MB 1,1-7,1 Weird boot issue on MacBook2,1 A1181

[johnrak]

I have two MacBooks A1181 and two HDD, one with OS X 10.6 and one with Linux Mint 20.2 (installed using a guide I found specifically for this Mac which is 64 bit but the EFI is 32 bit). Both HDD are working fine on MacBook 1. On the second MacBook I have weird issues.

Using the OS X HDD, every time inserting the magsafe power cord, it automatically turns on and boots in OS X. This is not happening with the other MacBook.

Using the Linux HDD, the same thing happens. After inserting the power cable, the MacbBook turns on and boots. After shutting it down and turning it on again, I can hear the fan spinning but I don't hear the chime sound and it stays like that forever. The only ways to turn it on is to remove the power cable, hold power button for 5" and insert the power cable or disconnect power, remove the HDD and reinsert. Then it starts automatically again when I connect the power cable with the chime sound and boots in Linux.

I used a bootable OS X USB drive to boot in recovery and bless the Linux HDD to reduce the wait time on white screen on boot. After running this command:

bless --device /dev/disk0s1 --setBoot --verbose

I got:

NVRAM variable boot-args not set

If I run

bless --info

I get

Volume for path is not available

What could that mean?

I'm not asking support for Linux since this is clearly not the issue. Linux HDD is working fine on MacBook 1 and the second MacBook experience the auto start with both OS X and Linux.

What could these symptoms mean?

 

[Amethyst1]

Do both MacBooks have working batteries?

 

[johnrak]

Do both MacBooks have working batteries?

No, both are without batteries

 

[Bigwaff]

What could these symptoms mean?

Some A1181 have replaceable PRAM battery, some A1181 do not. Could be PRAM battery. One battery holds charge while the other does not.

MacBook Core Duo PRAM Battery Replacement

The time and date, as well as other settings, are kept by the PRAM battery when your machine is off. If you feel like you're stuck in the movie...

www.ifixit.com

 

[johnrak]

Some A1181 have replaceable PRAM battery, some A1181 do not. Could be PRAM battery. One battery holds charge while the other does not.

MacBook Core Duo PRAM Battery Replacement

The time and date, as well as other settings, are kept by the PRAM battery when your machine is off. If you feel like you're stuck in the movie...

www.ifixit.com

The PRAM battery was dead. I had my suspicions and they verified after turned off the WiFi and noticed that the clock was resetting after removing the power.
I didn't have a battery with tabs but I had a lot of space when I removed the damaged optical drive. I also removed the LCD which I don't need (I have an external connected).
I connected extension cables with the old battery connector and used a CR2032 battery holder. I also relocated the WiFi antennas. Of course I cleaned and replaced the thermal paste.

I still had issues with boot. The first time it started fine but then I could hear only the fan spinning at very low speed. I boot into recovery again and cleared the nvram with 'nvram -c'. Now everything is working fine with both HDD (OS X and Mint). I also used the bless command (posted above) to fix the 30" delay in white screen. Hope it will last and the battery was the only problem.

So for anyone interested this MacBook works fine without LCD, optical drive, camera, mic, battery.

 

[rampancy]

After all of these years I wonder if that's why several of the A1181s in my collection ended up failing to boot (like the OP, the issue would first start as the Mac automatically powering on immediately after being plugged in); I assumed that the A1181 didn't have a PRAM battery like other Macs; I thought I'd read somewhere (even here?) that as a cost saving movie, the main battery was actually used as the PRAM battery.

For a long time I thought that this was a short circuit issue related to using the Mac without a battery, or with a completely dead battery. Now I'm tempted to take some of my presumed-dead A1181 logic boards out of my parts bin and see if they might work with a new PRAM battery.

 

[TheShortTimer]

I thought I'd read somewhere (even here?) that as a cost saving movie, the main battery was actually used as the PRAM battery.

That's definitely the case with my 2010 MacBook Air. Various issues with operability connected to PRAM functions were solved after I replaced the battery. My 2006 MBP no longer retains the time and date and I was surprised to discover that it relies on a PRAM battery - and not the main one to store this information.

For a long time I thought that this was a short circuit issue related to using the Mac without a battery, or with a completely dead battery. Now I'm tempted to take some of my presumed-dead A1181 logic boards out of my parts bin and see if they might work with a new PRAM battery.

Please update us on how you get on with this.

 

[rampancy]

Please update us on how you get on with this.

I'm afraid it won't be for a while - like a lot of other folks on here, I've been kind of moving away from my used Mac hobby, not just due to cost, but also time and energy. I even have a couple of A1342s, along with my two A1278s that are awaiting reworking with SSDs and patching for newer versions of macOS. I haven't gotten around to doing any of that yet, with my work and volunteer situation having gotten so busy.

Still, I am curious, and if replacing the PRAM battery means reviving a seemingly dead motherboard, that would be really, really cool.

 

[TheShortTimer]

@rampancy I understand. We all suffer from Real Life Syndrome.™

I've got a pile of non Mac related stuff to get through that I've neglected for ages - and they all surround me...

In your own time and when you have the time.