Should I repair an Ibook logic board

I can have a 12 inch ibook 1.2ghz if I pay to repair it. It was just 14 months old, had been treated with great respect, when the logic board failed. Needless to say its owner had not purchased any extended warranty. Its owner purchased a new macbook and put the ibook in a drawer because he decided it was not worth the repair. I would use this ibook to replace my old Powerbook 3400c that died finally. I see on the forums that logic board failure is a problem with ibooks and that many people replace one only to have it fail. My question is whether it is worth replacing this ibook logic board? Is there a generic problem with the reliability of these logic boards, so that subsequent failure is a hit or miss thing? Or does their failure result from other factors so that an ibook that has one logic board fail may have an underlying cause that will lead to subsequent failures? Is this computer worth saving?

I see on the forums that logic board failure is a problem with ibooks and that many people replace one only to have it fail.Although there have been some failures the absolute majority of iBook G4 users have not had any type of logic board failure.
Is there a generic problem with the reliability of these logic boards...
No
Is this computer worth saving?
You will need to look at the cost of replacing the logic board versus buying a new/refurbished iBook G4 or new MacBook.

Similar Messages

  • IBook logic board - Apple service - kinda long, sorry

    I am a converted PC user who got my iBook in September 2002 because, frankly, I was tired of dealing with the poor performance, terrible service, and general glitchiness of my old pc's. So a few of my friends encouraged me to try out a Mac. So I did and I fell in love with how it just seemed to work!
    I've had my iBook for just over 3 years, and have had a good amount of problems. It occasionally would boot up to the sad face and I'd have to go through the whole process of reinstalling the OS while on the phone with AppleCare. This past summer, I sent the computer back to Apple because it locked up constantly and the hard drive started clicking. After about a month of sending it back and forth, they finally acknowledged that there was a problem with the hard drive (as if the loud clicking wasn't enough) and replaced it.
    Ever since then, things have been ok, but glitchy. The screen would freeze, when you opened the notebook up, it would be on a blank screen, etc. Then earlier this week, it started showing lines through the screen, and it would lock up. Upon restart, it would restart with a blank screen. I thought it was a gonner.
    So I looked online to try to diagnose my symptoms, and low and behold, I think I know what's wrong. The iBook logic board description on http://www.apple.com/support/ibook/faq/ explained my sympoms exactly. So I spent an hour on the phone with customer service yesterday trying to figure out if they'll fix this. And alas, they said despite the fact that the logic board may have been failing after the July repair and despite that I've just barely exceeded the 3 year limitation for the logic board repair, they will not repair this unless I pay for it. The quote he gave me was almost enough to buy another computer.
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    I'm the first one to admit, they don't HAVE to do anything. I just think it's a sad state of affairs when a company that relies so heavily on a fan base, would slap a newly converted fan in the face on his maiden voyage with a Mac. I expected more from this company. If I wanted cheap junk parts in my laptop that would've only lasted 3 years, I would've bought a PC. The PC is cheaper anyway.
    Now I sit with a useless shell of a computer at home and try to decide what I want to replace it with. I have to say, I love OS X, I love the simplicity, I love the security, but I'm going to find it very hard to justify it to myself and my wife to buy another Mac. I think this converted PC guy is headed back to a PC where at least you get what you pay for.
    Nick Golden
    G3 iBook   Mac OS X (10.2.x)  

    Hi, Nick. Welcome to Apple Discussions.
    Are you willing to try again? Call Apple again, and this time, ask for Customer Relations. Tell them your story and ask them to make an exception to the three-year rule in your case.
    Customer Relations likes Switchers, and they are the ones with the authority to make an exception to the rule.
    No guarantees, but they just might do it for you, especially if you plead with them, "Please, please, don't send me back to Windows!"
    Usually, I advise people not to threaten to go to Windows, because why should they help you if they think they've lost you as a customer? But, in your case, it's a little different.
    Personally, I would have to have about four Macs in a row go belly up before I would look to Windows, and, even then, I might just give up computers all together and rely on pencil and paper if I had to deal with Windows.
    Good luck. Let us know how things go.

  • Getting New iBook Logic Board -- help? :)

    Well I wasn't sure which forum to post this in, so I also put it in the 'Peripherals' forum.
    Ok, here is my problem. I bought a G4 iBook 1.07ghz with a bad logic board from someone on craigslist. I am wanting to put a G4 1.33ghz logic board in it now. I found one on pbfixit.com for $550, but I also spoke with someone on ebay that said he thinks he has some 1.33's laying around. I am wanting a logic board with the two-finger-scrolling and the 'shock detection' features; also Bluetooth2.0edr and Airport Extreme. Well I asked the guy on eBay if he knew if his 1.33 boards had these features or not and he wasn't sure. Is there something he can check (model number/serial number/something physically on the board/etc) to see if he has any of the boards that's new enough to have these features? I'm not as worried about the Bluetooth+Airport Extreme because I found a module board on pbfixit with both of these in one.
    Thanks!
    -matt

    Hi, abburke. Welcome to Apple Discussions.
    (I have lots of Burke cousins, since my cousin in Wichita had six sons.)
    If the iBook is circa 2001 like the iPod, chances are that's the reason the tech says you're out of luck. There's a three-year limit on the program.
    Enough dual USB G3 iBooks suffered from this problem that Apple began the iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program in January of 2004. Check out the FAQ page and if the symptoms look familiar, give Apple a call. If your iBook qualifies, it's a free fix.
    If you are past the three-year time limit, try calling and asking for Customer Relations. Ask them to please make an exception to the three-year limit in your case. They have been making some exceptions to the three-year rule, but the criteria upon which they make an exception is not public knowledge. It could be how nice you are to them on the phone; it could be which tech you get; it could be which side of the bed the tech got out of on the morning that you call.
    Good luck!

  • Will a 14" iBook Logic board fit inside a 12" iBook?

    I've seen pictures of the logic boards on various retailer sites, and want to upgrade my 1.0GHz 12" to as fast as possible. I was thinking about the 1.33 GHz 12" but if the 1.42GHz 14" fits then that would be pretty sweet... does anybody have any insight on this?

    "I really don't think it's worth the bother....just get a 12" one."
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    In fact, on this forum all I ever read is "have it looked at" or "send it to Apple" or "it is not user replaceable" etc. Nobody here ever seems to entertain the concept of actually doing something for him/herself.

  • Ibook logic board issue?

    I just ran the hardware test on my ibook G4 and it came up with an error code
    2GMC/2/15: built in
    Then I ran it again and it came up fine. Any ideas?
    Thansk!

    Hi Matthew,
    That is very interesting, I can't say anything except it is possible that Apple might want you to replace your logic board. Anything strange going on with your computer? Any problems? Anything that might have to do with Ethernet, FireWire, USB, or anything like that?
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  • G4 iBook - logic board replacement

    I have a 12" 1.25ghz G4 iBook w/ dual usb that I picked up recently that has a fried logicboard - as the 1.25ghz logicboard replacement parts I've priced are frankly a bit expensive, is it possible to use a 12" G4 logicboard of a lesser speed, and if so, which would work and which would not?

    psignosis:
    Take a look at these substitutions suggested by PowerBookTech:
    1.33 GHz for 1.2 GHz
    800 MHz for 1.2 GHz
    You may want to contact PowerBookTech and check out the feasibility. You can also check out prices elsewhere, once you have determined it can be done.
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  • Need Info to repair broken power switch connector on logic board

    Hi folks,
    I had some bad luck this week. The power switch connector broke off my daughter's Ibook logic board during a HD upgrade attempt. Unfortunately, it pulled enough of the etch that I can't determine where the connections use to go.
    I would like to salvage the board. So, if anyone has access to a schematic for the G3 Ibook, 14" 900Mz logic board, I would appreciate some info about the circuit. Specifically, to what components does the switch connect. I already identified one side is grounded and the other side is pulled up to 3V through a 1K resistor, but that etch also went somewhere else. I suppose the gate of a FET transistor. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    Perhaps someone with a dead logic board could trace the circuit with an ohm meter.
    Regards,
    Spencer

    Hi spencer,
    Apple doesn't make circuit diagrams available, sorry. I've done or had done component level repairs of iBook logic boards before, usually to re-attach connectors which have come off, but unlike yours, these ones have all come off leaving the trace on the board.
    The fact the traces have come off isn't good, as you can probably tell. It's also a 4 layer board, so where the vias go is important. I have a couple of dead logic boards from 500,600 and 700mhz iBooks. The 14 inch logic boards are essentially the same as the 12 inch ones. These pictures are of the area of a 700mhz logic board.
    http://theducks.org/pictures/ibook-logic-board-top.JPG
    http://theducks.org/pictures/ibook-logic-board-bottom.JPG
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  • Has anyone ever installed a G4 logic board into a G3 iBook?

    I was just wondering if it was at all possible to install a G4 logic board in a G3 iBook. To be specific, I have an iBook G3 900MHz with a faulty logic board. I could have it replaced under the Apple Logic Board Replacement Program, but I'd hate to replace a bad part with a part that will most likely go bad in the future. Also, trying to find an affordable (in the $100 range) replacement logic board on eBay or anywhere else is proving impossible.
    So, could I buy a 1GHz or similar G4 logic board and swap it into the G3 iBook? I'm sure someone out there has tried something like this, right?
    I'm intrigued by the possability.

    I doubt it. They don't even take the same kind of RAM.
    What makes you think a replacement "will most likely go bad in the future"? Some have had to go back more than once; many haven't. (And many have not gone in at all.) There are many iBook users out there, happily iBooking away without any knowledge of the iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program because they've never had a problem.
    Get it replaced, free, NOW, and worry about the future when it gets here.
    http://www.apple.com/support/ibook/faq/
    P.S. When you make an error in a post, there is a little edit-pencil icon next to the "Reply" icon in your post. The edit pencil stays there for about 15 minutes to allow you to edit your post. Just click on it, and it takes you back to your message box so you can edit it to your heart's content.

  • What Logic Board fits an iBook G3 900 mhz?

    Hi!
    I have an iBook G3 12" 900mhz with a bad logic board. I'm planning to replace it. Can I fit all kinds of dual USB iBook Logic Boards in there?
    Cheers!

    What are the symptoms?
    You may know that enough Dual USB G3 iBooks suffered from the logic board problem that Apple began the iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program in January of 2004. Check out the FAQ page and if the symptoms look familiar, give Apple a call. If the iBook qualifies, it's a free fix.
    You can find the original purchase date of the iBook, by entering its serial number into the box toward the bottom right of Apple's main support page under "About Your Support Coverage."
    If it is past the three-year time limit (which it probably is), try calling Apple and ask for Customer Relations (NOT Customer Service--they can't help you) and ask them to please make an exception to the three-year limit in your case.
    If the answer from Apple is absolutely, positively, "NO!" and the symptoms are those of the classic logic board failure described on the FAQ page, you may want to consider trying the shim fix suggested by John Sawyer in the Apple Discussions iBook G3 (Dual USB) Displays Forum:
    [Y]ou can often fix this yourself by removing the iBook's bottom housing, and placing a shim of any sort, about 1mm to 1.5mm thick, onto the raised square on the bottom shield. I use a Scotch mounting square--you can get them in hardware stores and many grocery stores. When you reinstall the bottom case, it will press against this shim, which will press against the graphics chip, and may allow the chip to come into better contact with the logic board.
    John Sawyer
    CJS Macintosh Repair
    Instructions for removing the lower case:
    iFixit.com
    Good luck.

  • Sourcing and fitting a logic board for my crocked ibook - any tips?

    hi
    like quite a few others, it seems, the logic board on my g3 ibook 14.1in has passed away. i don't have any apple care coverage, and nor am i covered by the logic board extension repair programme (though quite why, no one at mac was able to explain to me). so begins the hunt for a new or second-hand logic board which i'm (gulp) going to try to fit myself.
    if any one had any tips as to where i might get a good deal on the correct logic board, i'd be very grateful. also, am i mad to try to fit one myself? my tech-literate IT genius of a brother is actually going to be wielding the scalpel, while i pace up and down beside him. and i have found a guide with pix on the net - but any encouraging words would be very welcome...
    thanks
    mike
    G3 iBook 900mhz 14.1in   Mac OS X (10.2.x)   got an emac too...

    hi
    thanks to you both for your help. here's what happened in the end...
    i phoned customer service twice to try to persuade them that my ibook ought to be repaired under the logic board extension repair programme - i was told on both occasions that it didn't qualify. so i tried a third time, for luck, and it worked - the computer was repaired for free under the programme. i'm just going to pick it up now.
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    mike

  • Can Logic Boards be Repaired?

    I have a failed early 2009 24inch 3.06 GHz with ATI 4850 512 MB graphics.
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  • IPhone 5S 32GB Logic Board Repair

    So several months ago I attempted to repair the cracked screen on my black 32 gb iphone 5S on my own. It did not work out. I ended up breaking the logic board and now the phone is basically unusable. I've been using my iPhone 4S for the past few months and it ***** so bad. I just want my 5S back but now apple won't touch it and no one offers repairs for the logic boards on the 5S that I can find. Anyone know of a solution or someone who offers the service. Because I can't stand the crap battery on the 4S and I miss my 5S I had only had it for like, 2 months.

    I know of 2 services that repair logic board damage depending on your issue and your location in the U.S. One is eDigitalNY which is on the east coast and offers their repair services on eBay in addition to their website. They guarantee their repair work. Just ship them the logic board (shipping to and from is included in the repair cost) and they will fix it. If for some reason your board is "toast" and can't be fixed, they will refund your money. The second option on the west coast is The Repair Stop. Like eDNY, all repair work is guaranteed. TRS is a bit pricier but they are the go to guys for water damage repair, an area of repair from which many others shy away.

  • Logic Board Problem on 1.2Ghz G4 iBook?

    My G4 iBook (14inch, 1.2 Ghz) has been giving me problems in the last two weeks.
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    http://www.coreyarnold.org/ibook/
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  • What is the part number for my MacBook Logic Board?

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  • Is USB part of Logic Board issue?????

    I am ignorant about computers, so I just learned this past week that both of the USB ports should have been working all along. I have had this computer for almost 4 years; only one has ever worked and I recently damaged that one. I was told that the 2nd port could not be repaired to work because of the board needing to be replaced. Is this part of the repairs Apple is owning up to?

    Hi, Sheila. Welcome to Apple Discussions.
    No. The iBook Logic Board Extension Program is for display issues only.

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