Powerbook 3400 issues --- HELP greatly needed PLEASE!!!

[Flocarino]

Hello everyone,
Here is my dilemma:
By pure nostalgia I bought an old 3400 from the classified adds, it was without the charger and my only condition to the seller in order to buy it was to see it boot/work...as I have a spare original PB 3400 charger in my collection.
Got to the seller, PB was dusty and was afraid about the pesky PRAM battery leak, well I plugged the charger in and it fired up instantly, happy face, went to the desktop and started browsing the Apple System Profiler on the noisy and slow original 3GB drive....to my surprise it was the 240Mhz model with 144MB of RAM (max).
Once I got home the problems started:

I immediately opened it to remove the PRAM battery(which was dead but no leak, only some green traces on the small connectors in the wire) and to install a new one I have in stock as well as to replace the noisy/slow HD with a 40GB I have around.
Everything finished, easy process...right....not....
The PB wouldn't boot up....got some noise in the speakers as there is power but that's it....unresponsive....basically dead.
Really mad, I completely teardown the 3400, cleaned it up and put it all together.
This time I had the start up chime, the screen turned on and a disk with the question mark popped up, that's it, the rest is unresponsive.
I inserted a CD in the drive, it spins but no read, nothing.
Trackpad useless as well as the clicker.
I had done the power management reset in the back, played a lot with it, to no results.
The only keys working on the keyboard from time to time is the combination Apple CTRL POWER button.
I cannot reset the PRAM...nothing.
The brightness button as well as the volume button both work !!!!
But all I got for several days is a boot chime with the screen you can see in the picture attached.
The hard drive works...spins but nothing loads.
The CD won't boot with C key with a bootable OS installed.
Basically no keys are working beside those mentioned above.
Something is definitely corrupted but can't pinpoint anything as it is unresponsive to basic key commands, especially zapping the PRAM.
I am stuck with the image in the picture...that's it..........NOTHING LOADS.
I would greatly appreciate any help to bring this PB to life again.
Thank you very much in advance.

 

[micahgartman]

Split Half Search would suggest re-installing the original PRAM battery and retest. If it boots it may be an issue with the new PRAM battery. Also, remove the additional RAM and test again. See also:

http://powerbook.micahgartman.com/ss/ss_3400c-g3.pdf

Congrats on getting a 240!!!

 

[m1maverick]

Have you tried connecting an external keyboard? That might help you with the keyboard issues.

 

[Flocarino]

Split Half Search would suggest re-installing the original PRAM battery and retest. If it boots it may be an issue with the new PRAM battery. Also, remove the additional RAM and test again. See also:

http://powerbook.micahgartman.com/ss/ss_3400c-g3.pdf

Congrats on getting a 240!!!

Thanks for the reply and yes I tried that too, as I said I have another 3400 for parts and I switched everything, except motherboard, to no avail.
Even now I try it without the RAM installed or PRAM connected, I try all scenarios….no success
I managed to get the flashing question mark with the disk but that was very erratic, it flashed erratically like a big lag….until it frozen with the pic attached.
I just don’t get it….
Same result with the hd disconnected…

 

[Flocarino]

Have you tried connecting an external keyboard? That might help you with the keyboard issues.

Unfortunately, I don’t have an adb keyboard….I would like to try that scenario but I have serious doubts as well….

 

[Flocarino]

I wonder where I’m going to find an ADB keyboard !?!

 

[m1maverick]

Low End Mac reports that this models HD controller has issues with some ATA-6 / Ultra ATA-100 hard drives. Perhaps the one you installed is incompatible?

I know you stated you attempted to boot with the HD disconnected, perhaps you should try to re-install the original HD for testing purposes.

 

[Flocarino]

Low End Mac reports that this models HD controller has issues with some ATA-6 / Ultra ATA-100 hard drives. Perhaps the one you installed is incompatible?

I know you stated you attempted to boot with the HD disconnected, perhaps you should try to re-install the original HD for testing purposes.

I have several original 2GB and 3GB laying around, tested them all in, to no avail…..all start, make noise but there is no reading….

 

[m1maverick]

I have several original 2GB and 3GB laying around, tested them all in, to no avail…..all start, make noise but there is no reading….

Unfortunately I have no other recommendations.

 

[for this]

Since it seemed OK before you opened it. I would examine things affected by the action of opening it, like, cable connections for tear, soldering points, or electrically conductive debris, etc.

 

[Flocarino]

I will try to get an ADB keyboard....maybe...just maybe.....as I'm out of options too.
Never seen such a behavior on a Mac before.

 

[weckart]

The only other variable is your charger. Is it putting through enough/stable juice to power the 3400 with the new components? If you can borrow another compatible G3 fat barrel charger it might be worth seeing if that is the issue.

 

[Flocarino]

I have 2 YoYos and an original from a 3400....tried them all...same thing...
Remember...I tried it with the original 3400 charger when I went to buy it and it fired right away....

 

[weckart]

I have a Kanga that is similarly uncooperative Would chime and often sound as if it were booting up but no display, although a few times it booted up ok and the installation seemed fine - no file corruption. The power socket was loose, so I soldered it more securely. Now it doesn't even chime but I have treble checked it and there doesn't appear to be any damage or broken traces etc and I was careful not to flex the logic board. Sometimes the problem isn't obvious and you are going to need to find an electrician who knows his way around with a multimeter.

 

[Flocarino]

Well, in my case....the 3400 boots, HD spins, CD spins...volume and brightness works..........but nothing loads and no responses from the key combinations....except OPTION CONTROL START...after a several tries only, caps lock work but that's it....same with another 3400 keyboard.

 

[weckart]

Well, in my case....the 3400 boots, HD spins, CD spins...volume and brightness works..........but nothing loads and no responses from the key combinations....except OPTION CONTROL START...after a several tries only, caps lock work but that's it....same with another 3400 keyboard.

It does sound like there's a short somewhere on the board, so juice is getting in but not everywhere it needs to. I'm out of ideas, sadly.

 

[Flocarino]

It's just getting weirder and weirder...
So today I received an ADB keyboard & mouse combo....like new....
Keyboard isn't recognized at all...no power on caps lock, etc....
As for the mouse...connected directly to the ADB port on the PB or through the ADB keyboard, well it works/moves on the grey screen but to no help for the rest...it's the keyboard that I need in order to zap the PRAM.
I think I will give up.....on something that worked.....


UPDATE:
I tried again booting with the external keyboard/moused plugged in and try to zap the PRAM from the PB keyboard and to my surprise, it worked...I zapped the PRAM at least 4 times, then the moment of truth, release the keys....just to be welcome by the same gray screen with the cursor on it as in the picture...
STILL UNRESPONSIVE...SADLY