• Please help with a dying iMac G5

    From paulfuchs@paulfuchs@porkain'tkosher.oink (Paul Fuchs) to comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.hardware.misc on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 11:30:31
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

    I bought an iMac G5 1.8 Gh 20 " in January 2005 and it has behaved
    flawlessly up until yesterday. I live on St. John, US Virgin Islands,
    and I didn't buy the extended warranty when I bought the computer
    because the only authorized repair site on St. Thomas (there are none on
    St. John) does not have the greatest reputation. By the time I decided/remembered that I had better buy it, I was a couple of weeks out
    of warranty.

    Yesterday, it turned itself off by itself. When I tried to reboot it,
    it made it to the log in screen, and then shut itself down. I waited
    about 10 minutes, thinking that it had somehow become over heated, which
    had never happened before, even on much hotter days, and the temperature
    was pretty average for here at the time, and tried to boot it off a
    Panther 10.3.8 partition on an external FW drive. (The internal is
    running 10.4.6) Same deal. Waited an hour, and booted it off the
    Hardware Diagnostic disk. Amazingly it lasted about 14 minutes, enough
    time to complete the fast check, and then turned itself off. It passed everything. This was at least four times longer before power down than
    any other attempt.

    I took the back off of it. When I started it up both fans where
    running. I was kind of hoping that it was clogged with dust, but it was
    clean as a whistle. Removing the back didn't seem to extend the time
    until power down. The G5 compartment didn't not feel extremely hot to
    the touch.

    When it turns itself off, it just emits a loud click that may come out
    of the speaker, and that's it. It will always reboot afterward, but
    normally will shut itself down within two minutes. On the occasions
    that it has powered up longer, it has functioned without a glitch until
    power down.

    I reset the PRAM and tried to reset the PMU which Apple apparently
    refers to as the SMU now. I tried to do this by unplugging it for a few minutes, then holding down the power button for 30 seconds after I plug
    it back in. Is this correct?

    I went on the Apple web site, and saw that there is a "iMac G5 Repair
    Extension Program for Video and Power Issues." My machine lies within
    the serial number spread. I called Apple SOS up this morning, but the
    support person said that the symptoms don't sound like they qualify.
    Apple describes the symptoms as one of the following:

    Scrambled or distorted video

    No video

    No power

    I guess, I am asking for help in two areas. Is anyone else familiar
    with this problem or had it? How to repair it? Suggestions?
    Relationship to Repair Extension . What does Apple repair in the
    extension?

    I am panicked knowing what Apple con charge for repairs. Even a machine
    this new might not be worth the price tag.

    Please help.

    Thanks in advance
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  • From Howard S Shubs@howard@shubs.net to comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.hardware.misc on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 12:41:56
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

    In article <1hdzmke.j5thkk1top67wN%paulfuchs@porkain'tkosher.oink>,
    paulfuchs@porkain'tkosher.oink (Paul Fuchs) wrote:

    No power

    "No power" is what you're seeing. After so much time, the power supply
    quits. Try them again.

    --
    We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams,
    Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams.
    from "Ode", Arthur O'Shaughnessy
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  • From Daniel E. Sabath@dsabath@mac.com to comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.hardware.misc on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 11:05:25
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

    In article <1hdzmke.j5thkk1top67wN%paulfuchs@porkain'tkosher.oink>,
    paulfuchs@porkain'tkosher.oink (Paul Fuchs) wrote:

    I guess, I am asking for help in two areas. Is anyone else familiar
    with this problem or had it? How to repair it? Suggestions?
    Relationship to Repair Extension . What does Apple repair in the
    extension?

    I had similar symptoms from an iMac G5 purchased in June 2005. Luckily
    for me, it was still under warranty, and the local Apple store fixed it
    same day after replacing the power supply and logic board (I don't know
    which was bad). Sorry I have no better news for you.

    Dan

    --
    Daniel E. Sabath, M.D., Ph.D.
    UW Department of Laboratory Medicine
    http://www.labmed.washington.edu
    --- Synchronet 3.18b-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
  • From Dave Stanton@me@privacy.net to comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.hardware.misc on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 21:03:20
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system


    the local Apple store fixed it
    same day after replacing the power supply and logic board (I don't know which was bad).

    Sounds like they did'nt either!!!

    Dave

    --- Synchronet 3.18b-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
  • From matt@matt@tidbits.com (matt neuburg) to comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.hardware.misc on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 21:48:39
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

    Paul Fuchs <paulfuchs@porkain'tkosher.oink> wrote:

    My machine lies within
    the serial number spread. I called Apple SOS up this morning, but the support person said that the symptoms don't sound like they qualify

    Nevertheless this *is* a machine that falls under the repair program and
    these machines *are* famous for problems along these lines, so I would
    have a go at trying to get Apple to honor the warranty. m.


    --
    matt neuburg, phd = matt@tidbits.com, http://www.tidbits.com/matt/
    Tiger - http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/tiger-customizing.html
    AppleScript - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596102119
    Read TidBITS! It's free and smart. http://www.tidbits.com
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  • From mike@mike@POSTTOGROUP.invalid (Mike Rosenberg) to comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.hardware.misc on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 18:02:54
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

    Paul Fuchs <paulfuchs@porkain'tkosher.oink> wrote:

    I guess, I am asking for help in two areas. Is anyone else familiar
    with this problem or had it? How to repair it? Suggestions?
    Relationship to Repair Extension . What does Apple repair in the
    extension?

    I've come across this quite a few times, and the person you spoke to
    must have been on drugs, because it's exactly the type of problem that's covered under the Repair Extension program.

    --
    Mike Rosenberg
    <http://www.macconsult.com> Macintosh consulting services for NE Florida <http://www.cafepress.com/macconsult,macconsult4> Mac-themed T-shirts <http://bogart-tribute.net> Tribute to Humphrey Bogart
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  • From zara@zspook@aol.com to comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.hardware.misc on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 18:37:36
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system


    "Paul Fuchs" <paulfuchs@porkain'tkosher.oink> wrote in message news:1hdzmke.j5thkk1top67wN%paulfuchs@porkain'tkosher.oink...
    I bought an iMac G5 1.8 Gh 20 " in January 2005 and it has behaved
    flawlessly up until yesterday. I live on St. John, US Virgin Islands,
    and I didn't buy the extended warranty when I bought the computer
    because the only authorized repair site on St. Thomas (there are none on
    St. John) does not have the greatest reputation. By the time I decided/remembered that I had better buy it, I was a couple of weeks out
    of warranty.

    Yesterday, it turned itself off by itself. When I tried to reboot it,
    it made it to the log in screen, and then shut itself down. I waited
    about 10 minutes, thinking that it had somehow become over heated, which
    had never happened before, even on much hotter days, and the temperature
    was pretty average for here at the time, and tried to boot it off a
    Panther 10.3.8 partition on an external FW drive. (The internal is
    running 10.4.6) Same deal. Waited an hour, and booted it off the
    Hardware Diagnostic disk. Amazingly it lasted about 14 minutes, enough
    time to complete the fast check, and then turned itself off. It passed everything. This was at least four times longer before power down than
    any other attempt.

    I took the back off of it. When I started it up both fans where
    running. I was kind of hoping that it was clogged with dust, but it was clean as a whistle. Removing the back didn't seem to extend the time
    until power down. The G5 compartment didn't not feel extremely hot to
    the touch.

    When it turns itself off, it just emits a loud click that may come out
    of the speaker, and that's it. It will always reboot afterward, but
    normally will shut itself down within two minutes. On the occasions
    that it has powered up longer, it has functioned without a glitch until
    power down.

    I reset the PRAM and tried to reset the PMU which Apple apparently
    refers to as the SMU now. I tried to do this by unplugging it for a few minutes, then holding down the power button for 30 seconds after I plug
    it back in. Is this correct?

    I went on the Apple web site, and saw that there is a "iMac G5 Repair Extension Program for Video and Power Issues." My machine lies within
    the serial number spread. I called Apple SOS up this morning, but the support person said that the symptoms don't sound like they qualify.
    Apple describes the symptoms as one of the following:

    Scrambled or distorted video

    No video

    No power

    I guess, I am asking for help in two areas. Is anyone else familiar
    with this problem or had it? How to repair it? Suggestions?
    Relationship to Repair Extension . What does Apple repair in the
    extension?

    I am panicked knowing what Apple con charge for repairs. Even a machine
    this new might not be worth the price tag.

    Please help.

    Thanks in advance

    The people who are up on this are on the NG comp.sys.mac.advocacy

    Give that group a try


    --- Synchronet 3.18b-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
  • From Stephen Henning@pighash@aol.com to comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.hardware.misc on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 07:39:57
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

    "zara" <zspook@aol.com> wrote:

    I guess, I am asking for help in two areas. Is anyone else familiar
    with this problem or had it? How to repair it? Suggestions?
    Relationship to Repair Extension . What does Apple repair in the extension?

    I had a problem with my iMac G5 20". I called Apple, they talked me
    through the trouble shooting, and then sent me the part. This iMac is
    made with a modular design and is user repairable.

    Support including troubleshooting is at: http://www.apple.com/support/imac/g5/
    They have a do it yourself trouble shooting assistant on this page. One
    of the problems is my computer works for a while and then crashes or
    freezes. They has a chain of events there that sounds like your problem.

    The 120 page manual is at: http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iMac_G5_User's_Manual_.pdf

    Some parts have an extended warranty due to a manufacturing problem.
    More information on this is at: http://www.apple.com/support/imac/repairextensionprogram/

    The iMac G5 Repair Extension Program for Video and Power Issues applies
    to first generation iMac G5 computers that have video or power-related
    issues as a result of a specific component failure. If your iMac G5 is exhibiting any of the symptoms listed below and your computer's serial
    number is within the noted ranges, your computer may be eligible for
    repair, free of charge. If Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) determines that your iMac G5 computer is eligible as part of the program, the repair will be covered by Apple for up to two years from
    the original date of purchase even if your iMac G5 is out of warranty.
    This is a worldwide Apple program.
    Affected systems will exhibit one of the following video- or
    power-related symptoms:
    € Scrambled or distorted video
    € No video
    € No power

    The affected iMac G5 computers have serial numbers where the first 5
    digits fall into the ranges noted below.

    Serial Number ranges:
    € W8435xxxxxx - W8522xxxxxx
    € QP435xxxxxx - QP522xxxxxx
    € CK435xxxxxx - CK522xxxxxx
    € YD435xxxxxx - YD522xxxxxx

    Some second generation iMac G5 computers have serial numbers that fall
    within the upper band of the ranges listed below. Only first generation
    iMac G5 computers are affected by this program.
    Where do I find the serial number of my iMac G5?
    The 11-digit serial number is located on a label under the foot of the
    iMac G5. There is a bar code underneath the serial number. To view the
    label, hold the sides of the iMac and gently lay the computer face down
    on a soft, clean towel or cloth.

    --
    Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to rhodyman@earthlink.net
    Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA
    http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman
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  • From paulfuchs@paulfuchs@porkain'tkosher.oink (Paul Fuchs) to comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.hardware.misc on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 09:53:29
    From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

    Stephen Henning <pighash@aol.com> wrote:

    "zara" <zspook@aol.com> wrote:

    I guess, I am asking for help in two areas. Is anyone else familiar
    with this problem or had it? How to repair it? Suggestions? Relationship to Repair Extension . What does Apple repair in the extension?

    I had a problem with my iMac G5 20". I called Apple, they talked me
    through the trouble shooting, and then sent me the part. This iMac is
    made with a modular design and is user repairable.

    Support including troubleshooting is at: http://www.apple.com/support/imac/g5/
    They have a do it yourself trouble shooting assistant on this page. One
    of the problems is my computer works for a while and then crashes or freezes. They has a chain of events there that sounds like your problem.

    The 120 page manual is at: http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iMac_G5_User's_Manual_.pdf

    Some parts have an extended warranty due to a manufacturing problem.
    More information on this is at: http://www.apple.com/support/imac/repairextensionprogram/

    The iMac G5 Repair Extension Program for Video and Power Issues applies
    to first generation iMac G5 computers that have video or power-related
    issues as a result of a specific component failure. If your iMac G5 is exhibiting any of the symptoms listed below and your computer's serial
    number is within the noted ranges, your computer may be eligible for
    repair, free of charge. If Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) determines that your iMac G5 computer is eligible as part of the program, the repair will be covered by Apple for up to two years from
    the original date of purchase even if your iMac G5 is out of warranty.
    This is a worldwide Apple program.
    Affected systems will exhibit one of the following video- or
    power-related symptoms:
    • Scrambled or distorted video
    • No video
    • No power

    The affected iMac G5 computers have serial numbers where the first 5
    digits fall into the ranges noted below.

    Serial Number ranges:
    • W8435xxxxxx - W8522xxxxxx
    • QP435xxxxxx - QP522xxxxxx
    • CK435xxxxxx - CK522xxxxxx
    • YD435xxxxxx - YD522xxxxxx

    Some second generation iMac G5 computers have serial numbers that fall
    within the upper band of the ranges listed below. Only first generation
    iMac G5 computers are affected by this program.
    Where do I find the serial number of my iMac G5?
    The 11-digit serial number is located on a label under the foot of the
    iMac G5. There is a bar code underneath the serial number. To view the
    label, hold the sides of the iMac and gently lay the computer face down
    on a soft, clean towel or cloth.

    Thanks, Stephen, and everyone else who is responding. I am finding the responses quite usefult. Paul
    --- Synchronet 3.18b-Win32 NewsLink 1.113