Killed a 2007 MacBook

[Pockett]

I recently bought a "refurbished" Mid 2007 MacBook from a company called 'altatac' off eBay. Since I only paid $130 for it, I wasn't expecting it to work perfectly. The reason I quoted refurbished is because the computer didn't actually have a refurbished body, rather it only had its operating system restored back to the original (Mac OS X Leopard 10.5). Now I did discover dozens of 1-star ratings for this company after I bought the machine, and hastily concluded that I had been scammed. However the computer appeared to be fully working upon arrival. In fact, I used it for about an hour without any problems.

This however did not last, because as I returned home after a couple hours, the battery started acting strangely after I resumed using the machine. Initially the battery charge was at 60%, and suddenly had dropped down to 7% in an instant. In response, I decided to connect the MagSafe charger so it wouldn't shut off, however upon doing this, the screen immediately went black and the light on the charger also went out. Now I see why this third-party company has tons of negative reviews: They sell defective computers.

Well, I took the computer apart to do some inspection, the first thing I noticed was the non-genuine battery that was installed. I believe that the battery had fried the motherboard since the specifications do not concur with the original Apple battery - The original battery operates at 10.8 volts @ 5200 milliamps, this one also operates at 10.8 volts, but at 5600 milliamps. I also found out that the charger the computer came with is not genuine either.

I confirmed that the MacBook is completely dead since I even tried plugging it in with no battery and had no response. My word of advice is DO NOT buy from third-party companies; only buy from private sellers. Private sellers are generally more honest with you when it comes to trading used computers.

 

[Maxx Power]

The specifications on the battery and charger are not a big deal. The number of miliamps times the amount of volts the battery delivers is simply the capacity of the battery. That means the current battery has a larger "advertised" capacity than the older ones. That's completely normal whether the battery is genuine or not, because battery capacities per volume always increase for the last decade or so. A larger capacity battery won't fry the motherboard, because the operating voltage is the same.

As for the charger, that's not a big deal either. Lots of chargers put out 16.5 - 19 volts that is perfectly good for use with Apple laptops. Unless you check with a multimeter that the charger is defective (load and unloaded tests), then you really can't blame the charger yet.

What I think you can try is to take out the battery and unplug the system and let it sit like that for a while, then try it with only a power adapter and see if it works. The battery seems dead from what you described, that it drops in charge from 60% to 7% in an instant means that one or more of the cells inside the battery pack is defective now. If the cells have shorted out or close to so, then it won't charge and may trigger the laptop to not turn on. It sounds to me like the battery finally gave out and the excess current drain on the charger to charge a defective battery may have triggered the over-current protection circuit in the power adapter (all must feature this). That protection circuit is usually self-resetting and the laptop MAY not be damaged at all, could just be the battery is totally dead now.

 

[Pockett]

Thanks for the reply. I'll let it sit unplugged with the battery removed overnight and give an update tomorrow. I actually ordered another MacBook of the same model from a private seller so I guess I'll have two working MacBooks if the old one recovers.

 

[Maxx Power]

Thanks for the reply. I'll let it sit unplugged with the battery removed overnight and give an update tomorrow. I actually ordered another MacBook of the same model from a private seller so I guess I'll have two working MacBooks if the old one recovers.

Cool, you can also try a PRAM reset to see if that makes the unit boot up again.

 

[Pockett]

So the MacBook has been sitting for about 15 hours, starved of power, and unfortunately it still wouldn't power on while plugged in this morning. On second thought, I think it might just be the MagSafe board that needs replacing, and that the motherboard is probably still functional. After all the battery appears to be dead anyway so that could be another reason why it's not powering on.

At least I have a spare MacBook that I can use for parts since the RAM, DVD drive, and display are all likely to be working.

 

[Maxx Power]

Sorry to hear of the loss. Can you try a PRAM reset anyway ? I think it is just holding down the power button OR a set of keys while you press the power button. I don't think this would work, but may be worth trying.

Also, since it died so quickly after you bought it, I would return it. Despite it is refurbished, there is still a return period.