Thanks for the reply. I took off the top case and measured the voltage in the backup battery: 4.1V, so it's holding a charge even higher than its 3.7V rating. Everything else I could see was properly installed, connected, etc.
Next, I cleaned the trackpad with a degreaser. Then after rebooting, I put a wet finger on the trackpad, and even the lightest touch gave me perfect pointer movements. As my finger dried, the pointer froze. When it was completely dry, I could get the pointer to move a ways, but it jumped back to the starting point as my finger pressure decreased. Horizontal movements seem easier than vertical movements. The mystery continues. Jim On Dec 23, 2008, at 3:59 PM, Maretta Holden wrote: > > I have the same model, original equipment (except > new 80GB HD to replace the one which recently > died), and have had no battery or trackpad > problems. > > You might want to look more closely at the left side board > replacement. > > - Maretta > > At 12:25 PM -0800 12/23/2008, Jim Scott wrote: >> In an effort to familiarize myself with newer form factors, I just >> acquired a PowerBook 15" Al 2004. It's running 10.4.11, and passes >> both the quick and extended Apple Hardware Tests. It runs very >> nicely, >> helped no doubt by 1.5 GB RAM and a 7200 rpm 80 GB HD. But there are >> two problems that I don't have the experience with this model to >> troubleshoot, and the Apple Service Manual's also no help. They may >> be >> related. >> >> POWER PROBLEMS: >> >> It runs nicely on AC and will charge a new battery and two used >> batteries (one has 759 charge cycles and still holds 23% original >> capacity!). But when the AC plug is pulled, it immediately dies and >> will not continue to run on any of the fully charged batteries. I >> have >> to do a PMU reset in order to restart on battery-only power. >> >> Plugging the AC back in while it's running on battery power >> immediately shuts down the PB. This happens whether I use a proper >> 65W >> Apple power adapter, or a 45W Apple power adapter, or a 70W >> Kensington >> universal AC/DC adapter. However, when it's been running on battery >> power and I plug in the AC and kill it, I can restart it without >> doing a PMU reset. >> >> Interestingly, every time plugging in or unplugging AC power kills >> the >> PB, the internal clock goes to default and has to be reset. Removing >> the battery and replacing it also causes the clock to go to default >> and require reset. So the backup battery probably is bad. It has been >> charged overnight, with no change in behavior or symptoms. >> >> The previous owner replaced the left USB/AC power/headphone/speaker >> port board, as well as the backup battery. The original backup >> battery >> still shows 2.6V of charge. >> >> TRACKPAD PROBLEM: >> >> The trackpad does not work smoothly. In every other Apple laptop I've >> ever used, I could move the cursor anywhere I wanted with light >> finger >> pressure. With this one, I have to press down hard in order to drag >> the cursor around, often lifting my finger and going back to get the >> cursor to move after it suddenly stops. "Normal" finger pressure >> results in only sporadic cursor movement. A fresh install of the OS >> and adjusting preferences offers no relief. Proper and expected >> cursor >> behavior is possible with an external mouse plugged in to either USB >> port. Trackpad behavior is the same, whether the mouse is plugged in >> or not. >> >> QUESTIONS: >> >> Can a "bad" backup battery cause any or all of the problems noted >> above? >> >> Can a "bad" left USB/Battery/headphone/speaker board cause the power >> problems? >> >> What's the deal with the trackpad behavior? I've never seen this >> before. >> >> Thanks for any help/insight/hints. >> >> Jim Scott >> >> >> >> > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed Low End Mac's G3-5 List, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
