My TiVo has died

[Tsar Chasm]

I have 3 series 2 TiVos, one of them, has all 4 front panel indicator lights lit at the same time. I get no video output. I have moved this device and plugged it in to my main television, powered on and powered off several times. This is a model 140.

Any tips?
Thanks in advance :)

[windracer]

140s have had power supply issues in the past ... could be the box just needs a new one: http://www.weaknees.com/tivo-power-supply.php

[mick66]

140s have had power supply issues in the past ... could be the box just needs a new one

Yep. That's what I'd say the problem is.

[Cormode]

It can be repaired with a $4 capacitor from RadioShack.

If you know how to solder or know someone who does, you can save $50.

[Steeple]

Cormode:

You said, "It can be repaired with a $4 capacitor from RadioShack.

If you know how to solder or know someone who does, you can save $50."

Please explain why you think this is a capacitor problem and how to test for this issue.

Thank you.

Steeple

[Cormode]

I don't have a digital camera handy right now, so I'll do my best to describe it.

The symptoms of a bad power supply are - all four lights come on, the fan runs, the harddrive does not spin up and there is no output at all on the screen.

warning - opening the tivo exposes wires connected to high voltage - touching these will kill you. Please use common sense.

Never open the box while it is "plugged in." Unplug it and wait 1 min before taking the cover off.

Work carefully. Read the whole post before you begin anything.

Open the tivo and disconnect the parallel cable to the hard drive. Slide the cover back on and plug the tivo in - if you hear the drive spin up then the 3.3v power is bad. The most likely reason for only the 3.3v going bad is a cheap 30 cent capacitor known to fail in many tivos of this model.

The PS creates four voltages - 12v for the fan and hard drive, 5 volt for various motherboard functions and the hard drive, 50v for the tuner, and finally 3.3v for most of the motheboard (including memory and Cpu)

The 3.3v line is stablized by a small 3700uF capacitor located under the heatsink near the front of the unit. This is the middle of the three capacitors. This capacitor is rated for only 10v, which is a shame since a 16v or a 35v capacitor would last much longer in that setting and have cost about 50 cents more. 10V is just too close the normal operating voltage of 3.3, especially with the current demand on it.

Without a capcitor stablizing the voltage, a volt meter will read slightly lower - about 2.8 - 3.0 v. However the actual voltage will be continually swinging from 0 to 3.5 v many times per second. This is useless for powering the cpu.

Remove the power supply from the unit and carefully examine the top of the capacitor - it will probably be ever so slightly swollen. The top surface on a good capacitor is always perfectly flat.

Use a soldering iron to remove the capacitor, watch the heat, no need to mess anything else up, use solder wick to remove the solder.

Buy at least a 10v 3700uF capacitor. Either number can be bigger, but not smalled. You can get this online. At radio shack they carry a 35v 4700uF monster which can be fit in.

To fit in the radio shack version,
- identify the + end of the capacitor (its not the '-' end)
- identify the + side on the power supply where the old capacitor came from.
- fit the + wire into the + hole.
- the negative ('-') wire is problematic, you must drill a new hole for it.
- examine the backside of the powersupply, near the corner which is near the front of the unit and near the motherboard is a grounding plane with nothing on the topside. Handily in the grounding plane is a set of horizontal solderpads.
- carefully drill a very small hole through the power supply between two solderpads (make absolutely sure you will not hit any components on the top side. Make sure the negative will be able to hit the hold while the positive will is in place.
- solder the negative wire into the new hole and positive wire into the exisiting hole.
- the can of the capacitor may touch the aluminum heatsink and the copper heatsink. The wires, especially the pos one must touch NOTHING on the way into the hole. Triple check this.

put it back together and see if it works.

hope that helps.

[Steeple]

Cormode --

Thanks much!!

Steeple

[RAZUR_BLADEZ]

It work for my bro's :)

[Cormode]

It work for my bro's :)

Just curious, had it already been fixed or someone follow my instructions in the last day or two

[RAZUR_BLADEZ]

He fixed it today I emailed him the link to you instructions. The tivo was dead for a while. He got the tivo second hand already broken. He was pumped that it worked

David

[RAZUR_BLADEZ]

He said he got the cap at mouser electonics not RAT SHACK

[latenighttech]

Cormode, thanks for your advice! I fixed my Series 2 stand-alone Tivo which had a similar bulging capacitor problem. My story:

My 3 yr-old TCD24008A died abruptly ... internal fan was running, but no boot, no video, no lights on the front and the hard drive wouldn't spin up with the data cable attached. If I disconnected the data cable, the hard drive would then spin up. +12 and +5 checked out OK on the drive power connector. Based on your post, I looked for a bulging capacitor on the power supply and found a suspect 2200uF 10v one (under the heat sink opposite the fan). I replaced it (with one I salvaged from an dead PC PSU), and my Tivo has a breath of new life! I just thought I'd share my success in case anyone else has similar symptoms and is looking for a cheap (and relatively easy, if you're handy with a soldering iron) solution.

[sudrew]

Hi - I got redirected here from another thread and have a coworker helping me operate (he has a bit more soldering experience than me).

We think we've identified a capacitor with a slightly bulging top (it's a 2200uF one under the heat sink opposite the fan - closest to the front of the unit). We're looking at it though and are unsure of the best way to remove the bulging capacitor. There's a significant amount of glue around the capacitor. Any advice on how to get it out of there? Blow dryer? Rubbing alcohol?

[Cormode]

There's a significant amount of glue around the capacitor. Any advice on how to get it out of there? Blow dryer? Rubbing alcohol?

use desoldering braid to get all the solder off the pins. Then wiggle it loose. The glue with crack loose as you move it with your fingers.

[Indyracing]

This fix definitely saved my TIVO from the dumpster. I got the capacitor from Radio Shack, bought a new soldering iron too, removed the old one and solder in the new one so easily.

Thanks a million.

[hugh2004]

TiVo died. Reviewed solutions above. All lights were on. Rebooted, no lights, wavering sound of cable feed. Checked hard drive as described without data cable, no spin. No internal fan as well. Removed hard drive and placed it in an external USB clam shell case and added power, drive spun up both with and without data cable - sounds like drive is oK?

Total power source failure or is capacitor fix as described still worth a try?

[Cormode]

TiVo died. Reviewed solutions above. All lights were on. Rebooted, no lights, wavering sound of cable feed. Checked hard drive as described without data cable, no spin. No internal fan as well. Removed hard drive and placed it in an external USB clam shell case and added power, drive spun up both with and without data cable - sounds like drive is oK?

Total power source failure or is capacitor fix as described still worth a try?

No Drive spin when connected only to 4 wire power connector? -> 12v or 5v line out of power supply is dead. The fix above only applies to a different problem on the 3.3v line. Replace the power supply.

[hugh2004]

Thanks much for the quick reply. I would have to concur as I checked the 12 and 5 power leads and both were well under the needed voltage. Again thanks for the help. Getting this unit fixed will make for one happy better half!

[hugh2004]

Power Supply dead, opting for a new box instead of replacing the PS as it is only a few more $$. Is there any way to download the contents of the hard drive by connecting to a PC and the viewing via TiVotogo or downloading to DVDs?

[tanstaafl1963]

My S2 has the same symptom. A slight bulge on the top of the capacitor under the heat sink opposite the fan - closest to the front of the unit. It's a 2200uF one.

HOWEVER, I'm having a bear of a time find a replacement. Radio shack has a 2200uF 50V, but it looks different than the one in the Tivo PS.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?summary=summary&techSpecs=techSpecs&currentTab=techSpecs&cp=&custRatings=custRatings&features=features&accessories=accessories&productId=2102513&support=support&tab=features

I can't seem to find one listed online for sale.

Help! Ideas? Can I use this RS one? That one has wire leads coming from both top and bottom.

[hamstyles]

is this capacitor on the power source or on the other board?

[classicsat]

This capacitor is on the power supply board.