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Dropped MacBook Pro. Now It Won't Charge.

appleguy123

appleguy123

macrumors 604
Original poster
Apr 1, 2009
6,870
2,574
15 minutes in the future
I can't believe I just did this! I baby all of my Apple products, and this is totally out of character.
I had my laptop in an incase sleeve when it dropped onto the right corner from about 1.5 feet. it was all good except for a small dent, until about three days later. Now it won't charge.
I unscrewed the computer and removed the top. It looks like the corner that is dented is pressing against the battery(I've enclosed pictures).
Do I have any chance of just taking the battery out and manoeuvring the aluminum to the right spots?
How much will it cost to repair if I can't fix it? Any chance at all that it might be covered(I have AppleCare, but I know its a longshot)?
Pictures of the damage:
38e085fe.jpg

066efbd9.jpg
 
Apple's warranty and AppleCare do not cover damage from accidents; only manufacturing defects.
 
But do you guys think it's worth the effort to remove the battery and try to push the aluminum into the right place? The warranty sticker was already disconnected because apple had to tamper with the battery for my last repair.
If you think it might be possible(even with a lot of effort) I'll buy a tri-wing screwdriver and try it.
 
appleguy123 said:
But do you guys think it's worth the effort to remove the battery and try to push the aluminum into the right place? The warranty sticker was already disconnected because apple had to tamper with the battery for my last repair.
If you think it might be possible(even with a lot of effort) I'll buy a tri-wing screwdriver and try it.
Click to expand...

why not? ... you got nothing to lose ... just be careful
 
Ouch that a good size dent. Have you tried the basics on resetting the SMC and PRAM. Its worth a shot. As for the damage looks like you need to replace the top cover. I did this on my current MBP and let me tell you that if you plan on doing this you have to almost completely remove the whole insides of the computer to replace the top. I ordered my top assembly from Here I hope this helps. Also if you plan on taking it apart iFixit has great repair guides..
 
Reflow said:
Ouch that a good size dent. Have you tried the basics on resetting the SMC and PRAM. Its worth a shot. As for the damage looks like you need to replace the top cover. I did this on my current MBP and let me tell you that if you plan on doing this you have to almost completely remove the whole insides of the computer to replace the top. I ordered my top assembly from Here I hope this helps. Also if you plan on taking it apart iFixit has great repair guides..
Click to expand...

Your link doesn't work(at least on iPad). I did try to smc reset, but the computer died while it was booting up. I'm pretty screwed now.
If I pull the battery's power supply from the logic board and use the MagSafe, will it run? Is there any danger in doing it?
Edit: I got the link to work the second time.
 
appleguy123 said:
Your link doesn't work(at least on iPad). I did try to smc reset, but the computer died while it was booting up. I'm pretty screwed now.
If I pull the battery's power supply from the logic board and use the MagSafe, will it run? Is there any danger in doing it?
Edit: I got the link to work the second time.
Click to expand...

I don't know why it didn't work but the site is called usedmac.com. As for the battery issue yes you can remove it and use the charger to power it up. What model MBP do you have? As I do have an extra top casing that I replaced on my 13" MBP.
 
Reflow said:
I don't know why it didn't work but the site is called usedmac.com. As for the battery issue yes you can remove it and use the charger to power it up. What model MBP do you have? As I do have an extra top casing that I replaced on my 13" MBP.
Click to expand...

I'm on a 17". I tried running without the battery and it didn't work.
When I say not charging, I mean that the MagSafe doesn't light up, and the computer won't charge. I had this exact same issue before on this same computer.
Does it mean that the battery isn't at fault?
 
appleguy123 said:
I'm on a 17". I tried running without the battery and it didn't work.
When I say not charging, I mean that the MagSafe doesn't light up, and the computer won't charge. I had this exact same issue before on this same computer.
Does it mean that the battery isn't at fault?
Click to expand...

Put the battery back in and plug charger back in to the machine. Reset the smc and wait 5 seconds then try powering on the unit.
 
Reflow said:
Yes it just needs to have the MagSafe plugged into the machine when you do the reset. Just you wait 5 to 10 seconds before you push the power button
Click to expand...

The problem is that the computer isn't recognizing the MagSafe, or the MagSafe is broken and the battery isn't. I have no other macs or power packs to test. :(
 
appleguy123 said:
The problem is that the computer isn't recognizing the MagSafe, or the MagSafe is broken and the battery isn't. I have no other macs or power packs to test. :(
Click to expand...

I had a similar problem with my MBP as it would not charge and no light in the MagSafe. I did these steps and it worked.



1. Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.
2. On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
3. Release all the keys and the power button at the same time. Wait 5 to 10 seconds
Press the power button to turn on the computer. *
 
Reflow said:
I had a similar problem with my MBP as it would not charge and no light in the MagSafe. I did these steps and it worked.



1. Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.
2. On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
3. Release all the keys and the power button at the same time. Wait 5 to 10 seconds
Press the power button to turn on the computer. *
Click to expand...

Didn't work. I got the residual battery to reboot the computer, and the time was back in 2000, so the smc did reset, but the problem persists.
 
appleguy123 said:
Didn't work. I got the residual battery to reboot the computer, and the time was back in 2000, so the smc did reset, but the problem persists.
Click to expand...

Oh you might want to check your magsafe to see if all the pins are showing on the end itself. Iv'e noticed sometimes the pins stick in the charger. You might want to give apple a call to see if they can help at all, it's worth a try. Other then that I'm out of ideas...
 
At this point you have nothing to lose. Apple will no longer honor the warranty since all future problems that may arise could have been caused by this huge dent. As such, you can mess with it all you want.
 
Hello there!,

Damage coverage only available at Best Buy store.. It's good protection from accidental damage and handling.. That's why the apple doesn't offers from accidental damage..
 
I'm working on getting the dent out. It's a slow process, but I'm definitely making progress.
Here's some update photos after about 45 minutes of tedious hammering(screwdriver through washcloth to protect from puncturing).
288a7c93.jpg

f4eb3308.jpg
 
I took it to Apple, and they didn't even notice the dent. They just gave me a new MagSafe which has made my computer work again. The problem is that the computer superheats magsafes causing them not to work.
 
appleguy123 said:
I took it to Apple, and they didn't even notice the dent. They just gave me a new MagSafe which has made my computer work again. The problem is that the computer superheats magsafes causing them not to work.
Click to expand...

Great to see you got it working again!!!!!!!
 
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