Q605 won't boot

#1 Sat, 17 May 2008 - 09:02 68kMLA

Got a (in my sig) Q605 - 33Mhz hack, full RC040, 64MB SIMM, 250MB hard disk, PDS etherent, I think MacOS 8.1

It was put away working about 2-3 years go.

Pull it out, nothing.

Dug out a good battery from my inventory (read: garage) and popped it in.

I can hear the startup chime, and then I hear this 8-10 note song, but no video, nothing.

Removed 64MB SIMM, same deal. Removed Ethernet card, same.

Any ideas? Never heard a Mac sing like that...of course, hopefully it's not a death chant...

#2 Sat, 17 May 2008 - 12:33 68kMLA

That sounds like a death chime. What happens if you disconnect the HDD?

Also, are you sure that the battery is good? Check it with a multimeter. (if you have one) Also, even if you're sure that the battery is good, try doing the "Pizzabox Powertoggle" anyway - turn the machine on, then off, then back on again.

Best of luck.

#3 Sat, 17 May 2008 - 17:42 68kMLA

A dead battery wouldn't give you the chimes. In my experience, the chimes of death are caused by bad memory most of the time. I would remove the RAM and the PDS card and give it a reboot. If it boots without the PDS and the SIMM, put the PDS back in and try it again.

#4 Sat, 17 May 2008 - 18:06 68kMLA

I distinctly remember that I had an LC475 (same machine) give me the chimes because of a bad 80 MB Hard Drive.

Try another drive, any scsi at all, and see if the chimes recur.

#5 Sat, 17 May 2008 - 18:19 68kMLA

According to Macs For Dummies 4th Edition by David Pogue, the chime is usually caused by bad/loose memory or a SCSI conflict.

#6 Sat, 17 May 2008 - 18:38 68kMLA

Removed the SIMM already, still sings.

Unplugged the SCSI drive, same deal.

She dead and need to be buried?

Shame - I LOVE Q605's!

#7 Sat, 17 May 2008 - 19:41 68kMLA

You could try reseating the onboard memory.

#8 Sun, 18 May 2008 - 01:34 68kMLA

Onboard is soldered to the logic board, unfortunately

#9 Sun, 18 May 2008 - 03:08 68kMLA

Are there any telltale signs of leaking caps? The 605 is so darn cute, it would be a shame to give up. In desperation, I'd just toss it in the dishwasher, even if you don't see any obvious leakage.

#10 Sun, 18 May 2008 - 03:54 68kMLA

Well, I do have one of those RatShack electronic cleaner cans with the scrub brush on it. I could just scrub the life out of it and see....

Can't see any bad caps...

#11 Sun, 18 May 2008 - 05:42 68kMLA

I hate to sound like those people who say, "Maybe if I just let it sit for awhile it will fix itself," but...

... I have revived a couple of mysteriously dead Macs (no power at all, or chimes of death) by unplugging everything from the motherboard - PRAM battery, hard drive, floppy drive, RAM, VRAM, CPU, anything not nailed down or soldered on - and letting it sit for several days, and then reassembling it.

Sounds weird I know, but perhaps worth a shot before you dumpster the mobo.

M