PowerBook G4 1.67GHz (HR) - No Power

[NickArchiver52]

Hello, I recently got a broken PowerBook G4 1.67GHz High Res model off eBay in a lot of 2 laptops (other was a MacBook Pro mid-2007 - was a good deal)

It was missing it's TP/KB/Palmrest thing ( what do you call that?), RAM, HDD, Disc Drive, and CMOS battery. No big deal, I had a 1.5ghz parts machine! It would be an easy fix, right?

The description said it wouldn't power on due to "No RAM" I thought, of course a computer won't turn on fully without RAM. so I went for it.

When I got it, I plugged it in (using a 45W charger, too low?) and the light went to green, then amber (battery is cooked so it won't charge) but pressing the power button using a TP/KB/Palmrest I took from a 1.5ghz model I had yielded nothing. Nothing at all, no disc drive noise, no HDD noise, no fan noise, no display, no beeps.

I looked at the logic board and I don't see any noticeable damage. I'm pretty much at a loss here. Any ideas?

 

[eyoungren]

Hello, I recently got a broken PowerBook G4 1.67GHz High Res model off eBay in a lot of 2 laptops (other was a MacBook Pro mid-2007 - was a good deal)

It was missing it's TP/KB/Palmrest thing ( what do you call that?), RAM, HDD, Disc Drive, and CMOS battery. No big deal, I had a 1.5ghz parts machine! It would be an easy fix, right?

The description said it wouldn't power on due to "No RAM" I thought, of course a computer won't turn on fully without RAM. so I went for it.

When I got it, I plugged it in (using a 45W charger, too low?) and the light went to green, then amber (battery is cooked so it won't charge) but pressing the power button using a TP/KB/Palmrest I took from a 1.5ghz model I had yielded nothing. Nothing at all, no disc drive noise, no HDD noise, no fan noise, no display, no beeps.

I looked at the logic board and I don't see any noticeable damage. I'm pretty much at a loss here. Any ideas?

All 15" and 17" Aluminum PowerBooks require 65W chargers. I suspect that is the issue. They will NOT charge on a 45W power supply, but once running they will 'station keep', meaning the battery won't charge or discharge.

If you get and try a 65W charger and still nothing, then the next step would be the check the DC-In board. If that part is good, then the only other part of the charging circuit is the adapter where the battery plugs in.

If all that checks out, then I would suspect your LB is dead.

 

[Project Alice]

Hello, I recently got a broken PowerBook G4 1.67GHz High Res model off eBay in a lot of 2 laptops (other was a MacBook Pro mid-2007 - was a good deal)

It was missing it's TP/KB/Palmrest thing ( what do you call that?), RAM, HDD, Disc Drive, and CMOS battery. No big deal, I had a 1.5ghz parts machine! It would be an easy fix, right?

The description said it wouldn't power on due to "No RAM" I thought, of course a computer won't turn on fully without RAM. so I went for it.

When I got it, I plugged it in (using a 45W charger, too low?) and the light went to green, then amber (battery is cooked so it won't charge) but pressing the power button using a TP/KB/Palmrest I took from a 1.5ghz model I had yielded nothing. Nothing at all, no disc drive noise, no HDD noise, no fan noise, no display, no beeps.

I looked at the logic board and I don't see any noticeable damage. I'm pretty much at a loss here. Any ideas?

+1 to what eyoungren said. Gotta be 65W.
But also, this is a 1.67 DLSD? "Hi res"? If so, I'm at least 98% sure the top case (that KB\TP\palmrest thing) is different than the 1.5GHz model. The power button probably works for testing purposes but I don't think the keyboard or trackpad would plug in. Which is a shame because the keyboard back light is absolutely useless on anything other than the 1.67 DLSD models like that.

 

[Doq]

It is different. Even considering physical differences in the connectors or whatnot, DLSD/HR top cases are USB-based, compared to the ADB-based top cases of older models, so even if the connectors physically fit (I don't know if they do), the signaling is different and incompatible.

It's just another peculiar difference between the DLSD models and other PowerBooks G4. Just like the display resolution difference, and DDR2 RAM.

 

[Project Alice]

It is different. Even considering physical differences in the connectors or whatnot, DLSD/HR top cases are USB-based, compared to the ADB-based top cases of older models, so even if the connectors physically fit (I don't know if they do), the signaling is different and incompatible.

It's just another peculiar difference between the DLSD models and other PowerBooks G4. Just like the display resolution difference, and DDR2 RAM.

The 1.5GHz is USB based too. At least the later 5,6 model is that also shipped alongside the 1.67 non-DLSD. But I am pretty sure I tried using a DLSD case on it (because the backlight is useless) and the connectors wouldn't fit. IIRC they were in a slightly different location so the cables wouldn't even reach.