Mac Pro 5,1 2010 dead

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Mac Pro 5,1 2010 dead

Hi,

My MP 2010 5,1 went totally dead. I press the the power button and no led light or any sound.

It all started when I was using the computer normally and suddenly went off for no reason. I restarted and a few minutes later it went off again. The third time, the computer was dead.

I noticed when I plug the power cable, a red led flashes and when I press DIAG an amber led turns on but still the computer won't turn on. When I unplug the power cable a red led flashes.

Interestingly my Mac Pro came back to life briefly after couple days unplugged. The power was restored and I power it off to attach the monitors and keyboard. Then it would not start and die again.

A couple of days later, it came back to life again for a brief moment. Now I am wondering if this is a power supply issue instead of the backplane board failure since after a few days unplugged, the power is somewhat restored. As I mentioned before, I see the red LED when plug/unplugging the power cable and the amber LED pressing the DIAG button.

I can't see to find the root cause, reading the Apple Technician Guide.

I heard there is a little battery on the backplane board. It could be dead.

Does anybody know what is the cause? I guess I can replace the power supply but I am wondering if anyone had this issue before and can give me some insight before purchasing the power supply or new backplane.

Thanks!

Mac Pro

Posted on Jun 6, 2020 9:32 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 7, 2020 10:30 AM in response to gugy

<<I heard there is a little battery on the backplane board. It could be dead. >>

checking it for minimum 3 Volts in your hand or just replacing it is way cheaper than a new power supply, and may buy you some more time.

Apple uses BR2032, which has a wide temperature range and long life. CR2032 is used in car-key fobs and garage door opener controls, so is readily available and a pretty good replacement.

The battery is half-hidden behind the graphics card. The release for the metal retaining rod for the graphics card is on the right side of the fan nearby, then slide to the left.

Caveats: The battery holder is quirky. Breaking the holder is a major disaster. Be sure to use a very bright light and understand fully before attempting to remove the battery.

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