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JoloMac14 · Jan 31, 2006, 12:15 PM

I think I have a dead Pismo Powerbook.....can anyone help? The power adapter does not power the machine anymore. I know the power adapter does work, I tried it on a friend's old iBook Clamsell. Are there any known problems with the internal power supply connection? Or is there any way to fix it, is it even worth it?

chefpastry · Jan 31, 2006, 01:48 PM

Try unplugging the internal battery which is located underneath the keyboard (approx. in the facinity of the Space Bar and Enter key). Then try powering up with the internal battery disconnected.

tooki · Feb 1, 2006, 12:16 PM

Or, instead of doing that, just remove the battery pack and AC adapter and press the Reset button (marked with a triangle symbol, right next to the modem jack) for 5 seconds (do not hold it down longer than 20 seconds, and do not press it more than once!) to reset the PMU.

tooki

phuture · Feb 6, 2006, 05:38 AM

The a/c port's connections may have worked loose, unfortunately it is not an easy repair. Screen, top case, and possibly the metal frame removal is required. If the port jiggles even just a little, it is suspect. You probably gotta replace the sound card, the part the port is attached to.

If the Pismo has been sitting for a while, it may not start if both the main and PRAM batteries are drained. Apple suggests unplugging the main battery and plugging in the adapter. This will charge only the PRAM battery. They say if the main battery is plugged in it could take up to 48 hours to give the PRAM battery a full charge.

Or, it could be a dead logic board, it happens. To test if this is suspect, unplug the battery and adapter, then plug it back in and press the power button. Immediately press the caps lock and number lock keys to see if they light up. If they do, it is possible that the logic board may be dead. hope it helps, good luck.

Ian_Bullock · Feb 6, 2006, 03:53 PM

Did you do anything to the powerbook before it started doing this? Have you ever had it working? I had the same thing when I put new ram in my pismo - turns out I'd not put the daughtercard back in its slot properly.
Ian

SSharon · Feb 7, 2006, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by phuture

The a/c port's connections may have worked loose, unfortunately it is not an easy repair. Screen, top case, and possibly the metal frame removal is required. If the port jiggles even just a little, it is suspect. You probably gotta replace the sound card, the part the port is attached to.

I've seen this before and if it the case it might not be that bad. The pismo is pretty easy to open and although you need to remove a lot of parts I managed to take apart a wallstreet in under 15 minutes on my first try. If the audio/AC card isn't fried (mine was) you may even be able to resolder it since it's only 3 points and they are on the surface. You do not want to have to buy a new one since the last time I looked (2-3 months ago) these cards were going for up to $100.

Ian_Bullock · Feb 7, 2006, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by SSharon

I managed to take apart a wallstreet in under 15 minutes on my first try.

It's very easy to take something apart quickly.... but you didn't mention how long it took you to put it back together again...

tigas · Feb 7, 2006, 07:19 PM

Putting it back together?No time at all, if you have the instructions. There are mainly just 2 kinds of screws, and it's easier to refit the top part to the bottom than to separate them.

quesera · Feb 17, 2006, 10:51 PM

I tried reviving my Pismo this morning to use as a classroom machine. I'm ashamed to say it had been sitting in my garage since last June. Prior to that it worked fine except for the dead DVD drive and quick draining battery. I'm crossing my fingers that a longer charge might help revive a faithful old friend.

Murker · Feb 27, 2006, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by SSharon

If the audio/AC card isn't fried (mine was) you may even be able to resolder it since it's only 3 points and they are on the surface. You do not want to have to buy a new one since the last time I looked (2-3 months ago) these cards were going for up to $100.

I have a Pismo and a Lombard. I use these two antiques as "casual" wireless computers around the house. My wife uses a G4 laptop and I have G5 desktop.

The one with Firewire (I think its the Pismo) suddenly decided to stop charging the last battery that works (between the two old laptops). The third party replacement adapter, a few months old, doesn't power it either. I tried the PRAM reset to no avail and the connector wobbles the slightest fraction of an inch. So I assume thats the problem. I replaced the hard disk and upgraded the RAM a long time ago so I have taken the thing apart--but it's been awhile.

The Lombard (the one without Firewire) works fine, even runs Tiger, which I thought was not supported, but the audio jack no longer works with external speakers/headphones and the internal speakers don't work.

So I assume:

the Pismo needs to be taken apart to see if the audio/AC card needs a solder.

the Lombard may need a whole new audio/AC card. Is it possible it just needs a solder also?

Does anyone know how interchangeable the parts are between these two? I'd rather have the Firewire laptop survive if I were to cannibalize one of them, but if the problem is the same for both, it may not make any sense.

Murker

phuture · 05:45 AM

Originally Posted by Murker

Does anyone know how interchangeable the parts are between these two? I'd rather have the Firewire laptop survive if I were to cannibalize one of them, but if the problem is the same for both, it may not make any sense.

Murker

Why don't you just save both of them? Both of em, especially the Pismo are still very useful machines and it sounds as if you enjoy getting good use out of both of them

p.s. I can tell u, resoldering is temporary at best. If you do resolder, I recommend just leaving the plug in and never taking it out, and not moving the laptop around. If I can remember, the a/c port's pins weren't just surface soldered to the sound board, they actually went through it and that's really how it is anchored to the board. The solder doesn't give way, what happens is that these pins break. Soldering reestablishes the current pathway but it does nothing to make the port solid again. So yeah, the solder fix essentially renders your laptop an extremely thin, good-looking desktop unit.

romeosc · Feb 28, 2006, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by phuture

Why don't you just save both of them? Both of em, especially the Pismo are still very useful machines and it sounds as if you enjoy getting good use out of both of them

p.s. I can tell u, resoldering is temporary at best. If you do resolder, I recommend just leaving the plug in and never taking it out, and not moving the laptop around. If I can remember, the a/c port's pins weren't just surface soldered to the sound board, they actually went through it and that's really how it is anchored to the board. The solder doesn't give way, what happens is that these pins break. Soldering reestablishes the current pathway but it does nothing to make the port solid again. So yeah, the solder fix essentially renders your laptop an extremely thin, good-looking desktop unit.

If the soldering works unplug unit and use a hotmelt glue gun to reinforce the mecanical connect.
It works to keep the wiggle from working the joints loose.

Murker · Feb 28, 2006, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by romeosc

If the soldering works unplug unit and use a hotmelt glue gun to reinforce the mecanical connect. It works to keep the wiggle from working the joints loose.

Are you saying to put glue around the connector AFTER soldering and AFTER putting the laptop back together? Stating "unplug the unit" throws me off. Why would you have the unit plugged when its in pieces? To test it?

The power adapter plug has to fit into the connector snugly so I assume you mean gluing the connector when the laptop is disassembled. If so, where do you put the glue?

Thanks,

Murker

quesera · Mar 1, 2006, 12:26 AM

Pismo came back to life after a day or so plugged in without the battery and then with. After startup it seemed to be fine. Now I see that lovely green sleep pulse and it makes me quite happy. We'll see how it works out as an additional word processor/project computer in my classroom.

tigas · Mar 1, 2006, 03:53 AM

Congratulations! Another blackMac saved from the knackerman!

phuture · Mar 1, 2006, 10:14 AM

YAY!!! So it was just a case of the PRAM and main batteries going dead! My Pismo had the same problem when I bought it in 2003 -- it was bought new in 2000 and then put in mothballs by the original owner in 2001. So it was in storage for two years and when I bought it, for all appearances it seemed dead. Charging up the PRAM, then the main battery separately brought it back to life.

But a "word processor?" C'mon quesera, give your Pismo more credit than that! Mine is still doing photo retouching and the occasional 3D rendering! Remember bro, you own the greatest laptop ever built. You own a Pismo.

Murker · Mar 1, 2006, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by Murker

The power adapter plug has to fit into the connector snugly so I assume you mean gluing the connector when the laptop is disassembled. If so, where do you put the glue?

I went out to iFixit.com (great site, BTW) to look at diagrams to disassemble the powerbooks. Looked like it would take way too much time -- someone earlier in this thread said 15 minutes to take apart a wallstreet but 21 pages of instructions for the Pismo sound card gave me pause...

So I simply sold both the old suckers for parts to iFixit. Amazon had a $150 rebate on new 12" G4s and I had a $50 Amazon gift certificate so, with the additional money from the old powerbooks, I got a decent deal on a new machine. No sales tax, free shipping. Apple had a refurbished one for less, but with sales tax it came out the same.

I also considered upgrading to one of the MacBook Pro's but after reading user reviews of both the 12" G4 and the new Intel machines, for my requirements, the G4 won hands down. If the Intels could also run Windows out of the box I'd bite the bullet and buy one, but there were enough gotchas in the reviews to give me pause. My wife has a 15" G4 and loves it and we can share a number of common extras like batts and adapters.

Murker

SSharon · Mar 1, 2006, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by Murker

I went out to iFixit.com (great site, BTW) to look at diagrams to disassemble the powerbooks. Looked like it would take way too much time -- someone earlier in this thread said 15 minutes to take apart a wallstreet but 21 pages of instructions for the Pismo sound card gave me pause...

I was serious, it is much easier than the many page document would have you think. Putting it back together wasn't hard either if you have the right tools.

romeosc · Mar 1, 2006, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by Murker

Are you saying to put glue around the connector AFTER soldering and AFTER putting the laptop back together? Stating "unplug the unit" throws me off. Why would you have the unit plugged when its in pieces? To test it?

The power adapter plug has to fit into the connector snugly so I assume you mean gluing the connector when the laptop is disassembled. If so, where do you put the glue?

Thanks,

Murker

I always plug in before reasembly to verify good solder connections. then shut down unplug and glue. That beats finding out a cold solder joint and having to melt glue, etc....

romeosc · Mar 1, 2006, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by Murker

Are you saying to put glue around the connector AFTER soldering and AFTER putting the laptop back together? Stating "unplug the unit" throws me off. Why would you have the unit plugged when its in pieces? To test it?

The power adapter plug has to fit into the connector snugly so I assume you mean gluing the connector when the laptop is disassembled. If so, where do you put the glue?

Thanks,

Murker

I always plug in before reasembly to verify good solder connections. then shut down unplug and glue. That beats finding out a cold solder joint and having to melt glue, etc....