Aluminum G4 PRAM battery (compatibility)

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Eudimorphodon's picture
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Aluminum G4 PRAM battery (compatibility)

Picking the brain of any Apple Certified Technicians out there.

I've been upgrading a 1.33Ghz AL with parts from a badly abused 1.5Ghz model (nabbed the bigger hard disk and DVD burner). The donor is a newer "2005" Radeon 9700 model, not the faster version of the 1.33's generation, so it differs in a few places. (Has a different motherboard, different keyboard, etc.)

My question: The PRAM battery pack in those machines is taped to the top of the optical drive.
(With tape that *really* doesn't want to let go.) The physical form factor of both the battery itself and the circuit board it's nested in is totally different, but the voltages are the same, as is the motherboard connector. So... are the two compatible?

Just curious, really. I went ahead and unstuck the tape from the drives when I swapped them, but I'm wondering if I could of saved the agony of prying off something so fragile. :^b

--Peace

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unsticking tape

Not the answer to your current question, but FYI:
Use a length of very thin wire or fishline or cord, and slide/pull that between the two taped-together objects. Works especially well on 'foam'-type double-sticky tape, but if the cutting cord is thin enough this technique will work on most anything.

dan k

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More Stupid Aluminum questions

So, the *other* broken aluminum I have in my paws right now is a "nearly mint" 1.5Ghz, same model as the utterly trashed one I was stripping parts from earlier. It seems to run great with one exception: When running on battery, the system randomly powers off. It appears to be something "mechanical", as I can pretty reliably reproduce it by handling the system. (Tilting, pressing lightly on the bottom, etc. When just "using it" it seems to like to do it when clicking the trackpad.)

Anyone experienced with these beasts have any idea what it could be? I've tried several batteries (including the one driving my newly pimped 1.33Ghz) and they all seem to do it, so I'm pretty positive the fault's in the machine proper. Are there any cables/connectors that are suspect, or does a bad motherboard or other component seem more likely? I have the really trashed one to use as a parts donor if necessary.

(It actually works, it just looks like someone took a hammer to it. Quite impressive, really.)

--Peace

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Re: More Stupid Aluminum questions

So, the *other* broken aluminum I have in my paws right now is a "nearly mint" 1.5Ghz, same model ...

(Just updating this in case someone goes old-thread-surfing.)

Problem resolved. Turned out to be a bad wiring harness. It also turned out the system, despite having been discarded, still had AppleCare coverage on it. Rock on! ;^)

--Peace

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