ibook starts on battery only dies with power

[jcl43]

Hi all,

I have an iBook that had a bad HD. I replaced the drive with a new one and it worked fine when I booted it up so I left it overnight to charge. The next day I came in and it wouldn't power on. After messing with it a bit, I unplugged it and let it sit for about 5 min. Tried and it powered on no problem. However, the second I plug the power cable in it shuts off and has to wait another 5 min. or so to start again on the battery only. This happens every time and I am stumped. One thing to note is that the battery never charged past two dots. If anyone has a clue what might be causing this I would really appreciate some help. I suppose I could open it up again and peek around at the connections and such, but wanted to get another opinion or two first. Thanks in advance!!

 

[misterredman]

I would do a PRAM reset and a PMU reset. Look here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

and here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1431

If that doesn't work you may want to look at your power supply connection, to be sure nothing is wrong with it. What happens if you connect the power supply to your mac without connecting it to a power outlet? And what happens if you boot it without the battery in?
Report what you find out before opening it.

 

[silverblack]

What if you take out the battery, and start with just the AC? It may be your battery, or the charging component that failed.

 

[jcl43]

Silverblack - Sorry, I should have mentioned that. When I try with no battery it will not power up.
Misterredman - I will try the PRAM/PSU reset after trying with power cord in machine but not outlet.

Thanks for the suggestions! I will report back with the results.

 

[jcl43]

So resetting those didnt do anything, and it turns on with the power cord in but not in the outlet. Any other suggestions? It sounds like a short somewhere, so I guess I will open it up and look.

 

[silverblack]

One thing to note is that the battery never charged past two dots.

Would it charge again if the battery goes below two dots, or it just won't charge now. How about the ac block itself, does it still have the orange light? Can you borrow the ac block from a friend (or Bestbuy or any store that has displays) to rule this out?

 

[jcl43]

I just tried a different AC and it did the same. Thanks for the advice. Any other suggestions before I rip it open?? lol

 

[silverblack]

What are you expecting to find by opening it?

It definitely sounded like some hardware failure. Have you consider contacting Apple or an authorized repair center and see if they'll give you a diagnosis and free estimate. You may be lucky that they give you enough information for you to track down the parts yourself.

Also try the Apple Hardware Test
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA25668?viewlocale=en_US

 

[California]

Did you replace the power supply trackpad cable correctly?

And did you put the right screw in the DC in board when you took the machine apart?

My only two thoughts. That trackpad power cable is tricky because if you pull it off the logic board, you have a dead computer and logic board.

 

[jcl43]

Well I was hoping to notice a loose connection, or possibly some ground (on the hd) that is missing. I switched a HD before and it had a plastic cover on the bottom of the HD. The one I replaced it with did not, and it would not start without it...even though the symptoms are completely different I thought it would be worth a look.

I will run a hardware test and see it can find anything. Thanks again for your time.

 

[jcl43]

California,

The trackpad is broken...something else I should have mentioned...apologies.

I knew that before hand, and when I opened it up I noticed that connector for the cable was broken off, and the cable itself was pushed into the slot. That could be it, but how would I go about resolving that if the connector is broken off? Thank

 

[California]

California,

The trackpad is broken...something else I should have mentioned...apologies.

I knew that before hand, and when I opened it up I noticed that connector for the cable was broken off, and the cable itself was pushed into the slot. That could be it, but how would I go about resolving that if the connector is broken off? Thank

If the connector is broken off the logic board, you fried your computer.

If the connector is broken off the trackpad, get a new trackpad topcase.

I have a trackpad topcase for the 1.33 12" ibook. What iBook is this anyway?

 

[jcl43]

I will try to get another connector. It is a dual usb 12" ibook. Model # m6497

 

[LordOfTheMacs]

Go to the genius bar at your local Apple Retail Store, the Dual USB iBooks have several major known issues and recalls But if they can't find anything try a new laptop battery or power supply.

 

[jcl43]

Thanks, i will probably end up canning it if i cant find another adapter or another one doesnt fix it. I work for a school...we dont have the budget to go to any mac stores or pay any "geniuses" but I do appreciate the help.
Thanks again!