NOT CHARGING - Macbook Pro 2017 Touch Bar - (4 Thunderbold Ports) Not Charging

Hey Chandira,

I have the same model (also out of warranty) and the battery has also recently stopped charging. For me, there are slightly different symptoms as well (wouldn't turn on, fans on full blast, one USB-C port not recognised), but having read your post, and some others, I think I may have a logic board problem as well. This is absurd because they are extremely expensive laptops, and are still very new.

It's a shame that there's no Official Apple store in your country. I have a hunch that Official Apple stores are able to be more lenient with replacements/waiving costs... I've had some positive experiences with Apple & the Genius bar in the past - I had an older MacBook Pro which had thunderbolt ports that weren't working, but it was within warranty so they gave me a new one on the spot. A year or so ago, Apple also replaced an old iPhone 6 that was definitely out of warranty with a newer version for a pretty low price (~ 20AUD or something).

Have you tried calling Apple support? I've heard somewhere that you can file a claim for reimbursement of repair costs.. but it might help to talk to someone as well. Sorry, I don't have that much more advice, but just wanted you to know you're not on your own!

Does the charging issue occur with all of the other USB-C ports or just the one (or two)?

Was the repair center an Apple Authorized Service Provider?

Was the repair center able to reproduce the charging issue when you took it to them the first time?

Did they check and test your power adapter and USB-C charging cord?

ChandiraG wrote:

I dont k ow what you mean by reproducing the issue. Please elaborate.

I was just curious if the repair center actually saw the problem occurring.

Since the issue occurs with all four ports, then that would mean either the Logic Board or the Battery is defective assuming the repair center used their own power adapter to test the system. I would tend to agree with the repair center that the Logic Board is the most likely culprit. It is a gamble though. It is unfortunate that it can take months to reproduce the issue. These are always tricky and frustrating situations for both technicians and users alike especially when the system is out of warranty.

Unfortunately there is no way to be 100% certain for an issue which can take months to reproduce again. I believe if the battery was defective that the Apple diagnostic would most likely report it. Two things point towards a Logic Board issue due to the information obtained from the previous repair attempt and the temporary fix:

1) The battery was disconnected from the Logic Board basically providing a super SMC reset to the Logic Board allowing the problem to dissipate along with the residual electricity from the circuits.

2) Handling of the board realigned a cracked trace or solder joint temporarily until regular use re-opened the trace or joint since the components do flex with use.

The way the ports work on these laptops is very complex. I've seen a single port not charge the laptop but work perfectly fine in other ways so it is not necessarily as meaningful as you might think.

I grant you it is a gamble either way, but I doubt you will get the necessary assurance unless the problem gets worse which is unlikely unless the system can run using the power adapter. If the system works with the power adapter, then you could keep using the laptop to see if any other symptoms appear or the current symptom gets worse.

Perhaps you could have the repair center disconnect the battery from the Logic Board for a minute or two to see if the system begins charging again once the battery is reconnected. If so, it might lend more credence to the super SMC reset theory and the problem is the Logic Board. If it works, maybe they would allow you to see how long it takes before the problem recurs possibly allowing the issue time to get worse so it would be easier to diagnose.

ChandiraG wrote:

The real kicker was this. The technician who was working on my laptop said that once he did a resetand confirmed it was an issue with the logic board he put it back together and it worked fine so he ran diagnostics and it said the logic board was fine. But after a couple of hours it wouldn't charge again.

This happens more than you can imagine with all sorts of computers and other electronics. It makes troubleshooting and diagnosing equipment difficult, frustrating, and time consuming.

The software didn't say it was an issue with the logic board

Probably 80% of the time the diagnostics won't report a failure. There is only so much a software diagnostic can test.

and the technician isn't allowed to check what component is failing in the board but to replace the whole board. I feel like this is Apple's way of making an extra buck becaise there is no logical reason why an AARC couldn't change a component because it's APPLE AUTHORIZED. Basically both Apple's software and AARC is guessing its an issue with the logic board (which is a manufacturing issue and not because of user error) and they want me to spend another 1000$ to fix it. And right now I don't have that much money to spend on a replacement.

No current computer manufacturer (or any manufacturer of high end electronics) has a local technician replace individual components on a Logic Board these days. All local repairs are just board swaps and it has been this way for the last 20 years. The boards are sent to back to the manufacturer who has specialized equipment and detailed schematics to troubleshoot the boards at a component level and must perform extensive validation of the board before it can be used in another unit. It is a very specialized skill set involved. There are some independent non-Apple repair shops that do specialize in repairing individual boards which I'm sure is not cheap either.

Ugh, that all sounds so frustrating. Someone pointed out to me the other day that a lot of countries (EU countries, Australia) have consumer law protection for electronic products for two years. Do you know if your country has that? If so, that should outrank Apple's warranty.