Series 3 won't boot

Greg_R · 03-15-2012, 06:11 PM

I had to unplug my Tivo Series 3 and now it is not starting up. It is a stock unit with no external drives using an antenna for the TV signal. I get to the "almost there" screen (for ~1-2 minutes) and then the unit reboots itself. The reboot happens in the exact same place each time.

- I have run the S.M.A.R.T. HDD tests using the kickstart code and they all pass
- I tried to 'update software' using that kickstart code but my machine "could not connect to tivo's servers".

Is the next step popping open the case and looking for bad PSU caps? If they look OK should I bother with replacing the HDD even though the SMART tests pass? Any suggestions for my next steps? Thanks!

steve614 · 03-15-2012, 06:36 PM

Yes, it's time to open 'er up. From there you can visually inspect the capacitors on the power supply.

If all looks good on the power supply, then the hard drive is the suspect. Hard drives can have problems, even if the kickstart tests pass.
The next step would be to pull the hard drive from the Tivo and run the manufacturer's diagnostic tool with it hooked up to your computer (preferrably with a boot CD, as it is not a good idea to load Windows with a Tivo drive attached).

If you suspect an issue with the power supply, then that must be addressed first, before going on to the hard drive. You can always post (or link) to photos of your power supply if you want our opinion.

Greg_R · 03-15-2012, 06:55 PM

Thanks Steve, I'll try those things tonight.

Greg_R · 03-15-2012, 11:04 PM

It looks like a PSU cap failure; the one cap is clearly bulging (see attachment). Are there kits containing all the capacitors or a list of all the caps in the PSU? I can go through and write them all down but it would be nice if something already exists...

Greg

unitron · 03-16-2012, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg_R

It looks like a PSU cap failure; the one cap is clearly bulging (see attachment). Are there kits containing all the capacitors or a list of all the caps in the PSU? I can go through and write them all down but it would be nice if something already exists...

Greg

Do you have a TCD648250 or a TCD652160 or TCD658000?

There are at least 2 different power supplies that have been used in the TCD652160, therefore a list might not do you any good.

How much electronics repair knowledge and experience do you have?

Portland should be big enough that you might be able to buy replacements locally (not from Radio Shack, from a real electronics supply house or repair shop), or find a repair shop that understands switching supplies and why they need Low ESR high temp capacitors and are familiar with the "capacitor plague" problem, which is by no means limited to TiVos.

Greg_R · 03-16-2012, 12:34 AM

I have no problems with the soldering and plan on doing the work myself. I went ahead and read the values off of all the electrolytic caps; I plan on replacing all of them.

unitron · 03-16-2012, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg_R

I have no problems with the soldering and plan on doing the work myself. I went ahead and read the values off of all the electrolytic caps; I plan on replacing all of them.

You need to match the uF value, and the Voltage rating should be the same or the next notch up (for example, if the old one's rated at 16V, replace it with a 16V or a 25V). They must also be Low E.S.R. and rated for 105 degrees Centigrade (or Celsius, whichever they're calling it this week).

If there's one on there rated at 200V or higher, it probably doesn't need replacing. Just worry about the ones down around 25V or lower.

And be sure to observe polarity.

Greg_R · 03-16-2012, 12:58 PM

Here's the list of all the Electrolytic caps & their Digikey replacements for my PSU. If I'm going to replace 5-6 caps I might as well replace them all. I got an extra of each (except the big one) so I could pick the best ones (I have access to a LCR meter). The 493-* are high service lifetime Nicholson caps for switching power supplies. The P*-ND are Panasonic low ESR caps with high service lifetimes.

I have a model TCD648260B. Hopefully this post can save someone else a bit of time.

Greg_R · 03-20-2012, 10:12 PM

Well, I replaced all the electrolytic caps and the machine still will not boot (exact same symptoms as in my 1st post).

I have a model TCD648260B.

I'll pull the drive and try manufacturer tests off a boot disc. If the drive has errors should I copy to a new drive or start from scratch? There is nothing on the drive (in terms of programming) that I want saved. What is the cleanest method moving foward?

Thanks to everyone who has helped out so far...

Greg_R · 03-20-2012, 10:37 PM

To be clear, am I best off just buying an InstantCake CD (+ new HDD) at this point or should I try copying the old drive to the new drive 1st?

steve614 · 03-20-2012, 11:23 PM

Before buying instant cake, see if you can find (or ask for) a truncated image for your Tivo model (in your case TCD648) in the begging thread.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...d.php?t=388695

And use WinMFS to restore that image to a clean hard drive.

http://www.mfslive.org/winmfs/

unitron · 03-20-2012, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg_R

To be clear, am I best off just buying an InstantCake CD (+ new HDD) at this point or should I try copying the old drive to the new drive 1st?

Do you have any spare hard drives lying around with which you could experiment?

Greg_R · 04-02-2012, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve614

Before buying instant cake, see if you can find (or ask for) a truncated image for your Tivo model (in your case TCD648) in the begging thread.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...d.php?t=388695

And use WinMFS to restore that image to a clean hard drive.

http://www.mfslive.org/winmfs/

OK, I've tried the following:

1) Copy old drive to new drive using WinMFS. This resulted in the same behavior.
2) Using the same new drive, I used a truncated image from the listed thread above (the image listed in post 831). My new drive is a 1TB WD Green HDD. The unit boots, connects to Tivo, and was able to find all my channels (using with antenna only). However, when I click "Now Playing" I get an Error #53. The error says I can't record until the unit reboots; if the reboot doesn't work I need to call Tivo. The reboot did not work :-). The 30m recording window for each tuner is working but I am not allowed to record anything until the error is resolved.

Is this a known error and is there a workaround? I used WinMFS to write the new image over the previously written data (used 'restore')... I'm not sure if this would cause an error. Thanks!

steve614 · 04-02-2012, 06:25 PM

Yes, perform a clear and delete everything from the Tivo menus. That should clear the error.

The reason for this is because the image you used did not come from your Tivo. The same thing happens if you try to swap hard drives between similar models.
The Tivo sees a different TSN (or MAK ?) on the hard drive and therefore doesn't allow viewing of any recorded shows, and will not record new ones.
Performing a clear and delete everything resets the TSN/MAK on the hard drive.

Greg_R · 04-02-2012, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve614

Yes, perform a clear and delete everything from the Tivo menus. That should clear the error.

The reason for this is because the image you used did not come from your Tivo. The same thing happens if you try to swap hard drives between similar models.
The Tivo sees a different TSN (or MAK ?) on the hard drive and therefore doesn't allow viewing of any recorded shows, and will not record new ones.
Performing a clear and delete everything resets the TSN/MAK on the hard drive.

Just so I'm 100% clear, I want to do this -->

Messages & settings > Help > Restart or Reset System > Clear and Delete Everything

Right? Thanks again!

unitron · 04-02-2012, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg_R

Just so I'm 100% clear, I want to do this -->

Messages & settings > Help > Restart or Reset System > Clear and Delete Everything

Right? Thanks again!

That'll do it.

As far as the TiVo is concerned.

You may want to learn about the whole Intellipark and wdidle3 issue with regard to Caviar Green drives, however, while your Torx driver is still handy.