2

I have an early-2011 MacBook Pro that will not charge. The green light on the MagSafe connector is barely green.

Besides the fact that the system info tells me the battery is not charging, the battery is stuck at 39%. If I unplug the charger, the battery begins to get low and I soon as I plug the charge back in the battery stops dropping.

Some sites say that the problem may be in the logic board and some say that the problem may be in the battery itself. My notebook is always plugged and I never really had a chance to let the battery drain completely.

The system profile shows the battery condition as normal and that the ac adapter is not connected.

So, my question is: what should I try since my city does not have an Apple Store that I can take my notebook to? Is it possible that letting the battery die (forcing a cycle) could help in that case? Is there any way of testing if the problem is in the battery (since it is more affordable to change the battery than a logic board)?

EDIT

What I have done so far:

  • I have already left it to charge for several hours.
  • I have tried SMC reset more than 10 times already.
  • I have already tested with another charger.
  • I have changed the DC-In MagSafe board myself.

The ac adapter shipped with my MacBook is 65w. Will it make any difference to try with a 85w adapter?

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
3

Please stop resetting your SMC. You can totally screw up your Mac by resetting it too many times in a row. But yes, it seems through what you tried, your logic board is likely the issue.

Improve this answer
1
  • This is good advice. SMC and NVRAM reset are a one time thing. They either cure your ailment or move on. SMC and firmware resets/restores leave the machine vulnerable to a second failure. Sometimes they save a trip to the service desk, but are not a cure all for good fault isolation steps in troubleshooting.
    – bmike ♦
    Oct 6, 2012 at 15:52
0

First off, make sure you're using an 85 W MagSafe adapter; MacBook Pros can use the 60 W that shipped with MacBooks, but won't necessarily charge while running. A Pro with a depleted battery won't boot from a 60 W until it has been left to charge for several minutes.

You said you tried a SMC reset - try it another 2-3 times, just to be sure.

What does System Profiler/System Information say under the Power section? Does the battery's condition show as normal?

Improve this answer
3
  • 1
    I have already left it to charge for several hours. The adapter that came with my mac is as 65, so I dont know why should I use a 85w one. I have tried SMC reset more than 10 times already. The system profile shows the condition as normal.
    – Rafael Colucci
    Aug 27, 2012 at 17:43
  • That is almost certainly an issue with the logic board. The 13" MBPs used the lower-wattage Magsafe adapters; the 15"s use the bigger 85W.
    – da4
    Aug 28, 2012 at 17:06
  • @da4 Some 15" MacBook Pros (usually the lower-CPU-speed models) use 60-65 W adapters.
    – Cajunluke
    Aug 31, 2012 at 19:00

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .