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Inconsistent MacBook Pro Charging

DannEboE

DannEboE

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2016
35
18
Hello All! Quick question.

I recently bought a Targus Universal USB C 45W charger to charge MacBook Pro as a travel charger.

Whenever I plug it in, the MacBook recognizes it. It charges for a brief moment before it stops charging and then starts charging and continues on like this. I'm not quite sure what I could do to fix this problem. The OEM charger works fine so its not the ports.
 
I suggest you immediately disconnect and no longer use that charger.

I had the same problem with an Innergie charger. Although very well reviewed, it displayed the same problem. I contacted their support and got a replacement. The replacement would make the laptop sound the chime three times and then charge. However the very next day my MacBook Pro wouldn't charge and I had to bring it in for repair. The tech tested it with their own charger and indeed, the MBP wouldn't charge.

However 8 days later, I got notified that they succeeded in charging the laptop overnight and couldn't find anything wrong with it. Go figure.
 
bartvk said:
I suggest you immediately disconnect and no longer use that charger.

I had the same problem with an Innergie charger. Although very well reviewed, it displayed the same problem. I contacted their support and got a replacement. The replacement would make the laptop sound the chime three times and then charge. However the very next day my MacBook Pro wouldn't charge and I had to bring it in for repair. The tech tested it with their own charger and indeed, the MBP wouldn't charge.

However 8 days later, I got notified that they succeeded in charging the laptop overnight and couldn't find anything wrong with it. Go figure.
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I just got another power adapter. I know for sure this one works with USB C windows laptops. Yet, its still giving me this where it would go in and out of charging mode. Is there some sort of setting or driver I'm missing? haha
 
Your problem may be that it's only 45W, which isn't enough to full power the MacBook Pro. The 13" MBP's charger is 61W and the 15" charger is 87W.
 
This sounds like a classic symptom of poorly designed USB-C chargers. Bad ones often exhibit a glitch whereby it provides charge on-and-off rapidly, putting excessive wear on the charger and likely damaging the MacBook's circuitry and battery in the long run.

Stick to the Apple charger or reputable alternatives. Not worth the risk.
 
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Ok you should contact benson over google plus with your finding maybe send him the charger for investigation. Could be a bad second run. Either way do not use your weird behaving charger.
 
If it were me, personally, I would currently stick to the Apple-branded chargers for two reasons:

1) Aftermarket USB-C chargers damaging or destroying devices is still currently an issue, and sometimes this includes well-reviewed chargers from well-reviewed brands and chargers that appear to be within USB specification (even though they may not be, as the Benson List has shown) - the USB IF is working on a solution that should, hopefully, stop this, but it is still currently an issue.

In fact, Apple even had an issue with one of their own early USB-C chargers, and issued a recall due to a design flaw that could lead to charging issues. This demonstrates to me that implementing the relatively newer standard (which can carry a lot more power) is something companies are still adapting to.

2) If an aftermarket charger causes damage to a MacBook Pro, it might not (and probably would not) be covered under warranty, leaving someone having to replace the logic board out of pocket (including the SSD since it is now attached to the board.)

Chargers on the Benson List have been extensively tested, but at this point in time I am personally inclined towards OEM (or aftermarket that Apple has explicitly endorsed for their products, so that there could be no question as to the validity of a warranty claim.) That's just my personal opinion
 
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werpu said:
Well there are not to many chargers at the market which are really recommendable, unfortunately. I can recommend Benson Leungs list for usb cables and chargers.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vnpEXfo2HCGADdd9G2x9dMDWqENiY2kgBJUu29f_TX8/pubhtml#

3 means excellent -3 avoid at all costs, can or will damage your hardware.
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Just because a charger is on this list and gets a 3 ratings does not mean it's good to go for a MBP. These chargers were tested for charging phones and tablets, not full laptops. I would look at the ones that rate at least 60W as that is approximately what the charger that comes with the MBP is rated for.
 
hallux said:
Just because a charger is on this list and gets a 3 ratings does not mean it's good to go for a MBP. These chargers were tested for charging phones and tablets, not full laptops. I would look at the ones that rate at least 60W as that is approximately what the charger that comes with the MBP is rated for.
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Well, I've had bad luck with the Innergie charger (on that list), but I've had very good luck with two other chargers, the iVoler and the Anker. These last two are 45W but they keep my MacBook Pro charged all day, for a couple of months now. I do have to say that I never charge any devices off the laptop, though. I connect to a hub which has its own separate 12W charger.
 
Mhh the IVoler and Anker chargers on the list are 60W respectively 75Watt but have high ratings. Not sure if a 45 charger can sustain enough power at all to charge a macbook pro (not a macbook) while it is running. And even if it can you pretty much max it out, aka run it at its highest limit. Either way it this point in time, I probably would not risk to use a third party charger it is maybe 20-30 bucks you save on an original apple one but in the end the machines are 1700 dollars/euros upwards.

This is not the old magsafe connector anymore where a cable break forces you to buy a new charger. If the cable insulation breaks either use Sugru to mend it or buy a new USB-C loading cable (which is another issue ATM)
 
werpu said:
Mhh the IVoler and Anker chargers on the list are 60W respectively 75Watt but have high ratings. Not sure if a 45 charger can sustain enough power at all to charge a macbook pro (not a macbook) while it is running. And even if it can you pretty much max it out, aka run it at its highest limit.
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I've been doing it for the last two months, where I use iStat Menus to keep an eye on total wattage drawn. My usage is basically Xcode. That means it hits the battery when I do a complete rebuild of my project, because the MacBook uses about 60W for a couple of seconds. I've never seen it go above that (in my usage).

During regular usage (editing files, email, Slack, browsing), with a 4K monitor attached, the MBP uses 15 to 20 Watts.

And note that although these iVoler and Anker chargers specify a total wattage, they actually only deliver 45W to the USB-C port.

Either way it this point in time, I probably would not risk to use a third party charger it is maybe 20-30 bucks you save on an original apple one but in the end the machines are 1700 dollars/euros upwards.
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Yup, that's one thing I can totally understand.
 
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