Powerbook G4 titanium bad logic board

HELP, my second computer is a powerbook G4 15" and i have been told i have a bad logic board. is it worth replacing or should i put the $500 toward a new one? Also coould a bad logic board cause other problems in the future? what happens to make a bad logic board? what does a logic board do?
thanks for all the info.
Macbook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Hi Tour Man,
Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Which model TiBook do you have? Especially if it's one of the earlier models (400-667VGA), I would certainly not spend $500 on it, as you would probably not be able to sell the entire machine for that price.
If it's a later model (667DVI-1GHz), consider what you use it for (if you have it fixed, how long is it going to serve your needs?), the capacity of the HD, how much RAM you have, whether there's a wireless card or DVD burner, the condition of the battery, whether USB2 and the many other "updates" a new machine would offer are important to you, etc.
It's not likely that a bad LB would cause other issues.
A LB (same as "motherboard" in PC land), is a circuit board on which most of the essential elements of a PB are soldered (CPU, GPU, RAM slots, etc), so when any one of these has issues, the repair is to replace the entire LB (specialized equipment is needed to work on the micro-circuitry, so it isn't something a repair shop can repair).

Similar Messages

Powerbook G3 Pismo-Bad Logic Board?

Hi. My powerbook G3 pismo suddenly refused to work last week. It chimes at startup, but then only gets the "grey screen." I took the hard drive out and put in in an external enclosure......it's fine. I took out an extra RAM chip I had added a couple of years ago....still no go. I have attempted to access the disk in Target Disk mode...no go. I've also tried to start up from a different startup disk by pressing the option key at startup...still no go! The Apple Hardware Test CD that came with my Pismo never gets past the "loading....." stage. I am writing in hopes that someone can tell me what the problem is. I'm assuming it's the Logic Board and am ready to purchase a replacement off Ebay, but would hate to buy one if someone thinks or knows for sure that it is not the Logic Board. I guess what I'm asking is this......What exatly happens when your Logic board fails? Are the symptoms similar to the ones I've described above? Thanks in advance and hope someone who's had this problem can help!
iMac G4 1 GHz, Powerbook G3 Pismo Mac OS X (10.4.9)
iMac G4 1 GHz, Powerbook G3 Pismo Mac OS X (10.4.9)
iMac G4 1 GHz, Powerbook G3 Pismo Mac OS X (10.4.9)
iMac G4 1 GHz, Powerbook G3 Pismo Mac OS X (10.4.9)
iMac G4 1 GHz, Powerbook G3 Pismo Mac OS X (10.4.9)
iMac G4 1 GHz, Powerbook G3 Pismo Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Sax,
The HD ribbon cable would have been such an easy fix, but unfortunately I think the logic board is now the only fix as Cornelius has suggested.
Please keep in mind that the logic board contains multiple components and you can have a failure of one component without affecting the rest of the board. The FireWire bus is controlled by the PCI bus bridge whereas the internal HD is controlled by a separate I/O device controller. Even a partial failure of the I/O device controller is possible as evidenced by still having functionality of the optical drive. See this link: go to Architecture > Block Diagram and Buses > Block Diagram.
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Hardware/DeveloperNotes/MacintoshCPUs-G3/PowerBook/index.html
You can tear down the Pismo to replace the logic board or continue the inconvenient use of the FireWire HD. There is another alternative, however; buy an expansion bay HD enclosure and install your current HD in the enclosure. Since the optical drive interface still works, the media bay HD should have no problem. However, I would check with MCE first.
MCE Expansion bay kit
Message was edited by: jpl
Message edited by: Host

Power Mac G5 DP1.8GHz - Bad Logic Board or Power Management Issue?

I have a Power Mac G5 DP1.8GHz/1.5GB/80GB which I bought non-working. It has not yet been disassembled or examined by a certified tech. This is it's issue (which replicates): the computer powers on. It makes a single warning tone, then the LED flashed at least 15 times (too fast to count). Then the posting chord is heard. Hard drive spins up. Then nothing (no video). Won’t boot from any disk. I have changed the RAM and tested the RAM banks with known-to-be-good RAM from another DP1.8GHz G5. The warning tone stopped once or twice after this switch, but then it didn’t chime. I changed the PRAM battery, but not with as new one. However, after installing the used one and then resetting the PMU, it displayed video briefly for the first time. While installed in the other 1.8GHz G5, the hard drive was formatted, given a clean install of OS X 10.4.11, and then moved into this computer where is never mounts. The computer is not accessible through TDM.
Do I have a bad logic board? Bad CPUs? A power managment issue? A RAM issue?

Through my own trial and error troubleshooting, I have found the CPUs to be in good working order and the logic board passes the Apple Service Diagnostic every time. Despite the installation of numerous pairs of modules that worked in another DP1.8GHz, the computer has a RAM issue-it gives the "no good RAM" tone most of the time when it powers up (after a PMU reset it does not). Also the computer boots from disk or into Open Firmware but the disk utility can't see either hard drive so I may have a bad SATA controller.

Will apple replace a faulty or bad logic board on my 2013 MacBook Pro?

I have a late 2013 13" macbook pro that has been diagnosed, by a non apple provider, with a bad logic board. The place where i took it suggested getting that confirmed with Apple. I have an appointment tomorrow at my local apple dealer...
but am worried that this practically new laptop is toast or going to be very costly since I don't have applecare!! Any help for me????

my late 2013 13" pro also has a bad logic board. The diag said it was a memory failure. I'm 3 months out of warranty and had it sent to the repair center for $280 plus tax. I don't feel like the logic board was defective I just didn't catch it in time. I tried a restore a few months ago and it worked better because i was in Yosemite beta since the developers beta and I thought the issues were because of the betas. It has constant panics and restarts but I was trying to get by until now it wouldn't turn on and disk utility said the hard drive was not mounted and it wouldn't let me restore It. maybe there are a few more people with problems then there should be so soon.

Is a bad logic board due to a bad power supply?

Computer specs:
iMac G5 20", 2.0 ghz, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB hard drive
Back in October of 2008 my iMac G5 Power PC shutdown intermittently and then when I went to go to start it back up, it booted to the blue screen and hanged there forever. So, I did a hard shutdown and then waited and then booted again and it still hanged at the blue screen. I tried booting in Safe Mode, and that worked, so I had a chance to backup everything that I needed to. Then, I took the computer to my local Apple Store to speak to a "genius". They could not diagnose my computer while I was there, so they needed to take it overnight and let me know over the phone what the issue was. The next day they called to tell me that it was a Logic Board issue and that it would cost $900 to fix it. I obviously was blown away at the cost for the problem, and I could not afford that charge so I seeked out other options. I found a shop in my neighborhood that offered me a used 1.8 ghz logic board for half of what Apple was quoting me, so I went with it. Then, 9 months later (which brings us to present) my iMac completely shutdown on its own and would not start up. I ran it through some tests (LED lights on the interior) and confirmed that it was a Logic Board issue again. So, I took it back to the shop in my neighborhood and they told me that the warranty for the part they replaced had expired. So, I called Apple Customer Relations to talk to them about the issue. They confirmed, using my serial number, that I could get my issues fixed for free. They then told me about the "iMac G5 Repair Extension Program for Power Supply Issues" which was news to me. This Program ended in December of 08, meaning I would have qualified in October of 08... the time I initially brought in my computer. So, I brought my computer to the Apple Store to drop it off for repairs, and when going over the history of the machine they confirmed that because there was a used 1.8 ghz part in my machine installed from a non-authorized Apple place that they COULD NOT fix my issues now.
My question is:
Back in October of 2008 when I brought in my computer to the Apple Store and they diagnosed it with a bad Logic Board, could that have been because of a bad power supply? If that was the case, does a bad power supply cause a Logic Board to go bad?

Welcome to Apple Discussions.
The short answer is no, but it's actually more complicated than that. The original iMac G5 17 and 20 inch models were plagued by two problems: defective capacitors which affected the logic board, and an unrelated set of defective capacitors which affected the power supply. Rarely were both conditions present at the same time, but Apple decided—when they issued the repair extension authorization—that replacement of both components was a more cost effective approach. By far, the most common of the two problems involved the logic boards.
The REA covered machines for a period of three years from first sale, and ended in December of last year. Yours likely would not have been covered due to the date of sale provision. On a case by case basis, AppleCare representatives did allow coverage for machines beyond the three year limitation, but not past the end of last year.
It's not likely that you have both a defective logic board and power supply, though you may. The combination of these issues is actually found most frequently in the iMac G5 ALS models, none of which were covered by a repair extension authorization.
Your issue is a difficult one, as Apple authorized dealers and service providers have every right—and, actually, a responsibility under their annual agreements—to reject warranty, AppleCare or REA coverage for parts or labor when compatible but not similar logic boards have been placed in your machine. This is because they must exchange these parts for the part they are requesting from Apple on a like-for-like basis, and that part must be associated with your machine serial number. In trying to resolve your issue, the shop in your neighborhood actually created an additional issue for you which would only be triggered in the event of component failure. I have no idea what period of coverage they typically offer, but Apple provides for 90 days or the balance of any warranty or AppleCare extension in place at the time of the repair, whichever is greater.
Your logic board can be refurbished for $ 189.00 if it in fact exhibits the capacitor issue. That process is covered by a one-year warranty. If you are interested in exploring that option, send a message to the electronic mail address in my Public Profile and I will reply with additional information. To help determine additional information concerning your machine, please include the machine serial number if you elect to do write for more information.

How can you transfer files from an iMac with a bad logic board?

This is in reference to my "Nothing but a blue screen at startup!" post. He took his iMac to an Apple authorized repair shop and he was told that the logic board was shot. He has decided to get a new iMac but he's wondering about all the photos and other files he has on the old hard drive. What are the ways that he can get files from the old hard drive on to his new one when he gets it? Thanks in advance for your help with this!
Eric

Hi Eric!
roam's method is a very good one!
I don't know if this will work because of the bad Logic Board, but another way, may be to use Firewire Target Disk Mode.
The ailing iMac would have to be Firewire enabled, and you would need access to another Firewire Mac.
Good Luck!
ali b

Display problems, bad logic board?

Hi I'm a first timer here! I have a iBook G4 14" 1.33ghz laptop I am fixing for someone. When it boots up, the screen looks like you are watching TV with old rabbit ears. You can make out the mac logo and what not, then the screen goes blue, like the basic blue background, and it looks perfect, then once the desktop comes up, it all fuzzy again. I've replaced the LCD screen, AND the lcd cable that connects to the logic board. Same results. I guess the last part would be the logic board to replace? Does anyone have any suggestions?
Here are some links to the pictures to show you what is going on...
http://www.tylersweb.net/mac/1.jpg
http://www.tylersweb.net/mac/2.jpg
http://www.tylersweb.net/mac/3.jpg

inverter board controls brightness, the lines in your pics look more like the logic
since you have a stick of RAM, try another module or maybe remove it if you have on-board RAM
would be good to connect to the external display if the adapter is available - it would confirm bad logic board if the same lines are on the external display, it wont completely rule out the board though if there are no lines

Bad logic board VS starting as target drive!

Hello,
if someone has a bad logic board on a G5, can they boot the G5 as a target drive? witht the help of another computer? (not sure if the logic board
Michel

Hi, Michel. I suspect that whether or not Target Disk Mode works will depend on what the logic board's particular problem is. If it doesn't work, be sure to remind the user that removing the hard drive from the faulty Mac will allow her to extract any data she needs from it, by installing it in or connecting it to another Mac. In many models, removing a hard drive is easy.

Can't boot G5, bad logic board?

G5 Dual 2.0 Ghz, 4 GB Ram
Can't get past blue screen unless I boot in safe mode, then I can get in.
Here's what I've tried:
5 different boot volumes, including Tiger and Leopard and a clean install
internal drives only, external drives only
reseated ram
zapped pram
zapped nvram
reset pmu
booted in single user mode, gets stuck at workaround bonjour unknown error 0
pulled out airport card, reseated airport card
tried just about everything, always stops at the blue screen with cursor
does this sound like a bad logic board or is there anything else I can try? thanks

Dear Mr. Jarrett,
Just analyzing: You're not able to boot normally from any installed system on any hard disk, but you can boot in the single user mode, are able to use AHT and the G5 even boots from the TechTool disk.
However, you do not state you installed those five systems mentioned recently, so the question is: How stable is your computer booted from a DVD (grey install disk or the TechTool bootable disk and are you able to do a fresh system install now?
I don't think your RAM chips are bad, but there could be a problem with (one of) the SATA cables connecting the hard drive to the logic board. Did you try both data cables (by using the second drive bay)? As you undoubtedly know a PowerMac cannot boot from an external USB drive, but having a bad internal data cable could also prevent starting up from a FireWire drive. And take a critical look at the four guide screws: are they well fitted?
From your description I understand you own a dual processor and not the late 2005 duo core G5. These computers are very different animals indeed.
Success and best regards,
Robbert
Message was edited by: Mechanic man
Message was edited by: Mechanic man

Using external monitor with a bad logic board???

Can you use an external monitor on your ibook, if you have a bad logic board, to use it? Or is the only solution to use the shim, or get it fixed. Thanks.

Hi, and welcome to Apple Discussions.
If the graphics chip on the logic board has come loose, it won't drive the graphics to an external display, either. Sorry.

Bad logic board on ibook 600mhz???

I have had problemms with this ibook the last month...it freezes..or does not boot up at all...i hear it boot up but no screen..I have tried booting from cd, or usb drive to no avail...
I called apple last week and found out that the logic board is 35 days past the 3 year period on
the repair program...I was bummed!
thanks for any help!!
I also have a powerbook 400 mhz titanium that freezes when it boots up. it will run the hardware cd, but that is it.....hmmmmm
debbie

Can't help on the titanium (you may want to post in the PowerBook forum).
On the iBook, try calling Apple back and ask for Customer Relations. Ask them to make an exception to the logic board repair three-year rule in your case. Sometimes they have done that.
Good luck.

My Powerbook G4 died of logic board failure can you help or advise me ?

On Christmas eve I was working on my 2 year old 12" Powerbook G4, I got a notification that the battery was low so I thought lets save my work and drain the battery. It was a good idea at the time because I've heard its sometimes good practice to completely drain the battery and give it a fresh charge ? so the machine finally quit and before going to bed I plugged it into the mains to charge, immediately I noticed the power cord connection to my mac turned green and not the amber I expected. This powerbook has travelled the world with me over the past 2 years so its been a little buddy and I was alarmed to see this happen ? I waited 20 minutes guessing that there would be sufficient charge to wake the machine. After hitting the power button there was nothing !!! no click, chime or indication that he machine was in any way operational.
I tried cleaning the battery and touch points in the machine, I even tried my spare battery in the machine and everything I could to wake the machine. Nothing worked. I was pretty annoyed to be honest, its in perfect condition, no dents scrapes and it was always maintained and well ventilated etc.
On December 27th I flew to Irelands official Mac repair centre here in Galway as I needed it fixed ASAP and I was very concerned about loosing all my work and the physical machine itself. Five days later I called to see if there was a update, the representative explained to me that it was the logic board in my machine and that it was damaged and I would require a new logic board if the machine was to ever successfully boot again. The bill in total would be €670 inc. parts and labour and unfortunately Apple will only guarantee the new logic board for 3 months and after that I'm on my own. Sadly when I bought my machine (in Australia)I didn't take out the extended cover on the machine because it seemed quite expensive at the time and I knew I'd take good care to maintain and upgrade the machine as necessary.
The update I received from the official Apple repair centre was that there was no evidence of any water damage, dust or physical damage and there was no clear explanation as to why the part "just gave up"! The representative was very helpful and removed the hard drive for me, placed it in a external (USB)enclosure and sent it back to me so I did manage to save my work but still Imp very disappointed with Apple that I only got 2 years out of a machine that's become a daily tool to me.
I wanted to post and see what other people have done in this instance, luckily I'm fortunate enough to be able to purchase a new Macbook 2.0ghz to replace my machine but that's now costing me €1519 just because the Apple hardware was well quite frankly crap ! What I would like to know is - does this happen often, is there recourse to go back to Apple and is there a cheaper way to fix my poor Powerbook http://www.flickr.com/photos/bfitzsimons/215516415/ ?
Many thanks in advance for any advice you can give me
Brian H Fitzsimons
Dublin
Ireland

Hi Brian.
In the UK we have some degree of consumer protection (Sale of Goods Act) for situations not too far from yours. Basically we, as consumers, have a right to expect goods that we purchase to be of a certain standard of quality/reliability. The SOGA provides up to six years of protection, unlike the standard one year warranty many manufacturers offer - which, to some degree, renders extended warranties unecessary.
However each case is different, and consumers will get different mileage depending on their individual circumstances but it is not uncommon for consumers to have successfully obtained repairs, replacements, or refunds using the SOGA - although they will have had to be prepared to argue their case.
Perhaps you might want to check out what kind of consumer protection the Republic of Ireland offers. At the very least, there is probably an EU equivalent of the SOGA which will cover the ROI as well.
NB: I've just re-read your post and realised that you bought the PowerBook in Australia - which probably disqualifies you from any EU or ROI consumer protection. That said, it may still be worth your while to find out what kind of consumer protection is available to you for future reference.
2.0GHz MacBook, 15" 1.25GHz/12" 1GHz PBs, 2xPPC Mac minis, 12" iBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.8) Cube, 2xTAMs, iPod 4G & nano 2G, 1G & 2G iPs, AEBS, AX

24 Inch Intel iMac... may have bad Logic Board

What are my options if the Logic Board is bad? Is this something you can purchase? Dont have an Apple Store anywhere near me.
Thanks!

What are my options if the Logic Board is bad? Is this something you can purchase?
No, at least not from Apple. You'd have to find the logic board from some unauthorized third-party vendor.
Dont have an Apple Store anywhere near me.
You do have an authorized Apple service center in Wichita, Haddock Computer Center, on E. 13th St. N. They can handle the repair for you. There are also places, including an Apple Store, in Tulsa and Oklahoma City which might be an option.

G5 ALS Won't Boot Past Grey Screen...Bad Logic Board?

Hi all-
I did a quick search, and found various answers, but none specific to my situation, so below, please find my tale of woe, and I appreciate in advance any advice you folks could provide:
I have a G5, 2.0GHz, 20" iMac (upgraded to Leopard) that recently stopped booting past the grey screen/ chime. Somewhat irked, I did some trouble shooting to include the following:
1 - Reset SMU
2 - Zapped PRAM
3 - Run Apple Hardware Test (all tests passed)
4 - Repaired hard drive by booting to the install CD ... it returned errors that were not fixable, but since the log is on the computer that crashed, I don't have the errors to post here
5 - After that repair, the computer booted, so I ran disk utility again, repaired permissions successfully, verified the hard disk via S.M.A.R.T. (arguably, not the most reliable indicator of hard disk life).
6 - Just to be on the safe side, I did an Archive and Install.
All that done, I was able to use the computer for 2 days, and this morning, I woke up to find the fans a-blazin' and the computer non-responsive...I rebooted to...you guessed it!...a grey screen.
Luckily for me, my memory (akin to a steel trap!) served me well...I had the power supply changed two months ago under the repair extension program for my model iMac (bulging capacitors)..but they did NOT replace the logic board.
If you have made it this far, thank you for reading, I am building to my crescendo....
Being a slightly balding fellow, I have very little hair left to pull out here, so in desperation and with my recent power supply repair in mind, I pulled the back off of my beloved iMac (my very first Mac!) to reveal a bulging capacitor on the +logic board+.
My question: Could my symptoms be related to the logic board (remember the AHT passed), or might it be related to a bad hard drive (remember the S.M.A.R.T. status was verified)? Any troubleshooting steps I may have missed? I am going to bring it to my local Apple store, but wanted to know if there are any other ideas out there for me to try before making the 1.5+ hour trek south to a Mall.
Thank you all in advance for any advice you may have!
Best,
jason

Not only do you have a hardware problem, you should call Apple, tell them that you had the power supply replaced two months ago (you are within the 90 day warranty period), and ask that they replace the motherboard as well, since the previous repair didn't work.

Bad RAM or Bad Logic Board?

Hello,
I've had my Powerbook G4 running along pretty well for the last 9 months or so. Some days ago I noticed that the machine would not start when I pressed the power button. I had to keep pressing the button for the startup chime to finally come and boot the machine. Once booted it would run fine.
The issue got worse. Sometime it would take about 15 minutes of continuously pressing the button and resetting the machine for the startup chime to finally sound. I would hear the HD spin up, the CD drive initialise but no startup chime and nothing on screen.
I did the usual, reset PRAM and PMU and nothing. I still occasionally have the no startup chime but it is not as consistent as it was. Most times now I get the startup chime. But the machine boots to a white screen. No Apple logo nothing. I removed the HD and I use it to boot another machine but I put another working HD in there. I tried to start the non-functioning Powerbook from that external drive, to no avail. I tried holdind down the Option key to get the available startup discs, the machine would boot to the correct screen but no drives would show up (again, the external drive works because I am using it to boot a borrowed Powerbook). I have tried to startup from the CD drive. I get the Apple logo in that case. I get that spinning thing on the bottom. Eventually the machine freezes.
This morning on startup I got what looks like a UNIX screen with a memory error. I had concluded before that the Logic Board may have died. But after seeing that error, I'm now wondering (and hoping) that its only a RAM issue. I have both slots filled. Never had any memory issues. I get the usual beeps if I remove the memory. The problem is, the machine is so old that I have no immediate means of trying another known working RAM module. I don't want to purchase another logic board for faulty RAM.
If I actually needed a logic board what would it cost to get it repaired by Apple? I am in the Caribbean right now and there aren't any Apple techs around to diagnose. I have the repair bill from some months ago from Apple (don't remmeber which repair it was). I notice a flat rate of $210 for the part and $100 for labour. Is that a standard fee? It would be very good if this were the total cost for that repair. Anyone has any insight into the actual pricing of these repairs?
Thanks a million for the help.

Since you have two RAM modules, remove one and test with only the other in place. Then switch modules and repeat the test. Try each module in each slot, one at a time. If you get no joy with any configuration, the LB is probably dead.
Sorry, but I don't know what Apple's repair charges might be, either in the USA or in the Caribbean.

Powerbook G4 titanium bad logic board

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