Hardware Issue - Powers up and dies within seconds

[onlineforums]

I have an iX systems TrueNAS Mini XL+ that is 5+ years old that has 8 HDDs. Recently the boot drive, the original internal SATADOM showed degraded so I turned the machine off, ordered a 2.5 SSD and then waited about a week to install it and reinstall using the SSD. In that period of time I did blow out the inside using only my breath (not canned air).

I mounted the SSD, plugged in the SATA and power cable into it and then plugged in the PSU power cable. Immediately upon plugging in the main power supply power cable the unit turned on and then within 3 seconds turned off. There are two lights on the motherboard that stay illuminated. After about 60 seconds the led that is illuminated toward the rear near the battery starts blinking on and off. I tried pushing the power button on the front of the case which did nothing; I checked the cable from the power button to the motherboard and it is still in-tact. I tried using paperclip in-lieu of the power button cable and it did nothing.

Really bizarre. I suspect it has to do with blowing into the side (not super close) to get the dust out or maybe it just didn't like being turned off for over a week when it has been running 24/7 for the past 5+ years.

Any thoughts or suggestions to help with diagnosing what is going on?

I have already removed/tried the following followed by plugging the unit into the power outlet after each to no avail:

• Removed the SSD drive (and bay/container)
• Removed the 8 hot-swappable HDDs from the front
• Removed all RAM sticks.

 

[onlineforums]

10 days later and no replies. Any suggestions?

 

[Redcoat]

maybe it just didn't like being turned off for over a week when it has been running 24/7 for the past 5+ years.

I'll vote for this option. I would remove all cards and reseat them, plug the memory back in making sure there's no crud in their slots, and press on any mainboard chip that is socketed to reseat it.

You could have a failed PSU - get a tester - this $15 job https://www.amazon.com/Optimal-Shop-Computer-Supply-Connectors/dp/B00Q8SUYHW?ref_=ast_sto_dp would likley suffice at this stage.

 

[joeschmuck]

After about 60 seconds the led that is illuminated toward the rear near the battery starts blinking on and off.

I suspect this is the BMC and is normal.

It definitely sounds like a power supply failure, but I agree with @Redcoat that you should remove and reinstall the cards. First I suggest you use compressed air to blow out all the dust. Dust can short out electronics, that is a fact not crazy talk. When you power on the system, make sure all the fans, including the power supply fan if it has one is turning.

 

[onlineforums]

I'll vote for this option. I would remove all cards and reseat them, plug the memory back in making sure there's no crud in their slots, and press on any mainboard chip that is socketed to reseat it.

You could have a failed PSU - get a tester - this $15 job https://www.amazon.com/Optimal-Shop-Computer-Supply-Connectors/dp/B00Q8SUYHW?ref_=ast_sto_dp would likley suffice at this stage.

I tried the PSU tester and all of the items on the display showed that the PSU is fine.

 

[Redcoat]

I tried the PSU tester and all of the items on the display showed that the PSU is fine.

Thanks for the follow-on. Did you check that the fan was running in the PSU? The inexpensive tester won't put very much load on the PSU at all, so maybe you could try powering up the unit with the big load - the HDD's - disconnected to see if it behaves the same way.
Did you do all the cleaning and reseating of cards, chips, etc.?

 

[joeschmuck]

Does the computer beep when you turn it on. If the motherboard has a speaker then it very well may beep a code. Count the number of beeps. I do not know the motherboard inside the system so examine it and locate the manufacturer name, then search the internet for beep codes and the manufacturer name.

A few things you can try out... The goal is to get the computer to stay powered on, not to run TrueNAS. Baby steps.
1) Disconnect all the drives and try to power up.
2) If you have two sticks of RAM, remove remove one, try to power it on. The trick here is if you have two or more slots, most are labeled A1, B1, A2, B2. Generally the two sticks will be in A1 and B1. A single stick may need to be in the A1 position.
3) If you have any add-on cards, yes, even a graphics card, remove them. Try power again.

The goal is to try to isolate the issue.
Out of curiosity, does the CPU fan spin, assuming it has a CPU fan. The fan speed can cause the motherboard to shut down on some systems.

If this does not work, maybe you could snap a few photos of the motherboard and system then post them here. It will allow us to provide more help.

In the end, you could have a failed motherboard or even a CPU, or both (the motherboard voltage regulators fail and kill the CPU). Both failing is not very common.

 

[onlineforums]

I am confident that this is a failed motherboard. Asrock C2550D4I in the older FreeNAS/TrueNAS Mini failed. There are many threads here in the community about it failing.

Any suggestions for a "direct replacement" that will use the same RAM, have the same (or more) SATA ports, etc?

 

[joeschmuck]

You can look at this board "Supermicro A1SAM-F" because at first glance it uses the same RAM type (does not mean the ones you have will work for certain, but likely they will) and has 6 SATA ports. This has the same CPU and the same form factor. I have had one for many years and use it now as one of my test units. But I will not tell you this is a direct replacement. You need to do your research and compare the boards, then you need to make the decision. I'm not the one spending the money so I don't want to make that decision for you.