Mac IIsi won't boot

I still have my IIsi, with 68040 board and separate video board. But alas last month it would not boot, started then stopped and turned off. A relative, and good Mac resource for me, suggested the PS probably needed to be recapped (electrolitic capacitors replaced). When that didn’t boot, I tried the PowerBook 160, and it wouldn’t boot either. I was bummed!

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Have you replaced your IIsi’s lithium battery? When those die sometimes the Mac won’t boot at all. Apple - MAC IISi Battery | Complete Battery Source

Furthermore, they can leak and cause irreparable damage to the motherboard (he said, still grieving).

Hey, great idea! Thanks! Maybe problem with PowerBook 160 too! A pretty smart colleague said “There is no limit how much you can forget”

OUCH!

Tried source Richard gave. click to add to your cart, fill out name address etc. Then at the bottom for shipping they finally say they don’t have a source. I’ll try other sources.

True, if the battery’s on its way out, it could affect performance, and, worse, swell, potentially damaging the Mac. Batteries aren’t expensive, can easily be bought online (but make sure to get one with good reviews), and are usually delivered with the necessary screwdriver. Replacing it nowadays is easy, needs no tech knowledge, only a steady hand and about 15 minutes.

But before you go that route, check the battery’s health in System Settings.

Umm, this is on a IIsi (or PB 160). There’s no System Settings and battery’s soldered.

Sorry, that’s worse/harder than I thought. I did it on MacBooks only. Still, if you can view the battery, and it seems even only slightly bulging, it surely needs to be removed and replaced ASAP.
I just came across this, which, if you don’t have it, you probably should: http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/apple/service/PN_072-0228_Apple_Service_Technical_Procedures_Macintosh_Family_Volume_Two-Mar_1992.pdf

The IIsi PRAM battery is easily removable. I remember replacing mine back in the day. Once you open the computer, you can remove it by hand and put a new one in its place.

By the way, the manual referenced in gbdoc’s post has this for copyright:

‘Copyright 1982-1889 by Apple Computer’

It’s a pretty standard battery on the IIsi. Just a 3.6V 1/2 AA battery. Lots of places sell them. If yours happens to be soldered in and you’re not a solderer, most electronics repair shops can handle it easily.

Yeah, it’s designed to pop out and be replaced. It’s not expensive. Clean the contacts before inserting the new one.

Nearly all of Apple’s classic Macs use a standard “1/2 AA” size battery. These aren’t hard to find. Amazon.com : 1/2 AA battery 3.6v