Dead Pismo Help

[Eidorian]

Many moons ago I learned that my Windows only work had an old Mac laptop from an old director. I dug into it and found out it was a Pismo G3 400. I took it home for the night and installed Mac OS X 10.1 onto and was happily browsing.

I got a little adventurous and wanted to see how to upgrade it. I pulled out the manuals that came with the Pismo (I was surprised all of it was kept) and open it up slowly.

I wanted to check out the lower memory slot but forgot to take the LAST screw off of the heatsink itself. The pull tab came off and I freaked out. I eventually found that last screw and took it out and explored the insides. I put everything back together and tried to boot it up again.

I've been unable to get ANYTHING out of it. At first I thought I hadn't reset the processor card back on properly but it hasn't fixed anything.

It won't power up from the AC adapter or the battery that I fully charged months ago when I had it working.

I'd love to get this laptop up and running again. It was working just fine until I decided to look inside.

My job also decided to give it to my for free since they have no use for it.

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

Hmmm.. that's odd. Are you absolutely sure you have the processor card seated correctly? Maybe a bad stick of RAM?

Gosh, the only thing I can think of is a bad logic bard.

 

[Eidorian]

I've tried using either both or one stick of RAM in it. I'll try again.

 

[Eidorian]

No luck with the RAM. Although I noticed one strange thing. The battery I had fully charged was still showing a 50% charge. I took it home and walked it through the cold outside. When I opened it up and the battery no longer lit up and the interior was warm.

 

[TLRedhawke]

The primary reason why a G3 Powerbook will not boot, in my experience, is a dead PRAM battery. Just lift up the keyboard, and unplug the battery. It sits just under the palm rest on the right side. There's a little lead to the logic board there as well. Just unhook that from the board, and try to boot her up again.

It might have something to do with the processor, but check out the PRAM battery first. It can go without any warning whatsoever. It just means it won't keep the right time anymore. If you really want to get rid of the error message about the time, a new battery can be obtained for about $10.

 

[Eidorian]

So I can boot without it? I was thinking about the battery but I didn't know if I could boot without it. Still, I think there might be a short somewhere since the battery discharged itself.

 

[TLRedhawke]

You can boot without the PRAM battery without issue. As for the discharge on the normal battery, that's not unusual. Based on age, the battery probably holds very little charge, so any minor discharge can drop it that low. It's not likely to be a short from the battery. You'd need a lot more visibly wrong with the machine for that to happen.

 

[Eidorian]

I got no luck from the PRAM battery. I put the battery back in to see if it would charge from AC. The battery light started blinking. I was in a rush so I couldn't read the manual. It's at home plugged into the AC and I think it's charging. So I think that it's still getting power through the AC adapter it's just not powering on.

 

[TLRedhawke]

If the battery is charging, but the computer isn't booting (with or without the PRAM battery plugged in), then it's either the processor or the logic board. In either case, it's not going to be a particularly fun repair. It's not much worth buying the parts for them. If you feel like offloading the remainder of it, however, I could probably give you something for it. Due to a few projects I've been undertaking over the past year or two, I've accumulated a whole pile of Pismo parts (I probably have 1.5 Pismos total in parts), and could thus make use of a less than fully working Pismo. Processors and logic boards tend to go for at least $100 a piece, and a full working machine only sells for $200-400 depending on specs.

 

[Eidorian]

Yeah I ended up with a fully charged battery. I think I'll just sell it for parts then. If anyone wants it.

I have the original OS discs and Mac OS X 10.1. On the hardware side I have a decent battery, a dead one, the DVD-ROM, and a Zip 250 Drive. Well that and the computer itself.

I love the Pismo but this machine just breaks my heart so I want to part with it.

 

[xsedrinam]

Another angle, which I didn't notice was mentioned. If you went in to that second RAM slot and took out the RAM module, especially with the pismos, be absolutely certain the RAM module snaps back down when seated. It takes an unusual amount of pressure to properly seat it and has caused many a pismo owner to repeat or redo the process. Just another thought. Meh, too little too late.

 

[Eidorian]

Yeah, I love the Pismo but a new Intel Mac laptop or iPod sounds a lot more pleasing to me. Thanks for all the help. I might buy a working Pismo off one of my professors. She's still very attached to it though. That and her PowerBook 145.

 

[TLRedhawke]

If you're going to part out the system, you'll get a lot more money per part if you can guarantee that it works, as opposed to "as is". So, you may want to test the processor card in your friend's Pismo to isolate the issue.

 

[umrdad]

you're not screwed

had same thing happen when upgraded RAM in this pismo you probably don't have the daughtercard seated all the way . . . . .yeah yeah. . . .i was syre mine was too phone call to tech service read forums like this one . . . .you have to push the daughter card down HARD i mean like way past what you feel comfortable with . . .i swear i saw mine bending before it snapped in you must hear the click/snap or it ain't seated or if you're convinced its f'd what do you want for it?

 

[Eidorian]

Meh, I'd be happy with $200.

Specifications
PowerBook G3 Pismo 400 Mhz
6 GB Hard Drive
192 MB of RAM
14.1" LCD (In Working Condition)
Includes original OS 9.04 CD and OS X 10.1
1 Working Battery
Zip 250 MB Drive
DVD-ROM
Power Supply
OS X and PowerBook G3 Manuals

If it was working I could get around $350-400 for it. Now it's parts, but a lot of good parts.

I don't remember hearing anything snap but the processor board is more than likely what's shot. $129 for a new one off of PBFixit but I'm not confident enough to try it.

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

Meh, I'd be happy with $200.

Specifications
PowerBook G3 Pismo 400 Mhz
6 GB Hard Drive
192 MB of RAM
14.1" LCD (In Working Condition)
Includes original OS 9.04 CD and OS X 10.1
1 Working Battery
Zip 250 MB Drive
DVD-ROM
Power Supply
OS X and PowerBook G3 Manuals

If it was working I could get around $350-400 for it. Now it's parts, but a lot of good parts.

I don't remember hearing anything snap but the processor board is more than likely what's shot. $129 for a new one off of PBFixit but I'm not confident enough to try it.

Ah, that sucks. I'm sure you'd be able to install it just fine! There are advanced guides on PBFixit's site.

 

[Eidorian]

Ah, that sucks. I'm sure you'd be able to install it just fine! There are advanced guides on PBFixit's site.

I know how to install it. For me it's not worth the investment though. I'd rather get money toward and iPod or a new iBook.

 

[umrdad]

not removing 1 screw from heat sink wouldn't have killed processor i know you're confident (so was i) that the daughtercard is seated in there but then again $200 is good deal if you're a bit of a gambler (why do i always find deals right after the tuition bill comes in?) anyway PM me maybe we can work something out . . . like end of the month?. . . . let me know

another possibility that tech service told me about is for some reason pismos can hold some kind of charge internally disconnect a/c power pull battery and let it sit sometimes as long as 2 hrs then try to power up

here's 1 for you winders bashers son had to take this pismo to the UMR IT Dept. to register it for wireless the IT dude started in on hadn't seen one of these antiques in years yada, yada, yada, then noticed it had 1G RAM, OS X 10.4, and other goodies . . . offered to trade his new IBM laptop for it needless to say deal didn't happen in fact wasn't even considered

 

[Eidorian]

The end of the month is just fine for me. I was pulling on the processor tab and it actually came off. I stuck it back on after I got that last screw off the heatsink. It still won't boot after all of my tampering. Will it even power up without the processor? If it powered up and beeped at me then I could isolate the issue. I've already tried powering on without the process and no luck so I was curious.

Yeah, if it was a working Pismo I get a 802.11g PC card and crank the RAM up to at least 640. 512 + the 128 MB card already in it. A bigger hard drive and a fresh install of Tiger and I have some laptop love until I can get an Intel iBook.

I have a Spanish professor with a working Pismo. The only issue I encountered was that the button on the trackpad doesn't click but it still registers that you clicked. You just can't feel it. Target Disk mode onto her Power Mac G5 and she had all her files from it.