Help! MacBook 2009 Doesn’t turn on sometimes

[christiann]

Help!

Hi. have a 2009 MacBook, it doesn’t turn on at times! No green light when I plug it in. Has a battery. What do I do? Tried everything. Also trackpad does not click..

 

[rampancy]

Assuming you've tried all of the usual measures (resetting SMC, PRAM, testing with another known good MagSafe adapter, etc.), it's most likely that it's a hardware failure, but beyond that I can't say until I know more. Is this the aluminum unibody Late-2008 MacBook, or the A1181 polycarbonate plastic MacBook?

 

[christiann]

Assuming you've tried all of the usual measures (resetting SMC, PRAM, testing with another known good MagSafe adapter, etc.), it's most likely that it's a hardware failure, but beyond that I can't say until I know more. Is this the aluminum unibody Late-2008 MacBook, or the A1181 polycarbonate plastic MacBook?

Unibody silver.. How to I reset the SMC and zap the PRAM? but would that work if I cannot turn it on? It’s not an apple MagSafe (the Apple one broke), but it works on every other Macbook/MacBook pro.

 

[rampancy]

Ah yes, if your machine can't boot, resetting PRAM/NVRAM won't work, but you can try resetting the SMC:

Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support

The SMC is responsible for managing power on your Mac. Resetting it can resolve certain uncommon issues related to power or thermal management.

support.apple.com

 

[christiann]

Unibody silver.. How to I reset the SMC and zap the PRAM? but would that work if I cannot turn it on? It’s not an apple MagSafe (the Apple one broke), but it works on every other Macbook/MacBook pro.

Took the battery out and plugged it in, nothing... It has this switch to open this panel on the back of the computer.. next to the battery there is a connector and a slot for something, blank spot. Could I use A1181 Poly white internal parts to get it fixed? I really need this running
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Ah yes, if your machine can't boot, resetting PRAM/NVRAM won't work, but you can try resetting the SMC:

Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support

The SMC is responsible for managing power on your Mac. Resetting it can resolve certain uncommon issues related to power or thermal management.

support.apple.com

It doesn’t even show green when plugged in on the charger... I’ll try that right now, I went to the section for notebooks without T2 chip. One of my MacBooks (A1181 White) is updating from 10.7 to 10.7.5 right now, battery is done, it only turns on when plugged in. After it’s finished, i’ll try to fix this MacBook. Any other things I could try?

 

[rampancy]

Took the battery out and plugged it in, nothing... It has this switch to open this panel on the back of the computer.. next to the battery there is a connector and a slot for something, blank spot. Could I use A1181 Poly white internal parts to get it fixed? I really need this running

I don't have any experience with the A1278 aluminum unibody MacBook, so I don't know what's going on for certain; it could be an issue with the MagSafe board, an issue with the motherboard itself, or even the power button. And no, A1181 parts won't work in the A1278.

One of the best ways to diagnose power-on problems is to hotwire your Mac by getting at the power pads, two small contacts on the motherboard that you can jump to instantly power on your MacBook:

MacBook Pro Unibody Power-On Pads - Location & Use Guide

Beetstech Repair shows you how to use the logic board power-on pads to boot a Unibody MacBook Pro without the power button. Plus photos of where to find power-on pads on the logic boards of the Apple MacBook Pro 13″ A1278 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012), MacBook Pro 15″ A1286, & MacBook Pro 17″ A1297.

beetstech.com

Though I suspect that the problem may be an issue with the motherboard's power circuitry or the MagSafe board. Perhaps your Mac was previously a victim of liquid damage.

 

[christiann]

I don't have any experience with the A1278 aluminum unibody MacBook, so I don't know what's going on for certain; it could be an issue with the MagSafe board, an issue with the motherboard itself, or even the power button. And no, A1181 parts won't work in the A1278.

One of the best ways to diagnose power-on problems is to hotwire your Mac by getting at the power pads, two small contacts on the motherboard that you can jump to instantly power on your MacBook:

MacBook Pro Unibody Power-On Pads - Location & Use Guide

Beetstech Repair shows you how to use the logic board power-on pads to boot a Unibody MacBook Pro without the power button. Plus photos of where to find power-on pads on the logic boards of the Apple MacBook Pro 13″ A1278 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012), MacBook Pro 15″ A1286, & MacBook Pro 17″ A1297.

beetstech.com

Though I suspect that the problem may be an issue with the motherboard's power circuitry or the MagSafe board. Perhaps your Mac was previously a victim of liquid damage.

Hotwiring 😏 like the car.. Will I get electrocuted doing that..? I’m only 13... i’ve been working on 6 computers for weeks.. i’ll try that I guess..

 

[rampancy]

Hotwiring 😏 like the car.. Will I get electrocuted doing that..? I’m only 13... i’ve been working on 6 computers for weeks.. i’ll try that I guess..

No, you won't get electrocuted. But you should make sure you're properly grounded (e.g. with an anti-static wrist strap) so you don't inadvertently damage components due to electrostatic discharge (ESD).

The only major problem is that to get the power pads, you may have to diassemble the Mac to get at the motherboard:

MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Logic Board Replacement

This motherboard includes all ports on the left side.

www.ifixit.com

 

[christiann]

No, you won't get electrocuted. But you should make sure you're properly grounded (e.g. with an anti-static wrist strap) so you don't inadvertently damage components due to electrostatic discharge (ESD).

The only major problem is that to get the power pads, you may have to diassemble the Mac to get at the motherboard:

MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Logic Board Replacement

This motherboard includes all ports on the left side.

www.ifixit.com

Oh wow... that’s a lot of work, but it’s what i’ve been doing, I think I can do it. I’ll get my dad to help me. We are really busy today; i’ll do it tomorrow. Thank you so much for your help

 

[christiann]

No, you won't get electrocuted. But you should make sure you're properly grounded (e.g. with an anti-static wrist strap) so you don't inadvertently damage components due to electrostatic discharge (ESD).

The only major problem is that to get the power pads, you may have to diassemble the Mac to get at the motherboard:

MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Logic Board Replacement

This motherboard includes all ports on the left side.

www.ifixit.com

Dads working on a fan. I decided to do it myself. Didn’t look at the guides yet, I will. Already disassembled.. what do I do next?
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Dads working on a fan. I decided to do it myself. Didn’t look at the guides yet, I will. Already disassembled.. what do I do next?

This mac is DISGUSTING... there’s this gross orange stuff everywhere, dust, it’s nasty. The photos I took were after i cleaned it up... What should I do?

 

[rampancy]

This mac is DISGUSTING... there’s this gross orange stuff everywhere, dust, it’s nasty. The photos I took were after i cleaned it up... What should I do?

From my experience cleaning up the A1181s I cleaned up and collected, I've found that the condition of the MacBook's insides is highly indicative of the condition of the living space of the person who owned it...

Anyway, congrats on being able to disassemble the MacBook; a much more daunting task compared to earlier models.

You'll have to look at the photo here: https://beetstech.com/blog/where-are-macbook-pro-unibody-power-on-pads-located#a1278L2008 and try to find the corresponding location of those two small contacts on your MacBook's motherboard. Plug in the motherboard to your MagSafe adapter and try to jump the two pads (i.e. bridge the gap between the two pads to create a circuit.

To jump the pads, try using a small precision flat head screwdriver. The metal has to make contact with both pads to start the Mac.

 

[christiann]

From my experience cleaning up the A1181s I cleaned up and collected, I've found that the condition of the MacBook's insides is highly indicative of the condition of the living space of the person who owned it...

Anyway, congrats on being able to disassemble the MacBook; a much more daunting task compared to earlier models.

You'll have to look at the photo here: https://beetstech.com/blog/where-are-macbook-pro-unibody-power-on-pads-located#a1278L2008 and try to find the corresponding location of those two small contacts on your MacBook's motherboard. Plug in the motherboard to your MagSafe adapter and try to jump the two pads (i.e. bridge the gap between the two pads to create a circuit.

To jump the pads, try using a small precision flat head screwdriver. The metal has to make contact with both pads to start the Mac.

Hot wiring works 😏

 

[christiann]

Thanks! It worked but still only turns on sometimes