Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Macbook not charging/ dim led

S

superxero3

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 15, 2008
237
0
I have had my MacBook (aluminum) for 6 days, and all of a sudden i go to plug it in to charge (10% left) and the led on the magsafe doesn't come on and the computer doesn't recorgnize the charger (even in system profiler).

upon closer inspection i noticed the LED is on on the magsafe, it is just a very faint shade of green. I have tried a charger from a different MacBook but no luck. And i have also tried my charger and a different macbook and it charged it just fine.. so it's probably not my charger.

Any ideas?? i know i can go get it replaced.. but i would really like to not have to take a 45 minute drive to the apple store if i can avoid it.. (unless this problem is serious and should be replaced)

also, if i get a replacement is it possible for them to just swap my HDD with the new one?
 
superxero3 said:
I have had my MacBook (aluminum) for 6 days, and all of a sudden i go to plug it in to charge (10% left) and the led on the magsafe doesn't come on and the computer doesn't recorgnize the charger (even in system profiler).

upon closer inspection i noticed the LED is on on the magsafe, it is just a very faint shade of green. I have tried a charger from a different MacBook but no luck. And i have also tried my charger and a different macbook and it charged it just fine.. so it's probably not my charger.

Any ideas?? i know i can go get it replaced.. but i would really like to not have to take a 45 minute drive to the apple store if i can avoid it.. (unless this problem is serious and should be replaced)

also, if i get a replacement is it possible for them to just swap my HDD with the new one?
Click to expand...

You are best getting it replaced, and they sometimes can swap the HD if you request.
 
when i wrote that post i was a little emotional.. my perfect computer had just stopped working on me! haha

after some consideration though i figure i will just go and get it replaced.. and convince them to swap the HD for me
 
I've been dealing with the same problem for a while now. It still charges VERY slowly when on...

I live 5 hours away from the nearest apple store, and I can't afford to send my mb in via mail (school), so I'm toughing it out until my next trip to Sac...
 
Yeah, this actually has started happening to me in the past couple weeks.

What's weird is that if it actually works fine most of the time, but sometimes the led light just turns off, but the computer keeps charging normally. But other times, when I try to plug the adapter in, the plug won't turn on at all, and it won't be recognized and the battery won't charge.

I tried using my sister's macbook power adapter, but same thing, only the led light would turn green, and stay green, but the battery in the menu bar would say not charging. I would hate having to drive an hour and a half and not have anything done for me, since I really don't know how to replicate the problem if I had to bring it into the Apple Store. Like right now actually, the charger is "functioning" but the light on the magsafe is not on. But I have no idea what is causing the problem.

I suspect it to be some connection issues within my macbook...but who knows? Maybe it is the charger that is defective. I need to find time to drive over to the Apple Store. :(
 
I went to the apple store and they were super nice about it. They replaced it with a brand new unit because it was only a week old. I also had them swap the hard drive out so powering on my macbook i couldn't even tell i was using a different computer.

Now it's on to calibrating the battery again! joy! haha
 
superxero3 said:
I went to the apple store and they were super nice about it. They replaced it with a brand new unit because it was only a week old. I also had them swap the hard drive out so powering on my macbook i couldn't even tell i was using a different computer.

Now it's on to calibrating the battery again! joy! haha
Click to expand...

Hmm, I wonder if they'll do that for me...mine is about 3-4 months old now though.
 
I had that happen once to me. I disconnected and reconnected the MagSafe and it went away and haven't appeared since. I never found what caused it, but it hasn't seem to return since.
 
DeusInvictus7 said:
Yeah, this actually has started happening to me in the past couple weeks.

What's weird is that if it actually works fine most of the time, but sometimes the led light just turns off, but the computer keeps charging normally. But other times, when I try to plug the adapter in, the plug won't turn on at all, and it won't be recognized and the battery won't charge.

I tried using my sister's macbook power adapter, but same thing, only the led light would turn green, and stay green, but the battery in the menu bar would say not charging. I would hate having to drive an hour and a half and not have anything done for me, since I really don't know how to replicate the problem if I had to bring it into the Apple Store. Like right now actually, the charger is "functioning" but the light on the magsafe is not on. But I have no idea what is causing the problem.

I suspect it to be some connection issues within my macbook...but who knows? Maybe it is the charger that is defective. I need to find time to drive over to the Apple Store. :(
Click to expand...

i've been having the same exact problem. possible manufacturing defect on the horizon?
 
likemyorbs said:
i've been having the same exact problem. possible manufacturing defect on the horizon?
Click to expand...

Idk, possibly. My charger was working fine just 5 min ago...but now the light is off. :confused: The charger is working though, like it is still charging, but the LED light is off...

I have noticed though, that when the light is off...my macbook's temp is usually above 55* C (58* right now). Might just be coincidence, but pretty much every time that the light has turned off, or the charger wasn't charging, it was when the macbook was warmer.

I need to find time to head to the Apple Store...I just hate the hour and a half drive...
 
DeusInvictus7 said:
Idk, possibly. My charger was working fine just 5 min ago...but now the light is off. :confused: The charger is working though, like it is still charging, but the LED light is off...

I need to find time to head to the Apple Store...I just hate the hour and a half drive...
Click to expand...

the drive is only 15 minutes for me, but how do we prove to them that it happens? i havent seen it happen in about a week. seems like a problem with the power supply inside the computer
 
likemyorbs said:
the drive is only 15 minutes for me, but how do we prove to them that it happens? i havent seen it happen in about a week. seems like a problem with the power supply inside the computer
Click to expand...

Well, I think that if you explain the whole situation, they might open it up for you and have a look, see if any cables are loose, or if the connections have any problems...

Or, just hope that it happens when you're at your appointment lol. Mine has been pretty frequent recently, so I think I should make an appointment. I have no idea how I'm gonna be able to borrow the car from my parents though to drive.
 
DeusInvictus7 said:
Well, I think that if you explain the whole situation, they might open it up for you and have a look, see if any cables are loose, or if the connections have any problems...

Or, just hope that it happens when you're at your appointment lol. Mine has been pretty frequent recently, so I think I should make an appointment. I have no idea how I'm gonna be able to borrow the car from my parents though to drive.
Click to expand...

yeah, if mine gets more frequent ill take it in too. otherwise i love this computer
 
likemyorbs said:
yeah, if mine gets more frequent ill take it in too. otherwise i love this computer
Click to expand...

Oh totally, this is the very first problem with my macbook that I've actually cared about. I have a single speck of dust and a dead pixel, but neither of those bother me at all and they aren't in the way, and actually very hard to see.

WTF? My LED light just came back on...I think it has to do with the connection, because I just went from laying down on my bed to sitting upright with it on my lap, and the light turned back on from the movement. And surprise, surprise, the temp has come down to 50*. I think it has to do with either movement (connection issues), or heat in that area.
 
DeusInvictus7 said:
Oh totally, this is the very first problem with my macbook that I've actually cared about. I have a single speck of dust and a dead pixel, but neither of those bother me at all and they aren't in the way, and actually very hard to see.

WTF? My LED light just came back on...I think it has to do with the connection, because I just went from laying down on my bed to sitting upright with it on my lap, and the light turned back on from the movement.
Click to expand...

what happens when you slightly push down on it, but not enough to make the magnet detach? when i did that the other day the light kept turning off
 
likemyorbs said:
what happens when you slightly push down on it, but not enough to make the magnet detach? when i did that the other day the light kept turning off
Click to expand...

Nothin, still working fine at the moment...I honestly think it is related to the heat. ----Actually, scratch that...I just watched the light totally fade out...and the temp is fine, 50*.

EDIT: And now the light is back on...wtf.
 
Macbook pro

I've had my macbook pro for almost 7 months now. And I've had no problems until tonight. My magsafe power supply is not working. The LED is extremely faint and my computer has said "Not Charging" but the battery is not draining.

I tried my roommate's magsafe power supply and it works just fine, just mine won't charge my battery. And my computer seems to be more warm than usual when it is "Not Charging." I turned it off and came back to it about half an hour later. No luck still.

Did you guys figure anything out?
 
epc5 said:
I've had my macbook pro for almost 7 months now. And I've had no problems until tonight. My magsafe power supply is not working. The LED is extremely faint and my computer has said "Not Charging" but the battery is not draining.

I tried my roommate's magsafe power supply and it works just fine, just mine won't charge my battery. And my computer seems to be more warm than usual when it is "Not Charging." I turned it off and came back to it about half an hour later. No luck still.

Did you guys figure anything out?
Click to expand...

no, is it a new unibody macbook pro? seems as if the power supplies they used in the new unibody notebooks are becoming faulty...
 
likemyorbs said:
no, is it a new unibody macbook pro? seems as if the power supplies they used in the new unibody notebooks are becoming faulty...
Click to expand...

Well, if it's "7 months old" then it isn't one of the unibodies... :p

But seriously, I don't think it has to do with just the charger, maybe for some, but I know for me it isn't. I tried my sister's charger and it didn't charge, but the light would turn green.

I just hate how random the problem is, I mean, there is no way for me to replicate the problem. It just happens, and it's starting to get annoying. :mad:
 
Yeah, mine isn't the unibody one. I bought it just before the newest model macbook pro launched.

I tried my roommmate's charger - he's got a macbook and it will charge my battery.
 
Ok, so a little update on the problem. I was reading another thread with a similar topic, and one person just cleaned the magsafe adapter and the port, and the light/charging started working perfectly again...

I tried this on mine, and so far...it WORKED! Ever since I've cleaned it out, the light hasn't dimmed or turned off...and the charging works like it's supposed to.

I guess there was just some debris or dust in the port to make the connection wonky.

Try it out.
 
superxero3 said:
I went to the apple store and they were super nice about it. They replaced it with a brand new unit because it was only a week old. I also had them swap the hard drive out so powering on my macbook i couldn't even tell i was using a different computer.

Now it's on to calibrating the battery again! joy! haha
Click to expand...

good job. Glad to hear apple actually helps.
 
MattyK said:
good job. Glad to hear apple actually helps.
Click to expand...

Yeah they were very helpful, and my MacBook has been working great. It's weird though, because i transferred the hd over (not transferred the data.. just the whole hard drive itself). My school requires you to register your MAC addresses before you can access the outside network, and a temporary lapse of judgement had me sitting there for about 10 minutes trying to figure out why i was getting a local IP from the DHCP server haha.

Also, i was not registered to play any of my iTunes stuff that I purchased, so it must register iTunes with something that is not the harddrive, and when i registered the amount of computers i had registered had incremented by one. That was a little weird to me.
 
Can you check?

Can any of you with this problem, take the back cover off your macbook?
I've noticed corrosion around the connections of the magsafe connector and the logic board. THis is causing the problem. Its just 8 tiny screws you have to remove to look at the problem. 4 on the bottom of the case and the 4 in the battery bay. Check it out!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back