T43 won't turn on

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hiyel · #1 Post by **hiyel** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:39 pm

Couple weeks ago I started to have this problem. I would push the power button (while the battery is in and power cord attached), and all I was getting was a split second blink of the battery indicator LED, and nothing else. Any subsequent push on the power button wouldn't do anything either. Then I would disconnect the battery and the power cord, connect them back again, push the power button, get the same split second blink. I would try that couple times, and after 5-10 tries it would turn on. Once it's turned on everything would work fine, bios loads, OS loads. But the other day, it took me half an hour of this nonsense loop to get the laptop turn on. And now, it won't turn on at all.
The AC adapter is fine, cause it was running the laptop without the batteries in, and was charging the batteries as well. The battery is fine too, it was running the laptop without the AC adapter for about an hour and 45 mins, which is fine after 2.5 years.

This almost certainly points a hardware malfunction in the power circuits. My guess is that a capacitor or its resistor somewhere is dead or something and it doesn't charge or discharge as fast or as slow anymore, and that explains the gradual increase in time it was taking me to turn it on.

Do you guys have any ideas or suggestions for this problem?
Thanks in advance

killer · #2 Post by **killer** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:54 am

If it is 2.5 years old then I'd send it back for repair under warranty.

hiyel · #3 Post by **hiyel** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 2:27 pm

killer wrote:If it is 2.5 years old then I'd send it back for repair under warranty.

It only had 1 year warranty unfortunately...

#4 Post by **richk** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 4:31 pm

The first thing I would try is the keyboard. (cheaper than a motherboard) The power switch might be sticking. I would offer to sell you one and let you return it for a refund (minus shipping) if it doesn't fix your problem. Send me a pm if you're interested.

hiyel · #5 Post by **hiyel** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 8:26 pm

richk wrote:The first thing I would try is the keyboard. (cheaper than a motherboard) The power switch might be sticking. I would offer to sell you one and let you return it for a refund (minus shipping) if it doesn't fix your problem. Send me a pm if you're interested.

Thank you very much for the offer. But, isn't the the power button just a simple switch? If it is, than it does its job, since I do always get a reaction when I push it.

I decided to pay 50$ for a diagnosis at an IBM service place here in Vancouver. If they say that they need to replace the motherboard, then I'll buy one online, (about 400$) and install it myself. Oh, by the way, I called IBM parts today and they said it's 900 something (I didn't listen the rest after I heard nine hundred) dollars for the system board...

dlocutor · #6 Post by **dlocutor** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:17 pm

last night ..

hiyel wrote: ... the power button (while the battery is in and power cord attached), and all I was getting was a split second blink of the battery indicator LED, and nothing else. Any subsequent push on the power button wouldn't do anything either. Then I would disconnect the battery and the power cord, connect them back again, push the power button, get the same split second blink. I would try that couple times, and after 5-10 tries it would turn on. Once it's turned on everything would work fine, bios loads, OS loads. But the other day, it took me half an hour of this nonsense loop to get the laptop turn on. And now, it won't turn on at all.

.. same problem here except with a T61 .. can anyone steer us to a reputable authorized service center in the Metro New Jersey area ?
Lenovo wants me to ship to them with $950 down ..

any info, links, to authorized centers appreciated
meanwhile I'll scour the boards looking
thanks in advance

hiyel · #7 Post by **hiyel** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 6:58 pm

dlocutor:
I called ibm and asked for the authorized service centers. They don't charge for that

JoseRijo · #8 Post by **JoseRijo** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:03 am

Hiyel,

I have the same problem with my T42. Please let us know if you get anywhere. Thanks!

hiyel · #9 Post by **hiyel** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 2:24 pm

The service center diagnosed the laptop, they said it needs a new motherboard and they quoted 1100 CAD for parts plus labor and tax.
I guess I'll look for a new motherboard online and replace it myself.

ghasapidis · #10 Post by **ghasapidis** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 3:39 pm

I don't know if this would work with your T43, but I used to see a very similar set of symptoms with an old line of Dell Latitudes, and the fix was to unplug the AC power, pop out the battery, and then press and hold the power switch for a while--I think I used to count off 30 seconds. Dell Support told me this discharged some kind of static build up, but it never completely made sense to me. However, the solution did work consistently, and then the laptop would be free of that problem indefinitely. It's cheap and easy, so you might as well try it.

vlyne · #11 Post by **vlyne** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:19 am

Sounds like the dreaded T2* BOD! On a related note, I had the same BOD symptoms with a NEC Versa and after a lengthy disassembly and checking of components, the last thing I checked was the bios battery which was a 3V Li with less than 0.5V After I replaced it all was well! I doubt this is your problem but the usual drill is to strip off everything (wireless card, modem, memory including one in internal slot, CD/DVD, etc....) and try to boot and if it boots, put back one component at a time till it fails again.
Good luck!

hiyel · #12 Post by **hiyel** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:56 pm

Thanks ghasapidis and vlyne.
I'll try both your suggestions when I get my laptop back.
By the way, what is BOD?

vlyne · #13 Post by **vlyne** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:18 am

BOD is an acronym coined in this forum (not sure who was the first?) that stands for Blink of Death or the “split second blink of the battery indicator LED” to use your phrase. Do a Search under the T2X forum and you’ll find a range of suggested “solutions” (including the one suggested by ghasapidis) – none of which are universal fixes for that model. I’m curious to see what it turns out to be for a T43.
Cheers

NovaKnowledgeNow · #14 Post by **NovaKnowledgeNow** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:43 am

I've had the same problem in a T41. I don't know what the cause of it is either. I've had a fully charged battery and working AC adapter plugged in, and it won't even show the light saying it's plugged in. I took the battery out, swapped another one in, plugged in and viola, it works! Well I plug the original battery back in and plug in the ac adapter, and what do you know, it works again! Crazy I know. How do we solve the problem... You've got me. Probably the motherboard, but of course that's what everyone always says for the first answer.

Julie · #15 Post by **Julie** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:35 am

I just had this exact problem with my T43. I unplugged the power cord and removed the battery. Held down the power button and that fixed the issue. The laptop turned on. Thanks, fellas!

AdaSch · #16 Post by **AdaSch** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 6:23 am

Hi,

after 5 years using my t43p i have this same problem

always help, disconnect battery, next few kock on back laptop and always turning on

any one have schematics t43p? haw turn on procedure works?

i think it's maybe overload issue - bad rea.

of course, t43p always start from standby mode.

any suggestions?

cheers

AdaSch · #17 Post by **AdaSch** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:27 am

look on this

http://www.thinkpads.com/forum/viewtopi ... 75&start=0

T43 won't turn on

T43 won't turn on

Re: T43 won't turn on

T43 won't turn on

Re: T43 won't turn on

Re: T43 won't turn on

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