2007 MacBook Pro 15" prototype power issues

[bobnugget]

I've got a 2007 MacBook Pro with power issues running from just the charger. It powers on for up to a few seconds, then powers off again (the HDD makes a click as it loses power and the fans stop). It sometimes makes it to a grey screen first.

Unfortunately I don't have a battery for this model Macbook Pro but wonder if this is symptomatic of NVidia graphics failure or something else. The Magsafe charger has a good connection and has been used on other machines.

I can't see any loose connections inside the machines, anything I should check out first?

I've just found this: https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/158301/MacBook+powers+off+about+1+second+into+boot - but no help here. Have tried SMC reset, etc.

I’ve also now tried a second PSU - same behaviour.

Cheers

 

[Applicator]

I can't verify a dead GPU by this vague description, but I wonder what kind of power brick do you use? Is it a genuine Apple 85W PSU?

EDIT: Sorry my bad, misread the last sentence
In this case: Good chance the GPU is dead

 

[bobnugget]

I can't verify a dead GPU by this vague description, but I wonder what kind of power brick do you use? Is it a genuine Apple 85W PSU?

EDIT: Sorry my bad, misread the last sentence
In this case: Good chance the GPU is dead

Yeah it's a weird error, I wonder if it's power related or just a dead board. Both PSUs used are genuine Apple 85w ones. I've seen a couple of release machines with dead GPUs, but they've usually got a bit further - a corrupt display or kernel panic. This doesn't even get that far (but I guess with the right short under the GPU it'll power straight off...).

The machine runs for between a fraction of, and a few seconds - if it runs for more than a second it gives the usual start-up bong and goes to a grey screen.

I've disconnected the HDD as I don't think the sudden head parks will be doing it any good.

I picked it up from a repair shop a good few years ago; always thought it might be a no-hoper; it had been used for parts before, so is the bottom half, without hard drive, fans, and a few cables. The board doesn't appear physically burnt, although the GPU does appear to have an imperfection on the corner of the die, which doesn't fill me with confidence.

I might swap the left I/O boards in from one to see if it gets any further. I've already stripped the machine down fully, replaced thermal paste and checked all the connectors, which appear good. Apart from the connector for the (not fitted) 3G/GPRS module of course.

 

[bobnugget]

Might also try connecting the 17" battery up that I have - the connector appears identical.
I've also tried fully disconnecting the clock battery; this appears to give the grey screen every time - so looking like it is the GPU. Will post up some pics of the guts, it's a standard early 2007 MBP with a green board, and the usual assortment of ES, SECRET and CONFIDENTIAL chips on it.

 

[bobnugget]

Yep, 90%+ sure it's the GPU, or just a wonky prototype board. I've run it half disassembled connected to a scrap 2008 MBP's left IO board and a 17" battery and it gets a little further, but does the dead GPU grey screen/incomplete boot half the time.

 

[bobnugget]

and here's the machine (original parts + mid clean to repaste it)

 

[Amethyst1]

Niiiice! The CPU is an engineering sample from week 50 of 2006. The GPU is the "dangerous" revision.

 

[bobnugget]

Niiiice! The CPU is an engineering sample from week 50 of 2006. The GPU is the "dangerous" revision.

Yeah I think the GPU has had it unfortunately. Anyway, onto the G4 MDD - I'm more optimistic for that one

 

[Ferrit70]

The power basics should be power adapter, then the little power port piece, then power supply, cable to power supply and logicboard, and then logicboard. any of the items above could be the issue, since it actually turns off. To be clear this is not a Mac that stays on but has no video right? It actually turns off? If I read it correctly, the most common culprit is the power port itself, if the power adapters are in good working order.

 

[bobnugget]

The power basics should be power adapter, then the little power port piece, then power supply, cable to power supply and logicboard, and then logicboard. any of the items above could be the issue, since it actually turns off. To be clear this is not a Mac that stays on but has no video right? It actually turns off? If I read it correctly, the most common culprit is the power port itself, if the power adapters are in good working order.

Thanks. So far I’ve tried several known good PSUs, then swapping the entire power port and left IO board. Guess the cabling could be at fault? The Mac either turns off like the power was pulled, or, sometimes the hard drive carries on spinning. The light on the adapter remains on constantly.

After either of these has happened, the machine doesn’t respond to anything until the power is disconnected and reconnected.

 

[Ferrit70]

If you have the ability to test the power supply and the logicboard, then that could be a next step, as there's nothing to do with the internal cable except try a new one. I'd hate to lead you down a path of buying extra parts just to troubleshoot... after 13 years of being used, any of those pieces could be the issue if you've already replaced the power port. Sorry I don't have anything more specific =).

 

[Ourkid]

Wow cool! I have the MacBook Pro 17” 2007/2008 hybrid prototype with the red board. Still working perfectly but not for daily use. Keeping it secured in a safe lol

Yours sounds like a gpu failure. Has the old Nvidia chip and not the revised one. But still a cool proto!

 

[bobnugget]

Nice!

Wow cool! I have the MacBook Pro 17” 2007/2008 hybrid prototype with the red board. Still working perfectly but not for daily use. Keeping it secured in a safe lol

Yours sounds like a gpu failure. Has the old Nvidia chip and not the revised one. But still a cool proto!

Love the red boards and Optical drive! Guess they were replacing a lot of the internals for that revision, so nearly everything in that machine is new!

 

[Ourkid]

Nice!

Love the red boards and Optical drive! Guess they were replacing a lot of the internals for that revision, so nearly everything in that machine is new!

Yeah! Yours cool too! My prototype has the a1229 body which is the 2007 17” model but it’s a 2008 17”. Kinda weird still not much information. Codename is #Lucky4.

if you need the gpu chip replaced with a revised version, look for dosdude1 or just don’t do anything. These machines common issues are the Nvidia chips.

Even if I am doing repairs, I wouldn’t even trust my own hands repairing on these machines especially since it’s rare. Haha.

 

[bobnugget]

Even if I am doing repairs, I wouldn’t even trust my own hands repairing on these machines especially since it’s rare. Haha.

Me too, I have a pretty much 100% kill rate doing board/solder repairs (on junk machines!).

I'm happy rebuilding machines though - this prototype PowerBook just needed a little debugging (and had a few loose connections), but this prototype 17" MacBook Pro I got as parts from a recycler and had to fully reassemble. Have you posted your 2007 17" on that thread? I bet they'd love to see it there too.

 

[Ourkid]

Wow! You own a few protos! Congrats! Looks good! Definitely will follow those threads. I am a huge fan of old intel based MacBooks before unibody.