2012 MBP Won't Power On - With a Twist!

[SwannyAVFC]

Hey everyone,

First time poster and this issue is well documented across the site, but I haven't found anyone or any article relating to the problem as yet (hence the twist!) as some anomalies are present!

I have just returned from a 2 week vacation and when returning my beloved MBP will not power up (sort of!). Since it won't turn on I've second guessed myself a few times about whether I left it powered on before I went and just shut the lid - although I suspect this is more paranoia because it is now not powering up upon my return (kinda like the way you think you've left something on or unlocked in the house before going on vacation!)

First thought was that the battery was dead, this is where it starts to get weird and I won't ramble, will just bullet point out the strange things:

1. I checked the battery indicator button on the left hand side of the MBP - no response and no lights.

2. Believing the battery to simply be dead as a doornail (and kicking myself thinking it might have been left on all this time) I plugged in the Magsafe and immediately the light was BRIGHT green (I stand this out as people have mentioned a dim charge light). Weird, I thought, seen as usually when it charges it is amber when the battery needs a charge

3. Pressing the power button when plugged into the mains caused nothing to happen on the screen but the light on the front facing right hand side of the MBP flashes on then immediately off again.

4. Long press of the power button causes the light (front facing) to stay on and then flash on and off, and then dim, but then it sounds as though something (fans or HDD I can't tell which) tries to kick in, and now the light stays on but dim when the power button is depressed.

5. Battery has been left to charge for hours and hours now (over 24 continuous) and when the battery indicator light is pressed it shows 2 lights full. Has done for every one of those 24 consecutive hours on charge and the light hasn't gone to amber on the magsafe once.

I AM in warranty (purchased 3 years AppleCare in 2012), I do have someone coming to pick it up but lead time for repair is 7-10 days and i'd love to get to the bottom of the problem without wasting Apple's time, or prolong the absence of my MBP.

Does anyone have ANY ideas or clues? I appreciate it might be to stick with sending it to the people who know what they are doing, but I'd love to know what's gone wrong and if there's any way to solve it without wasting anyone's (Apple's or my own!) time.

I've tried resetting the SMC, and the NVRAM (I believe, holding down P + R as well as CMD and Alt / Option) on my own following some thread advice and also with the guy from Apple when I booked the appointment, still dead.

It's like there are signs of life, but something isn't quite working.

Thanks for taking the time to read and many apologies if I've posted a duplicate thread I just searched for what seems like hours and found no-one else with symptoms stacking up like this. Even the apple guy on the phone couldn't answer me when I asked what was going on with the light blinking, then staying on, then hearing fans / "noise".

Thanks again for reading and ANY information is much appreciated.

 

[goMac]

I've seen this happen in some cases with shorts on the logic board. The power/charging components are all ok (but if the flow to the battery is interrupted it will be green), but as soon as you go to turn it on it won't start. You even get that split second where it's turning on, and then it detects the short and shuts right back down.

No tricks there though, it will mean the machine will probably have to go in to repair.

Usually I see this with water damage, but it sounds like you were out. It's possible this was just a defective machine though.

 

[SwannyAVFC]

Thanks a lot for the reply - much appreciated.

That's exactly what it seems like to me with the light flashing on.

It's being picked up earlier than I expected so hopefully it's back quickly too! Very happy I took the apple care! If your right it sounds expensive!

Thanks again for the reply

 

[bizzle]

Take off the back cover, unplug battery and battery indicator connector. Plug back in. See if it works properly. I fix 2012 13" machines constantly for this all the time by doing just that.

 

[SwannyAVFC]

Take off the back cover, unplug battery and battery indicator connector. Plug back in. See if it works properly. I fix 2012 13" machines constantly for this all the time by doing just that.

Thanks Bizzle. Is that going to anyway void warranty though as it's covered and booked in to go off to apple?

Certainly sounds a none too difficult fix which would save time for all concerned just don't want to jeopardise the warranty which I paid extra for

 

[chrfr]

Certainly sounds a none too difficult fix which would save time for all concerned just don't want to jeopardise the warranty which I paid extra for

If it's under warranty, it'd make the most sense to take it for service.

 

[Brian Y]

Either Magsafe board or the little battery status indicator board.

You'll be surprised how many power issues are caused by those boards shorting out.

 

[SwannyAVFC]

Thanks all.

It's the best option to repair I agree which is what is happening as we speak just wanted to know if it was something common and or small that could be fixed without going to the trouble but boards shorting out etc is something ill leave to the professionals

 

[bizzle]

I work for an AASP. That's all we do if that's the issue. If someone who doesn't know better does it, they usually just start replacing parts. You always try reseating and all that first, because believe me, you don't want one of Apple's tenth time refurbished service parts. There are sometimes new parts in the inventory pool, but usually it's stuff that's been refurbished over and over. I love it when I open a box and it's a new one because I know it won't be back.

You don't void the warranty by taking off the back cover and unplugged two connectors and plugging them back in unless you're an idiot and strip the screws and make it obvious you fiddled with it.