Magsafe occasionally not charging

AeroZ · Dec 23, 2014

Hi,

I got this issue with my 2012 macbook pro.
Somtimes everything works fine for months and then the problem starts out of the blue.
I connect the charger and it just won't charge. The led doesn't turn on and the body of the charger is not getting any warmer.
I made sure that the magsafe port and adapter are clean. I resetted SMC, tried different outlets but nothing.
And then after messing around for half an hour the charger just starts working again.

Any ideas what might be the problem?

Thanks!

GGJstudios · Dec 23, 2014

AeroZ said:
I connect the charger and it just won't charge.

What is the charge level when you plug it in? If it's high (93-99%), it's designed to not charge until it drops below 93%, as short discharges/recharges are not good for your battery.

The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions, including tips for maximizing battery performance. If you havent already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ

From the above link: Apple Portables: Troubleshooting MagSafe adapter

AeroZ · Dec 23, 2014

Magsafe occasionally not charging

GGJstudios said:
What is the charge level when you plug it in? If it's high (93-99%), it's designed to not charge until it drops below 93%, as short discharges/recharges are not good for your battery.

The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions, including tips for maximizing battery performance. If you havent already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.
Apple Notebook Battery FAQ

From the above link: Apple Portables: Troubleshooting MagSafe adapter

Charge level was under 10%. I've read those links. If I check under Power menu in System Report then it shows that AC adapter is not connected. Battery is operating fine with about 350 cycles.
Only cause that I could think of right now is the "over voltage protection". I think I didn't wait for at least 60 seconds before trying another outlet.
Tho when I first plugged the adapter into an outlet it was sitting for hours not connected to anything.

GGJstudios · Dec 23, 2014

AeroZ said:
Charge level was under 10%. I've read those links. If I check under Power menu in System Report then it shows that AC adapter is not connected. Battery is operating fine with about 350 cycles.

It sounds like either the connection isn't clean and secure, your MagSafe is damaged or defective, or a connector may be loose inside your MBP. Do you have access to another MagSafe adapter to test?

Altemose · Dec 23, 2014

AeroZ said:
Hi,

I got this issue with my 2012 macbook pro.
Somtimes everything works fine for months and then the problem starts out of the blue.
I connect the charger and it just won't charge. The led doesn't turn on and the body of the charger is not getting any warmer.
I made sure that the magsafe port and adapter are clean. I resetted SMC, tried different outlets but nothing.
And then after messing around for half an hour the charger just starts working again.

Any ideas what might be the problem?

Thanks!

Are you putting the MagSafe facing the ports or the back of the computer? For some reason, mine always works consistently when the cord goes from the back of the computer rather than towards the ports.

AeroZ · Dec 23, 2014

Altemose said:
Are you putting the MagSafe facing the ports or the back of the computer? For some reason, mine always works consistently when the cord goes from the back of the computer rather than towards the ports.

For testing I tried both ways. Usually I connect the L shaped connector so that the I/O ports are clear.

Altemose · Dec 23, 2014

AeroZ said:
For testing I tried both ways. Usually I connect the L shaped connector so that the I/O ports are clear.

Have you tried a new adapter?

AeroZ · Dec 23, 2014

GGJstudios said:
It sounds like either the connection isn't clean and secure, your MagSafe is damaged or defective, or a connector may be loose inside your MBP. Do you have access to another MagSafe adapter to test?

If a connector is loose then I think the problem shouldn't be able to fix itself.
Unfortunately I don't have another magsafe to test this out.

GGJstudios · Dec 23, 2014

AeroZ said:
If a connector is loose then I think the problem shouldn't be able to fix itself.
Unfortunately I don't have another magsafe to test this out.

Without another adapter to test, you can't rule out the possibility that your adapter may be damaged or defective. You could take your MBP to the Apple store and try one of their adapters.

AeroZ · Dec 23, 2014

Magsafe occasionally not charging

GGJstudios said:
Without another adapter to test, you can't rule out the possibility that your adapter may be damaged or defective. You could take your MBP to the Apple store and try one of their adapters.

This time it started working again (like every other time).
I've went to the apple store twice before with the same issue but their tests didn't show anything out of order and the adapter magically started working at the apple store both times.

Altemose · Dec 23, 2014

AeroZ said:
This time it started working again (like every other time).
I've went to the apple store twice before with the same issue but their tests didn't show anything out of order and the adapter magically started working at the apple store both times.

That is not fantastic... Do you have AppleCare?

AeroZ · Dec 23, 2014

Altemose said:
That is not fantastic... Do you have AppleCare?

Nope. And laptop is 1,5 years old so no more warranty too.

Altemose · Dec 23, 2014

AeroZ said:
Nope. And laptop is 1,5 years old so no more warranty too.

Sounds like there is an issue with the MagSafe adapter itself.

Trav1s · Dec 26, 2014

This happened to me on my late '08 Aluminum MB and another while MB I have. Both needed the "MagSafe DC-in" board replaced. I got the parts from iFixit

AeroZ · Dec 26, 2014

Trav1s said:
This happened to me on my late '08 Aluminum MB and another while MB I have. Both needed the "MagSafe DC-in" board replaced. I got the parts from iFixit

I just found out that it seems to be MagSafe issue. The wire which comes out of the adapter was torn and when I tangled the wire it lost connection and acted weird. At first the wire's isolation wasn't visually broken. That's why I couldn't identify the problem.
In other words this appears to be the usual MagSafe problem.

Altemose · Dec 26, 2014

AeroZ said:
I just found out that it seems to be MagSafe issue. The wire which comes out of the adapter was torn and when I tangled the wire it lost connection and acted weird. At first the wire's isolation wasn't visually broken. That's why I couldn't identify the problem.
In other words this appears to be the usual MagSafe problem.

You may have luck getting a free repair or replacement at an Apple Store depending on which style adapter it is.

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