Ibook won't boot, won't recognise hard drive, PRAM reset etc. Help?

Question

Hi, I'm trying to repair my brother's iBook with limited knowledge. I'm not sure whether it's a G3 or G4 but it was made in 2001, has 2 usb's and a firewire, is white (slightly translucent) and has a 12" screen.
It started having problems starting up so he copied all his important files, just in time as now it won't work at all.
It starts up but just comes up with the ?/folder icon flashing. The hard drive starts "ticking" like an old clock as soon as the power button is pressed, as if it's stuck.
I've tried starting from the 10.3 install CD, this works at first but can't see a hard drive for installation, the same goes for disk utility from the install disk, there's no disk shown to repair.
I've reset the PRAM, PMU and pressed command, ctrl, alt(or shift?) and the power button.
I've started in "safe" mode but it won't get past the grey screen with apple icon.
I've started with alt pressed, this showed an OSX hard drive startup disk ok but would not boot it, it showed the grey screen again with the Apple logo, on one occasion this changed to a "No Entry" sign, a circle with a line through, weird. It has OS9 on here too but that didn't show at all.
After I drove it from his house (100 miles of vibrations) it started up straight away but froze (again with the ticking sound) after about 10 mins when accessing a file. When it started I had to reset the year and time which had changed to 1976, this is why I reset the PRAM. Is there a PRAM battery on these machines that can be changed? Could that be the problem?
On one occasion I held the eject key down at startup after having problems getting it out, the screen showed lots of numbers and something saying "panic: we are hanging here" very weird!
I've pressed down on the case on the left below the keyboard.
The battery seems to hold plenty of charge.
Sorry this is so long but I wanted to give as much detail as possible. I've tried everything I can think of & have read about without spending cash or taking it apart. I think the HD may have had it. Any ideas?
Thanks,
James

Answer 1

James,
No need to apologize for the length. That helps a lot. You can tell the model, speed and size by lifting the keyboard (two tabs outboard of the F1 and F11 keys, make sure it's unlocked - that tiny sloted head between F5 and F6)
There'll be a bar coded sticker there.
However I think it's a 500-900 G3.
It starts up but just comes up with the ?/folder icon flashing. The hard drive starts "ticking" like an old clock ..
That's classic for a bad hard drive.
When it started I had to reset the year and time which had changed to 1976, this is why I reset the PRAM.
That happens when the battery is out with no power plug for longer than a few minutes.
Is there a PRAM battery on these machines that can be changed? Could that be the problem?
No there is no PRAM battery in an iBook. There is a super cap that allows a short time so you can change the battery.
the screen showed lots of numbers and something saying "panic: we are hanging here" very weird!
Yes that's a kernel panic.
So it boots from the CD but needs a new hard drive.
Richard