T23 won't boot on battery alone

[Insomniac1971]

ThinkPad T23 (type 2647-4MG)

Hello to all,

This is a very strange problem:

On battery alone (power supply is not connected) the laptop will not turn on. When power supply is connected the laptop turns on fine, and if you wait a few seconds and then disconnects the power supply then it runs fine on battery.

The laptop runs fine otherwise. The battery is old but last 1-1½ hour on 1 charge.
Win2000 Pro is installed. 512Mb and 60GB hdd, DVD.

I have searched up and down the net for a reason but can't find one.

Hope someone here can tell me why its doing this and how to solve it:)

With kind regards

JBJ

[RealBlackStuff]

There are a couple of inductors on the mobo.
Look specifically at the big rectangular one top left above the CPU cooler. It's missing on this pic, but would be at A1-A2
http://www.rkawakami.net/ibm_t2x/mobo_top_72_legend.jpg
Resolder the contacts just in case.
If still no joy, you'll have to take the mobo out, turn it over, and resolder the 2 square inductors at D9 and E8
on this pic: http://www.rkawakami.net/ibm_t2x/mobo_b ... legend.jpg
If you take the inductors off, scrape the contacts until you see blank metal. Pre-tin lightly, remove the old solder from the mobo, using e.g. desoldering wick. Then resolder the inductors.
They have no polarity, either way is fine.

[Majestic]

Another possibility is that the modem/LAN card is bad. Try removing it to see if it effects the boot up. I had a similar problem with one of my T23s and found the card was bad. Once removed it booted right up on either the battery or adapter.

[Insomniac1971]

Thanx, guys I will try the modem board first since I shake too much on my hands(accident in 2000) to dare solder anything.

I will let you know:)

With kind regards

JBJ

[Insomniac1971]

Modem works fine, So its not that.

Strangely enough, if I start it with the power supply attached, then after a few seconds remove the power supply and let it run on battery, then I can restart it on battery without any problems and its still running fine.

Can anyone else who has this problem, tell me if they can restart on battery - without power supply attached?

JBJ

[papollonia]

I am having the same problem ( sort of ! ).

I run the extra battery in the cd bay.

Last night, (while the t23 was powered off) I removed the battery and popped the cd drive in,
then powered on

Was doing what i wanted to do (viewing data on the cd), then the t23 went down.

Pulled out battery, replaced it, powered up, the fan goes on, I heard the HD doing something.

Plugged the a/c and still the same..

Put it on the docking station. it worked!!!

Still not working on it's own?

FYI: I did get a Fan Error on a bootup several weeks ago.

Any ideas??

Thanks in Advance

[papollonia]

Ok I was playing with the T23 today and noticed that the lights on the top near the power button are not working..
I pressed on where the lights are and the screen came on and the lights worked, took pressure off and the screen went almost black and the lights went out..

Maybe something just came loose?????

Yes, I hope I can fix it!!!!

[RealBlackStuff]

Try reinserting the LCD cable, on which the control LEDs are mounted.

[papollonia]

Will do!! that is what i was thinking

[papollonia]

Try reinserting the LCD cable, on which the control LEDs are mounted.

That was it!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you
Now i need to get another screen, got two lines going down mine that are starting to drive me crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rkawakami]

There should be a metal plate that fits over the top of the connector at the end of the LCD ribbon cable. It's secured by two screws; one on or near the Ultrabay housing and the other to the motherboard (through a standoff that's part of the plate). If you don't have such a plate, then the connector can work loose again.