Problems with PowerBook G4, help much appreciated!

[HelloNavi]

The other day my powerbook which I have had for three years refused to take a charge while I was using it. I changed the battery to a new one and also purchased a new power cord but neither seemed to help. Is there a way I can fix this on my own without having to pay mac support at the mall since my computer is obviously not under warantee. Thanks for any help you can offer.

Edit: perhaps I should be more specific in saying that the computer will now not turn on when plugged into the wall outlet (I've tried a few different ones throughtout the house.) or when trying to run on battery power (neither the old battery or new battery I have.)

 

[acearchie]

try resetting the pmu...

(power management unit!)


It might work, search on google for guide on how to...

 

[HelloNavi]

you mean like this?

PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5GHz), PowerBook G4 (17-inch 1.67GHz)

1. If the computer is on, turn it off.
2. Disconnect the AC Adapter and remove the computer's battery.
3. Press and hold down the power button for 5 seconds and then release the button.
4. Reconnect the battery and AC Adapter.
5. Press the Power button to restart the computer.

It didn't do anything. Tried it a few times...

 

[benmrii]

If your PowerBook is three years old I think you're looking at the wrong instructions. Try these instead:

1) If the computer is on, turn it off.
2) Reset the power manager by simultaneously pressing and then releasing Shift-Control-Option-Power on the keyboard. Do not press the fn (Function) key while using this combination of keystrokes.
3) Wait 5 seconds.
4) Press the Power button to restart the computer.


Also, is the battery discharging quickly, not taking a full charge, or literally taking no charge whatsoever as in unplugging the computer means an immediate shutdown?

 

[HelloNavi]

If your PowerBook is three years old I think you're looking at the wrong instructions. Try these instead:

1) If the computer is on, turn it off.
2) Reset the power manager by simultaneously pressing and then releasing Shift-Control-Option-Power on the keyboard. Do not press the fn (Function) key while using this combination of keystrokes.
3) Wait 5 seconds.
4) Press the Power button to restart the computer.


Also, is the battery discharging quickly, not taking a full charge, or literally taking no charge whatsoever as in unplugging the computer means an immediate shutdown?

I have tried the Shift-Control-Option-Power thing a few times which didn't seem to do anything either. Basically, here's whats happening:

- My old battery or new battery will not charge in the computer at all.
- The computer won't turn on when plugged into the wall at all, regardless of if a battery is in it or not.

HOWEVER when the power cord is plugged in, it does glow reddish orange indicating that it is "charging" though it is actually not.

 

[benmrii]

Ah... well. Sorry, I didn't notice that the computer wasn't even booting up.

Sounds like a bad MLB to me. If resetting the PMU doesn't help it and it still isn't booting up then you're looking at an almost certain hardware repair.

It's very unlikely, but are you able to see if the computer will boot with someone else's battery that is charged?

 

[HelloNavi]

Hm, I do have a friend with the same computer as my own but he lives a few hours away so it's not really possible to check. Ummm, maybe this information could be useful? I noticed the battery was decreasing in power pertenctage while I was using it and it was plugged in, then it went dead. I figured it was probably a hardware problem, but I thought maybe I might be able to get away with a cheaper fix lol.

 

[benmrii]

It helps let me know what portion of the MLB is failing, but I'm still fairly certain it is the MLB.

If the simple board that accepts the adapter connection was failing you would usually not get an orange light. So the computer is recognizing the connection but not able to either charge the battery or power the computer from the adapter. Although, your last description means it is most likely that your computer will run off of charged batteries.

So, the good news is that with a charged battery you can get any data off you may not have backed up. The bad news is, I'm guessing this will not be a "cheaper fix."

 

[HelloNavi]

Thanks so much! I have scheduled a time to drop off my computer to the mac store for tomorrow. I guess they'll let me know how much the damages will be then. Thanks again!

 

[benmrii]

No problem, hope I'm wrong.