shutdown when opening lid

[gwallace]

For the past two days, my G4 iBook has been doing something strange:  
when it is asleep with the lid closed and I open the lid, it briefly 
turns on--when the lid is open an inch or so--but as I open the lid 
fully, the screen goes black and I cannot wake it up or even restart 
unless I plug it in, wait a little while, and then do the 
apple-control-power switch restart.  When it reboots, there is a 
message that the date and time is incorrect (set to 1969).

I backed up all my data and then began to experiment with opening and 
closing the lid, and I hear a slight crackling noise as the lid opens 
more than an inch or so--as the screen blackens.  And the last thing I 
noticed was that as I went to close the lid, a brief flash of light 
just to the left of the power switch, between the keyboard and the 
hinge. As it flashed, it crackled, and the computer shut itself 
off--the first time that it shut off as I closed the lid.

This computer belongs to the school at which I work, so I will 
definitely talk to the tech person there, but does anyone know what 
might be going on?
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Gina Wallace
Topsham, Maine
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