecare is meant to be.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back