Hi.
I have my friend's dead power mac g4 here and need some help. When i press the power button on the front, the light goes on but when i release the button it goes off. The display doesnt come on and it doesn't access the hard drive. I pressed the reset switch on the motherboard and that didnt help. This problem started after he installed a new DVD drive. Can anyone tell me what is wrong with this machiene and how to fix it? Thanks in advance, Chris
Dead G4
April 9, 2005 - 1:42am
#1
Dead G4
Hold down the CUDA switch (while plugged in) for five seconds. Then re-install the old CD or DVD drive and try it then.
I tryed that and unfortunately it didn't work. I dont have access to the old drive because it is at the owners house. I did disconnect it and it still didnt work. Thanks.
If zapping the PRAM and resetting the CUDA (or PMU) doesn't work, then it's maybe the logic board itself. Are the fans and HDD spinning?
I think it's shorted out, the psu is realising this when you turn it on and immediatly turning off to save itself. Make sure the power leads are not touching the metal case in any way. I had this problem on a 7500, the plastic cap had fallen off of the back of one of the 4-pin power connectors and the cable connectors were pressed up against the case prividing the exact symptoms you describe.
How old is the Mac? Could be that when the DVD drive was installed the Mac was disconnected from AC power & the internal memory battery died. Check this site for battery part numbers and sources.
Mac PRAM, NVRAM, CUDA/PMU & Battery Tutorial
http://www.geocities.com/texas_macman/pram.html
Cheers, Tom
Mac Troubleshooting, Maintenance & Tips
http://www.geocities.com/texas_macman/MacTroubleshoot.html
Ok, I tried to reset the PRAM but that didn't work because there is no startup tone. The HDD spins so i know it isn't the power supply the fan also spins also. I also removed all the ram and tried that. I put a brand new battery in and that also didn't work. I think maybe the motherboard is gone. Oh, there is a single red light on the motherboard that is on if that helps any. Thanks, Chris
He, I've got a similar problem with a G4 Cube Mobo. A red light goes on and that's it. HD is spinning, but no boot tone and no video. I realized that the mobo has been shorted out due to a damaged USB bus... Dead Mobo = Very Expensive Repair!
It's a pity, but I had to give the cube up...