Electric zaps from 12" powerbook

S

scotsman9

Registered
Hi All,

My new powerbook G4 is giving me tiny occasional electrical zaps on my hands depending on where I touch the powerbook (I'm on a 240 volt connection in Australia). This only occurs when it is plugged in to the main power supply. If I touch the very edge it feels like a pin prick or a hair being pulled out - ouch! Running my fingers over the flat metal areas of the powerbook while plugged in feels weird - as though the surface were made of velvet. It stops immediately once I unplug it and run from the battery only.

I've read about this issue going back 2 years now. Why doesn't Apple fix this? Do they even acknowledge this as a problem if I take it in for a servicing? I know what Apple can be like - "oh that's normal, don't worry about it".

Thanks...S
 
Doesn't happen on mine, and it shouldn't happen on any. It's a short in the machine.
 
used to happen to my old 1st gen Powerbook 12". Doesn't happen on my new one now, thankfully. No idea what you could do to get rid of it though....
 
Sorry to say, but it happens on five of my G4 laptops, 3x Ti Laptop, 1x 12" Al and 1x 15" Al laptop

Also I have complaints from over 50 Users, yes 50 users who have the same problem.

We've worked out that it happens when the unit does a rapid charge of its battery. We also believe the users who notice the problem more rest their hands on the palm rest, most of the time due to the ware of paint on these laptops.

The shock won't make you jump or anything like that but you will notice a tingling sensation for about a second maybe two.

The Ti has more problems then the Al but both models suffer with the problem.
 
Also if you go to the Apple Discussion Board and do a search on electric you will come up with lots of results.

Here is a few cutting from Apple's discussion board about the 15" Ti Laptops

The shock issue comes up regularly here

My 2.5-3 year old titanium G4 has chipped paint on one corner and frequently gives me electric shocks if I touch this area


I've also started to notice the paint on the edges flake off, revealing the darker material underneath. I now regularly feel electric shocks in my wrists and this is very annoying as you can imagine...

Here is a cutting from Apple's discussion board about the 15" Al Laptops

I was using my powerbook and resting my bare arm against a metal radiator, and was aware of a tiny amounf of pain where my arm touched the radiator. Assuming this was because it was getting hot, I took my arm off and felt it. It wasnt getting hot. I put my arm back on like before, and the pain was completely gone. Assuming I had trapped a nerve or something I then continued using the computer, whereupon the pain immediately came back. I realised it was an electrical shock pain.

I took out my multimeter and noticed that between the Aluminium case and the rad was an ac voltage difference of 90V! Unplugging the power adapter obviously makes it go away.

I dont want to alarm anyone, so rest assured that it is Power that kills you, not voltage. Power is a product of Voltage and Current. The current between the powerbook and the radiator is severely limited, because putting my arm between the two reduces the voltage to about 50V, which limits the Power, which in turn shows that you couldnt run a hoover off your powerbook

But this is worrying. I am worried A) that 90V is present from my 24v charger, and B) that the 90V can travel through me to ground.

As I said earlier, I am fairly sure this is NOT dangerous unless you have a pacemaker in your arm. I can also confirm that my brothers identical PowerBook has the same 'feature'.

I am in the UK so my mains voltage is 240v. I would be interested to hear what voltages US folk can get. I found the best place to take the reading was the little metal catch beneath the trackpad in the rectangular hole.

Can anyone else beat my voltage?

James
 
Has anyone on the forum actually had this problem repaired by Apple? Do they or can they even fix it? This is a major problem as far as I'm concerned. Not what you'd expect from the BMW of computers!

S
 
It can definitely be fixed, just a question as whether or not Apple will fix it.
If it were a home appliance or something else electrical. you most likely wouldn't put up with it. It's caused by bad grounding or short in the machine. If mine did this, I'd be on the phone with Apple everyday until they fixed it.
 
bobw said:
It can definitely be fixed, just a question as whether or not Apple will fix it.
If it were a home appliance or something elese electrical. you most likely wouldn't put up with it. It's caused by bad grounding in the machine. If mine did this, I'd be on the phone with Apple everyday until they fixed it.
Click to expand...
Bobw, you are quite right: these shocks are probably due to small leakage currents, that are potentially dangerous. Apple should fix them.
 
I just noticed...
Mine did that ALL the time!
But it stopped inexplicably - or so I thought. Until bobw mentioned "bad grounding", well, I've been using the 3 prong "extension cable" since I've noticed the last zaps.
Try that.
 
i have yet to experience this with my powerbook, is this common among all PB's, or an occurence on some of them? very curious, first I was worried that my battery was going to burn my house down :rolleyes: , now the computer itself is going to shock me?? :confused:

every time its cold outside, without fail, when i get out of my car, i grab the door to shut it and the metal shocks me every single time, without fail. i attribute it to the thin air of winter and the static electricity of driving over cold concrete and dead cat fur. j/k
 
delsoljb32 said:
every time its cold outside, without fail, when i get out of my car, i grab the door to shut it and the metal shocks me every single time, without fail. i attribute it to the thin air of winter and the static electricity of driving over cold concrete and dead cat fur. j/k
Click to expand...

I don't think this can be helped, since the Powerbooks are metal, and if you're statically charged, touching anything metal will result in zaps.
 
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