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

Resolved Bondi iMac (rev B) all of the sudden dead

Project Alice

Project Alice

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jul 13, 2008
2,290
2,372
Post Falls, ID
Hi all,

Today I plugged in my Bondi iMac G3, Rev B in to play with it. It has been sitting on a shelf for, 3 or 4 months maybe? It was working fine then. It isn't like it's been sitting for years.. Theres just no sign of power. No lights, no sounds, you'd think I was pressing the power button without it plugged in.

I've tried 2 different power cables and 2 different outlets. I took it apart to look for anything odd, I didn't see anything. I re-seated the CPU card, checked all the connections, ect. I also tried an apple USB keyboard that can be used to power these on.. Nothing.

Any ideas?? I don't understand why it just won't turn on all the sudden. I've had it on for hours at a time since I've owned it and it's never showed any signs of problems.
 
This happened with an iMac G3 I used to have.

I think we ended up determining it was a failed power supply, and eventually just donated it for parts.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is the case.
 
Ugh...

It's a pain in the ass, but unscrew and take out the logic board tray and press the CUDA button the board. It should boot up then.

Then replace your PRAM battery ASAP...
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobesch
swamprock said:
Ugh...

It's a pain in the ass, but unscrew and take out the logic board tray and press the CUDA button the board. It should boot up then.

Then replace your PRAM battery ASAP...
Click to expand...

I'm gonna kick myself for a year if that was the solution.
 
Project Alice said:
I'm trying this, I'm leaving it plugged in for my 4 day work stretch. If it doesn't turn on I'll pull it apart again and press th cuda button...Which I completely forgot about -_-
Click to expand...
Is this the CUDA button?
I've also got a defective Bondi last month. Came at 20 bucks. No chime, no lights ... - went for it, because it had the the original keyboard and I hoped the problem could be sorted out. At least for spare parts for my working Bondi.
The CUDA-button thing is good news. Also ordered a new battery and hope this magic will work.
So, if pictures show the CUDA-button ("Power Management Reset Button") it might be accessed by a spudger or a wooden toothpick through the RAM-door ...? (otherwise no big deal to remove bottom and EMI-shield - especially if the battery is to be replaced)

CUDOs to @swamprock! :)

iMacG3 CUDA-Button.jpg iMac G3 CUDA-Button 2.jpg

Oh, and with that Bondi came a little gadget, that made me start a new thread ...
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/odd-and-helpful-gadgets-for-old-macs.2178366/
 
Last edited:
bobesch said:
Is this the CUDA button?
I've also got a defective Bondi last month. Came at 20 bucks. No chime, no lights ... - went for it, because it had the the original keyboard and I hoped the problem could be sorted out. At least for spare parts for my working Bondi.
The CUDA-button thing is good news. Also ordered a new battery and hope this magic will work.
So, if pictures show the CUDA-button ("Power Management Reset Button") it might be accessed by a spudger or a wooden toothpick through the RAM-door ...? (otherwise no big deal to remove bottom and EMI-shield - especially if the battery is to be replaced)

CUDOs to @swamprock! :)

View attachment 832741 View attachment 832742

Oh, and with that Bondi came a little gadget, that made me start a new thread ...
Click to expand...
The iMac in your attachments is not a bondi. That's a newer slot loading iMac. Bondi's are in my opinion "dark teal" and are tray loaders only. They do not have a opening on the rear like the slot loaders for RAM, theirs come on a CPU card nearly identical to PowerBook G3s and is sodimm laptop memory.

This is how tray loaders open up and what the logicboards look like.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobesch
Project Alice said:
The iMac in your attachments is not a bondi. That's a newer slot loading iMac. Bondi's are in my opinion "dark teal" and are tray loaders only. They do not have a opening on the rear like the slot loaders for RAM, theirs come on a CPU card nearly identical to PowerBook G3s and is sodimm laptop memory.

This is how tray loaders open up and what the logicboards look like.
Click to expand...

Uups :oops:, you're right and thanks for the link!
Actually I didn't take a look "under the hood" of my defective Bondi and another defective tray-loader yet! (Last year I got a non-working Strawberry tray-loader for 10€ too).
With the hints about CUDA-button, replacement-battery, keeping the iMac plugged-in for some time and how to disassemble the tray-loaders I'm happy now to know, where to start with.
The pictures I've attached came from the official Apple repair manual and yes, they show a Blueberry.
(It's a pity, there's no Bondi-color for the later slot-loaders, since the most annoying thing concerning the tray-loaders is, that they don't go into proper sleeping mode and the fan is humming all the time ...)
PS: if you're looking for a Bondi hockey-puck mouse: they are the one without excavation on the mouse-button (since Blueberry and Bondi are hard to distinguish on a photo or in twilight)
Look - where's the Bondi ... !? ;)
Where's the Bondi ... .jpg​
 
Last edited:
Project Alice said:
I'm trying this, I'm leaving it plugged in for my 4 day work stretch. If it doesn't turn on I'll pull it apart again and press the cuda button...Which I completely forgot about -_-
Click to expand...
An update: Pressing the cuda button fixed it!
bobesch said:
Uups :oops:, you're right and thanks for the link!
Actually I didn't take a look "under the hood" of my defective Bondi and another defective tray-loader yet! (Last year I got a non-working Strawberry tray-loader for 10€ too).
With the hints about CUDA-button, replacement-battery, keeping the iMac plugged-in for some time and how to disassemble the tray-loaders I'm happy now to know, where to start with.
The pictures I've attached came from the official Apple repair manual and yes, they show a Blueberry.
(It's a pity, there's no Bondi-color for the later slot-loaders, since the most annoying thing concerning the tray-loaders is, that they don't go into proper sleeping mode and the fan is humming all the time ...)
PS: if you're looking for a Bondi hockey-puck mouse: they are the one without excavation on the mouse-button (since Blueberry and Bondi are hard to distinguish on a photo or in twilight)
Look - where's the Bondi ... !? ;)
Click to expand...
I'd say the Bondi is the top right one next to the orange.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobesch and z970
Project Alice said:
An update: Pressing the cuda button fixed it!
I'd say the Bondi is the top right one next to the orange.
Click to expand...

Great, congrats! I'm looking forward to try fixing my Strawberry - maybe tomorrow and I hope for the best.
And a new battery is on the way.
And again, many thanks to @swamprock !

About "where's the Bondi?". - I can't remember the order, when I took the picture, but I think, you're right. On a bright day, it's pretty easy to see the difference between Bondi and Blueberry and the Bondi looks just awesome.
In the evening and especially on fotos it's really hard to see the difference. I got the Blueberry accidentally, because I was looking for a Bondi and it was offered as a Bondi. Came with matching keyboard and hockey-puck mouse at a price-"offer, I could not refuse..." So, no regrets (except :eek: from my wife)
 
  • Like
Reactions: AphoticD
swamprock said:
Awesome! Now replace that PRAM battery and you won't have to constantly open your Bondi up when it's seemingly dead... :)
Click to expand...
Yeah I plan to. I replaced like 3 of them awhile back, I have so many macs and at 6 bucks a pop for those batteries I sorta just pick up a bunch of them when I think about it.
 
my Bondi iMac from 1998 (I thought it was a Rev B, but the tag inside on a ribbon says Rev A) wouldn't turn on. I followed the instructions to open it, but I don't see the CUDA button - what does it look like? can you show me where it is on this picture? I have ordered a battery to replace that. Hoping posting on this old one will bump to the top. I've never been on here before. and have not touched this computer in a while! Thanks for any help - Beth
 

Attachments

  • 20200216_174537-1.jpg
    20200216_174537-1.jpg
    695.5 KB · Views: 333
Hi Beth & welcome, check out this Apple knowledge base article.


“reset button is located on the back edge of the logic board between
the modem port and the processor module.”

So with that bit of helpful knowledge, that dusty blob circled in red is your CUDA switch on the Rev A/B Bondi.
imacg3 cuda.jpg


Assuming your CUDA reset & fresh battery is successful and your imac is happy again, since you have it apart, give it a good clean with some air duster and a CPU repaste. Just remove that aluminum cage there via two screws (I think, might be just one) and gain access to the CPU heatsink & CPU. Remove the heatsink clamp, pull the heatsink off, clean the old paste off both CPU & heatsink with some rubbing alcohol and q-tips, put a dab of new paste on the CPU and put er back together. My bondi rev B was very happy after that tune up and I bet yours will be too.

Best of luck to you. Hope it works out.
 
Last edited:
RhianB said:
Hi Beth & welcome, check out this Apple knowledge base article.


“reset button is located on the back edge of the logic board between
the modem port and the processor module.”

So with that bit of helpful knowledge, that dusty blob circled in red is your CUDA switch on the Rev A/B Bondi.
View attachment 894680

Assuming your CUDA reset & fresh battery is successful and your imac is happy again, since you have it apart, give it a good clean with some air duster and a CPU repaste. Just remove that aluminum cage there via two screws (I think, might be just one) and gain access to the CPU heatsink & CPU. Remove the heatsink clamp, pull the heatsink off, clean the old paste off both CPU & heatsink with some rubbing alcohol and q-tips, put a dab of new paste on the CPU and put er back together. My bondi rev B was very happy after that tune up and I bet yours will be too.

Best of luck to you. Hope it works out.
Click to expand...
thank you for the help (and the much needed cleaning advice!) Although I know it still turned on a year ago, I haven't taken it apart in probably 10 years so the dust build up is atrocious. While it's apart I will give it a cleaning - but when you say 'paste' what exactly do you mean? just glue? or is this something in particular?
of course, the whole reason I'm doing this is my son wants a story he wrote in 6 grade from it (he's 33!) so I'm hoping it does work when I get the new battery!
Again, thank you!!
 
Worst case scenario you can pull the hard drive out & send that to him. He can drop it into an external usb pata hard drive enclosure (10-15$ on Newegg) & connect it to his pc like a external hard drive.

by paste I mean thermal paste or thermal grease. Also, maybe $7-10 bucks on Newegg.

Here’s a video on what the process looks like & preferred method.

 
  • Like
Reactions: z970
RhianB said:
Worst case scenario you can pull the hard drive out & send that to him. He can drop it into an external usb pata hard drive enclosure (10-15$ on Newegg) & connect it to his pc like a external hard drive.

by paste I mean thermal paste or thermal grease. Also, maybe $7-10 bucks on Newegg.

Here’s a video on what the process looks like & preferred method.

Click to expand...
that is true - I can pull the hard drive if necessary, but fingers crossed it isn't! I get it re the paste now. Thank you!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1042686
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