[usurp]

My wifes powerbooks power adapter has been acting strange recently, it charges for like an hour and then just stops working. the only way to get the power adapter to work again is to unplug it from the wall and back again.

so anyway i found another power adapter in my office but the head where u plug it into the powerbook was a bit mangled up. so for some stupid reason i decided to try and shove it into my wifes powerbook to see if it worked. it didnt.

so i went and plugged back her power adapter and to my shock it wasn't working. the socket feels a bit.. loose? I dont know if i busted the power socket on the powerbook or something or if it short circuited something but i am pretty much fucked. i broke my dogs leg last month and this month i broke my wifes powerbook, i am hoping she doesnt believe in the 3 strikes you're out rule.

HELP!



The picture is of the busted head i shoved into my wifes powerbook.. I know I know I am stupid!

[Banana]

Were those two adaptors exactly same model? If they came with different models of PB, they may have different voltage rating. That'd mean your plug may be totally fried beyond any help.

If they're same, the power socket may be just busted. In which case, you could take a plier to it. Realize that this is only a juryrig and there's no guarantee it will work. I don't know if anyone can replace a power plug totally.

[ghoti]

Well the outer part of that plug looks like mine after the PB fell off the bed while plugged in. I doubt that that would cause any damage (and I just twisted it back into shape with small pliers, and it works to this day). But the middle plug looks like the tip has broken off. Could it be that a small part is still stuck in your wife's ... PowerBook? (scnr) Does the plug from the other power adapter go all the way in?

[ghoti]

Originally Posted by Banana Were those two adaptors exactly same model? If they came with different models of PB, they may have different voltage rating. That'd mean your plug may be totally fried beyond any help.

Nope. I routinely use the power adapter that came with a 15" PB on my 12", and vice versa. The 15" model seems to have more power (never really checked though), but nothing fries. They couldn't do that, different voltages that the PBs can't handle on the same plug is just asking for a class action lawsuit.

[Banana]

He didn't specify which power adaptor he used in his office, and I don't know whether a power adaptor for a G4 is same as a G3. I do know that with Dell lappys, it's like bajillion power adaptors custom tailed to four or five lappys.

[usurp]

Ok the busted poweradapter is a 45w 14inch iBook adapter. My wifes 12inch powerbooks adapter is 65w.
thanks for the quick replies. i am currently trying to copy all her files off her powerbook onto my mac. there is a bit of juice left and i want to copy everything and format her powerbook so i can then try fixing it myself or sending it to a pro...

[scratt]

Originally Posted by usurp My wifes powerbooks power adapter has been acting strange recently, it charges for like an hour and then just stops working. the only way to get the power adapter to work again is to unplug it from the wall and back again.

Apple did a free mail in exchange for power adapters that did that way back when the first 17" machines came out..

Loads of them were shutting off after a while and could only be restarted by unplugging them and re-plugging them back in...

For a while Apple claimed it was spikes in peoples power supplies tripping them, and came up with loads of configurations that you couldn't use them in.. Multiple sockets, same power outlet as a fridge.

Eventually they let people send them in for a free replacement and admitted that perhaps they were a bit sensitive, or just plain faulty!

I wonder if that was the case with your wife's and it just developed late in life...

How old was the PSU?

EDIT - I suspect the one you 'found' at work, with the crappy connector was probably already broken!

[scratt]

Originally Posted by usurp Ok the busted poweradapter is a 45w 14inch iBook adapter. My wifes 12inch powerbooks adapter is 65w. thanks for the quick replies. i am currently trying to copy all her files off her powerbook onto my mac. there is a bit of juice left and i want to copy everything and format her powerbook so i can then try fixing it myself or sending it to a pro...

I know that a lower power 14" PSU will power, but not fully charge a PowerBook.
I have used my wife's 14" iBook on my 17" PB many times while travelling.
That was also on the Apple site on one of the FAQs a while ago.

I would suspect that they are pretty interchangable.
You are not going to blow your wife's machine up putting the lower power PSU on it.
I suspect you have damaged the connector inside if the 'borrowed' PSU does indeed work. But how you can do that I don't know.. It seems a pretty bullet proof design really!

[usurp]

I did a bit of googling and I think I figured what i fucked up, the DC-IN Board.



Brand new it might cost me anywhere between $79 to $120 depending where I buy it from. On eBay I found some that were removed from non working powerbooks for $15 to $45. Problem is installing it myself is going to be a bitch and with my clumsiness I dont think my wife will let me do it myself. Last time I opened up my 12inch ibook, when I put it back together I had 13 extra screws left over..

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/53.17.0.html

[Dave]

Originally Posted by usurp Last time I opened up my 12inch ibook, when I put it back together I had 13 extra screws left over..

Wow, that takes... um... talent. I'm surprised it still works.

[alcimedes]

You are my new hero.

That's by far the most effecient reassembly of a laptop I've ever heard of.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by usurp Last time I opened up my 12inch ibook, when I put it back together I had 13 extra screws left over..

Sounds familiar. Every time I open mine, I end up with at least half a dozen stray screws.

[scratt]

I have said this before.

When I take one apart I get a piece of card and tape each set of screws to the card with a short description and in the rough location on the machine they came from.

So far I am batting 100%!

[ghoti]

Since you're linking to ifixit, why don't you make use of their screw guide? It's impossible to have anything left over when you use the guide.

[usurp]

wait, no one said my ibook worked after i put it back together! lol
http://www.unex-t.com/deadbook
it had a messed up logic board and never ended up working again...

ifixit make things look easy, i figured i would get 2 ice cube trays and color the ice cube holders to match the colors from ifixit and also which step number i took them off from so i can put them all back again.

problem is my wife wont let me do it
second problem is i am not patient and will end up rushing things
third problem is i am clumsy. clumsy as in if i want to superglue something i end up with superglue everywhere.

[scratt]

Originally Posted by ghoti Since you're linking to ifixit, why don't you make use of their screw guide? It's impossible to have anything left over when you use the guide.

/lazy
/lazy

[Boomerangmacuser]

*bump*
Ok I haven't broken MY wife's iBook... yet, but I might. What I'm asking is the level of difficulty in replacing the DC-in board.

Ours overheated trying to handbrake a movie once and now the plug is really tight. Also, it doesn't always register when it's plugged in. I have to twist it until I see the icon change from battery to a plug. I believe it's the root of my battery being killed so I'd like to replace it before I buy a new battery.

A new DC-in board is $65 but they want another $75 to replace it. Has anyone done this repair? how risky is it? I saw the repair manual from Powerbookmedic.com and it doesn't look that bad.

Any advice before I take the plunge?

[RobUSVI]

Originally Posted by ghoti Since you're linking to ifixit, why don't you make use of their screw guide? It's impossible to have anything left over when you use the guide.

Impossible is a strong word... I have had a screw or two left over from time to time when using one of the actual Apple service manuals. The manuals are not always correct. (I never returned a laptop to a customer without fixing my mistake and getting all of the screws back in their proper place!)

I have found that an empty ice cube tray is the easiest way to keep screws organized.

Some screws are important and will result in overheating of the laptop if not properly installed.

[FFL]

A new DC-in board is $65 but they want another $75 to replace it.

For $75, I'd definitely let a professional do it, unless you've had plenty of practice already in notebook computer parts replacement.

[Boomerangmacuser]

Thanks for the advice. I've dissasembled enough PC's but not lappies. The take-apart manual it pretty straightforward and it's the first component you access after popping the bottom shell and heat shield.

The part will take 3-4 days to get to the shop so I stil have time to decide.