Restart procedure for 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro that won't power on
2018 15" MacBook Pro Restart procedure when finding a no power on situation?
Question marked as
In addition to the tips provided by @Grant & @leroydouglas.....assuming an actual power issue, you have to consider the fact that the laptop is powering on, but there are no overtly visible signs of life which unfortunately is very common with these Apple USB-C laptops....especially the 2018+ models.
Do you hear a ding when you connect the power adapter? Normally you will hear this within a minute or so, but on occasion it has taken 20-30 minutes for a rare extreme case.
After attempting to power on the laptop, try pressing the Caps Lock key to see if its LED lights up. If it lights up, then you have power, but the laptop can either have a no video situation or the laptop is in some weird or unknown state.
Seeing the Caps Lock key light up is the best sign you can hope for, however, you can try looking for any slight flicker on the built-in display to see if maybe the backlight may be on (very hard to tell with these Macs today due to the always black display & background. Trying in a dimly lit room may help you notice any flickers or very faint images on the screen. You can also check if the center back area of the bottom of the laptop feels warm. All these are signs that the laptop has power.
If the system has power, then try adjusting the screen brightness (I find it usually isn't possible until after logging into macOS, but it never hurts to try). You can also try connecting an external display to see if any video is shown on the external display.
If you believe the system is powering on from what I wrote here and you have tried all the suggestions in the Apple articles the others have linked, then the last thing you can try before having the laptop checked out by Apple or an AASP is to try a DFU Firmware Revive. Unfortunately a DFU Firmware Revive requires access to another Mac currently running macOS 15.7+ Sequoia or macOS 26.x Tahoe (if the host Mac is running Sequoia, then you must use the Apple Configurator app version 2.19 to perform the procedure).
Actually using the Apple Configurator v2.19 app on another Mac while the "broken" laptop is connected to it can possibly reveal if the laptop is powered on as well. It won't give you any details, but it will show if it is in DFU Mode, or powered on, or powered off. However, putting a Mac into DFU Mode is tricky even on a perfectly working computer. Timing is everything, so make sure to follow the instructions exactly using the Apple article I linked.
Ensuring the laptop is powered off is the first step so make sure to connect the cables to both laptops (I connect the cable first to the broken computer, then to the good host) while the host Mac is already booted & logged in with the Apple Configurator v2.19 app already running. Then & only then Force power off the broken laptop by holding the power button for at least 10 seconds. Wait at least five seconds before attempting to put the "broken" laptop into DFU Mode. Follow the timing of each key press exactly. Watch the Apple Configurator app to see if its status changes during all of this as it may provide you with clues. I would try putting the laptop into DFU Mode several times before giving up. I've done this enough times where I know exactly what to do to put a broken Mac into DFU Mode and I tend to make six attempts before declaring the computer non-functional.
FYI, I do not recommend repairing any USB-C Intel Mac for multiple reasons. The money spent on repairs is better put towards a new computer.
Good luck.
