[deepdog]

Hi,

Sorry to be brininging up an old topic again but I just got my 1 Ghz Ti-Book a month ago. It was working fine for the first two weeks, and then started to stop charging. The funny thing was that it would charge only if my screen was open and the plug was pushed in gently and at certain angles etc etc. I took it to the local Apple rep as it was still under warranty. They told me that I needed a new motherboard power connector etc. etc. As I live part time in the U.A.E. and this is where I took the laptop to the Apple dealer they said it would take 4 weeks to get the parts and then they would see about fixing it.

Well, yeah I knew they were wrong, not an electronics engineer, but they did teach me some back when I took my Computer Sci degree in Boulder. So I went home took off the back and started prying around the power connector. Turns out, when I push the front plate (the one you rest your palms on while typing) the thing starts charging normally. Looked around and discovered that the front plate and the power connector are supposed kept separate and there's a little piece of black insulator that ensures this is so. In my case, the case was touching the outer part of the power connector and the insulation had come off and so there was direct contact between the two. If this contact was eliminated the power book charged properly. I corrected the problem with a small piece of plastic appropriately placed.

Now here's what I also discovered, when the power supply is plugged in and working, there is a faint electrical disharge I feel on my hands when passing them lightly over the book cover when closed. I don't get this when the power is disconnected. This leads me to believe that the outer case of my book has some voltage other than neutral running through it. I don't have a voltmeter to check this out. Furthermore, I would have thought that the outer part of the connector of the power supply would be conducting earth and so touching it to the case would make no difference. (Yeah, I know there's no real earth on the power connector as it has only two connections on the power input to the mini-transformer that provides power). However, I don't expect the computer to carrying any discernible voltage on it's outer case. Plus I really don't get why this happened. Pls let me know if any of you know the answer to this or can figure it out. Also if you have a voltmeter handy let me know if your pb ccse is carrying other than earth voltage.

For those who want to tell me , bitch like hell to Apple, I will when I'm back in the States, here in the U.A.E. they just couldn't care less.

Thanks For any help,

Deepdog

[Mac-iek]

Hi deepdog,

It will not help, but you will not feel alone....:
http://discussions.info.apple.com/[email protected]

Degards from Das Island,
Mac-iek

[cgreer00]

Originally posted by deepdog:
Hi,

Sorry to be brininging up an old topic again but I just got my 1 Ghz Ti-Book a month ago. It was working fine for the first two weeks, and then started to stop charging. The funny thing was that it would charge only if my screen was open and the plug was pushed in gently and at certain angles etc etc. I took it to the local Apple rep as it was still under warranty. They told me that I needed a new motherboard power connector etc. etc. As I live part time in the U.A.E. and this is where I took the laptop to the Apple dealer they said it would take 4 weeks to get the parts and then they would see about fixing it.

Well, yeah I knew they were wrong, not an electronics engineer, but they did teach me some back when I took my Computer Sci degree in Boulder. So I went home took off the back and started prying around the power connector. Turns out, when I push the front plate (the one you rest your palms on while typing) the thing starts charging normally. Looked around and discovered that the front plate and the power connector are supposed kept separate and there's a little piece of black insulator that ensures this is so. In my case, the case was touching the outer part of the power connector and the insulation had come off and so there was direct contact between the two. If this contact was eliminated the power book charged properly. I corrected the problem with a small piece of plastic appropriately placed.

Now here's what I also discovered, when the power supply is plugged in and working, there is a faint electrical disharge I feel on my hands when passing them lightly over the book cover when closed. I don't get this when the power is disconnected. This leads me to believe that the outer case of my book has some voltage other than neutral running through it. I don't have a voltmeter to check this out. Furthermore, I would have thought that the outer part of the connector of the power supply would be conducting earth and so touching it to the case would make no difference. (Yeah, I know there's no real earth on the power connector as it has only two connections on the power input to the mini-transformer that provides power). However, I don't expect the computer to carrying any discernible voltage on it's outer case. Plus I really don't get why this happened. Pls let me know if any of you know the answer to this or can figure it out. Also if you have a voltmeter handy let me know if your pb ccse is carrying other than earth voltage.

For those who want to tell me , bitch like hell to Apple, I will when I'm back in the States, here in the U.A.E. they just couldn't care less.

Thanks For any help,

Deepdog

Hmm, interesting. I have a new 1ghz Tibook and I have not noticed any tingling or shock (except for static shocks after being outside in the cold.) However, my powercord is loose in the back of the computer. I ended up having to bend the connector in the middle so it would insert at an angle and create a more solid connection. Before the cord would move and the weight would pull the plug a bit, cutting the power on and off. An annoyance, but I can't give up my computer to Apple right now so I can live with it. Love the machine otherwise.

[oeyvind]

Strange... there's an insulator at the bottom of PB G4 867/1GHz case that sort of prevented all electric shock as per older PB G4, see this pict

And also the AC adapter now has proper grounding: see here and here

I have not experience any shock since then

[iBorg]

deepdog,

Sounds like you need a replacement Gigabook. If they can't repair it in a timely fashion, you should demand a new Ti! You should take this up directly with Apple.

BTW, I've had no such problems with my Ti Gigabook, and this thing runs for 16-24 hours/day, depending upon my schedule!

Good luck!



iBorg