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Author Topic: Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On  (Read 362 times)

doriftu

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« on: December 06, 2004, 09:04:00 PM »
Ok, i've just about had it with one of the boxes i modded not too long ago, here is the scenario and stats, before i officially give up on this one

.Version 1.1 Xbox
.Xenium Ice Modchip (pin header install)
.OEM Hard Drive
.Philips DVD Drive
.EvoX M8 Bios
.EvoX Dashboard
.12volt Fan mod (via grounding out the ground for the oem fan)

Problem:  
.Occasionally the box will fuction properly, however, it will also randomly turn itself off.  Sometimes, it will come back on, sometimes it will not come back on for days, but this is ussually after i take it apart to attempt to fix it.

Attempts at fixing:
.Changed Power supply (2x)
.Removed Pin Header (1x)
.Reinstalled Pin Header (1x)
.Removed Chip (too many times to count)
.Checked LPC during one of the few times it would power on, and everything was in the clear
.Changed power/eject board (2x)
.Checked board for solder splash, lose connections many times as well.

Guess that about sums it up, I have made sure its not a heat issue as it has even turned off while i have sat there watching the temps in evox.  I have a spare motherboard here and have thought about changing capacitors and/or resistors to get this one to work, but that's without a clue of which, or where to even start with that.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.
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doriftu

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2004, 11:13:00 AM »
*bump*
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Billyfett

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2004, 01:30:00 PM »
Have you look at  the solder joints where the power chords plugs into the power supply. Mine did that and I resolder the loose socket and I was running fine.
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Billyfett

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2004, 01:31:00 PM »
Have you look at  the solder joints where the power chords plugs into the power supply. Mine did that and I resolder the loose socket and I was running fine.
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doriftu

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2004, 09:30:00 PM »
QUOTE (Billyfett @ Dec 7 2004, 10:03 PM)
Have you look at  the solder joints where the power chords plugs into the power supply. Mine did that and I resolder the loose socket and I was running fine.

yes, unfortunately that wasnt the problem, have looked and changed the power supply twice already, still no luck.
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Nexus6000

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2004, 02:17:00 AM »
Why not just change the motherboard? Seems to be the problem.
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doriftu

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2004, 10:34:00 AM »
QUOTE (Nexus6000 @ Dec 8 2004, 10:49 AM)
Why not just change the motherboard? Seems to be the problem.

Well the idea here would be to figure out what exactly is wrong with the motherboard, and try and fix it.  Seeing as the motherboard seems to function perfectly when the unit powers on.  I have motherboards laying around, just as i do other parts, but the idea isnt to just replace it, i would like to figure out what is the problem on the board, and solve it.
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Nexus6000

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2004, 01:15:00 AM »
Hehe, ok :)
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wiser

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2004, 02:24:00 AM »
Does it ever do this when the modchip is disabled?
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doriftu

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2004, 06:19:00 AM »
QUOTE (wiser @ Dec 9 2004, 10:56 AM)
Does it ever do this when the modchip is disabled?

I got it started once again, and i've been trying it with the modchip completely removed, it's only been a day, so it hasnt shut off just yet, as normally it never does it right away, i also changed a capacitor on the front of the board, so not even sure if this has helped yet or not.  It's like a giant waiting game
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wiser

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2004, 01:03:00 PM »
Something like that is hard to determine. I don't know enough to help you that much, but I would have to assume that the MCPX chip is failing simply due to the fact that this is a common problem in 1.0 (and 1.1?) motherboards. The reason I asked about the modchip being disabled is to eliminate the possibility that the mod is stressing the MCPX. I really don't see how it would, but it might be worth checking into. If you figure it out, please post the results. Good luck!
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doriftu

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2004, 09:48:00 PM »
QUOTE (wiser @ Dec 9 2004, 09:35 PM)
Something like that is hard to determine. I don't know enough to help you that much, but I would have to assume that the MCPX chip is failing simply due to the fact that this is a common problem in 1.0 (and 1.1?) motherboards. The reason I asked about the modchip being disabled is to eliminate the possibility that the mod is stressing the MCPX. I really don't see how it would, but it might be worth checking into. If you figure it out, please post the results. Good luck!

Actually what you said, helped me thus far, atleast it would seem, i decided to give it a try with the chip completely removed, left it running for about a day...did not shut off, then i decided to put the chip back on, this time i loaded the same bios it originaly had, shut off again and again, so i said let me try another bios m8plus instead of the m8 i was using, well thus far it has not shut off, this xbox is the one i use in my car as a media station, so obviously i cant deal with it shutting off frequently as its used on a daily basis.  So far today, i have tried pushing it to the outer limits, and it hasnt shut off.  Could this be the real problem, i have no idea, as i know its not a normal m8 problem, as almost all my other xboxes i own and have done, use this bios with absolutely no problems.  

I did think at one point it was the mcpx, as i have another 1.0 board that is completely shot, however, it turns on and frags, unlike this one that was randomly shutting down and not powering back up.

All i can say, is im not sure what the problem is..but I will just stick with it day to day, hopefully it's resolved, if not, i'll just continue swapping parts out of from another board till i ultimately source out the true problem. I'm thinking of just putting yet another box in my car, atleast until im 1000% certain this one is fixed.
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wiser

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #12 on: December 09, 2004, 11:59:00 PM »
Wow, maybe it was a memory issue? I'm glad to hear that you may have it figured out. Back when v1.6 started hitting the shelves, I had a 1.6 motherboard do the same exact thing you described wth your 1.1. Too bad for me that the memory timing problem wasn't well known before I scrapped the board, doh!
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doriftu

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #13 on: December 10, 2004, 12:33:00 AM »
ya, im really hoping that for some reason it was the problem, but if it was, it just seems so odd, maybe the board is on its way out and was having memory problems, hard to say.  I'm not really to sure what the differences in the bios would really make the difference, but thus far it seems to have.

thanks again for the input, glad to know im not the only one getting puzzled once in a while by these daym things.  But you still gotta love em.
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wiser

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Random Power Off, Sometimes Will Not Power Back On
« Reply #14 on: December 10, 2004, 01:13:00 AM »
You're welcome :)
On a side note, do you drift? I roll in a 1984 300zx NA 2 seater, hah. Got to conserve money for school. It's not pretty, but it sure is fun ;)
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