Warning! Exploding Maxell PRAM Batteries

[madmax_2069]

To me it doesn't matter what brand of pram battery is used, i either remove the battery and never replace it, or buy a new battery. You run the risk of a leaking or exploding battery with every replacement.

My first 475 met its fate by a exploding pram battery which was maxell brand, now my current 475 has no pram battery in it, but i do have to double flick the power switch to turn it on or it wont boot, its a trade off between having memory loss or the chance if a pram battery leak or explosion.

I also removed the battery from my IIgs to keep it from seeing the same fate. The only Mac's i replace the pram battery in are my beige G3 AIO, my b&w, yikes, and my digital audio, if in storage or not in use i make sure the battery is removed.

 

[Bunsen]

BGoins12, I agree with Dennis Nedry: it looks like your logic board has only surface damage, and may still come good - especially if you clean it sooner rather than later.

Can't really find anything else, apart from issues with counterfeit Maxell batteries exploding

Counterfeits could well explain it. They would have been cheaply available at dollar stores when owners were looking to replace their original batteries.

This should be stickied if not already.

Done. I might also move this to a more visible forum, seeing as this is not specifically an LC/Performa issue. The Lounge?

/nitpick/ Macs, not Mac's }

 

[madmax_2069]

Blame the auto correct on my phone for saying Mac's instead of Macs in my post.

 

[uniserver]

ANOTHER CASE:

Maxell PRAM Battery... Just noticed... Horrible.

This should be stickied if not already.

Should also point out that, every single other Mac that had the purple Tadiran battery sitting for over 10+ years on the self are still perfect (even if all but one no longer holds a charge), they didn't explode and wreck the computer. I remember seeing a few other cases of this years ago (didn't give it much thought) and now that I recall they were all Maxell batteries too. Just remove em' boys and get something else like Tadiran (or even no battery if your Mac is ok with that)

that was in the lot that i received from him,

i cleaned it up the best i could, a bath, with some sanding and using a dental pick around the VLSI and CPU,

Tooth brush and baking soda,

the best i was able to get is all grey screen, no tone, no boot…

-bad hard drive she squeels

-fan does not spin, ( might not be getting power from the board bad trace)

-Simm is really bad, no big deal, i'd say simm got it the worst!

-i think the speaker is still good

ALSO, this one still has a good case, good psu, good nic…

floppy needs a complete tear down, i'm sure that i could get working…

i looked closer and there are some rom pins that totally disintegrated.

and also a couple pins of the onboard ram also totally disintegrated.

I'm sure I can solder some pins etc maybe get er working again, but for now its on stand by

 

[uniserver]

just to add to this, i worked for Comcast on and off over the last 10 years, currently i'm not associated with them at all.

anyways, all the DVR boxes, all had the purple batteries in the 3.6v round, much longer then what apple uses,

but never, seen one of those blow. never.

 

[LCGuy]

Counterfeits could well explain it. They would have been cheaply available at dollar stores when owners were looking to replace their original batteries.

Some aftermarket Maxell batteries may indeed be counterfeits, however some Macs came with these batteries from the factory. My iMac 333 came with one from new (if you're wondering, I've since replaced it with a TekCell), and I've seen a few LCs with them too, with date codes from around the same time the machine would've been built.

 

[maceffects]

Yes its pretty crazy not sure the issue but it seems pretty wide spread. and uniserver I'm glad there was something to save in there, I am surprised the HD is dead, maybe it has something to do with the board because it was tip top when put away years ago, even had some neat programs on there IIRC. I am surprised the PSU is good since it look liked it got hit pretty good.

 

[uniserver]

here is 2 completely dead ZERO volts 3.6v batteries, good news is neither are leaking!

the tadiran is made in israel, the maxell is made in japan...

 

[onlyonemac]

This should be stickied if not already.

Done. I might also move this to a more visible forum, seeing as this is not specifically an LC/Performa issue. The Lounge?

I don't think so. It needs to be visible to non 68kmla members. I read this a while before a member, and found it very important (although fortunately my mac hadn't suffered).

 

[kite210]

After reading this thread, I decided to pull out the macs I have stored in my basement to see if I had left any of the PRAM batteries in them.

I started with my G3 B&W, nothing there, then the 8500, which had a Tadiran battery in it, I decided to leave it in, as I didn't feel like taking it all the way apart just to take it out.

Once I got to my 7100, I opened it and found this:

It's still sealed, so that's a relief . I've had these machines stored for about a year now, so I'm glad I checked before my 7100 bit the dust from the maxell bomb.

I just need to check my eMac and iMac DV upstairs now.

 

[onlyonemac]

WHY is this not being MOVED!!! :?: It was more or less what brought me here!

 

[volvo242gt]

Guess it can happen with Tadiran batteries. Tested out an SE/30 that I got today. Wouldn't boot, showed what looked like a mixture of checkerboard and the normal startup screen on the monitor. After repeated attempts to get the machine to boot, I got out the T-15. Opened it up, found some capacitor leakage that was visible from under the motherboard. Pulled the board and found this:



As per usual, the battery holder wasn't attached to the board anymore. So, I'm thinking it'd be a good idea to replace these guys, no matter what brand they are, on a 10 year schedule. Maybe sooner.

I also tore into a IIcx that came with the SE/30 and a bunch of other machines. No explosion yet from the Tadiran battery, but it was getting a little stinky and corroded looking.

-J

 

[LCGuy]

Remember, these are 20 - 25 year old batteries. Any battery that old can leak or even explode. They're simply not designed to last that long. Personally I always dispose of batteries when they die.

 

[volvo242gt]

Yep, hence the reason I'm changing them out on a 10 year cycle now. Need to change out the one in the G4, since it's likely the original Tadiran from 2001.

-J

 

[mcdermd]

I just leave them out. 95% of Macs will boot without them and the once in a while that they are turned on after being unplugged, I can set the time or let the time get set via NTP.

 

[uniserver]

yeah its a shame to have a battery destroy a main board like that.

 

[directive0]

On the topic of Network Time Synchronizer:

Does anyone else have problems with it crippling your computer? I have 2 7100's running OS 8.5.1 and they both just lock up until command-opt-escape lets me force quit (and when I do its ALWAYS Network Time Synchronizer thats doing it).

I've left it for hours and come back and it's still locked. Is there something I can do to get it working properly?

 

[techknight]

i ran it on my SE/30 back in the day and never had issues.

 

[insaneboy]

hummm maybe I should check the SE/30 at work... although it's on a really high shelf and I don't do heights.

 

[volvo242gt]

^ If necessary, have a coworker grab it. But, yep, I'd check it.

-J