Thinkpad 600 system board messages after 9 months non-use

[sampson127]

I switched on my old trusty Thinkpad 600 type 2645 after 9 months non-use.

I got the following error messages:

System Board
Dev 001
Error 96
FRU 3810

Checking the web I reckoned it was a dead CMOS battery. I took off the memory cover screw, saw the CMOS battery half tucked under the edge of the case wrapped in green plastic with the two wires attached. I carefully unwrapped the green sticky plastic covering and found a CR 2025 3v battery. I noticed a metal terminal on either side of the battery, held in place by the sticky plastic wrap. I carefully put the new battery in, re-attached everything and closed the cover.

On booting up I got two new error messages:

00173
00163

I reset the date and time, and eventually got to a a flashing screen with

0 > I where the flash was between the 0 and the I.

This puzzled me until my dear wife suggested "perhaps it means switch it off and then back on again!"

Oh the wisdom of women! I did as she suggested and hey presto! I got a normal boot sequence and was back up and running in a minute or two.

Hope this helps someone else with a similar problem.

[rkawakami]

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

It sounds like the CMOS battery in your system has already been changed at least once. The usual factory CMOS battery is wrapped in yellow plastic (with an FRU number printed on it) and the leads are welded to the ends of the battery. If yours are being held against the + and - terminals of the battery only by the tape, then you may have issues later on if/when the tape loosens up; the 163/173 errors will pop up again. I also would not recommend you trying to solder or weld the metal tabs to the replacement battery as that could cause a ruptured battery.