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MacBook Air no longer starts

ledid

ledid

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 4, 2023
7
0
Hello,
I am desperately trying to start my MB Air Model A1466.
I have tried emptying its PRAM, resetting the SMC and then disconnecting its internal battery as well as its internal hard disk.... nothing to do, it still won't start.

Do you have any ideas? Thanks
 
With the internal battery disconnected, connect the MagSafe but don't touch any of the keys and wait a bit to see if the MacBook powers up on its own.

You can also try by shorting the power pins on the Air's logic board, depending on the model of the Air.
 
That A1466 can be anywhere from a 2012 to 2017 model. A 2012 could easily be old enough for the battery to be exhausted/failed.
You've been inside; did you notice if the battery appears to be swelling?
So, battery connected:
Try the NVRAM reset again (it's the same as PRAM reset) - boot while holding Option-Command-P-R.
You should hear a boot chime.
Continue to hold the same 4 keys, until you hear the boot chime two more times, then release the keys to allow a normal boot.
Maybe that will get you going again.
Or - if you don't get any chimes for the PRAM reset, do you get any evidence of boot, such as the screen coming on, or the fan spinning? The bottom cover must be open to check the fan, of course.
 
Hello and thank you for your answers,
The batteries are slightly swollen
I've tried emptying the NVRAM several times with no result.
I have no sound and no display. Only the AC adapter light stays on orange and turns green when I want to reset the SMC.

Thank you for your
 
Audit13, "
You can also try by shorting the power pins on the Air's logic board, depending on the model of the Air."

I don't know what to do
 
you can pick up a new battery on eBay for around $45-$50 and it's a pretty simple task to replace.
however, that's not a guarantee that you'll be able to startup the Mac.

other than that, and if you don't want to spend any $, you could always list it on said eBay as 'parts only'.

if you do go down that path, be sure to remove your SSD first and buy an enclosure so you've still got all your data readable with another Mac - assuming you haven't got it backed up anywhere.
SSD Enclosure
 
OK, I have a friend who also has a 2017 MB Air, I'll see if I can borrow his battery to test it out.

Thanks
 
but why is it that when I disconnect the battery I can't start it with just the mains adapter???
 
Hello,

A little feedback, this weekend I tested another battery and another mains adapter: same thing, the computer won't start.
However, I put the battery in the second MacBook Air. I noticed that the battery wasn't charged, but I was able to boot it up and recharge it.

So we can say that my battery is good, that my MacBook Air doesn't charge the batteries any more, and that my MacBook Air still won't start even without a connected battery.

Do you have any other ideas for me?
 
Likely not worth any effort to troubleshoot and replacement parts are too expensive for what that machine is worth (next to nothing). For what a repair would cost you can get another working Air from craigslist. Preferably a M1 Air as these are much faster than any older Airs and can be had brand new for around $780 (that's been the regular price for almost a year).

The repair might be a simple fix for someone who knows what they're doing, like a tiny $.50 component on the logic board that needs replacing. If you want to try a good idea is rossmann group in Texas, you can mail it in. Likely the cost will be $100-$250 depending on what's broken and an entire used working Air can be bought for $250.

If the battery was glued in strongly and you had to really pull at it to get it out, then you should dispose of it safely and no longer attempt to use it as batteries that had these forces applied during removal are no longer deemed safe to use. Since your cells are expanded and the battery is no longer flat it should be disposed of regardless.
 
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