MacBook Pro shuts down on its own

[wbgordon]

I'm considering buying a used MacBook Pro (early 2008) from a seller on eBay. The seller disclosed "Sometimes the machine shuts down after startup" but adds that he does not know why.

Does this sound like something anyone has encountered and if so, was it serious? I appreciate the input.

 

[melman101]

I would assume

a. It's overheating. That's not good.
b. It has water damage. That's not good.

Overall, I would mark this as *DO NOT BUY*.

 

[wbgordon]

I suppose either of those could be true, though the seller discloses neither issue in his eBay ad and has a high rating. I've been searching the internet and the random shutdown issue seems also to be connected to battery issues. In fact, Apple did a recall of batteries for this early 2008 MacBook Pro 15.

 

[wbgordon]

Also, the seller states the random shutdown occurs only once in a while. I am seeking info from him re the video card as I understand it, too, is a potential source of the problem.