HELP!! - x31 wont turn on/resume on power

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mma1970 · #1 Post by **mma1970** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:19 pm

Hi,

i got a big problem with my lovely thinkpad x31 1.4Ghz - several days ago it got a power system issue - it does not want to turn on/resume when i shut it down or put it into hibernate/sleep. In order to turn it i need to pull out battery and power cable and replug it - then it works till the next power off event.

That is definitely not a software issue cause i have a dualboot linux/xp and that happens with both environments. I tried to pull out backup SMOS battery as well as other power sources, leave the box without power for more then a day - nothing helps here. Googling does not help as well.

It looks like that is somehow related to the power supplier/system power unit - if I run the system on the battery power everything goes fine - sleep/hibernate/shutdown/restart work like a charm from linux/windows. But when i connect the power cable during a system Sleep ("Moon" led green), it turns the "Moon" led of after 3-5 seconds and sometimes shows no battery/wrong battery status (for instance - completely charged / no battery - black battery led). The same thing happens if I do shutdown/sleep with power cable being already connected...

Please help me to go futher in my investigations - is it a logic board issue? Is it somehow repairable?

I really love my x31 and work to keep it as long as possible alive...

Thanks in advance for all your help,

Mikhail

Quattro · #2 Post by **Quattro** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:40 am

Have you tried a different a/c adaptor? Tried removing the battery completely? Have you tried pulling all removalbe devices one-by-one to try to isolate the problem (RAM, HD, CMOS battery, PCMCIA card, any USB device, etc...)

If it works on battery, and doesn't work on a/c power, i'm thinking it is a power circuit issue. If that is the case, you will need a new motherboard.

mma1970 · #3 Post by **mma1970** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:03 am

> Have you tried a different a/c adaptor? Tried removing the battery
> completely? Have you tried pulling all removalbe devices one-by-one > to try to isolate the problem (RAM, HD, CMOS battery, PCMCIA card, > any USB device, etc...)

i have tried everything you wrote - nothing special found - could only noticed that after replugging smos/accu/power sometimes shutdown works several times from XP, then stops as well.

Puppy · #4 Post by **Puppy** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 12:07 pm

Try Load Defaults in BIOS settings.

mma1970 · #5 Post by **mma1970** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:00 pm

Puppy wrote:Try Load Defaults in BIOS settings.

That i did 10 times... does not help at all

Puppy · #6 Post by **Puppy** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 2:13 pm

Do you have latest BIOS version ?

Wait ... "i have a dualboot linux/xp". I guess that Linux thingy destroyed something in the BIOS or any other hardware part firmware. I'd try to re-flash BIOS and Embedded Controller and restore the machine to default software installation state.

mma1970 · #7 Post by **mma1970** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 3:19 pm

Puppy wrote:Do you have latest BIOS version ?

Wait ... "i have a dualboot linux/xp". I guess that Linux thingy destroyed something in the BIOS or any other hardware part firmware. I'd try to re-flash BIOS and Embedded Controller and restore the machine to default software installation state.

did downgrade EC and BIOS and upgraded again - the same result

Can only add that ONLY on power (without accu) the "Moon" led turns off after ~20-30 secords in Sleep Mode. But if I plug the battery it turns off much faster - 3-5 secs after Sleep beep...

Puppy · #8 Post by **Puppy** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 4:45 pm

Isn't the battery the problem ?

mma1970 · #9 Post by **mma1970** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 4:56 pm

Puppy wrote:Isn't the battery the problem ?

Unfortunately I have 2 battery packs - 1st old IBM origin (1.5 h) and 2nd - Chine-made new (3h). Can only say both were working fine till that happend last week.

Quattro · #10 Post by **Quattro** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:31 pm

i think your mobo is dead.

godling · #11 Post by **godling** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:32 am

If you can get your computer to turn on, and start up, then the mobo isn't dead.

I've had similar issues to this, as have a few others.

Try this:
1. Unplug the AC power
2. Remove the battery
3. Open the lid and push down the power button as if to turn it on (ie, don't hold it, just push it in for a second)
4. Repeat step 3 about 10 times
5. Re-attach battery and AC cable.

Does that work?

If so, you've got the same kind of issue I have. Every once in a while, a capacitor or something gets overcharged, and needs to be released. Probably an issue with the mobo, but it's a short term fix that works.

-J

mma1970 · #12 Post by **mma1970** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:37 am

Thanks, this hint helped a bit with sleep - i have tested it 3 times from XP - success! Unfortunately it does not help to fix shutdown/turn on problem - still not able to turn off after shutdown

godling wrote:snipped

dickchailey · #13 Post by **dickchailey** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:27 am

Could this be a sticky lid switch issue? I recall a similar post some time ago about a TP which would not boot with the lid switch stuck down - the metal around the switch was bent.

mma1970 · #14 Post by **mma1970** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:54 am

but then it does not explain why i starts working after i replug power/battery ...

dickchailey wrote:Could this be a sticky lid switch issue? I recall a similar post some time ago about a TP which would not boot with the lid switch stuck down - the metal around the switch was bent.

HELP!! - x31 wont turn on/resume on power

HELP!! - x31 wont turn on/resume on power

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