HELP - '06 Macbook not charging/using new battery !

[0002378]

Short version - I bought a new battery for my friend's late 2006 Macbook, because the old one is dead and would no longer even be recognized by the computer.

I installed the new battery. It is recognized by the Macbook (in System Profiler > Power), and it is functional (battery LED test) but the battery status menu shows "Battery Is Not Charging" and "Power Source - Power Adapter". I have researched and tried several methods to fix the problem, with no luck. So, I need your help.

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Detailed version

System overview (detailed specs in images): 13" Late 2006 Macbook, Intel Core Duo 1.83 Ghz, A1181 (aka Macbook1,1), OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard, 2GB RAM, 128 GB SSD

New battery (also see images): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H6P5L14/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The problem: The old battery for my friend's 2006 Macbook is totally dead. I bought a new battery online, which seems to be functional (LEDs on the back show 4/5 green) and is recognized by the computer in System Profiler (see images), but does not charge, as indicated by both the System Profiler under Power, and also in the battery status menu ("Battery Is Not Charging" and "Power Source - Power Adapter"). As soon as I unplug the Magsafe power adapter, the computer shuts down. So, it is simply not able to use the battery for power, nor does it charge. Charge stays constant at 69%. System profiler shows that the battery is new (1 cycle), condition is "Normal", and that its 69% charge matches up in terms of mAh (Charge remaining / Full charge capacity).

What I've tried:
- PRAM reset (restart with Command+Option+P+R)
- SMC reset (power off, take out battery, unplug Magsafe adapter, press and hold power button 5 seconds, plug Magsafe adapter, reinstall battery, power on) ... also tried with 10 seconds and 15 seconds power button hold
- SMC reset as described above, after unplugging battery and Magsafe from (and not using) the computer for an hour
- Removing and reinstalling the battery while the computer is sleeping
- Removing and reinstalling the battery while the computer is on
- Something I found on YouTube: Shift + Ctrl + Option + Power (this key combo didn't really have any effect)

None of my above measures has had any effect whatsoever.

Please see the images for more details. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks mucho !

 

[0002378]

(Bumping my post because I completely rewrote it)

 

[robbietop]

While it's not super clear, anyone familiar with battery leads could tell you the internal casing looks clean.
No acid buildup or corroding on the leads (right hand side), I don't see any sign of a damaged former battery (bulked casing, cracked plastic). Other than minor wear and tear, not bad for an 11 year old computer .

That looks like a third party battery, although I cannot remember the exact make and model of the original. But I would assume there would be an Apple Logo.

1. Is the battery static while in the housing? Can you wiggle it at all? Third parties don't always design these things to the tolerances Apple does. Loose battery may not be completing the circuit properly. Fixed by housing it right.
2. Also, make sure the leads are aligned completely.
3. Try clicking Restore Defaults in the Battery Menu.
4. Look at the MagSafe port on the machine and make sure it is free of debris (lint, buildup).
   1. To clean it, power down the machine and remove the battery. Using a cotton swab lightly (BARELY) dabbed in rubbing alcohol, firmly but not roughly scrub the interior of the port and then clear it out with a soft cloth. Leave to dry for about 15 minutes. Don't use a knife or other sharp objects to help as this will damage the port and could possibly discharge latent electricity. Use fingernails if necessary.
5. Put the machine to sleep by closing the clamshell and remove the power cord. Does power maintain in Sleep? You will see a soft glowing light in the right hand corner of the chassis. Or you can wait 2 minutes and open the device into clamshell and see if it comes back up or is dark. Sometimes the SMC and its sub-managed PMC will get confused and need a refresh. Sleep dumps the swap file onto the disk from RAM.
   1. This may give us direction into whether it is a failure of the machine. Waking from sleep without power cable is a software failure. Not waking from sleep without power cable (loss of complete power) is a sign of hardware failure.
   2. Hardware failure at this point could be any circuit going to the power supply. Better to buy a more recent machine. Software failure is fixable with a clean OS Install.
6. Backup relevant Personal Files (no system or Library Files) to an external drive. Install a fresh copy of Mac OS X Snow Leopard or Lion. Use this as a guide for a USB Bootable OS X Lion: http://osxdaily.com/2011/07/08/make-a-bootable-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-installer-from-a-usb-flash-drive/
   1. DO NOT bring any system or library files from your OLD install. Just media and documents. You may have to change the settings back to your liking, but this inconvenience is better than never knowing where it went wrong at the machine level.

Also, it is an 11 year old machine. Have you tried a fresh install of the OS? It could be a corrupt setting in a .plist somewhere that hasn't been shaken out. A fresh install will also wipe the SMC, NVRAM/PRAM, and the various settings in EFI.
Or a circuit somewhere may have shorted. Try opening the case (warranty is long since gone) and blow it out with a can of compressed air. Make sure you do not touch anything inside the case without first grounding yourself.

Remember, so your hopes don't get too high, that an 11 year old Mac (while worlds better than an 11 year old Windows PC) is still 11 years old. It is vintage. And the size and scope of the people knowledgeable of the machine is very limited. Also, the size and scope of people who care about vintage Macs is very small.

I pray this helps you in some way.

 

[0002378]

I pray this helps you in some way.

robbietop - Dude, thank you SO much ! A TON of great information, and I'm sure it would have really come in handy. If only ...

Unfortunately, I already initiated the return process (they will pick it up tomorrow) for the new battery. I cannot afford to wait any longer coz the return period will elapse very soon. I was hoping that someone would answer me sooner and I would have this resolved, but that didn't happen.

Buying a new machine is out of the question for my friend ($$$).

Thanks very much for taking the time and effort ! Cheers