Dimension 5150/E510 not powering up (blinking amber light)

That generally indicates a PSU problem, but it can also be caused by the motherboard.  If you have a spare PSU, I would try that.

 

Peter 

That's what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure. The motherboard still has the solid green light and there's no indication it's a hard drive problem, so I guess I'll buy a new PSU (unfortunately I don't have a spare one lying around)...

 

Peter, can you tell me if there's a certain kind of PSU I need to get? Does it have to be the Dell brand (model cx305n or part #w8185), or can I just get any 305w or equivalent PSU? PSU's are one thing I haven't worked much with...

 

Thanks for the quick reply,

-Aaron 

The power supply is fairly standard.  I don't buy them very often and am not up on all of the gotchas.  Make sure to get one with all of the connectors your machine has and make sure that it fits in the hole on the back of the machine. 

 

Some other models required that you cut a hole in the case to fit some PSUs.

 

Peter 

Can you post the DIAG lights? 1234? You may also want to try to unplug all external devices first then try it again. If same problem try removeing all PCI cards and reseat the memory as well. If same problem PSU or MOBO could be the problem. You may want to swap PSU first.

Generally, with blinking amberpower light there are no diagnostic lights because there is a fundamental power problem.  I will have to eat that statement if the OP comes back and says the diagnostic lights are on. ;)

 

Peter 

batman129

The D-5150/E510 does not use a Dell proprietary power supply, you can use most standard generic ATX power supplies with either a 24-pin or 20+4-pin main motherboard power connector. This system has an open back panel, a power supply with or without the on/off switch can be used, without having to modify the back panel.

Make certain the power supply has two SATA power connectors.

Bev.


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Thank you for your replies. I have found a PSU on eBay that appears to be an exact model match (and yes, it has two sata connectors), so we'll see how that works out if/when I win the auction! I'll keep you updated...

I too have a 5150 and experienced power-up problems. I initially thought it was the PSU so I replaced this. Initially this seemed to rectify the problem but after a couple of weeks the problem again re-surfaced. The computer failed to boot up instantly on de-pressing the on button. It took a few attempts but was hardly reliable. I thought it may be the motherboard but held back replacing it. My problems coincided with the installation of Microsoft Picture It. Another blogger mentioned this also. I decided to remove this programme from my computer. I re-tried the computer the day after and it re-started without a problem. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but at the moment all seems to be OK. May be worth considering if you have at some stage installed MS Picture It. Good luck with a fix.

It's pretty hard to imagine how MS Picture It can affect your power on problems.  It would have to be doing something that changes what is stored on the motherboard because there is no Windows when the power is off.

 

Peter 

Thanks for the info. As far as I know, I wasn't having any software issues. In fact, I hadn't even really used my PC much for anything for a while besides checking email, web browsing, and document writing, so there should not have been any software issues (can't even see how that would cause a hardware problem like this anyway). But glad it worked out for you, though! :)

claretsforever

This was posted by Dell about the E510/5150 blinking light syndrome.

Bev.


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Spoke too early. Apportioning my problem to MS Picture It is not a cure as you surmised. My recurring power up problem is back! 

 

I've replaced the PSU at a cost of £75 and now I'm contemplating the Motherboard - another £85 plus fitting! For not much more than £200 I could buy a new Inspiron. My 5150 is only 18 months old but I'm losing faith now and with a costly repair on the cards this is serious money. 

 

:robotsad: 

Thanks Bev.

 

I'll join the "blinking amber light club". Sorry to hijack Batman's board enquiry! Some of the other posts on the link you gave me mention memory problems. Others mention the wiring loom which is kinked.

 

However most of these amber light issues seem to relate to PSU failure. I've replaced mine to no good effect. I suppose I could have been unlucky with 2 failed PSU's but that is a possibility. I've binned the original so there is no going back!

 

My power-up problems have got progressively worse over the past 24 hours. Now I'm on my knees praying when I press the power button. I've to give it a few presses before the box comes to life. Could be a power button fault I suppose - a few pence? 

 

I'm on the edge of replacing the motherboard now but that is serious money and may not fix the problem.

 

I bought the 5150 on 13th September 2006. Hardly a reliable piece of kit this.

 

CFE. 

CFE.

If I had a 5150/E510, I would have to think twice about spending, another £85 [$169], on a replacement motherboard. There's just been too many posts, on DCF about the same 5150/E510 failure. I might try replacing the front I/O panel and if this did not work, then I would start shopping.

Bev.


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Thanks for the link. I'm going to call Dell tomorrow and see what happens... Luckily I hadn't forked out any money for a new PSU ($50 USD) and the eBay auction I bid on is only $1. :D