Editing PowerBook G3 (section)

== Common problems ==
* No power, or no startup, with a flat backup battery. On the Bronze Keyboard and FireWire models a dead backup battery stops the machine starting at all, and owners revive them by unplugging it. The power manager also will not recharge the backup battery until the main battery reports full.<ref name="pismo">68kMLA forum thread [https://68kmla.org/bb/threads/care-and-feeding-of-a-pismo.40073/ "Care and Feeding of a Pismo"], Byrd, Franklinstein and others, February 2022. PRAM batteries always dead and stopping NewWorld PowerBooks booting; the power manager charges the backup battery only after the main battery reports full; Pismo keyboard rows failing, case cracks near the trackpad button, dimming backlights, keyboard marks on the screen; capacitors not an issue. Community experience.</ref><ref name="dead">68kMLA forum thread [https://68kmla.org/bb/threads/g3-pismo-dead-in-the-water-ideas.33852/ "G3 Pismo Dead in the water; Ideas?"], Rick Dangerous, EvilCapitalist and PB145B, August 2019. A Pismo that would not power up after storage; reset button behind the I/O door; unplugging a flat PRAM battery. Community repair report.</ref>
* Broken display hinges on the 1998 G3 Series. Galgot on 68kMLA calls it a design fault in the soft metal part of the hinge; the hinge assemblies differ for the 12.1-, 13.3- and 14.1-inch displays, and left and right are not interchangeable.<ref name="hinge">68kMLA forum thread [https://68kmla.org/bb/threads/powerbook-g3-wallstreet-pdq-hinge.31312/ "PowerBook G3 (Wallstreet/PDQ) Hinge"], flexo and galgot, June 2018. Repeated left-hinge failures on Wallstreet and PDQ machines; soft metal part; three display sizes with different hinge assemblies; left and right not interchangeable. Community experience.</ref>
* Intermittent video on 13.3-inch G3 Series machines from the display cable.<ref name="ssws" />
* Dimming backlights, failing keyboard rows and cracked cases on the FireWire model.<ref name="pismo" />
* Cracked solder under the processor or cache controller on a Bronze Keyboard processor board, giving crashes and a missing L2 cache; mitchW cured one by reflowing both chips.<ref name="l2">68kMLA forum thread [https://68kmla.org/bb/threads/powerbook-g3-lombard-l2-cache-problem-succefuly-repaired.52251/ "PowerBook G3 Lombard L2 Cache Problem - Succefuly repaired!"], mitchW, May 2026. Lombard with crashes and an undetected L2 cache; dull solder balls on the G3 and cache controller; both reflowed with flux and a heat gun at leaded-solder temperature; also an SSD fitted with its IDE connector one row out. Community repair report.</ref>

MacDat and Console5 publish no capacitor lists for the 1998 to 2000 models, and Byrd on 68kMLA says capacitors are not an issue on the FireWire model.<ref name="pismo" /> The 1997 model has its own power supply board (661-1473, against 661-1237 in the 3400c), so check the [[PowerBook 3400c Capacitor Replacement Guide|3400c capacitor list]] against the board before using it.<ref name="ss34" /> Fault-finding is on [[PowerBook G3 Troubleshooting]], and disassembly and care on [[PowerBook G3 General Maintenance]].