iMac G5 Capacitors: What you need to know

So what’s the story with iMac G5 capacitors? Let’s start by addressing the issue as a whole.  The iMac G5 suffers from a couple different manufacturing defects.  The first being poor quality capacitors on the logic board.  The second: bad power supplies (in most cases, this actually relates to bad capacitors as well).  The capacitors in some models of the iMac G5 will swell and possibly leak with time.  There’s really no way to predict it… Apple had released a set of serial numbers several years back that could have been ailed by this issue.  As time has passed, I’ve realized it isn’t limited to those serials.  Any iMac G5 could be affected.  I’m not saying that you should go out and have all of your iMac G5′s capacitors replaced with good quality capacitors… I’m saying that there are a few things that you should look out for.  First, you can always visually inspect the capacitors by removing the back panel.  Second, watch for these symptoms:

• Video distortion
• Video freezing (you can still connect to your system externally, the display just doesn’t change)
• Complete system lockup
• Trouble shutting down
• Trouble booting up
• Weird, unexplainable crashing with applications
• And more… basically, if your iMac G5 is acting up — check the capacitors

I have an iMac G5 capacitor replacement on the bench right now… after I replace the caps it will be in great shape! Don’t let other companies charge you for a new logic board. It’s a lot of labor, but you shouldn’t be paying to much for the repair. At RMMR, we’ll do the capacitor replacement for a flat rate of $199.  If you feel comfortable with a screwdriver, it never hurts to check the capacitors and make sure they’re okay.  Lay the iMac G5 on its front and loosen the three screws that are at the bottom of the display. Gently lift the back panel away from the display. If you see swollen or leaking capacitors like the ones pictured below, they need to be replaced. Bring your G5 in and we’ll get you taken care of right away!

We also accept mail-in capacitor repairs. You are responsible for shipping it to us, but we’ll cover shipping on the way back! Just include a note explaining your name, address, phone, email, as well as the symptoms you’ve experienced thus far.