A3000T Help!

[Tumbleweed]

Hi All

My A3000T, which I've had for just over a year has been working fine, until last week. The machine from after about 10mins. Screen changed to dark grey, mouse, keyboard all not working. Tried to soft reset, didn't work.

So I switched it off. Left it for a minute or so and switched it back on. No good. Black screen, which in the past has indicated a CPU card issue. So I opened it up and wiggled the CPU card (CS MKII - 060). Nothing - black screen.

I then left it and went to work.

After about 10hrs switched off. I tried again, this time disconnecting the HDD from the internal SCSI controller. The machine booted to kickstart (40.68 ROMS). I then reconnected the HDD and tried again. Machine booted into workbench and was OK for about 5 mins and then the same thing. Froze - grey screen.

So I disconnected the HDD and tried to boot. No joy. Black screen and its been like that ever since.

In an attempt to fix it I have done the following:

1. Removed the CS MK II.

2. Reset jumpers for 030 mode as follows

J100 1-2
J102 2-3
J103 2-3
J104 1-2

3. Removed all expansion cards
4. Removed all internal socketted ZIP RAM.
5. Removed the HDD

I've checked and re-checked SCSI termination - external port is connected to a external CDROM and is terminated.

Anything else I could try?

The battery is still installed - the bad barrell type but there is no sign of leakage or m/b damage on the top-side at least. How can test the battery?

I do hope I can get this working. Its my main Amiga and took me 5 years to find.

Weed.

[Tumbleweed]

Guys

Thanks for your help. I've removed the battery - de-soldered it. What am I looking for, for signs of corrosion?

There is a small red circular washer stuck to the board where the top end of the battery was. Is this normal?

I've not pulled the other IC's and re-seated them I don't have a chip puller and I don't want to attempt levering them out with a screwdriver!

Weed

[Tumbleweed]

I should have taken the battery out as soon as I received it. But I checked i tout and it looked ok. I guess looks are deceiving. This is going to be a job fixing as I don't think there is anyone in my locality that has nay experience of these machines. My best bet might be to trip the board out the case and ship it with power supply in a well packaged but lighter container than the case.

Does anyone know of anyone who could possibly fix it in the UK? I know Amigkit offer a caps replacement service, but do they do repairs? The only only other potentail is maybe AmigaCentre France - but I'm nervous about shipping it overseas.

I'll take pics of the board and post later when I get home from work.

Thanks for all your help.

Weed.

[Tumbleweed]

Can you post a good pic of the area?

Its pretty hard to get a good close up. Here's the best I could get. Note the washer and the green cable running under the ROM's. Looks like it may have been repaired before?

Also U103 is empty. I've read that some CPU cards need this populated to work properly but I've never had a chip in it and the CS MKII worked fine for just over a year until now.

Do I need to populate it to get the A3000t to boot?

Weed

[Tumbleweed]

Yeah looks like traces are exposed so perhaps repaired previously.  Awfully silly for someone to go through the repair and then install another battery that will eventually leak again.

I've had another good look at the board and its clearly been worked on previously. I removed the rom chip and the green line goes to one of the pins on the rom socket. Traces are also visibly shiny and the board appears to have been laquered.

I'll check for connectivity but where can I get hold of correct board schematics? Its a rev6.1 board?

Weed