Any Mac G5 Experts Around Here?

[veatch]

So, my backyard got hit by lightning last Friday. Didn't really do any damage, but every battery backup supply i had in the house was toast - alarm system, computer, network - basically anything with a lead acid battery in it. We surprisingly didn't lose any electronics, just the battery backup supplies - or so i thought.

I noticed my PowerMac G5 (late 2005 2.5GHz Quad Core - the liquid cooled monster) started powering itself off when i was out of the room. I put it into non-performance mode thinking it might be heat related, but today it popped and won't power back up at all. I can hear a relay in the PS clicking on and off, so i unplugged it.

I'm assuming it is the power supply - i'm close to getting it pulled, but it looks like i have to pull the mobo to get it out. Getting the CPUs out was hard enough... now the mobo... :/

Anyhow, wanted to seek advice in case it is not the power supply. What should i try next - CPUs, mobo, etc?

On the one hand - it's old, but it does everything i need it to, and if i get a new(er) mac, i'll have to update virtually everything - HBA card, possibly the MOTU card, and likely about 3 to 4k of software. Not really a path i want to take.

The other alternative is to find a used one, but is finding a reliable one very likely - these things are about 10 years old...

Also, according to the interwebs, i'll need an diagnostic disk to recalibrate the fans when i'm done messing with this thing. Is there a safe place to download this (i don't trust torents all that much...)

Tnx in advance.

[specialk]

Sorry I can't be of any help, but I think you're on the right track with the PS. Best of luck to you.

And just for the heck of it:

[kizanski]

Jef, check your PM.

[sixesandsevens]

I don't know the steps, but older macs often had a PMU reset procedure that you could perform if it won't power on. I recall a G4 tower I had there was a button on the MB near the PSU that I had to press to reset it once.

Sorry I don't know the procedure for your model, but it might give you something else to google for before replacing the PSU.

Good luck!

[specialk]

So the lightning fried your UPS? Wow...

[kenjones]

About six years ago a G5 tower was my main work computer. It was about a 4-5 year old computer at that time. I was in the middle of a gigantic video project with a tight deadline. I went up to my office to get to work one morning and the G5 would not power up and just sat there clicking. I suspected the power supply. I immediately got on my laptop and made and appointment at the Apple Store. I took the G5 there for a 10:00 AM appointment. Within fifteen minutes they told me it was the power supply, that it would cost about $250 to replace it, but that they didn't have any in stock and that it would be 2-3 days before they could get it fixed. Not an option for me since I absolutely had to get the video project finished editing in 2 days. I ended up telling them to go ahead and fix it, but I ended up buying the latest and greatest new Power Mac to replace it. When the G5 was ready to pick up a few days later, I sold it to a very good friend of mine for $500. Within a few days the repaired G5 started having problems with the new power supply. My friend and I took the G5 back to the Apple Store and told them it still wasn't working. The store manager called me about two hours later and said they had decided to not bother fixing it again and that they would just give me a new/refurbished $3,000 Power Mac to replace it! I gave the new Power Mac to my friend who had bought the repaired G5. He was shocked, but I told him "What the hell, give me the $250 I paid for the repair and it's yours." So he basically got a new model $3,000 Power Mac for $750. Everyone was happy. And that particular Mac Store (Houston-Memorial City) rocks!