[ajhess]

I'm pretty new to iBooks; just picked one (Dual USB, 600MHz) up on eBay. It doesn't work much, but that's a different story. But what it DOES do is charge - I think. Regarding on the little light ring on the plug: When not plugged in, it's dark; When plugged in, it's either orange or green, depending on how I wiggle the plug. I can get it to stay either one. But what do the colors mean? Does orange mean it's charging? Does green mean it's thru charging, or powering the iBook? I haven't the slightest idea. And I think I ought to know before I try to fix the logic board. All answers appreciated.

John

[SLiMeX]

green = full charge & running off of the power adapter
orange = charging
no color = not plugged in

[eeeaa]

Sounds like you might either have a problem with the plug, or the DC-In board (a little circuit board inside the case where the power cable meets the iBook). The good news is that, if it winds up being the DC-In board, you might be able to pick one up on eBay as part of a broken iBook (sold for parts) or somewhere else that sells Mac replacement parts. If it's the power supply and/or cable, that's easy enough to just buy, without any installation other than plugging the new one in.

Because you are saying that wiggling the connection gets it working, it sounds more like the DC-In board. For more information on replacing the DC-In board on your model (assuming you have the 12" G3 600MHz model), check out this link to a guide for replacing the that part.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/50.16.0.html

I should say, before signing off, that I have no idea if the problem is the DC-In board, but that would be my first guess, based on your description. You might also want to check to see if iFixIt (the makers of the guide reference above), sell the parts you need. They are a little pricey, but you can also find the parts elsewhere, if you look around.

[ajhess]

Many thanks for two QUICK replies! I'm most appreciative. When I plug the AC Adapter into a different iBook, it's continual green. So when I pull apart the first iBook, I'll pay close attention to the state of the DC-In board. I've seen them in various places for not too many bucks and if I can't fix the existing one, I'll get a new one. Many thanks again! John

[ccklone]

Originally Posted by SLiMeX

green = full charge & running off of the power adapter
orange = charging
no color = not plugged in

I am dealing with similiar issues re: amber/green led on power input. After nearly giving my ibook G4 for dead it has come back to life, in a way. The led indicator stays amber and if left alone, ie overnight the battery will take a partial charge (30%) But seems to discharge when booted up. Is this due to the same board others are mentioning here? And why if there is some charge getting through won't the system work straight from AC? thanks.

[SLiMeX]

Originally Posted by psfurlong356

I am dealing with similiar issues re: amber/green led on power input. After nearly giving my ibook G4 for dead it has come back to life, in a way. The led indicator stays amber and if left alone, ie overnight the battery will take a partial charge (30%) But seems to discharge when booted up. Is this due to the same board others are mentioning here? And why if there is some charge getting through won't the system work straight from AC? thanks.

It's a possibility. You probably should have it checked out by a technician to be safe. Not to mention your iBook is a zombie.

[ccklone]

Originally Posted by SLiMeX

It's a possibility. You probably should have it checked out by a technician to be safe. Not to mention your iBook is a zombie.

"Ghost in the Machine" comes to mind. Question: is the swap of a dc-in board the same on an Ibook G4 as for a G3 or is there a fix-it link specifically for a G4 swap? (I've found the PDF for the G3 swap) I'm determined to either fix the one I have or buy a G5...no more "seasoned" items off of Ebay for me!

thanks