PB 1400/166: Cranky

[CelGen]

I could of swore this thing worked before I put it into storage.

Anyways, I have a Powerbook 1400/166 that I pulled out of storage to work on but it's unhappy. Sometimes you plug it in and all you get is a pop from the speakers every few seconds. Other times it will chime, backlight comes on but the LCD stays black.

 

[bigmessowires]

I had similar periodic speaker pop symptoms with a Duo 230 a while back. The problem was solved by removing the PRAM battery (not the main power battery). On the Duo, that required removing the keyboard and part of the trackball.

 

[superpantoufle]

I would say, the PRAM battery is most certainly bad. Try to remove it. Removing the main battery won't do bad either. My 1400 runs happily without its batteries! The only downside is it usually starts up automatically when plugged in.

 

[CelGen]

You sure the 1400 uses a PRAM battery? I can't find one in it. It seems to be behaving a lot better now that I left it plugged in and running for the night.

One thing however that was not ured is the lack of a display. the backlight still comes on but I'm still getting a black screen and the brightness and contrast do nothing.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

The PRAM battery in the 1400 is an absolute mhtoerfkuecr to get out. Pop the battery and look at the underside of the keyboard in the battery compartment. Those two discs are the PRAM battery. Now think about how much fun that is to disassemble.

Fortunately they go bad slowly and it sounds like yours maintains enough of a charge to deflake it. I'd cycle charge it a bit, see how much you can rehabilitate it. If this keeps happening, grit your teeth, get the service manual, and prepare to learn some new words. I've done it and I never want to do it again.

 

[CelGen]

Well so long as it will alos keep the PRAM alive using the main battery I should be fine as I still got two or three healthy batteries left.

Of course, this is all assuming I can figure out why I still don't have video. I already did a PRAM and PMU reset and that fixed nothing.

 

[J English Smith]

One tip - try moving the display gently back and forth in your 1400. I have one that's prone to some video issues, and it's always been as a result of the display cable getting crimped somehow. Moving the hinge always resolves it eventually.

I have seven 1400s, and have never had to extract the dead PRAMs to get startup to work ok. Occasionally I have to unplug the cable in my Pismos, but that battery is much easier to get to.

Hope you can resolve this...the 1400 is still a very nice little machine to write on.

 

[J English Smith]

Oh, I've had some reset issues where it seems I had to really do the reset cycle several times - like battery out, unplugged, then powered with AC power, then several pressings of the reset button, etc. Experiment. I've found them to be "cranky but robust."

 

[CelGen]

Leaving the unit plugged in an on seems to have at least brought back the PRAM battery as it will work no problem now but there's obviously comethign wrong with the video on the board. I have pulled out both the LCD and the vide cable and poked around with both and the black screen didn't change. Damn. I just got a 230mb MO drive for the thing too.

 

[Temetka]

Interestingly enough I pulled my 1400/133cs out of the closet today and it refused to power on. I left it plugged in for 15 minutes and still nothing. Then I hit the little reset button on the back. Booted right up.

Still. I think I am going to sell it. Or trade. There is just something about my 5300 that appeals to me far more than my 1400.

 

[J English Smith]

CelGen - just checking all angles, have you fiddled with the brightness and contrast buttons? After a reset, I often find I have a black screen but pressing the toggles up turns the screen on again.

If dead, I think you could still find a donor "c" type screen on the 'Bay.

 

[CelGen]

Yeah, I fiddled with those. In fact, I can turn down the brightness and see the screen get dimmer and eventually switch off the backlight.