Do you own a 1.25Ghz eMac which is experiencing system-freezes? Please read on...

Over the past 3-5 months some eMac owners who made their purchase in mid-2004 have been experiencing complete system-freezes, which gradually occur more and more frequently til they cannot use their eMac. Sometimes it looks like this:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/thecosmichobo/emac.jpg

Inspection inside the eMac (via the hatch on the base of the computer, which does not void warranty) on these eMacs has shown leaky/bulging capacitors, like this:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/thecosmichobo/hatch.jpg

The 2 capacitors pictured are both affected - 1 is "bulging" at the top, and the other has a brown discharge. There are numerous other capacitors inside your eMac that are not visible via the hatch. Capacitors that have this problem feature a "+" marking on their base (though not all will necessarily bulge/leak). Ones with a "K" are not affected.

This fault requires a new logic board, which costs between $500-$900 (range of quotes from Australia, UK, USA). Most eMacs purchased during this time are now outside warranty.

IF your eMac is freezing and you cannot find a reason (ie have run Disk Repair, eMac Hardware Test, reinstalled the OS...), unplug your eMac and look inside the inspection hatch. IF you find bad capacitors as seen above, please note your name, eMac's serial number, and date of purchase in this thread. This will hopefully help to move Apple towards creating a "repair program" for the eMac, just as they have done for the iMac G5 which also experiences this problem.

Please do not discuss the problem here. If you wish to discuss further, visit the Apple Discussions forum.

http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=951

The best known work-around to this problem at the moment is to start your eMac whilst holding the SHIFT key until it says "Safe Mode". This however limits your eMac's capabilities, and will at best buy some time until hopefully Apple agrees to repair these machines.

Travis Wheaton AU - YM43000PQQH - July04


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Edited to add link: eMac Repair Extension Program for Video and Power Issues

I have had my eMac diagnosed by an AARP (signed repair tag) to need a new logic board. Caps bulged and leaking!!! I'm hoping Apple will do the right thing...... There is an out of warranty authorization needed AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION number has to accompany this, for it to be a truely covered repair.

Hugh Greathouse of Wisconsin/US. I had purchased this machine in June of 2004. G842762DQQJ I won't hold my breath.............

I'd like to add my name to the growing list of users with this problem. I puchased my emac in August of 2004 at the University of Washington (Seattle) store. I've already removed the offending files, but I'll wait to see what Apple does before I bring in the computer. I'm calling Applecare today.

I have been following this with great interest as I have an eMac 1.25Ghz, from what I can see from different serial no. that *most* of the affected models are superdrive models made in July and August 2004 from the US ? I looked at mine and the caps are the *good* ones with the 'K' on the base.

Hope this helps in some way !?

Kali.

Oh, sorry serial no. VM44802AQJB

Purchased July 27, 2004- Out of commision since Jan. 16

G8429BKFQQH

add another eMac to the list. right now it's not so bad, but one of my capacitor's (the one without a K) is starting to leak a little bit. right now only a couple of games and an OpenGL screensaver freeze the mac.... guess it's doomed. i'm not about to spend money on a part that will cost more than buying another eMac on eBay.

eMac 1.25GHz serial: G84319AJQQJ
Spring 04

I have an emac with the capacitator problem. Have contacted Apple (twice)...second time, incidentally, the support guy knew 1) about the problem and 2) about the fact that it's being discussed on the Apple discussion boards.

Anyways...my serial number is G8432A9FQJ8. Purchased 11/04 (but it was a floor model that was used from about 7/04).

-Michelle

I'll add my e-mac to the list:
Same symptoms as described here and at apple.com/support

Machine Model: eMac
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (1.1)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 1.25 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
Memory: 256 MB
Bus Speed: 167 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.8.2f1
Serial Number: G84354CUQQJ
Sales Order Number: M9461LL/A

Purchased September 2004

Yes... same issue with eMac Combo bought in Japan 2 years ago, though the freezes started about 5 months ago.
Same stonewalling from Apple Japan as in other locations - same estimated cost to replace mother board (fixed 50k yen fee for any eMac repair).
According to several Japanese users posting on the Apple Japan forums, machines that have had mother boards replaced have gone on to experience screen problems.
Despite the deteriorated state of the mother board in my eMac, the Hardware Test disc still gives as clean a bill of health as it did when I first bought it. One wonders, cynically if the inclusion of a worthless test disk was a policy decision.
Fifteen years an Apple customer and suddenly I find myself unable to trust anything with an Apple logo.

Same here - another Australia user - problem just started happening about 3 weeks ago - at first I thought it was a buggy software update until I noticed the thread on the apple forums.

Serial is YM420LHZQQH
Date of Purchase is Jun 2004

No leaking caps I could see (through the RAM port) but the two there were bulging.

This really pisses me off and makes me think twice about buying more apple kit - I hope they have a program in place ASAP for what is a really well known problem that apple caused by buying faulty components. And the fact that all other manufactors have had replacement programs (including apple for the imacs) just make me angrier if they dont do anything.

Shaun