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Warning! Exploding Maxell PRAM Batteries
Posted by: Forrest on 2023-05-06 13:39:33 You may want to consider if you can run the computer without a battery. The 660AV will not start without a battery. However a G4 iMac boots fine without a battery - you just need to set the clock
Posted by: volvo242gt on 2023-05-06 18:17:12 Most will boot normally, but all PRAM settings will be at their defaults. In which case, using TechTool might work, since you can save and restore PRAM settings. -J
Posted by: Durosity on 2024-09-15 15:54:38 Last weekend I picked up a few machines, and this was the sole Maxell victim. Macintosh LC.. look at all the caps that have literally been disolved! Literally nothing worth salvaging on this one.
Posted by: joshc on 2024-09-16 00:46:08 Literally nothing worth salvaging on this one. The socketed ROMs look mostly OK? might just need their legs sanding Maybe hot air off some chips from the other side of the board? I'll agree though most of that looks toast. RIP What other machines did you get?
Posted by: robin-fo on 2024-09-16 01:20:15 Literally nothing worth salvaging on this one. There are still some rare chips inside to build a Reloaded board
Posted by: Durosity on 2024-09-16 06:22:41 Literally That was the wrong word to use, I more meant likely. And yeah.. it will get cleaned up and go in the scrap pile in case something can be scavenged.
Posted by: joshc on 2026-05-10 18:10:19 We have to keep this thread going!
Posted by: volvo242gt on 2026-05-10 18:17:57 What brand battery did that damage, @joshc? Max-hell, Tadiran, Saft?
Posted by: joshc on 2026-05-10 21:10:34 What brand battery did that damage, @joshc? Max-hell, Tadiran, Saft?
Posted by: bibilit on 2026-05-11 05:43:25 Most of them are Maxell, don't say others can't go bad, but not as nasty as those ones. Had a LC not so long ago for dirtcheap (20 €) for a complete machine, including the monitor, mouse and keyboard, knowing probably the board was bad. except for the PSU, everything was Maxell bombed, Rom legs just fell when removed from the sockets.
Posted by: Brett B. on 2026-05-11 16:39:20 They’re still out there! I found an SE earlier this year that had an intact Maxell battery with a 1987 date code on it. Couldn’t believe it hadn’t exploded!
Posted by: DJ68K on 2026-05-16 05:07:58 A year and small change ago I picked up a lot of 3 Classics, 1 SE, 1 LCIII, and 1 PowerBook 5300c from Facebook Marketplace. The SE had an exploded Maxell battery with the least amount of damage I've ever seen. I swapped in a new battery holder, cleaned/recapped, grinded/sanded/painted the damage on the metal case, and it's in great shape now. A fitting irony for the LCIII is at VCFMW I picked up a completely battery-bombed Performa 450 which I swapped the innards of the pictured LCIII into since the case was in much better shape than this one's was.
Posted by: mikes-macs on 2026-05-16 09:03:24 There should be some sort of a world wide public service announcement about these lethal batteries. ***Breaking News*****
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