Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

[pentium]

So I spotted the 2631 dock (the one with the PCI slot and a pile of other goodies like passthrough video and network ports) for my T30 thinkpad but when I drop my laptop into it and press power they both power up (the laptop blinks the status indicators, spins the fan and hard drive and the dock locks the release button, the dock light comes on and the fan spins) but I get nothing on my laptop LCD (not even a backlight) and no POST.
The 2631 should be compatible with the T30 and the dock looks in great shape and the laptop works normally so long as I am not in the dock so I don't know what is wrong.

[kikkoman]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

is there any HDD activity after boot (which might indicate you need an external monitor)?

[pentium]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

Nothing.

[NxB]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

Short in the dock?

[pentium]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

Entirely possible, especially since this isn't the first time the shop I got it in has sold one of my friends shady (supposedly "working") parts....
At least they do accept refunds before 30 days.

[washu]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

I'm not familiar with that dock, but could it be like the Dell D series where you need a bigger power brick?

[pentium]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

Nope.
There's an AC adapter built into the dock so no external power brick is needed.

[ratdude747]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

corrosion on the connectors (dock or laptop)? clean them to be sure.

[pentium]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

Connections are clean.

Weeeeeirrrrdddd.
So I took the dock in to be refunded but before I did I tested it on one of their X22's another model I forget and it worked perfectly.
I'll try and dig up another T30 and see what happens. There is still the off chance mine simply does not like the dock due to a manufacturing flaw or because I hacked the CMOS a little so it would shut up and let me use a non-IBM 802.11G mini-PCI card and something on the dock is rejecting the laptop because of that.

[ratdude747]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

reflash the cmos with a vanilla version.

maybe the dock has something busted that the x22 doesn't care about.

too bad you are far from me or you would get the ibm dock i have to test with.

[pentium]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

I work at a place that services and resells laptops. If bad comes to worse I can just send in my T30 to be sold and replace it with something just as good and compatible with the dock.

[stj]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

is it one of those connectors on the base behind a pair of spring-loaded covers?
if it is then look real close - i'v seen those with damaged pins that ran fine but couldnt dock.

caused by people pulling them off sideways probably!

[pentium]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

Bingo.
One of the pins had somehow gotten crushed and every time I was in the dock the pin was touching the docking connector ground shield and was killing the system. After I broke (I wanted to bend it but it just snapped off and flew into the carpet) the pin off and tried again it worked and so far I see no issues with that pin being missing.

[ratdude747]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

it must have been a ground pin then... like how my supermicro pdsge has a bad in on the LGA775 socket, yet still works fine.

[pentium]

Re: Thinkpad T30 + Dock = No life

Wouldn't make sense if it was a ground pin. If it was, it wouldn't give the symptoms it had.