Need help with PowerMac G5

[iceman45575]

Hello everyone!

A friend of mine gave me a working PowerMac G5 A1047 and when I took it home and pressed the power button I heard a loud pop sound and now the computer won't turn on at all.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[davisdelo]

Could be a blown power supply capacitor, did you notice a smell or any smoke?

 

[iceman45575]

Could be a blown power supply capacitor, did you notice a smell or any smoke?

I didn't smell or see anything...

 

[Appleuser201]

I didn't smell or see anything...

Do you hear anything or see any LED when you press the power button? (Start up bong, fans running) or is it completely dead and silent?

 

[1042686]

I own an a1047 DP2ghz pci who’s PSU died last year. I did not hear a pop, mine just started being squirrely on startup & then stopped altogether. From my laymen understanding, there’s a relay in the psu that clicks audibly when you plug the Mac in. If you don’t hear a click, the psu is most likely dead. This is how my psu ultimately presented. Conversely if it clicks after you hit the power button & then clicks again and powers down, that’s the relay sensing a problem & shutting down- again most likely due to a faulty psu.

I replaced mine with a used psu off eBay and this machine has been running rock solid (pretty much 24-7) in my garage since.

Best of luck to you.

 

[iceman45575]

Do you hear anything or see any LED when you press the power button? (Start up bong, fans running) or is it completely dead and silent?

Sorry didn't see this until now, and it still doesn't work. I remember the first time I tried turning it on there was a green LED that came on for about half a second until everything died.
[automerge]1587590186[/automerge]

I own an a1047 DP2ghz pci who’s PSU died last year. I did not hear a pop, mine just started being squirrely on startup & then stopped altogether. From my laymen understanding, there’s a relay in the psu that clicks audibly when you plug the Mac in. If you don’t hear a click, the psu is most likely dead. This is how my psu ultimately presented. Conversely if it clicks after you hit the power button & then clicks again and powers down, that’s the relay sensing a problem & shutting down- again most likely due to a faulty psu.

I replaced mine with a used psu off eBay and this machine has been running rock solid (pretty much 24-7) in my garage since.

Best of luck to you.

How difficult did the repair turn out? The hardest thing I've done was repair an iPhone screen lol.

 

[1042686]

Sorry didn't see this until now, and it still doesn't work. I remember the first time I tried turning it on there was a green LED that came on for about half a second until everything died.
[automerge]1587590186[/automerge]

How difficult did the repair turn out? The hardest thing I've done was repair an iPhone screen lol.

It's not bad but as in any endeavor, lots of planning and research is always great to give you a heads up in exactly what the process will look like and how you will achieve it. - Ifixit tutorials, youtube & powerbook medic videos are worth their weight in gold to any first-time break downs. Anyhow, to do the job, you need to remove the CPU and heatsinks, then you can tackle the PSU. There is plenty of handy DIY step-by-step videos and ifixit literature on removing the CPUs and PSU. Just give yourself PLENTY of space (on top of a big table is perfect) and plan how you will take your parts out and where your parts will go and their screws. I like to use a ice cube tray to hold my screws but if you are worried about losing them, a $5 magnetic bowl from harbor freight is a cheap tool that will keep all your bits in one place. For the heatsinks and cpu, you will need a few special screwdrivers, so pay attention to the tool recommendations on the ifixit guides because without them, you'll get stuck half way through the job and shopping for tools isnt exactly easy with all the covid19 lockdown BS going on, so again be sure that you know exactly what tools you'll need and if you dont have them, buy some off ebay or whatever and have them shipped to your door before you start the job.

Consider that if you take the time to remove the cpus, that you also remove the logic board (again plenty of videos and step by step lit online for this task) using this opportunity to clean and repaste both the CPUs and the Northbridge chip on the back side of the logic board. These things are 10+ years old now and these PMG5s get HOT, so replacing that old nasty thermal grease is a great thing to do and a fun project. It took me about an hour to teardown, clean, repast and reassemble my a1047 but wow what a fun project as it really gets you intimate knowledge and understanding of the guts & engineering behind your powermac.

Best of luck to you.

 

[iceman45575]

Thank you!