5508-X Status LED in Amber

[fbeye]

Hello!

So after 2 years of a perfect functioning system I woke up today and all was fine until it wasn't, and Warcraft kicked me out. I looked over and saw an Amber status light. Reset and powered off etc, nothing. Whatever it is its hardware based and its damaged.

I will say I am not savvy on taking things apart and figuring hardware out, but I am also not opposed to it. Was this a common issue and were there any statistically proven methods on fixing, like RAM?

I never realized how nothing in my home works now because everything was setup so nicely.

I have taken the device apart, taken 1 RAM out and tried, took the other, swapped etc and still Amber flashing. I took out SSD and Battery same results.... If BOTH RAM are taken out and I turn it on would it have same flashing status? I just feel that no matter what I do its same result so not sure if its my PSU or the memory even though Ive messed around with them.

[Georg Pauwen]

Hello,

an amber status LED can be pretty much anything.

-->  Amber – Critical alarm indicating one or more of the following: ◦ Major failure of a hardware or software component. ◦ Over-temperature condition. ◦ Power voltage outside the tolerance range.

It can be anything on the motherboard. Have a look at the video linked below, of somebody disassembling and explaining the motherboard of a 5505 (which is similar).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXkx8jBasmg

[fbeye]

I watched the video and can appreciate what each of the internal components do but I do not see how this helps me troubleshoot what my problem is. On the inside of my 5508 there are 4 things I can remove; 2 memory sticks, battery and SSD drive. I can unplug the power connector from PSU to MB and also a smaller connector on the PSU itself. I have disconnected each item and turned on with 1 disconnected or off in various ways.

With battery out, ssd out and both ram sticks out, same amber light. So I assume its PSU or MB.

[Georg Pauwen]

Hello,

as I said, it can be anything, any component, on the motherboard. And obviously not only the removable components. Do you have a service contract with Cisco ? Or some sort of warranty from where you bought the ASA ? An RMA is probably your best option.

[fbeye]

I do not and I do not.

I got it about 2 years ago off of a friend who was trying for his CCNA and didn't need it anymore and he had already had it a while.

Seems my only option here is buy a new one for 1200 bucks or see if there's a used one someplace.

[fbeye]

Hello

if I do get another unit can I just place my current SSD in it and it will load my existing working configuration? 
I don’t mind reconfiguring it but am just curious. 

[Georg Pauwen]

Yes, that should work. I think you will need to restart the ASA to activate the new SSD though...

[fbeye]

Though I hate the idea that my sacred Cisco product bombed I have to believe it’s still something repairable, but in the meantime I just have to bug a new one.

is there anything common folk such as myself can do with it to send it someplace to get fixed? 

[fbeye]

From what I gather this is a V01- V04 issue that was fixed V05 and later, which naturally I do not have.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/field-notices/642/fn64228.html

That is the link I found and it appears there is no workaround..  A "clock signal component failure" is the issue I do believe. I am unsure where this would reside... On the motherboard?

Anyway, that is what I had found, so..