Macbook shuts down intermittently

[MichaelCory]

Wondering, if anyone has experience with this. I have a 13inch macbook late 2008 unibody model. The computer shuts off randomly.


I originally thought this was a battery issue, but have since replaced the battery and it still is happening.

I took it to the apple store, they thought it might be an issue with the magsafe power adapter, they offered me a replacement free of charge.

The issue is still happening. Did some research, and I think it may have something to do with the logic board, but I am not certain. The part is rather expensive and I am out of my service support agreement.

Any suggestions.

 

[GGJstudios]

Wondering, if anyone has experience with this. I have a 13inch macbook late 2008 unibody model. The computer shuts off randomly.

Randomly, or during periods of high demand, such as gaming or intensive multimedia operation? If the latter, it may be heat, as the Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat (around 100C/212F - 105C/221F, depending on your processor). iStat Pro will give you accurate readings of your temps and fan speeds, among other things.

If it's truly random, try resetting the SMC and calibrating your battery.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[MichaelCory]

yes, this is truly random, the computer is used for email, Internet.

I'll try resetting the SMC and see if that fixes it.

 

[MichaelCory]

FYI, I reseted the SMC, and it seems like that did the trick. I left the computer plugged in for 15 hours straight, and it did not shut off. Thanks

 

[propictrix]

Other causes...

FYI, I reseted the SMC, and it seems like that did the trick. I left the computer plugged in for 15 hours straight, and it did not shut off. Thanks

While it is good you solved this issue, if the shut downs are coupled with the power light flashing 3 times, it can be a RAM issue.

I looked up the codes for the blinking here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2652?viewlocale=en_US

It suggested the RAM was an issue. I took off the plate and sure enough, one of the RAM cards looked like it had come out a bit (I'd just been doing a lot of traveling, so the machine certainly took a few padded jolts...). After re-seating the card and a restart, it seems fine, and has been on 24 hours without spontaneous shut-down. Those coming here for a solution might want to check the RAM before the logic board, which is significantly more expensive.