Dead Packard Bell 486 MB with beep codes? \ VOGONS

Dead Packard Bell 486 MB with beep codes?

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First post, by Artex

Posted on 2013-04-09, 03:02

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Hey guys-

I just picked up a 486SX-25Mhz Packard Bell Legend desktop system and it's giving me a beep code of 1-1-3. After some Googling, it sounds like the code indicates a CMOS write/read failure. I should also note that I get ZERO video.

I took everything apart and immediately de-soldered the somewhat corroded barrel battery, set the external battery jumper, and plugged in an external battery.

After putting things back together, I'm getting the same code. I noticed a soldered chip on there labeled Dallas DS12885S. I am assuming this is the RTC chip - is it defective?

Can it be replaced/de-soldered? Anything else it could be?

Reply 1 of 7, by sliderider

Posted on 2013-04-09, 12:45

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The RTC chip has an internal battery that has probably expired. You can desolder and replace it with a new one or if you're feeling adventurous, they can be hacked to use an external battery.

Reply 2 of 7, by Artex

Posted on 2013-04-09, 13:26

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sliderider wrote:
The RTC chip has an internal battery that has probably expired. You can desolder and replace it with a new one or if you're feeling adventurous, they can be hacked to use an external battery.

The chip is really small - I've seen the bigger RTC chips with batteries inside them, but I'm not sure if this is the case this time. I removed the bigger barrel battery already.

Looks like this and has DS12885S on the chip.

Reply 3 of 7, by sliderider

Posted on 2013-04-09, 15:35

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I don't know then except to tell you to check around the barrel battery for signs of damage to the traces.

Reply 4 of 7, by Artex

Posted on 2013-04-09, 16:07

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sliderider wrote:
I don't know then except to tell you to check around the barrel battery for signs of damage to the traces.

Looks like there is some corrosion around those traces on both sides oft the board. I threw some vinegar on there for now, but is there any way to repair these traces?[/list]

Reply 5 of 7, by Artex

Posted on 2013-04-10, 00:24

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Pix and a video:

Front Side:

Reverse side:

Video with Beep Code

Reply 6 of 7, by nforce4max

Posted on 2013-04-10, 00:33

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Get a toothbrush and a knife then start cleaning, you can rebuild the traces if needed but you must fallow the exact path due to possible timings. Also if the acid seeped into the pcb deep enough it can cause grounding issues.

Can you do fine detail soldering?

On a far away planet reading your posts in the year 10,191.

Reply 7 of 7, by Artex

Posted on 2013-04-10, 01:13

Artex Offline

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nforce4max wrote:
Get a toothbrush and a knife then start cleaning, you can rebuild the traces if needed but you must fallow the exact path due to possible timings. Also if the acid seeped into the pcb deep enough it can cause grounding issues.

Can you do fine detail soldering?

Oh boy, that's all greek to me. Can you expand on what I need to do exactly?

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