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Re: PowerBook G4 Charging Issue

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On 2026-02-02 18:22:13 +0000, Asahi Lovehart said:

> so, the battery in my powerbook g4 was completely dead when i got it,
> i've been able to revive it and get it to actually hold a charge, but
> the powerbook itself refuses to charge the battery at anything over 5mA
> 
> i know the battery itself works (and it is not the BMS limiting the
> charging speed) as i've been able to force it to charge by connecting a
> 12V supply to it, and it gets pretty good battery life, but the
> powerbook itself just refuses to charge it at an actually reasonable
> speed no matter what i try
> 
> i've reset the PMU multiple times, like i said i've forced the battery
> to charge as much as it would let me, i've drained it to 0% after, and i
> can't get the powerbook to charge it at over 5mA
> 
> the only idea i have left is removing the dead PRAM battery and seeing
> if that changes something, but opening up this powerbook seems like a
> major pain in the ass qwq

Could be due to a faulty charger, DC-in board, or power connector.

Often the cable on the charger breaks unseeable inside the outer layer 
somewhere near one of the cable's ends due to constant plugging in and 
unplugging.

You say you've reset the PMU, but you could try resetting the SMC as well.
(Reset the System Management Controller by disconnecting power and 
battery, then holding the power button for 10 seconds. A faulty 
charging circuit or SMC can prevent battery recognition.)

There are a few suggestions at places like

   Apple
   <https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3473971>

   iFixIt
   
<https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/93194/Battery+good,+but+will+not+charge.> 


   CNet (althoug you've already tried the PMU reset)
   
<https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/troubleshooting-powerbook-g4-17-5-charging-problems-resetting-the-pmu/> 

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PowerBook G4 Charging Issue Asahi Lovehart <noreply@example.com> - 2026-02-02 19:22 +0100
  Re: PowerBook G4 Charging Issue Asahi Lovehart <noreply@example.com> - 2026-02-02 19:24 +0100
  Re: PowerBook G4 Charging Issue Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2026-02-03 10:37 +1300
    Re: PowerBook G4 Charging Issue Asahi Lovehart <noreply@example.com> - 2026-02-02 22:53 +0100
      Re: PowerBook G4 Charging Issue Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2026-02-03 12:34 +1300
  Re: PowerBook G4 Charging Issue "Sebastian P." <info@cornica.org> - 2026-02-06 19:36 +0100
    Re: PowerBook G4 Charging Issue You're kidding <thekiidder@arlen.com> - 2026-02-07 03:35 +0000
      Re: PowerBook G4 Charging Issue vintageapplemac@gmail.com (scole) - 2026-02-07 07:16 +0100

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