Thermal Event problem

It helps if you provide the exact PC model number. Go here and put in your Service Tag number.  It should identify the model for you.

Did you buy any old fan from eBay or is it specific for Dell PCs? Dell fans typically have a sensor in them that BIOS detects to determine if the fan is working and the speed it's running. If the fan you bought doesn't have the sensor that may contribute to the problem.

And go back inside the case and make sure you correctly connected the CPU power cable, etc after you installed that fan. And check all the other cables and connectors to make sure you didn't accidentally dislodge something while you were working inside the case.

Oh, and the fan was bought off ebay but it was pulled from a working dell computer and like I said...... everything matches. And the fan actually blows too.

thanks.

Thanks for replying RoHe.

Looks like I have a Dimension 4600C. And the fan is an exact match. A JMC/Datech DB9733--12HBTL. P/N number also matches. Looks exactly the same. Same 3-wire connector.

And all my connections are good. And I did try the old fan again just to make sure and it's still the same. Even tried it with no fan at all plugged in. Same thing. Amber light and no boot.

Another thing...

Before you do all that removing / reinstalling, remove the motherboard battery and press / hold the power button for ~30 sec. Reinstall the battery (right-side-up!) after you've reinstalled everything.

And if the battery is more than ~2-3 years old, this might be a good time for a fresh one. 3-volt CR2032 lithium ion battery, ~$2 at discount stores.

NOTE: Always power off, unplug and press / hold power button for ~15 sec before working inside the case.

Big difference between an OptiPlex and Dimension 4700C :emotion-5:

From the manual:

If the power light is steady amber, a device might be malfunctioning or incorrectly installed.

1. Remove and reinstall memory modules
2. Remove and reinstall PCI cards
3. Remove and reinstall video card, if applicable

What color are the 4 diagnostic LEDs on rear panel when it won't boot? If not all green, look up error codes in the manual.

Hey Rohe.

Been racking my brain trying to find the diagnostic lights. Finally downloaded a manual and found location. All 4 lights are blank. No light at all. Come to think of it I don't remember ever seeing them in all the years I've had the computer. Could just be me though. And the manual didn't say anything about a no lights at all diagnostic.

Or the power supply is completely dead now...

See top of page 3 in manual, the first code is for all LEDs off.  They only come on when you press the power button and it starts to boot.

If all 4 diagnostic LEDs are off, is the power button LED on when you press it (and what color)?

Check to make sure PC is connected to a working outlet and the power cord hasn't come out of the back of the PC. If you're using a power strip or surge protector, remove those and connect PC directly to the outlet

If the outlet is working and the power cord is connected, it's possible you have a pre-boot failure which may mean the motherboard failed or you didn't reassemble things correctly when you replaced the fan.

Hey Rohe.

I tried 2 different power cords just to make sure (completely pushed in). Also bypassed the power strip. No difference. The fan installation isn't an issue. It sits by itself and is just 2 simple screws and the connector. I took the battery out. It was a cr2032. I had a cr2025 I just bought for my ac remote. Googled it and everyone said it was fine (cr2025 for cr2032). Didn't help though. Same thing.

The light is just solid amber. Matter of fact when I first plug the power cord in the light comes on solid amber by itself. Don't even need to push it in. Can hold button in a few seconds and it will go off and then press again and turn it back on but it's still just solid amber with no boot.

Could be the power supply. You can try this, but the only sure way to know is replace the power supply with a known working supply or have a professional test this one for you.

1. Power off, unplug and press/hold power button for ~15 sec
2. Open case so you can see the motherboard
3. Plug in and see if motherboard LED comes on or not
4. Then unplug and press/hold power button for ~15 sec
5. Disconnect PSU connector from motherboard
6. Insert ends of a short wire or paperclip into holes in the connector coming from the PSU so you "jump" a green wire to a black wire
7. Plug into the wall and see if fans and hard drive spin up
8. Unplug when done and press/hold power button for ~15 sec
9. Reconnect PSU to motherboard and close case.
10. When you're closing up, make sure cables, connectors and PCI cards don't get moved or dislodged, meaning they don't make good contact.

NOTE: Do not cut or remove any of the wires from the connector when you do the jump test.

Hey RoHe.

Are you talking about this light (circled in picture)? It's on.

Also the psu fan is spinning in the case now. Always has as far as I know. Hard drive feels like it's spinning too. Just solid amber power light with no boot.

Image link didn't come out right. (wish forum had preview)

This one should work.

http://s17.postimg.org/s3wsc524v/4600c_IMG_0029_Copy3e.jpg

The forum does have a preview window. Click the Preview tab at top of the Create/Edit Post screen.

There's only one LED on the motherboard and when that's on, the motherboard is getting "flea power" from the PSU, but that doesn't mean the PSU is putting out the correct voltage to the motherboard.

Are you saying the PSU fan and HDD spin up when you jump the green to black, or when the PSU is connected to the motherboard? 

If they spin up when the connector is jumped, that suggests the PSU is ok -but doesn't prove it- so the problem might be elsewhere on the system. 

If you reconnect PSU to motherboard and power on, what happens now?  Which diagnostic LEDs are on/off?

BTW: I don't know this model specifically but does the PSU have 4-pin and 20-pin connectors for the motherboard or just a 24-pin connector? Either way, make sure the connector(s) is properly seated on the motherboard.

Only you can decide how much money (and time) you want to put into this old system, but maybe it's time to take it to a reliable PC shop in your area and/or consider a new PC...

Are you saying the PSU fan and HDD spin up when you jump the green to black, or when the PSU is connected to the motherboard?

I haven't disconnected anything yet. I'm talking about normal everyday connections, I guess to the motherboard as you would say. I unplugged the psu connectors and then replugged them in. No change. Motherboard LED on. PSU fan spinning. Solid yellow power light with no boot. Diagnostic LEDs still off.

Could you explain what you mean by "jump the green to black"? My psu has a 4-pin connector and a 20-pin connector. The 4-pin has 2 yellow and 2 black wires. The 20-pin has 1 green wire and 4 or 5 black wires including 1 on each side of the green.

Only you can decide how much money (and time) you want to put into this old system, but maybe it's time to take it to a reliable PC shop in your area and/or consider a new PC...

I recently got a new computer. This is like my 3rd newest working computer. I use it in my dining room mainly as an mp3 player. If it turns out to need a lot of $$$ I will just scrap it.

And thanks for telling me where the preview is. I missed it at the top.

Power off, unplug and press/hold power button for ~15 sec. Disconnect both 4- and 20-pin connectors. Bend a paper click so one end goes into the hole in the 20-pin connector for the green wire. Put the other end in a hole for one of the black wires in the 20-pin connector. Now plug the power cord in and see if fans and HDD spin up. If yes, PSU may be ok.

When done,  you should power off, unplug and press/hold power button again. Then reconnect both connectors to motherboard.