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Sometimes when I connect my MacBook Air to the charger, the charge light on the MagSafe connector does not come on (and System Information says the power is not connected and the battery is not charging). I tried using a different charger and the MacBook charges fine. What might be the problem?

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3 Answers 3

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In my case, the problem was the temperature of the charger. Since it's currently winter in the southern hemisphere, removing the MacBook from charge causes the charger to cool down (since it apparently draws very little mains power when there is no load on the MacBook side). At some point when it is cool enough, it will refuse to supply power when the MacBook is plugged in again.

The workaround is to warm up the charger (for example, by sitting on it) for a few minutes until the charge light comes on. Then the current running through the charger is enough to keep it warm, and it continues charging.

Update: A year later, after returning from being away for six weeks, my charger refused to work again even after sitting on it. Apple was happy to replace it under AppleCare.

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  • Thanks for returning to post your solution. Glad you solved the problem.
    – ephsmith
    Commented Jul 1, 2012 at 23:36
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    @ephsmith: I posted this question and answer because none of the other remedies I found via Google ("reset your SMC", "clean the connector", "your logic board is broken") seemed to apply to my situation. Hopefully this will help others with the same problem as me. :)
    – Greg Hewgill
    Commented Jul 2, 2012 at 0:21
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    Haha +1 for the sitting on the charger trick :D
    – bot47
    Commented Jul 2, 2012 at 10:25
  • This answer may be useful to me in about six months..
    – mspasov
    Commented Jul 2, 2012 at 12:26
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I actually have the same problem but a different solution worked for me:

The problem only arose when I unplugged the charger from the MacBook (but not from the power supply) and plugged it back in. Unplugging the charger from the power supply for a moment solved the issue instantly.

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  • That was something else I tried, but it didn't help in my particular situation.
    – Greg Hewgill
    Commented Jul 2, 2012 at 8:12
  • Then maybe my charcher has a different issue than yours.
    – KMSTR
    Commented Jul 2, 2012 at 13:22
  • You have separate charger and power supply? Please explain which part is which.
    – hippietrail
    Commented May 1, 2016 at 3:50
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my mba would not charge at all. i literally sat on my charger and warmed it up and now my mba charges-unbelievable. Thanks. from cold new england.

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    Hi Rick, please respond to other answers with a comment and not an answer of your own. However, thanks for your confirmation of Greg's answer, and welcome to Ask Different.
    – cablesm
    Commented Jan 21, 2013 at 20:02
  • This could be interpreted as the charger needs physical pressure or heat to operate. I've never seen that - even with chargers chilled to arctic temperatures, so even though this isn't a good answer, it is an answer that probably should be edited or down voted.
    – bmike ♦
    Commented Jan 21, 2013 at 20:10
  • It worked!!! Incredible, I have been dealing with these problem for years always thinking it was magnetism, or sometimes even changing the charger and then working again. The solution as you said was just to sit down on the charger. Thanks a lot from México. Ulises Bacilio
    – user40334
    Commented Jan 25, 2013 at 1:11
  • also from New England. I used a hair dryer for less than two minutes and the charger is working once again. uNBELIEVABLE
    – user40594
    Commented Jan 29, 2013 at 0:41

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