What's wrong With my Wallstreet

[x13gamer]

If I can manage to get it to come on it will just all of a sudden kick off after some use. When it kicks off the fan and the green status light will come on and the fan sounds like the computer is ready to take off. if I reset the computer using Shift + command + Ctr. + power it all stops. If i un plug it it stops but when i try and turn it on i get no response. After i un plug it and try the Reset keys the fan and the light come back on. press them again the fan and light stop. Any ideas? Any help woul be gratly appreciated

 

[vraxtus]

Sounds like your logic board might be dying. I had issues with older Powerbooks, though not including my Wallstreet, but that had aged logic boards that would give me the green light status but then shortly turn off and not come on...

 

[x13gamer]

Sounds like your logic board might be dying. .

Is that A hard fix? If i got one off of Ebay?

 

[vraxtus]

Is that A hard fix? If i got one off of Ebay?

I've never replaced a logic board on any of the pre-TiBooks... and I'd imagine that it's either very securely stuck to the chassis or soldered in. I guess you love your WS as much as I did

 

[cblackburn]

Before giving in and assuming that it is a hardware fault there are two simple things you can try for free:-

1. Reset the PRAM, this is the Parameter RAM - it contains things like the date. Sometimes it can get confused. This is done by booting the computer whilst pressing Command + Option + P + R. Hold these keys down until you hear two bongs in succession. Apple does not reccomend doing this more than three times in succession.

2. Reset the Power Management Unit (PMU) - The PMU manages many things including FAN speed. It is reset by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Fn + Power whilst the machine is OFF. Press this only *ONCE*.

If the above fail to produce any results then you may well be looking at a logic board replacement, or realistically, a new powerbook.

Chris

 

[x13gamer]

Well, I tried booting and letting it sit had no problems, I even opend and closed windows. 30 minutes or so later went into the start updisk, and was going to boot from the hard drive. It dident freeze but it woudlent let me select anything thin the mouse. so i press SHift + fn + Ctrl and the power button. The Fan, and light then came and and did not go off till i pressed the combinatin of keys again. Once off I pressed that start button, no Response. Tried SHift + fn + Ctrl and the power button again. Fan and green light come on and stay on untill I unplug or i press the Reset combination again. power still will not be restored. THis is a reoccurring thing, Once the computer crashes the fan and light always comes on untill power is unpluged or the Reset combination is pressed. I some how manage to get it to come back after a while, i dont know how but it comes back. Any ideas yet?


On a side note i have reset the PRAM I dont know how many times, im pretty sure its not that.

and When i get it turned on i have reset the PMU and it still is crashing

 

[cblackburn]

In that case I have to say it's either a PRAM battery failure or a Locig board failure. Either way you're gonna have to open her up and that is moderatly major surgery.

Good Luck

Chris

 

[iMarcus]

Hello I had a similar problem with my wallstreet. Turned out the PRAM battery wasnt connected inside the machine, and as i dont have battery (constantly run off mains) the PMU was being corrupted every time I switched on/off, causing the symptoms you describe.

Appanently (read somewhere on net?) if the laptop battery dies and it hasn't been plugged in for a while the PRAM battery will go flat (causing the green light and fan noise) , but it can be recharged by leaving it plugged in with no battery for upto 48 hours. Once i'd reconnected the PRAM in mine it recharged over the course of a few days while the laptop was sleeping.

It is a bit of a 'long' job to get to the PRAM battery on a wallstreet, but follow the guide at http://www.ifixit.com and it shouldn't take you more than 45 mins with a steady hand and patience

Hope this helps, if not i'd go with the logicboard suggestion, or find another Powerbook

*edit*

When I had this problem, it took aprox 2 mins for the machine to kick in after the fan noise.

also I had regular 'lockups' when inserting pcmcia cards under 10.2.8 so did clean install of 10.3.9 using xpostfacto, but thats another story...

 

[faroukabad]

I have a Wallstreet that belongs to a friend that has that same problem. I bought a new external battery (not PRAM) for it, and he told me that I should put the new battery in while the machine is plugged in to save the Pram info. The Pram battery is pretty weak though, it can't keep the right time and date even when you turn it off and on without letting it sit. I dunno, is it safe to put the new external battery on it while it's plugged in? I guess I'll try leaving it on with the battery out to charge the Pram battery up again, he said he put a new one in it not too long ago.

 

[iMarcus]

I'd put the new battery in while the wallstreet is sleeping, save resetting the clock etc...

 

[faroukabad]

That sounds like the best idea, thanks, iMarcus!