T42 'lights up' but won't boot

[Paul Unger]

I'm just trying to get a couple of older machines going after returning from overseas. It's proving to be a bit depressing... (I have another thread about 2373-4TU's display going here)

2373-3UU is having boot problems. When I push the power button I get five lights momentarily (Num Lock, Caps Lock, Power, Battery, Standby Moon), a big burst of fan (and the fan keeps running), and then one light steady (Power) but no post. HD doesn't spin, splash screen doesn't appear, the BIG BLUE button does nothing.

When I opened it up I remembered two things: I replaced the fan/heatsink before I put it away (it has the long fan for the 64 MB GPU) and for some reason I thought the CMOS battery was dead (can't remember why now). I replaced the CMOS battery yesterday, but still no boot. I have removed HD (and swapped in HD from 2373-4TU), RAM, CD, wireless, and still the same thing.

I never had the intermittent symptoms associated with a loose GPU; I have religiously held the machine with two hands and it has spent most of its life on a desk (which is part of why I got seven good years out of it!) But what do you think? What's up with that light sequence? Thanks for any help,

Paul

[ajkula66]

I never had the intermittent symptoms associated with a loose GPU; I have religiously held the machine with two hands and it has spent most of its life on a desk (which is part of why I got seven good years out of it!) But what do you think? What's up with that light sequence? Thanks for any help,

Paul

Light sequence is meaningless.

Try pressing (gently) on the GPU while the machine is being powered on.

If that doesn't yield results, remove the wireless card and press on the Southbridge chip that is under it.

Those are your likely culprits.

Good luck.

[ilakast]

I'll insist and ask the same as in another similar case:

Have you tried booting without the AC adapter, using the battery only? (plug the PSU afterwards if you get booting)

ref : http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=96848

[Paul Unger]

Hi ilakast,

To answer your question: yes, I did try booting with battery alone. No dice.

Right now the machine is in a box in pieces. Trying to decide what to do with it...

[turboscrew]

Any leaking/bulged electrolytic capacitors close to the processor?

[Paul Unger]

Any leaking/bulged electrolytic capacitors close to the processor?

Not visible to my eye.