T42 would not turn on?

[boon]

Someone selling a T42 but it would not power on. Do you think it is the system board that needs replace?

[nirvana0001]

it most likely the mainboard issue

[cmarti]

Someone selling a T42 but it would not power on. Do you think it is the system board that needs replace?

Did you check the power supply and see if there is any voltage? Maybe use another power suply from another IBM or if you cannot find one use one from a compaq or hp but first check that the voltage and wattage are the same.

[rkawakami]

Maybe use another power suply from another IBM or if you cannot find one use one from a compaq or hp but first check the voltage and wattage.

The voltage is important, the wattage less so. But the MAJOR point to consider is the POLARITY of the plug. I would say most AC adapters with the same type of coaxial power plug used by Thinkpads have the center conductor as the "+" side, but it's not a guarantee that they will.

[rabbarba]

Be very careful with the adapters u plug into the TP. I plugged some universal [censored] into mine, and the mainboard failed. Luckily Ive got warranty..

[cmarti]

I would say most AC adapters with the same type of coaxial power plug used by Thinkpads have the center conductor as the "+" side, but it's not a guarantee that they will.

Of course polarity, I forgot to mention that, but i often use HP or Compaq ac adapter on the office and they always have the + in the center.

[cmarti]

Be very careful with the adapters u plug into the TP. I plugged some universal [censored] into mine, and the mainboard failed. Luckily Ive got warranty..

Bad words...Ji Ji.

[vlyne]

Someone selling a T42 but it would not power on. Do you think it is the system board that needs replace?

You'll need to ask a few questions before taking the risk:

1. Do any of the LEDs light up when the A/C is connected (battery charge light should come on). If no, it may be a simple problem with the A/C plug or a main fuse.

2. The LEDs light up but pushing the powerbutton does nothing. This also indicates a problem with the main power supply (could be battery or A/C) and potentially fixable. If there is a brief flash of activity and then nothing, not including beeps, this could be due to a whole range of problems. It could be power supply or any one of the devices that the machine is trying to test. Also, is the battery being charged or not? If you're really lucky, it could just be the lid switch is sticky!

3. How experienced is the seller in computer repairs? If they are a computer repair place or well experienced in repairs, the motherboard is most likely a real dud. Sometimes you have to judge not only the item but also the seller.

As for the A/C adapter, I've seen many fine pieces of electronics reduced to smoldering scrap (the crude amongst us may wish to delete the "s" in scrap) by careless owners that plug in the nearest adapter they can lay their hands on. Voltage/wattage/polarity are all important and whether or not the supply is stabilised.
Cheers

[boon]

well I haven't actually buy the laptop yet since I am afraid its the motherboard, because if so it would not be worth it since the T series seems to be going cheap nowadays in ebays.

actually this is from craigslist, sellers says:

"i am selling a ibm thinkpad 42 this does not work will not turn on don't know whats worng with it.. has 60gb hard drives and 512mb of ram Windows XP Burns cds good for parts....

only thing I can tell is seller doesn't know much about ibm models (wheres the letter T )

Edit:
I asked the seller and the light does try to turn on when try to power on the laptop...could it be main fuse or other problems? because I am sure the seller would test using the battery too...

I actually don't understand the polarity thing