I got an imac DV for free, I think the monitor is broken.

S

sum ASM required

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Messages
397
How can I tell? I am not stupid especially when it comes to PC hardware, I just don't work on macs or anything a lot. Heres the details...

iMac dv 400
VGA output works
everything on it works
Monitor seems like it attempts to start up, with a somewhat brownish screen for a second, then goes off
I upgraded the firmware and os to 9.1 and newest firmware release for that model.

Now I was reading about these imacs(slot load), and the board for power and video is the same. So my question is... is it possible that the board is bad? I don't know how the video is set up internally, so I was just wondering does it use dual DACs? so one could be bad and the other would be fine (and if one is dead would that make it not work?) or do they run off the same ones?

I just need to know whether I should buy a replacement tube or a replacement board, and I have no extras of either to test my theories with.
 
wait... Screen works VERY faintly.

I don't know if it worked before now or not, but I can see stuff, but just barely.

Probably need to replace the board then huh?

External monitor works perfect.
 
Are you kidding me? :rolleyes: When you say "replace the board", you mean the motherboard? How you gonna take out a built-in video solution?

iMac G3/400 DV (512K cache) with soldered VR RAGE 128
http://www.lowendmac.com/imacs/400.shtml

External video works fine but built in monitor is trash. So unless there are brighness / contrast controls that are turned down, it seems to me that you better start checking EBAY for a replacement internal monitor.
 
My initial guess would be the CRT, but its been awhile since I've worked on any iMacs. :)
 
sum ASM required said:
power analog video board
Click to expand...
This would be so much easier to dianose if it was a PC, but Id say that you dont have a faulty PAVB cause your system is not over heating / turning off by itself.
 
I can tell you 99.87% for sure it's the power/analog board. It's so common it hurts. I cant even count how many of those I replaced a few years ago when more people had them.
 
Im curious as to what fixes this poor ole Mac... So you better update this thread when you find out (if its worth the money ~ free or not)
 
I found the exact same imac on the street here in san francisco and the monitor was messed up as well, but I opened her up and messed with the dials on the side of the monitor and that fixed it a little, when I tried to install tiger on it however it forced me to upgrade a couple sets of firmware and that fixed the monitor perfectly for me.
Don't know try those knobs though cause my imac wasn't showing anything on the main screen or sometimes it would be only one color and very dark(green or blue and sometimes red) and yet the monitor out worked perfectly.
 
i dont know how familiar you are with os9, but find the display controls and tinker with them, if you can see the monitor enough to do this.

i bought one of these that was having a few problems, and i replaced the pram battery, and then it would remember the settings i gave it. might try that.

either way, download the imac dv repair manuals and thumb through it. it has some trouble shooting that i think would help you out.
 
Thanks for the Dial advice. I didn't see anything the first time I looked, I must of just missed it. That fixed it up, so now I have a free imac.
 
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