iBook G3 Snow with sound but no video

[juancarlosonetti]

Hello,

In order to make my iBook G3 "Snow" time-proof, I bought another "broken" 12-inch G3 to use as a parts donor. However, I would like to, at least, try to make it work.

When you turn it on, you hear the chime, and you also hear the HDD spinning. However, the screen remains black. There's absolutely nothing on the screen, so I doubt it's a backlight problem.

There are two posssibilities here: The screen might be broken, or this could be suffering from the infamous motherboard death.

In order to know if it's the motherboard, I opened the bottom and applied pressure with my hand at the bottom of the GPU while it was turned on. But still no video!

Do you know how I could know if it's in fact a motherboard problem? I have no external screen to attach this to. And, if it's the motherboard, would you try to put it in the oven? It's dead after all.

 

[sparty411]

Hello,

In order to make my iBook G3 "Snow" time-proof, I bought another "broken" 12-inch G3 to use as a parts donor. However, I would like to, at least, try to make it work.

When you turn it on, you hear the chime, and you also hear the HDD spinning. However, the screen remains black. There's absolutely nothing on the screen, so I doubt it's a backlight problem.

There are two posssibilities here: The screen might be broken, or this could be suffering from the infamous motherboard death.

In order to know if it's the motherboard, I opened the bottom and applied pressure with my hand at the bottom of the GPU while it was turned on. But still no video!

Do you know how I could know if it's in fact a motherboard problem? I have no external screen to attach this to. And, if it's the motherboard, would you try to put it in the oven? It's dead after all.

Did you shine a light through the apple logo on the top lid? That'll at least let you see whether or not it's just a backlight issue.

I've had success using a heat gun to "fix" dead GPU's, but the problem will always return. Lead free solder is the devil.

 

[juancarlosonetti]

Did you shine a light through the apple logo on the top lid? That'll at least let you see whether or not it's just a backlight issue.

I've had success using a heat gun to "fix" dead GPU's, but the problem will always return. Lead free solder is the devil.

It's the LCD backlight! Thank you very much for this. I had put a light in front of the screen, but I never thought about doing it through the Apple logo. And, sure enough, there were things on the screen.

 

[sparty411]

It's the LCD backlight! Thank you very much for this. I had put a light in front of the screen, but I never thought about doing it through the Apple logo. And, sure enough, there were things on the screen.

No problem.

 

[z970]

And, if it's the motherboard, would you try to put it in the oven? It's dead after all.

Unless you have very good ventilation, while wearing very good respiratory protection, and use an oven you don't plan on ever using again, I do not recommend ever doing this. Motherboards (and graphics cards) contain a lot of toxic chemicals that can be exceedingly harmful when inhaled while outgassing after a bake, and that's not even to mention what can stay behind in the chamber, rods, and surrounding area.

There's a lot more information on this subject available around the Web, but it is strongly recommended not to attempt this with your trusty kitchen oven used for, you know, FOOD.