Amiga 500 wont start, pls help troubleshooting

27 May 2017, 23:39

hi all

I am completely new to Amiga but ever since I was young I always wanted one. Took 30 years to get here but I am now an owner of an Amiga loot I picked up from ebay yesterday.

2 x Amiga 500 (one with Gotek USB loader)
3 x Joysticks
2 x power packs
2 x mouse
1 x Philips monitor CM8833
1 x mem expansion board with a switch on it
Floppys with few games

I got one of the Amigas to work with the GOTEK, mem expansion and the monitor. The mice are terrible but I will take them apart to see if a good clean will help.

Now the 2nd Amiga is the one I am having trouble with. Its a rev 5, the board seems very clean, there was no corosion on the shield (unlike the other Amiga that actually works and is in pretty bad shape, go figure). the machine wont boot.

I get very click change of three colors displayed on the monitor. When its been sitting on bench turned off for a while and I turn it on, I get light gree, white, light grey (stays on light grey). If I turn it off, wait few seconds and then turn back on, I get dark grey, white, light grey (stays on light grey). The caps lock light can be trig erred on off.None of the power lights come on when I turn on the Amiga PSU. No noise from floppy drive.

I have tried the below so far and nothing helped:

1. took all the socketed chips out and re-seated, all were clean. No boot
2. I though it was the CIA (reading off wiki) so I took the CIA chips from working mobo and put them in. No boot.
3. I used the ROM chip from the working Amiga , no boot

I can still try the CPU, just worried it might get damaged?

any other suggestions I can try please?

idrougge · 28 May 2017, 03:26

I doubt it's the CPU since the machine seems to go through some of the startup colour cycle.

Try exchanging the disk drive with the other one.

28 May 2017, 03:53

Floppy drive?

It does the same behaviour with or without floppy drive or Gotek.

xArtx · 28 May 2017, 05:20

The stock 68000 is about the only thing you don't have to worry about.
They are a dime a dozen, but unlikely to be the problem.
Green (though I wouldn't call it light green) is a diagnostic for bad RAM.
I wonder if some freeze spray would kick it in.

Bad caps? You could compare the resistance (overall)
across the 5 Volt rail of both machines. Preferably with socketed chips removed.

30 May 2017, 10:17

Freeze spray ? as in on the RAM chips ? is this common issue with Amigas?

27 May 2017, 23:39	#1
Omarko Posts: n/a	Amiga 500 wont start, pls help troubleshooting hi all I am completely new to Amiga but ever since I was young I always wanted one. Took 30 years to get here but I am now an owner of an Amiga loot I picked up from ebay yesterday. 2 x Amiga 500 (one with Gotek USB loader) 3 x Joysticks 2 x power packs 2 x mouse 1 x Philips monitor CM8833 1 x mem expansion board with a switch on it Floppys with few games I got one of the Amigas to work with the GOTEK, mem expansion and the monitor. The mice are terrible but I will take them apart to see if a good clean will help. Now the 2nd Amiga is the one I am having trouble with. Its a rev 5, the board seems very clean, there was no corosion on the shield (unlike the other Amiga that actually works and is in pretty bad shape, go figure). the machine wont boot. I get very click change of three colors displayed on the monitor. When its been sitting on bench turned off for a while and I turn it on, I get light gree, white, light grey (stays on light grey). If I turn it off, wait few seconds and then turn back on, I get dark grey, white, light grey (stays on light grey). The caps lock light can be trig erred on off.None of the power lights come on when I turn on the Amiga PSU. No noise from floppy drive. I have tried the below so far and nothing helped: 1. took all the socketed chips out and re-seated, all were clean. No boot 2. I though it was the CIA (reading off wiki) so I took the CIA chips from working mobo and put them in. No boot. 3. I used the ROM chip from the working Amiga , no boot I can still try the CPU, just worried it might get damaged? any other suggestions I can try please?

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28 May 2017, 03:26	#2
idrougge Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stockholm Posts: 4,332	I doubt it's the CPU since the machine seems to go through some of the startup colour cycle. Try exchanging the disk drive with the other one.

28 May 2017, 03:53	#3
Omarko Posts: n/a	Floppy drive? It does the same behaviour with or without floppy drive or Gotek.

28 May 2017, 05:20	#4
xArtx Registered User Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Australia Posts: 685	The stock 68000 is about the only thing you don't have to worry about. They are a dime a dozen, but unlikely to be the problem. Green (though I wouldn't call it light green) is a diagnostic for bad RAM. I wonder if some freeze spray would kick it in. Bad caps? You could compare the resistance (overall) across the 5 Volt rail of both machines. Preferably with socketed chips removed.

30 May 2017, 10:17	#5
Omarko Posts: n/a	Freeze spray ? as in on the RAM chips ? is this common issue with Amigas?

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