Series 3 HD, 11.0 Firmware, keeps rebooting

Sounds like a either a power supply issue or a mother board issue. I would try an alternate power supply.

 

i would take the drive out, make a backup with winMFS, then run manufacturing diagnostics on the drive or if you have a spare drive, restore to that and try it. That will tell you if it's the drive or something else.

 

I still suspect the hard drive. KS tests do not show all problems.

Power Supplies cost $100 (weaknees.com) unless you could get a used HD for less than that on Ebay and swap its PS in. If you don't have lifetime service you could also just use the purchased HD and delegate your current one for parts. That covers the case of a bad MB too.

Please specify:
1. How important is keeping your current recordings?
2. Do you have lifetime sub?
3. How much of a DIY person are you? There are things you can do to check your PS and your HDD, but they require opening the TiVo up.

Also verify this is a TiVo HD rather than S3 and you are not using an expander drive.

 

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How long has this Tivo been in service?
It does sound like there could be a issue with over-heating.
Open up the Tivo. If it is full gunk (you'd be surprised), that could be your problem.
At the very least, the first step of trouble shooting.
If that's not it, then I would suspect the hard drive.

 

What is the internal temperature value in Messages & Settings .... Account & System Information ... System Iinformation ? Does it increase while running?

WinMFS is a free program and using it, or running mfr's diagnostics, requires connecting your TiVo drive to a PC using either a SATA-USB adapter ($15) or one of the SATA connectors on your PC motherboard. See the sticky Drive Expansion FAQ thread at the top of this forum for more info.

There is a four-wire cable between the PS and the HDD. Check the PS by measuring voltages between the two colored wires and either of the black ones. They should be 5V +/- 5% and 12V +/-10% and preferably should be measured with the cable still connected to the HDD. The PS produces other voltages but these two should be a good indication of its health. A new PS (weaknees.com) costs $100 so you may be able to buy a used TiVo cheaper on eBay and use its PS -- but be sure to get exactly the same model.

To save your recordings, you could use Tivo Desktop and transfer them to a PC. If you use WinMFS to load a new drive WinMFS can also transfer the programs but to do this you have to connect both old and new drives to the PC. The USB adapters are slow compared to direct SATA connections so this can take a long time if you use them. Also, I believe the new drive needs to be at least a little larger than the old drive. Given the low prices of drives now that should not be a big issue. The biggest WinMFS issue in your case, assuming the HDD is failing, is being able to backup the TiVo operating system and recordings from it. However, if possible, this route is the cheapest one and will also not require you to have your CableCARD(s) re-paired, which often requires a truck roll.

If you buy a pre-imaged drive (google "ebay dvr_dude" or go to weaknees.com) all you do is install it. But you have to do a "clear and delete" and completely redo the setup just like on a new TiVo. You lose your recordings and may have to have the CableCARD(s) re-paired.

 

My Tivo is having the same issue. I went through KS57 and KS54. KS58 seemed to get stuck on a gray/black screen, and I am not sure what that means. Before having the rebooting problem, one night last week, the fan got really loud (only temporarily) so I am wondering if it is a heat issue.

After reading your experience, I will check the temp of my Tivo and clean the dust out. I expanded my drive so will swap it with the OEM drive to see what happens. Sorry, I donʻt mean to hijack your post, but your description sounds nearly identical to my problem.

 

My THD runs 44C in a fairly well ventilated cabinet in a 68F room. IIRC temps up to 50C are not a concern. I don't think you need to run with the cover off. I'm impressed that the fan is actually modulated per temp.

 

I would:

Read how to make a backup, and make one ASAP (the cables are cheap and instructions are free -OR- open the machine and unplug the installed HDD and use those connections)
Clean out the machine, and run without a cover to see what happens
Buy a 1TB drive and upgrade to that

If you still have a problem, it would probably be the PS, go to ebay and get a replacement.
Enjoy new drive

 

I'll be amazed if that makes even a one degree temp difference, but you might see a change if your expansion drive is the culprit.

 

Both my TivoHDs are running 44 C and 46 C (reported as normal), so either you're running cool or I need to dust out my Tivos.

Seriously, the fact that you started experiencing reboots suggests that the drive could be on the way out.
It's possible that your Tivo has been running hot for some time, and the hard drive tolerated the heat until recently.
As time goes on, the hard drive will continue to degrade and eventually fail at lower temperatures.

I would start planning to replace the drive NOW.
Link to info for an internal drive upgrade: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=370784#S5

 

Yesterday, my Tivo was rebooting periodically and progressively got worse until it seemed to be stuck in a reboot loop.

My Tivo was also not that dusty inside, but vacuuming and compressed air has cured the reboot issue. It is running at 36C (normal). Been running for 2-3 hours now without a reboot. My fingers are crossed...

 

That's good. My THD has never shown less than 42C and seems to work fine. I have to suspect something else is behind this, e.g., removing the cover perhaps reseated a connector somewhere. Or maybe there is a critical niche that runs hot due to dust, even though the temperature reading shows "normal".

 

I should add that while the cover was open, I disconnected the HDD and reconnected it. I also unplugged everything from the back of the unit and replugged it in.

 

My HD TiVo was doing the exact same thing. I had replaced the drive and it has been working fine for about a month and then last week started to reboot over and over on me again. I unplugged it several times and finally got tired of putting it back in the shelf and decided to leave it face down (standing on end) on the floor. When I plugged it back in it booted up and stayed running for hours! Put it back on the shelf and it started rebooting again. Hmm, I wondered if maybe I had a bad connection somewhere inside. I pulled all the connections off the the mother board and hard drive and reconnected everything and so far, 3 weeks later no issues.

 

Hi everyone. This might be a little late for some of you, but I had a similar issue where my Tivo was rebooting and eventually just stopped working; just a solid blue screen and the hard drive wouldnt spin up with the IDE cable connected. Examination of the power supply revealed a bulging capacitor. I picked up a replacement for $1.59 at the local electronics store and my problem is solved. If your comfortable with a soldering iron, go for it!!!