r51 - possible BoD and weird battery LED issue?

[oogenesis]

Hi all,

Sorry if someone has addressed this already, but I've searched the forum and can't find anyone else who has the same issue. I have an R51 that was out of commission for almost 6 months after an apparent short. My mechanical pencil happened to bang against the metal inside the PCI slots while it was running, thanks to cat activity. The laptop froze; I turned it off and powered it back up only for the fan to run, without the screen turning on. Then it wouldn't power up at all; it made a clicking noise and the battery LED just blinked at me.

Back in early June of this year, after taking it apart with the intention to replace the motherboard, I powered it up and was surprised to find that it was working again. I ran Memtest86+ on both sticks of RAM individually and separately, checked the power adapter...I was afraid to put the battery back in for fear of going without my computer for another few months, so I figured the short must have affected the battery.

Fast forward to last Sunday, after well over a month of fault-free operation. The faulty battery is dead, and didn't appear to be trying to charge (as it was before the short), so I left it in, since the base of the laptop is way too light without it. I left my laptop for an hour or two, with the AC adapter plugged in, and ran some errands. When I returned, I discovered the fan running and the screen blank. It wouldn't respond at all, so I shut it off. It hasn't powered up since; it just blinks and clicks.

Here's the issue: I just put in another battery I had (not faulty, but won't hold a charge either). Now the amber battery indicator LED stays on when I press the power button, but nothing else happens.

Thanks for your help and advice.

[ajkula66]

Welcome to the forum!

Could you please post the 7-character model number of your ThinkPad?

In the meantime, try this: remove the hard and media drives, battery and unplug the adapter. Press the "power" button ten times in a row, holding it down for ten seconds each time, and thirty seconds the last time around.

Plug the adapter back and try to power on.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[oogenesis]

The model number is 1836-Q6U.

I've tried something similar: pressing the power button for 30 or 45 seconds, then plugging in the AC adapter: no joy. I'll try this method as soon as I put the laptop back together, and keep you posted.

Thanks!

[oogenesis]

Ok, ajkula66, I've tried your suggestion. Here's what happens:

I tried first without the battery. Nothing -- just blinking and clicking. Then I plugged in the battery along with the AC adapter, and tried that. If I pressed the power button, the battery indicator light would come on. If I pressed it again, the light would flicker off, and then come right back on after a second or two. Has anyone ever seen this? Is this an issue that might resolve on its own...or should I just suck it up and buy a new board when I can afford one?

Note: I don't have any batteries that will hold a charge, but the one I tried this with at least didn't shut down my laptop.

Thanks again!

[spyder343]

I am having the exact same problem with the exact same machine - 1836-Q6U R-51. Same symptoms, same everything. I have dismantled the computer entirely, plugged the A/C adapter into the board with no peripherals attached (LCD, hard disk, etc. all disconnected) except for the keyboard for the power switch, and attempted to power up. Nothing but the click. I found that the click I am hearing is by the battery connection terminal on the motherboard.

Are there any type of fuses on the board that may be blown?

Thanks.