The collapse-to-center effect on my eMac

Question

Earlier, I submitted the following question and then received a response by Allen Jones...
Now adding the following information, I am still looking to see if it is possible to try to pinpoint the problem I am having.
On the average, "the the collapse-to-center effect" happens about twice daily and will last anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes. The computer will not react to any input and the little small glowing ready light near the CD player tray glows solid (normally operation, it glows weak to strong and back again.
Once the blackout period ends, all functions return to normal.
Since first reporting this problem in August, the frequencey or length of outage has remained about the same and still averages about twice a day and the same 10-15 minute period of outage.
Have checked my serial number and it ends in "Q18" which according to the list is "USB 2.0" and a later model eMac from what I can tell from the list.
Any suggestions? Tips? of if the video cable needs to be replaced...any idea as to possible cost?
Thank you ahead of time!
Joe
--------------------------Original Question-----------------------------------
Aug 29, 2011 1:30 PM
Running OS 10.4.11 on eMac. On a regular basis my screen will all of a sudden go black with a bright white vertical line in center of screen and then solid black. Stays black and nothing functions for about 5-10 minutes before returns to normal mode?
Can this mean that the small back up battery needs changing or something else is wrong? like maybe the video card is failing?
thanks
eMac, Mac OS X (10.4.11)
--------------------Reply by Allen Jones----------------------------
Aug 29, 2011 5:58 PM (in response to joseph l.)
If this is an early eMac with a 700 or 800mhz processor and Nvidea graphics, you probably have a bad video cable, specifically the IVAD cable. For the first few months of production in 2002, this cable casuesd a lot of grief, including the collapse-to-center effect you see, usually accmpanied by ominous popping sounds. It's rare for one to wait this long to fail, however.
This Apple article will help you use the serial number to figure our what version of the eMac you own:
How to locate the serial number and identify your model
The was an Apple repair Extension Program that repaired this at no cost but I suspect it's long-expired. New cables are still available:
922-6436 IVAD to analog cable for eMac
The part is relatively cheap but the labor would be high. As you would be dealing with high voltage around the CRT display, I cannot recommend that an average user attempt to repair this at home.
If your eMac is not the early one I described, then post back and we'll start over.
If you live in the western US, the company I linked for the cable also does the repair work. They are in Eugene Oregon. Unless you are within driving distance and can drop off the computer. shipping a 50-pound computer two ways plus the cost of parts and labor probably exceed the vaule of a used 1Gen eMac.
I recommend backing everything up to an external drive in case this gets worse and you can't make the computer work at all. And I suspect that, if it's the IVAD cable, it will get worse.
In the meantime, consider using only external speakers. The internal speakers in the first eMacs were poorly shielded and, at higher volume levels, could cause video distortion in the lower part of the screen.
Note: The eMAc does not have a replaceable video card. Like most newer desktop Macs, the video chipset is integral with the logic board and cannot be repaired or replaced independently of the logic board,

Answer 1

Hi Allan...
Will try to keep this short. Tried to respond yesterday...but message kept coming back as undeliverable.
I am in SW Louisiana.
Did some checking. Back in Sept of 2006, my screen went black and was experiencing some "popping sounds" prior to it going black. Took it to Baton Rouge (about a 2 hour drive) to CompUSA. They kept it a month and "repaired" it. If I do some serious looking in boxes of old receipt files, I may be able to find the receipt. (Kept receipts because we got flooded out by Katrina in the New Orleans area and was living with mother-in-law during repairs.)
Currently I have the same little problem described earlier to you...collapse to center and black screen for about 15 minutes. Once or twice daily. It has been consistant since first happening back in August...and usually daily when on the computer.
My computer is in the G84201xxxxx range and an eMac USB 2.0.
Saw the message to look at the ones on eBay. Saw a used computer lab one for about $150. May decide to buy it. (Am leery because I bought one some years ago that turned out to be stolen -- I had to give it up when a tech working on the screen saw the serial number from a list of stolen computers from a college computer lab.)
Basically, in your opinion, this problem that I am having will or will not get worse? Capicator problem or cable problem?
Am wondering if the fix done in '06 actually replaced the cable? and WHY I was not told of the recall problem at the time. I know that I had to pay well over $100 for the fix, whatever it was.
Anyway, I will call the 1-800 number this week but expect little or no assistance from them.
When experiencing the problem initially back in 2006, I called Apple tech support and they could do nothing for me and my problem? My extended warranty had run out and was no longer renewable. Strange, if there was a recall fix out there for the problem that I was having, nothing was told to me.
Anyway, thanks for your input!
Joe