New Machine problem

[Robert J. Granvin]

In article <115\@orion.UUCP> mikie\@orion.UUCP (Michael G. Shea) writes:
|Posting for a friend who just bought a new in the box 3b1.
|
|After loading the software for the first time, about four and a half
|hour after turning the machine on for the first time,  he reports that
|his machine just "shutdown".. that is his screen went blank and the
|keyboard was unresponsive.  Then about every five seconds or so it made
|"a wierd clicking sound".  Finally he noticed it getting hot back at the
|power supply and shut it off when he noticed that the grating over the
|area began to warp.  Smart man.  

Most definately.  :-)

|About ten minutes later he powered back up!  Ran it for about six hours
|in a problem free manner.
|
|Please note that this is a new... brand new in the box and shrink wrapped
|3b1.  Has sat in a storeroom for about 4 years.
|
|What do you all think?  Should any action be taken?  Would you trust
|this machine?
|
|Please reply by posting if at all possible... uucp feeds have been unreliable
|for quite a while.  Thanks

I replied by mail, but here's the follow-up as well.

Item #1 to check: Is the fan running at all?  Bets are high that the fan 
is toast and not spinning.

An inoperative fan will cause the 3b1 to overheat rapidly, and the heat
generated by an uncooled power supply will warp the case rather quickly
as well.  Operating for a long time without the fan will, quicker than
you'd like, damage your machine.

Sitting in a box for four years is almost immaterial.  When something sits
idle for a long period of time, it is subject to various forces caused by
temperature shifts, shock of movement, humidity, breakdown of lubricants,
settling of things you don't want to settle, etc.

If the fan is not operating, shut down and leave it off until it can be
replaced.  If the fan _is_ running, you've got a neat problem.  Sell it
for parts.  :-)

-- 
Robert J. Granvin \\\\\\\\                            rjg at sialis.com : INTERNET
University of Minnesota \\\              ...uunet!rosevax!sialis!rjg : UUCP
School of Statistics \\\\\\\             rjg%sialis.com at uunet.uu.net : BITNET
                  "A witty saying proves nothing."  -Voltaire