Filed under: Hacks, iBook, Mods
Repair your iBook's logic board with a candle
Mark at Geek Technique received a 700mhz G3 iBook with video issues. The machine would boot, but produce no image on the display or when connected to an outside source. In fact, the issue he was experiencing has been documented by Apple, and a repair program was put in place. However, the program had expired by the time Mark received his 'book. What's he to do? Set that sucker on fire, that's what.Mark found an article that describes how the video chip becomes detached from the logic board, and how it can be re-soldered back in place. Lacking the proper tools, he tried a tea light, which didn't reach the required temperature. Finally, he burned some alcohol and White Spirit on the board, rebooted the machine and it worked! The video chip had been re-attached, and the iBook was functioning perfectly.
Well done, Mark.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jonathan said 1:02PM on 6-25-2007
I actually just fixed an ibook with the same problem.
But I used a heat gun. Tried the candle, took forever and no go.
However, the 700 degree air coming out of my heat gun did it in about three minutes.
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tim said 1:03PM on 6-25-2007
...and he does this on a table cloth?
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eddie said 2:02PM on 6-25-2007
You should check this guy's range of inophones, it's freaking hilarious!
http://geektechnique.org/projectlab/790/inophone-a-guided-tour
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Aaron said 2:05PM on 6-25-2007
"We call on the spirt of this motherboard! Return and live again!"
You forgot to mention that you need to hold hands with at least two more people while chanting the secret rituals of computer resurrection!
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pepe said 2:23PM on 6-25-2007
Love the "Italian Bistro" chic.
It reminds me of a part in "The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" were they fly around with a new kind of drive system ;-)
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VanFruniken said 2:24PM on 6-25-2007
A somewhat less invasive way of fixing faulty solder joints.
My son, who has a degree in chemistry (and biotechnology), used a silver nitrate solution to fix a similar problem in the display circuitry of his eMac. By putting a drop of solution on the faulty solder joint, some silver is deposited and the connection hasn't gone bad since he did it.
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mingistech said 2:26PM on 6-25-2007
Re: Jonathan
I'm having this exact issue with my 800Mhz G3 iBook.
I did a temp fix and actually attached a Quarter (25¢) to the top if the GPU to add constant pressure after the case was put back on. This fix was only temp and now and then I need to press where the GPU is and reboot the iBook for use.
Jonathan... or anyone else. Could you plz send me some info on this "heat gun" trick. I'd be really interested in trying that as a fix.
email is: mingistech/at/mac/dot/com
Thanks. :)
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Magnus said 2:39PM on 6-25-2007
Or you can use a coin: http://www.emiratesmac.com/forums/blog/2256-coin-saves-ibook.html
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Fritz Laurel said 4:09PM on 6-25-2007
Sounds like the xbox "towel trick."
http://youtube.com/results?search_query=towel+trick
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Catt said 6:42PM on 6-25-2007
This sounds all so hilarious to me... Creative anyway
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J said 11:19PM on 6-25-2007
Well, after trying twice to fix it with a heat gun, I tried this method today and it seems to be working! I'm going to give it a while to make sure before sealing it up, but this method seems promising.
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matt said 11:53PM on 6-25-2007
yeah, i had this same problem. almost convinced apple to pay for the replacement(my 800Mhz ibook G3's logic board has been replaced 3 times) but i found a discussion on the apple forums about applying pressure to the raised square on the bottom shield. Saved me $300 dollars that Apple wanted. I am more than willing to do that while i save up for another!
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Raulito15 said 12:56AM on 6-30-2007
Hi everybody. I have been exploring this problem of ibook failures (G3 and G4's) and I think I may have come up with a solution that involves placing the GPU's Ball Grid Array (connects it to the logic board) onto a different platform so that it would not come of the board so easily. However, I do not know what the BGA looks like. For those of you who now what I am talking about and for those who don't but are interested I have posted some threads at either (http://www.applefritter.com/node/21337 or http://www.macworld.com/forums/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=513126&an=0&page=0#513126)
I would appreciate the input especially from those who have seen the GPU's BGA or have images of the BGA. I am afraid I have never seem them and so I cannot begin to guesse if the idea is possible. But I hear that reballing services that repair these boards take X-rays of them.
Sincerely Raulito15
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Raulito15 said 2:46AM on 7-03-2007
To anyone reading this. Do not, I mean do not try this!!! I have been speaking to an SMT rework expert (they work with these types of chip especially BGA's) and he told me that when you heat the chip you actually cause the heat required to melt the solder balls under the BGA to increase. Eventually, the heat required to melt the solder would certainly destroy the chip itself. Because this "reflowing" of the solder does not solve the problem it will inevitably happen again. This fact applies to hot air guns, coins, and alcohol based burning. In fact these methods probably and most certainly do cause the logic board to warp "technically" reconnecting it to the chip. Obviously, you do not want to go running around warping your logic board. This SMT expert posted his analysis of these home grown fixes at (http://www.consolerealm.com/Tech/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=57&mode=&order=0&thold=0)
for anyone who is interested. Do not be alarmed by the specific address to X-Box's problem because this GPU BGA array failure goes for them, Thinkpads, and any other idiotic company who decided to go crazy with garbage BGA chips that are not ment for high use electronics. Don't get me wrong I love a apple and will always prefer an apple computer over any other but they just let the ball drop with this one... hard.
Yes your best bet is to get an expert to do this. You can get a reflow of your chip or you can get a reballing of your chip. Reflows are cheaper (usually $50 for everything including shipping) than reballing but these will probably give you a year or two before it breaks again unless you leave your ibook on a desk for the rest of its life. Reballing is more expensive >$60 but would probably offer a more a comprehensive fix. You will probably want to get the strongest solder possible and find some way of keeping your ibooks logic board cool so as to be less likely to warp. The only way I see to permanently fix this problem is to replace the GPU's BGA with something more flexible which is what I am working on right now.
A good reflow/reballing service is at (www.superiorreball.com) they reball for $60 and reflow for $50. This is probably as cheap as it is going to get because it is just triple digits after that. Also I think there are two services on ebay that will either reflow so just search ibook repair and you'll find them.
Hope this helps your.
Sincerely Raulito15
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