Thread: Epia m9000 Frying memory?

Originally posted by Spongebob
well for some reason the hard drive doesnt even wind up like that. what i cant figure out is why i have been able to successfully boot up using the casetronics power supply a few times, but now i cant. there is no way that the epia board and 1 60 gig 7200 hard drive is pulling more that 55W. unless i have a defect? but nonetheless, it did work a few times.

Here's my findings about my setup I've been having issues with...

SETUP:

Casetronics DC-DC board and external PSU
EPIA-M 9000
IBM Laptop Travelstar 4700 RPM 40Gig HD
Pioneer 16x slot load DVD
256 PC2100 RAM
Fellows serial internet touchpad
Creative serial IR reciever
Griffin USB Powermate
M-Audio Sonica (USB sound device)
300W inverter wired to the battery

When I was setting up the carputer in my house I had no issues AT ALL for days. After the install into my car I started having issues, after about a week, with the carputer shutting off instantly when I would use the DVD after the carputer was on for about an hour. I added a 40mm fan to the southbridge because I thought the heatsink was getting too hot. A few days later it started shutting off after about 5 min. of DVD use when it was just booted up. A few days after that it started shutting off with just WinAMP playing for about 15 Min. Then it just wouldn't start at all. I would get an "electrical click" through the speakers but nothing would would spin up, not even the fans. The computer was not even warm during this time.

I was reading your other posts about the power light flickering when you would have the same thing happen to you but I never got the flickering light, it just stayed solid and as bright as when it was powered up normally. Anyway, this morning I took my center console apart (the carputer is installed in the arm rest) and disconnected EVERY DEVICE except for the HD and DVD drive. IT STILL WOULD NOT BOOT UP. I checked all the wiring and looked at the DC board for any burn marks. Nothing...I unplugged the two wire "bridge" from the DC board and plugged it back in. WHOULD YOU BELIEVE THE FLIPPIN' THING BOOTED AFTER THAT!!!

I did put a DVD in the drive and it had no problems playing it for a few minutes. I did not get a chance to test it extensively but I will on my way home tonight. I will post my findings then.

I'm not sure if it's the external PSU not being powerfull enough or something else. I did notice at CompUSA they had THIS Targus Auto power adaptor, that supplies 70W and it's about half the size of the PSU for the DC board, on sale for $75. I need to do some serious testing soon to get this BS finalized.

UPDATE TO ABOVE POST:

I'm gonna throw this friggin' thing out the window!!!

I went out to the car to show it to someone and played some mp3s for about 5 Min. and then tried to show the DVD side of it and the same friggin' thing happened. DVD spun up and the carputer cut off imediately. Then the carputer tried to reboot on it's own and as soon as the DVD spun up, in the middle of the post, it cut off again and repeated this until I cut the power.

I'm begining to think what everyone is: THE CASETRONICS DC-DC BOARD AND EXTERNAL PSU DOES NOT SUPPLY ENOUGH POWER FOR THE EPIA-M 9000.

I'm ****ed!!!! I leave for vacation in a week, where I will be driving for 12+ hours, and my carputer doesn't work worth a s**t...

AN updated update:

Well, I fished around a little more when I got home today and as I was looking at the power supply connection to the "bridge wire" that plugs into the DC board the wire, on the male berrel connector, popped off in my hand.

CAUSE: a cold solder. This explains a few things. So, what I did was cut the male berrel connector off the external adaptor and cut the female barrel connector off the "bridge wire" and added some more wire to increase the length of the external PSU, so I could mount it in the trunk, soldered all the wires as should be, and wrapped them with electrical tape. Plugged everything back up and the DVD now works again!!!

Again, I will put it through the hour test tomorrow and if that works it will go through a 3 hour test on Mon.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

Please someone pray for me...

Well, someone was praying for me.

On my hour drive to Orlando today my Journey 2001 Live in concert DVD played without a hitch. Even though it was 30 degrees this morning the climate control in the car was set to 78. (i like it a little toasty in the car on cold mornings ) No heat issues and no cut offs. I am now convenced the little DC board and external PSU have enough power for MY system.

For any one else having issues with the system cutting off, do yourself a favor and avoid, if you can, using the "barrel" connectors. They can bend and break the solder or get shotty after a few bends. Not that I'm telling anything you guys don't know already. I'm just a little excited at this point that it works.

This Monday will be the 3 hour drive to Jacksonville and a viewing of LOTR. Still keeping my fingers crossed...

Not that I think anyone cares at this point but...

In regards to the above post. I'm here in Jacksonville and the LOTR DVD played for three + hours straight with no heat or cut off issues.

I'm happy and convienced at this point.

Best of luck to all with this config.