SE/30 time frozen

[HAL2001]

I’ve got a SE/30 with bluescsi and a working network card. But there is something strange going on. It has system 8. Time in the menu bar is frozen. I tried the regular date and time control panel, setdate and Vremya. I can set the date and time but it doesn’t run. It’s frozen. Pram battery is fine. Motherboard is recapped.
Any other ideas?

 

[moldy]

Any other ideas?

I would bet on the cap goo or rotten traces around the RTC chip (DIP8, next to the battery) or the clock crystal oscillator (tiny metal can next to the RTC chip). I would clean this area (again) and double check the traces there.

I think there was recently a case of a broken RTC chip described here on 68kmla as well.

 

[LaPorta]

This happened to me with a Classic, and it was exactly as moldy stated: cap goo, RTC issues. Could even be goo shorting something under the RTC. You'll need to look closely for crud in the area.

 

[mikes-macs]

Sometimes I wish I was frozen in time...

 

[HAL2001]

Sounds like an explanation. The problem is; it worked for more than 3 years after the recap. I only noticed the frozen clock after the arrival of the bluescsi.

 

[Daniël]

Sounds like an explanation. The problem is; it worked for more than 3 years after the recap. I only noticed the frozen clock after the arrival of the bluescsi.

Doesn't sound too strange, cap goop can take years before it starts doing noticeable damage, as it slowly but surely corrodes circuits.

 

[moldy]

cap goop can take years before it starts doing noticeable damage, as it slowly but surely corrodes circuits.

I can confirm that, had the same with my CII - had to rewash it (and even desolder the EGRET) to fix it months after the initial recap and wash which was pretty thorough.

 

[HAL2001]

Okay, and what a coincidence. I just found a 'tiny metal can' (the clock crystal oscillator?) in my room..... Could this be it?

 

[joshc]

No, that's an SMD electrolytic capacitor.

The crystal oscillator on the SE/30 looks like this:

 

[joshc]

Some high res photos of your board would be good.

 

[HAL2001]

Okay thanks. I will look one of these days. But now I'm wondering what this SMD could be.

 

[HAL2001]

Some high res photos of your board would be good.

Okay. Great if you want to take a look. Hold on. It takes some time to get it out.

 

[HAL2001]

Here they are.

 

[LaPorta]

I also recall part of the problem being that one of the diodes (D2 or D1) crapped out. Try testing those.