dimension 8400 spontaneous power-downs to blinking amber light

BrikFace wrote:

Hello fellow DD8400FAPBLS (Dell Dimension 8400 Flashing Amber Power Button Light Sufferers) . Our next chapter meeting will be in Dallas, TX this coming July...




OMG! TOO funny!

Just wanted to also add my update to this thread. Since receiving a new PSU Rev01 on my XPS Gen3 early March, I haven't had any blinking amber light troubles at all. In fact, she's purred like a kitten since that installation. Of course, it'll be just my luck that now that I mentioned something the problem will return.

Don't know about the loose wiring theory. I will mention that my desktop lamp (on the same line as the XPS) was exhibiting slight noticeable but constant flickering while the XPS PSU starting dying. At first, I thought it mere coincidence, but since the new PSU the flickering has never returned. Thus, it seems likely that the voltage regulation of the PSU is suspect (simple English: the PSU s*cks). I'm no double E major, but I've seen that when the voltage can't be tightly regulated in certain sensitive circuits, they are designed to shut down or "reset". This is tantamount to causing a reboot with a PC. Thus, if the power driver circuit can't regulate the line voltage at all, you get reboots until the computer gives up and offers a permanent amber light. Just my two cents.

I guess the thing that bothers me the most is why doesn't Dell support keep a database and log common complaints with computer types? Match the symptoms with the successful solutions and voila, save customer and the company money and time and give them the quick solution. Streamlining is common sense, right??!

Anyway, the good news is that we can say that this thread has helped a lot of people. The bad news is that many more will eventually pass this way.

LW

Well, Lord Walrus, I hope your new PSU really solves it for you, but if you're like me and most others in this thread, you've only been given a temporary reprieve. I'm on my 3rd PSU. With each new one, the Flashing Amber was held at bay for a while but eventually, like a minion of Satan, returned full force. Somehow the new PSUs temporarily stabilized the situation, most likely by better initial handling of spiky/dippy voltage. Soon enough, probably through some strange cumulative de-anodizing process, the new components in their turn became susceptible to current fluctuations caused by the root defect (bad non-component pieces/wiring). My advice to people: do the shake thing to get good long stretches of problem-free use while you smash Dell over the head until they do right and swap you a new system from a later production run, complete with free new warranty set to Day Zero.

--
BF

BrikFace - any idea what the rev numbers have been on your three power supplies? Since getting a replacement PSU which is a rev 04 last December, I've had no further trouble. No need to bash the box here...

First off....Congratulations to dario7, helstonian, Lord Walrus II and Gcoupe!   :smileyhappy:    So happy to hear of more folks who have finally overcome their amber light issues!

Brikface - Like Gcoupe, I too am curious which Rev PSUs have been installed in your computer each time.   When I first started having amber light problems, I read through this entire thread and everyone that received a NON "REV A00" PSU ( ie. A02, A04, ect.) has had no problems ever since.  Whereas folks that were sent the A00 always had the same issues crop up again.  I respect your opinion, but would be hesitant to advise shaking a computer.  :smileysurprised:   Also, I hate to be the one to tell you, but Dell *does not* re-up your warranty when they send you a new system.  (I tried myself for this and spoke to various people up the food chain and was told a flat "no" at every turn)  They are pretty firm about this.  So if a person waits until the last month of their warranty to fight and get a new computer, then they have no protection at all unless they buy an extended warranty.

I think Lord Walrus II hit the nail on the head with his brief description of the situation concerning the voltage regulation in the A00 PSUs.  Obviously the supplier of these PSUs has corrected the problem with later revisions, but Dell must be dead set to keep dumping what A00s they have left through their contract technicians.  It appears at this point all new systems have later Revs - which may be the only way you can ensure getting a *properly functioning* PSU.  

I suppose Dell would rather keep this quiet and deal with these amber light problems one at a time - replacing the occasional system rather than publicly acknowledging that these PSUs are garbage and dealing with a recall of some sort.  *sigh*

- Firefawn

 

 

Wait a second here, Firefawn. On the previous forum page it seems clear in messages from you and dario7 that both of you have received new systems. Now you say the higher rev. PSU is what did it for both of you. Which is it?.. And in any event dario7 just received his new system and apparently your swap was not all that long ago. Far too early to say Problem Solved... And about the shaking: I'm not saying to go sumo on your machine. Just a moderate shake well within what it was built to withstand. No problem at all with that.

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BF

Message Edited by BrikFace on 06-08-2005 11:38 AM

Message Edited by BrikFace on 06-09-2005 01:00 PM

Bump. I'd really like to see Firefawn's answer.

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BF

Brikface,

If you re-read the response from Firefawn, it was just an obsevration that those of us who received a PSU with a Rev01 or higher have not had any further problems. Further, she was asking about the replacement PSUs you had received and were they all Rev00?

I also agree that I would be hesitant to advise punching and shaking the computer "like a babysitter-from-hades shaking the brains out of a crying baby". If Dell ever found that one was neglecting their computer, I would think that would terminate the warranty sooner. No??

KB

Apparently I posted a few minutes late. Thanks for the clarification Firefawn.

 

KB

I thought I would put in my 2 cents worth and my happy outcome.

I went to turn on my computer the other day which is only about 2 months old.  The computer started up and started to reboot at the windows splash screen.  It did this about 3 times in a row before I hit the F8 key so I could boot up into safe mode.  I got into safe mode and a message popped up saying the registry was damaged and replaced by a copy.  I then rebooted the computer and after it hit the splash screen it came back with an error telling me that some files in by windows\system folder were corrupted and to try and repair Windows XP using the original disk, which of course is included in shipping anymore.  I'm not too happy at this point.

Firefawn, thanks for the response. Of the three PSUs that have been in my system, I only know the REV of two of them, and these were both A00 (the other PSU was installed and rejected by a tech and I never saw the REV #). So, yes, what you're saying is plausible and I hope it's the case (I'm not sure how many examples there really are of people who were rescued by a higher REV PSU alone-- you and dario7 are not examples, and looking back through the thread I don't see anything clearcut). In any case, I canceled a scheduled system swap and am now awaiting a PSU shipped from Dell. I must have said 12 times to the Bangalorian: "It can't be an A00, it must be an A02 or A04". He said "Sir I will do my best to make sure they ship the one you mention Sir." I give it about a 50-50 chance.

You're 100% correct that one should not have to sit there shaking an expensive new puter. I only offered that as a way for people to avoid severe downtime while they waited for Dell to give a proper response.

So, best of luck with your new system. Whatever the real cause of FAPBL, the fact that you have a later REV PSU and (hopefully) a box from a later production run should put you in the clear.

--
BF

Brikface wrote : "A tiny fraction have been resolved by the alternate psu deal."

Seems to me that just about everyone on this thread who's had their problem resolved had it fixed by a change of PSU to a higher rev, so I don't know where you get this idea ?

I can report that several weeks after replacing just the psu my 8400 is still working just fine, so I know that this was the cause of my problem.

It seems clear from the evidence presented on this thread that there is definitely a problem with the A00 revision of the PSUs and that changing to a higher revision fixes the problem. Whether there is faulty wiring or an over-sensitive circuit board in the A00 PSU is entirely moot. Swapping the PSU fixes the problem. End of story.

My advice to anyone just joining this tale of woe is not to start shaking your PC but to get onto Dell and demand a new PSU. Please post back here if a higher rev PSU does NOT fix your problem.

Simon.

I had to try two A00 rev PSU's before the second one worked. It is probably better to have a higher rev PSU but they might have also been refurbing Rev0 and fixing the problem.

I posted this before but I will mention this again. When you call Dell support you can say that you swapped the PSU with another Dimension 8400's and it worked. They should just dispatch a PSU to you since it will be clear that the PSU is bad.

It will probably save you alot of time with tech support.