Xserve will not boot up, all lights flash rapidly

Just bought a lightly used Intel Xserve.  This unit was in a business that failed, and was set up, but never used.  Was powered off and unplugged for approximately 18 months.  When we tried to plug it up to check it out & configure it, we noticed the following:
System will not post and won't boot
Hard drives do not appear to spin
CD Drive appears to have no power - will not grab disk
All fans do work, and run on high RPM
All lights on back of server and front of server, as well as next to SDRAM slots, and on back of main board flash / flicker (regular quick flashes, no pattern evident).  The only light that does NOT come on at all is the light next to the power button.
Anyone heard of a similar condition?  Is this server toast?
Thanks,
Rob Hogan

I'm sorry to say I don't have a solution, but I can commiserate.
I have a G5 and two G4's, and so far within a few days / couple of weeks of getting them home and getting them up and running, they seem to fail.
Usually spectacularily.
The G5 operates very much as yours in that power on, fans rev high, and no post or other activity; I don't get any system light status action however other than flashing. I've replaced CPU's and logic board on this.
The single CPU G4's does much the same, but this I've had up and running and then it went down when I upgraded the memory to max (very careful to make sure it was within Apple spec's), and despite swappinbg the original memory back in,nothing.
My latest, a dual core G4, was bought in working order, and I upgraded this from 10.4 to 10.5. Running nicely as a internet gateway. Went away for weekend so put it into sleep mode. Came back, power button on front panel stopped working, and one of the raid slices on the system drive failed.
Tried to repair this and system now no longer boots, but freezes on loading OS (spinning disc stops in mid spin) and it will not boot from installation disc via firewire or internal DVD drive (swapped in a replacement to ensure it works). The installation disc stops at the apple splash screen, but goes no further.
I can, helpfully, get into Open Firmware mode, so something is working on some level. Sadly, I can't seem to find a copy of the Apple Hardware Test for this machine (see my post on this) to check it out.
I can tell you that I'm getting very adept at working with Xserve hardware, if not very effectively.
My working hypothesis on this is that there is some issue with these units being used 27/7x365 for however long, and then being left 'off' for a prolonged period.
Thinking that whilst they are designed to operate reliably as constantly on and working under load, so facet of being 'off' breaks 'something'.
If really pushed to go out on a limb, I'd theorise that under load the electronics/IC's settle into position, but then when switched off things cool down, contract, and causes weaknesses in electrical connections to occur. When next used, these then start to fail, giving a pattern of initial operability followed by delayed failure with a cascade of increasingly servere symptoms until terminal failure is reached.
But that is wild, uneducated, conjecture.
So, no help, but I comiserate.
XD Andy
btw, is anyone has some useful advice for me on where to find the AHT 2.0.1 for Xserve or even just the part number ... ... ...

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