Dell e510 flashing amber light?

[onipar]

Hi all. I have a Dell Dimension E510. About a year ago I started getting the dreaded flashing amber light, which I'm sure many of you are familiar with. If not it basically goes like this: I try to start up my computer and am greeted with only a flashing amber light in place of the normal green light, and the computer refuses to start.

I've used all the "quick fixes" over the past year to keep my computer going (replacing/removing CMOS battery, etc). But since I'm out of warranty and I'm broke, I've been resistant to the inevitable diagnostic checkout from a computer shop to figure out which of he few possible components (PSU, Motherboard, etc) have died.

Onto my question: For the past couple months, I figured out that if I unplug my hard drive from the PSU, the computer would start up fine. Then I just plug the HDD back in, and everything is fine. I did this for a couple months, and it worked every time. Only now, it's not working anymore.

What I'm hoping is that someone here can tell me if this one clue (the fact that the computer would start when I unplugged the HDD) is enough to figure out what component of my computer I need to replace?

Does it mean I need a new PSU (he asks with fingers crossed)???

I sort of thought that unplugging the HDD took away some of the stress for the PSU to start up, and maybe that's all I need.


Please help. If you have any ideas, I'm all ears.

Thanks so much!

 

[The_Other_One]

Yeah... Once you're to the point of the flashing LED, it's probably the PSU RAM or MOBO. However, I would first tear the computer down (disconnect all drives from power/interface, remove GPU, remove all or all but one stick of RAM) and try it. I actually had a Dell give me the flashing amber LED from a bad hard drive.

I suspect it's PSU or motherboard related. I assume you don't have a PSU you could swap out handy, but most any should suffice, even to test it out. As you thought, unplugging the hard drive could have very well eased up on the PSU load, but it could be various other things. Dell computers certainly don't have the nicest power supplies and have been known to die for no apparent reason

 

[onipar]

Thanks, Other One.

Yeah, I don't have another power supply handy, unfortunately.

This has been the problem from day one: it can be one of a dozen different problems causing the flashing light, and I don't want to start pouring money into it trying to figure it out only to find it's the MOBO.

I've taken the tower apart, but only to a point that I'm comfortable with, as I'm not too good with computers. I might just try getting a new PSU...?

 

[johnb35]

Are there 4 diagnostic lights on the back of that case labeled a,b,c, and d? If there is, press the power button and find out what color each light is and let us know.

 

[onipar]

Are there 4 diagnostic lights on the back of that case labeled a,b,c, and d? If there is, press the power button and find out what color each light is and let us know.

Sorry, no lights on the back of this one. The E510 has the numbers on front, but with the flashing amber you don't get any clues. Unfortunately, according to Dell and a couple local computer guys, I need to bring the computer in for them to figure out what the flashing amber is related to as it could be the MoBo, PSU, CPU, or a couple other things.

I was just hoping that the fact that it would start up when I unplugged the HDD would be a clue as to which of these things it might be, so I could save some cash.

I do have a little update for you. I managed to get the computer to start up again. Of course this isn't a *real* fix as if he power goes out again, the computer will revert to the flashing amber.

I decided to unplug other devices (cd/dvd, HDD, etc). That didn't work. So then I decided to unplug the front panel (i/o?) from the motherboard via that fat gray strip...sorry I don't know the name. I also popped out the CMOS again (which I had done already to no avail, but decided to give it another shot.)

I plugged the front panel back in and pressed the power, and it started! I then had to shut down, plug everything back in (even the HDD) and try again. Flashing Amber. I quickly unplgged the HDD and tried again...and it worked.

SO now I'm back up and running, but still have the same problem: how do I fix it for good?

I still hope it's just the PSU...

 

[johnb35]

So it boots up just fine without the hard drive attached? It could be a bad hard drive or a bad power connector. Is there a free power connector to try?

 

[onipar]

So it boots up just fine without the hard drive attached? It could be a bad hard drive or a bad power connector. Is there a free power connector to try?

No free power connector...

If it's a bad HDD, would the HDD still be working as it is? Because after I get the computer started up I quickly plug the HDD back in, and it works. You know, I can still access everything on the hard drive just fine, and the computer works normally once it's powered up. That's why I was thinking it might be the PSU...

 

[johnb35]

Thats just a weird problem. I would try a different psu first, most likely thats it.

 

[onipar]

Thanks, John.

Yeah, the flashing amber light is actually a wide spread DELL problem with a few of their comps, most notably the E510.

There are huge posts about it on the Dell forum, but there doesn't ever seem to be one fix. Some people just swap out the CMOS battery and it fixes it. Others change the PSU, and others still need a new motherboard.

That's the worst part of it: you basically have to drop $50-$100 just to figure out what the culprit is, and then spend even more to actually fix it.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions.

 

[johnb35]

And just for your knowledge, I understand that you were hooking up the hard drive while the computer was on? That's not the best thing to do while the power is on as it could really hurt your system.

 

[Alabama Fix]

I had the same problem with my E510. If I unplug everything, remove the battery it would turn back on. Searched the web far and wide for a solution with most, including Dell, thinking its the power supply. Well I followed the advice on a forum and went to Best Buy, bought the rocketfish 550w power supply and replaced my dell power supply. IT WORKED. My system had been sitting in the corner collecting dust for 6 months. I was ready to throw it away....now it works great. Do not buy a replacement power supply from dell or on the web. I think they send you the same piece of crap it came with. Rocketfish 550w will fix it. $85.

 

[onipar]

I'm reviving this ollllllld post to update that the issue was resolved. I ended up dropping the $50 on a new PSU, and it worked! In fact, I'm still using that same computer now with no issues since. Thanks again for all the help provided.