I'm hoping someone here can help me, since I'm kinda stumped. I have a well worn but great PB G4 12" Aluminum. Unfortunately, as rugged as the PB is, I've learned the hard way that the AC adapters are, um, not. 
Specifically, I've had two break due to me tripping over the wires and having them bent beyond usability. Another had the end of the interior pin of the plug pulled out (the part that does NOT conduct power). Otherwise, the plug worked, so I took the end of a pin from one of the other broken ones and pushed it in to the one w/ the missing pin end. (It worked, but couldn't be pushed in to the PB w/o the end). It fit well and seemed to not come out after pulling it, so I figured there would be no problem...
...boy was I wrong! It worked just fine, but one day I pulled out the plug and the end of the pin wasn't there! I looked all over thinking it fell out when I pulled it out, then I looked inside the PB. Sure enough, barely visible is the end of the pin, sitting INSIDE the DC plug. :O
I have a brand new AC adapter now, but the pin end is still in the PB. As a result, ocassionally if I move the PB just right, the pin will rattle around in there and get lodged in a certain way that will short out the DC in. To the PB engineers' testimony, it doesn't fry the PB, but it does trip the AC adapter, at which point I have to a) unplug the AC adapter and let it sit for a few minutes to reset and b) close the PB and slap the hell out of it in various directions until the pin unlodges again so that the DC in is no longer shorted and the AC adapter works again.
Needless to say, this is annoying as anything. I've looked all over for a cheap replacement part, but the only ones on eBay are for the Ti models, not the Al's. New replacement parts from pbfixit, etc. are upwards of $80, which just seems too much for such a simple problem. I've tried looking inside the plug tho, and only rarely can I see the pin in there, and even there just barely. Plus, the plug is too small for me to get even tweezers in, and even if I could I wouldn't be able to see what I'm doing. Aargh!
Does anybody have any suggestions as to how to fix this without buying an $80 replacement? If I take the DC in board out, will I be able to see the other side of the plug to get the pin out, or is the back of the plug closed? Or is there some tiny tool I could use to pull the pin out from the front somehow?
I hope someone can help. This is just driving me insane! (Of course, I've since--and finally--learned to treat my AC adapters with greater care, but this problem still remains!
Thanks!
--mcn
Specifically, I've had two break due to me tripping over the wires and having them bent beyond usability. Another had the end of the interior pin of the plug pulled out (the part that does NOT conduct power). Otherwise, the plug worked, so I took the end of a pin from one of the other broken ones and pushed it in to the one w/ the missing pin end. (It worked, but couldn't be pushed in to the PB w/o the end). It fit well and seemed to not come out after pulling it, so I figured there would be no problem......boy was I wrong! It worked just fine, but one day I pulled out the plug and the end of the pin wasn't there! I looked all over thinking it fell out when I pulled it out, then I looked inside the PB. Sure enough, barely visible is the end of the pin, sitting INSIDE the DC plug. :O
I have a brand new AC adapter now, but the pin end is still in the PB. As a result, ocassionally if I move the PB just right, the pin will rattle around in there and get lodged in a certain way that will short out the DC in. To the PB engineers' testimony, it doesn't fry the PB, but it does trip the AC adapter, at which point I have to a) unplug the AC adapter and let it sit for a few minutes to reset and b) close the PB and slap the hell out of it in various directions until the pin unlodges again so that the DC in is no longer shorted and the AC adapter works again.
Needless to say, this is annoying as anything. I've looked all over for a cheap replacement part, but the only ones on eBay are for the Ti models, not the Al's. New replacement parts from pbfixit, etc. are upwards of $80, which just seems too much for such a simple problem. I've tried looking inside the plug tho, and only rarely can I see the pin in there, and even there just barely. Plus, the plug is too small for me to get even tweezers in, and even if I could I wouldn't be able to see what I'm doing. Aargh!
Does anybody have any suggestions as to how to fix this without buying an $80 replacement? If I take the DC in board out, will I be able to see the other side of the plug to get the pin out, or is the back of the plug closed? Or is there some tiny tool I could use to pull the pin out from the front somehow?
I hope someone can help. This is just driving me insane! (Of course, I've since--and finally--learned to treat my AC adapters with greater care, but this problem still remains!
Thanks!
--mcn
