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rdklinc
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Works fine until a battery is connected, then shuts off

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Hi All! I've got an A1138 PowerBook that works fine on AC power with no battery attached, but when I connect a known-good battery (I've tried several known-good batteries), the machine immediately shuts off. The AC adapter light, which glows bright green without the battery in, goes out completely and erratically flickers amber when you connect a battery. The machine won't power on with a battery in except occasionally, and quickly goes off again. Again, this all happens when a battery is connected, and without a battery, everything's fine. My first guess was the battery connector, but I replaced that with no change. Next up was the DC-in, and I tried 3 I had sitting around, although I think they all may be flaky to some degree, so I'm not confident I've properly ruled out the DC-in. I've got a good DC-in on the way, but I'm not sure that's the problem...this seems more like a short, or an electrical issue. Any ideas? I know it's not the RAM, AC adapter, resets, etc. Thanks!

Edited by: rdklinc ( )

Got the replacement DC-in, and no luck. It behaves exactly like the other, which is perfectly, until you add a battery, and then the machine shuts off, and the AC light glows off and on amber.

rdklinc,

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mayer
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OK, this is a shot in the dark. Disconnect the battery connector cable from the logic board and insert a battery to see if it's physical.

Without the battery connector nothing happened. Good idea though!

rdklinc,

Sounds like a logic board to me. You guys have such interesting problems. + to both.

rj713,

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doctordon
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What is a DC-in?

Are you referring to the AC adapter

or the cable going from the AC adapter to the PB

or the part on the PB into which the plug from the adapter is inserted

or something entirely different?

It sounds as though a connector or circuit between the battery and the AC adapter input is fried.

This can be expected in a five-year-old PB. It's hard to swallow, though, when it's in a one-year-old PB (which is why the second PB was bought in December 2005).

doctordon: "DC-in" is a riser board on a notebook that has the power jack (may have USB and audio as well). It is much too often blamed for power issues that might be resolved simply by resetting PMU. http://tinyurl.com/4gsah7q

Lance,

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Lance
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Neil Vargas: Notebooks have no PRAM battery. A date / time issue is either faulty prefs file or you removed the battery with no working power cord attached.

Some notebooks have no PRAM batteries, usually the 12". Here's the PRAM battery for this model: http://www.ifixit.com/Mac-Parts/PowerBoo...

mayer,

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misterstereo8
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hi everyone. i have the same problem

note that when the battery is in and i try to start the comptuter

both the fan starts to incredible speed.

and if you plug the ac adapter whit battery in you colud hear a terrible wistle coming from somewere in logic board

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