MacBook Pro shuts down when connected to power (more in description)

As the title says my MacBook Pro (which I've had for around 14 months) keeps turning to black and shutting down on its own. As of Thursday, it shuts off when I plug it in and then turns back on after I press the start button. It also goes black and shuts down immediately when I unplug it. It charges fine, and though it shuts off when I plug it in, it does not shut off again while charging. Another odd thing is that the laptop works for long periods at a time without shutting down (I don't know if it has anything to do with overuse?). I started having this problem on Thursday, August 31, but then it seemingly fixed itself overnight and I had no problems with it for around a week, when this issue started happening again, but only sporadically, and only really in relation to charging. (as I said, it shuts down when I plug it in, and shuts off again when I unplug it). I took it into the school IT shop, they said it might be spill damage but I've never spilled anything on it*, and I don't think that accounts for the periods of usage without issue. I also do not have any other of the issues described as being common. Other than this my MacBook runs completely fine and is not slow nor does it have issues with volume, etc.

I've googled this quite a few times and I've seen things from RAM issues to overheating. But none of those really make sense, and I've checked to make sure those weren't the issue. My dad has a PC and said it could be battery issues but my battery health is at 97%, and again this does not account for the long periods of usage without shutting down. My best guess is overheating, especially since it's been extremely hot on my campus and my room does not have air conditioning. However, it just shut down in the library, which is very cool.

I'm sorry for such a long post but if you have had this problem before and know what it is that would be so extremely helpful.


*For transparency's sake, I did use a wet wipe a few days before this issue started happening, but it was at least four days prior, and I'm not sure that spill damage could account for the periods of long usage I've been able to have.


MacBook Pro (2021)

Posted on Sep 13, 2023 9:52 AM

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2 replies

Sep 13, 2023 1:51 PM in response to evandewater

evandewater wrote:

As the title says my MacBook Pro (which I've had for around 14 months) keeps turning to black and shutting down on its own. As of Thursday, it shuts off when I plug it in and then turns back on after I press the start button. It also goes black and shuts down immediately when I unplug it. It charges fine, and though it shuts off when I plug it in, it does not shut off again while charging. Another odd thing is that the laptop works for long periods at a time without shutting down (I don't know if it has anything to do with overuse?). I started having this problem on Thursday, August 31, but then it seemingly fixed itself overnight and I had no problems with it for around a week, when this issue started happening again, but only sporadically, and only really in relation to charging. (as I said, it shuts down when I plug it in, and shuts off again when I unplug it). I took it into the school IT shop, they said it might be spill damage but I've never spilled anything on it*, and I don't think that accounts for the periods of usage without issue. I also do not have any other of the issues described as being common. Other than this my MacBook runs completely fine and is not slow nor does it have issues with volume, etc.
I've googled this quite a few times and I've seen things from RAM issues to overheating. But none of those really make sense, and I've checked to make sure those weren't the issue. My dad has a PC and said it could be battery issues but my battery health is at 97%, and again this does not account for the long periods of usage without shutting down. My best guess is overheating, especially since it's been extremely hot on my campus and my room does not have air conditioning. However, it just shut down in the library, which is very cool.
I'm sorry for such a long post but if you have had this problem before and know what it is that would be so extremely helpful.

*For transparency's sake, I did use a wet wipe a few days before this issue started happening, but it was at least four days prior, and I'm not sure that spill damage could account for the periods of long usage I've been able to have.


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Sep 13, 2023 7:08 PM in response to evandewater

If this is an Apple Silicon Mac, then are you using the Magsafe charging cable? If so, then try using a USB-C charging cable instead to see if it makes any difference. If you are using a USB-C charging cable, then try using another USB-C port especially on the other side of the laptop.


Make sure to disconnect all other external devices in case one of them is causing a problem. Also when using the USB-C charging cable, make sure to connect it directly to the Mac.


Since the issue only occurs when connecting the charger, it would seem most likely that there is some sort of hardware issue. I would hope that the Apple tech tried using another power adapter & charging cable.


Even if you never spilled anything on the laptop (or around the laptop), perhaps someone else did which you are unaware. Sometimes it just takes one well placed drop of liquid to make contact on a USB-C port or in a vent or keyboard to cause a problem. So any liquid that may have spilled on the table near the laptop may have been able to splatter so a drop of liquid made contact with the laptop.


Of course it could be just some odd hardware failure. However, when I see something unusual, I too will suspect liquid damage, but I will completely dismantle the laptop to examine every component and contact closely to look for signs.


And yes a wet wipe could cause the problem. Even if the wet wipe is squeezed, it may still contain lots of liquid. It is not always the initial liquid contact which causes a problem, but the corrosion which develops which can sometimes take days to develop to a point where it cause a problem. It all depends on where it made contact.


Whenever cleaning electronics, it is best to lightly dampen a very small area of the cloth. Test wiping a safe test surface on something like a plastic lid or board to see how much liquid is transferred to the test piece. This will help you better assess the liquid content of the cloth. I typically only use a small spritz of spray on a cloth which I will sometimes even blot to a dry area of the cloth to help minimize the amount of liquid in the area I am going to use.

MacBook Pro shuts down when connected to power (more in description)

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