A4000T Cyberstorm only working when pressed down every so often

[AmigaAbattoir]

I have been having problems with my A4000T lately.  Seem it won't start up unless I reseat the Cyberstorm.  It will work fine for a while and then it will go to black and not reset.  If I shut it off and wiggle the Cyberstrom a little, it usually starts up.  Now, it barely stays on for more than 10 minutes.  Can anyone tell me what I can try to do to fix this or who can fix it?  :-)  Thanks

[AmigaAbattoir]

How about duct tape. :-)

I tried cleaning it, but still get the same problems.

I thought I read something about the accelerator slots wearing down or the pins wearing down.  I was hoping that I don't have to replace the motherboard (again) or even worse having a PPC card on it's way to the grave.

[AmigaAbattoir]

Thanks!  I think that might do it.

Just wish me luck at the hardware store!   I have been having bad luck with them this past week.

[AmigaAbattoir]

Check also that it isn't an over heating problem

I thought that was the problem when this started happening (about a month ago).  I threw in a new 80mm case fan, replaced the PPC one with a new 486 fan from Radio Shack, put a 60mm fan over the 060 and SCSI chip, and threw in a harddrive cooling fan just for good luck.  

[AmigaAbattoir]

I had exactly the same -- accumulating problem with my overclocked (to 60Mhz) CS MkII also in an A4000T.

I was tempted to try overclock my Cyberstorm when I got my AmigaOne.  Since I have "bad luck" and the fact that I already had to have the 060 replaced on it last year I decided against it.  Which I kind of did not mind replacing at first,  since I got the 060 as a free sample from Motorola.  Of course, Motorola no longer gave samples out and I paid about US$225 for it.  A week later some site was offering them for US$75. :-/

[AmigaAbattoir]

OK, posted the pictures of my setup to the Image-o-Matic here but I guess one of the webmasters needs to approve them before they are available.

Awesome!!!  Now, it time to the hardware store! I also have plenty of other stuff to pick up there.

[AmigaAbattoir]

Thanks Rigger!!  It worked!  So far the machine has been working with it's case on and is in it's original upright posistion for about an hour.  The longest it has been working in that posistion for about a month.  Just hope it stays that way!

I have been having bad luck in finding piece for things this past week.  I've been remodeling my kitchen, and 2 stores I went to were out of tile spacers and no one carries the hinges for my cabinets.  So it only seemed natural that every hobby shop or hardware store I went to did not have nylon screws or spacers. :crazy:  

I ended up finding one place that had the right size nylon tubes.  So, I just ended up cutting them and using insulators with metal screws to fasten it.  I only put in two screws, one by the resistors and one under the first SIMM bank.  I also had to make the spacers uneven in order to get it working, but so far so good!!

Thanks again!!  :-)

[AmigaAbattoir]

It is repairable with an ordinary soldering iron, however, extreme care must be taken as it can be very easy to ruin the socket.

Basically, it involves removing the 060, and using a very clean soldering iron, without any excess solder on the tip, heating each individual socket from the top until the soldered joint underneath melts and repairs the joint.

I am definately not that good with a soldering iron.  I hacked a PSX controller to use parts from an arcade controller.  In the process, I ended up over heating a few (about 3 or 4) trace and had to recreate them.  But I did manage to get the thing working.

Luckily, the spacer trick that Rigger and Matt_H suggested has been holding up!

[AmigaAbattoir]

Well, after about 4 hours of use, it's dead again.  :-(  If the machine does start up,it will randomly freeze after a few minutes.  When it doesn't start up, the ethernet card flashes like normal and I get the grey screen.  But the hard drives do not spin up and my Concierto does not make the startup sound.

My bedroom has a dead A4000T and the living room has a dead A1200.  Maybe it's time to change my nick name.

[AmigaAbattoir]

Just tried pushing them down and they should be in there.

At this point, I'm about ready to strip both my "Classic" Amigas (A4000T and A1200) and sell their parts on eBay!  :madashell:

I just noticed that the solder on the back of the accelerator connector look a slightly yellow on one side.  Going to try and see if any place can take a look at my Cyberstorm and my Blizzard 1260.