Flipstick476

Q: Macbook Air - Intermittently Charging , Now not at all

Hi all,

 

I own a Macbook 13 inch air which I purchased in early 2012. My problem lies with the charging of my laptop.

 

The symtoms;

 

Macbook intermittently charges, but is now not charging at all

Mag connector is not showing any lights (being green or orange)

Laptop shows no charge increase with mag attached and no light

 

Took laptop into my apple store and they ran a 'diagnostic test' which showed everything as OK . I also noted that as soon as they plugged the laptop in the charger started charging the battery.

 

I then took my laptop home frustrated, after trying for the last week to get it to charge with no success. I plugged the laptop in and it started charging. Unusual i thought!

 

However now the same problem has came along again, with my laptop not charging and the mag light not glowing any colour.

 

Is this a hardware fault perhaps?

 

My software is up to date.

 

I have tried multiple known working plugs around the house.

 

The power adaptor is in excellent condition, it just sits in the same place and is never wrapped up etc and looks in perfect condition.

 

The power plug on laptop and mag are both clean.

 

Im really struggling to find any info as to what is wrong?

 

Any ideas?

 

Much thanks in advanced,

Flipstick476

MacBook Air, iOS 5.1.1

Posted on Sep 4, 2012 1:22 AM

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Q: Macbook Air - Intermittently Charging , Now not at all

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  • by caomang,

    caomang caomang Oct 23, 2013 5:03 AM in response to Flipstick476
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 23, 2013 5:03 AM in response to Flipstick476

    I have the same issue. I went to apple store last year and got adapter replaced. Now, same issue happens again!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • by Fluffleupagus,

    Fluffleupagus Fluffleupagus Nov 9, 2013 6:21 PM in response to okieBASS
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 9, 2013 6:21 PM in response to okieBASS

    FWIW, that worked for me to...and will hopefully continue to work for me until I can afford to get it fixed.  Thanks! 

     

    Fluff...

  • by 4riirii,

    4riirii 4riirii Nov 16, 2013 5:41 PM in response to stone4345
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 16, 2013 5:41 PM in response to stone4345

    thank goodness, stone. the blowdryer tricked worked instantly.

  • by StevenSerrano,

    StevenSerrano StevenSerrano Dec 14, 2013 1:11 AM in response to stone4345
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 14, 2013 1:11 AM in response to stone4345

    How on earth did you come up with this solution? Im at work right now but will sure try it when i get home. I've had my MBA for all of 5 days and i already cannot charge it up! (bought it branc new from appla on monday) This is bananas. Is the problem with the laptop itself or the brick? Im not sure i want to have to blowdry my brick to charge my laptop everytime, i live in canada. Should they not replace everything for me? But will my replacement be afflicted with the say defect??? Shame on Apple!

  • by Brady Knight,

    Brady Knight Brady Knight Dec 15, 2013 7:21 PM in response to Flipstick476
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 15, 2013 7:21 PM in response to Flipstick476

    So I was having these exact same symptoms and I have two magsafe 2 power adapters. They both stopped working around the same time and I bought a refurbished apple charger off ebay and it worked for a very short time before failing. I figured it was something weird with my MBA but just discovered that my magsafe connector itself (what plugs into my MBA) had lost one of the two connections from the power source. I resoldered the leads and viola! Charges perfectly every time, no heat radiator required. I would strongly recommend to check these wires and seeing if the adapters themselves are simply loose or partially connected. FWIW, there were absolutely ZERO signs of wear on the plug. Everything was underneath the adapter and not visible without disassembly. I followed this DIY on youtube -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOb-8Tutt7M --

     

    Hope this helps!

  • by ian coville,

    ian coville ian coville Jan 25, 2014 9:03 PM in response to Flipstick476
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 25, 2014 9:03 PM in response to Flipstick476

    2012 13" MacBook Air with only sporadic charging. Even after replacing the charger it is getting worse every day.

     

    Heating up the brick is not helping in my case. The action most likely to initiate charging is pulling and reattaching magsafe.

  • by ian coville,

    ian coville ian coville Jan 27, 2014 7:14 AM in response to Flipstick476
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 27, 2014 7:14 AM in response to Flipstick476

    I have changed my reply. Now it seems heating the brick helps!

  • by Raytwk,

    Raytwk Raytwk Jan 27, 2014 7:28 AM in response to Flipstick476
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 27, 2014 7:28 AM in response to Flipstick476

    I have the same problem for my 2011 MBA recently! And I find the blow dry method works perfectly! Thanks for the useful trick! Btw, Can we request apple for replacement cord?

  • by hthtodd,

    hthtodd hthtodd Mar 4, 2014 3:32 PM in response to stone4345
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 4, 2014 3:32 PM in response to stone4345

    Worked for me!!! Thanks

  • by Je_Maintiendrai,

    Je_Maintiendrai Je_Maintiendrai Mar 4, 2014 4:59 PM in response to Flipstick476
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 4, 2014 4:59 PM in response to Flipstick476

    people, people... a blowdryer? You really want to make your slick notebook work by modelling its hair? n**ga pleez... if it's under warranty, have Apelle solve the dem problem, if it's not order a - I/O board magsafe powerboard from Ebay and the two torx drivers, it's less than 40 bucks and you're good to go again.

     

    If you're still lost... check out google for fixing guides to now exactly which screw drivers you need (there's 2). It's really not rocket science, even if you have no experience... once you've done it you'll be able to replace virtually anyting apart from the screen and its camera with zero effort.

  • by Mags-n-D,

    Mags-n-D Mags-n-D Mar 15, 2014 3:41 PM in response to stone4345
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 15, 2014 3:41 PM in response to stone4345

    GENIUS!  Thank you, stone4345... I am shocked and thrilled that the hair dryer trick completely worked.  You just saved me blowing $80+ for a replacement cord.

  • by rich.lou,

    rich.lou rich.lou Mar 18, 2014 2:39 PM in response to Flipstick476
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 18, 2014 2:39 PM in response to Flipstick476

    My MBA is 2 years old and on its 2nd birthday (last week) it just stopped charging no warning, no cable freing or wear and tear as I look after all of my Apple products. But, who would have guessed that it is of course not covered anymore. But surely, seen as there have been this many posts regarding the same problem, Apple need to look at this and get it sorted. It is not the fuse in either the small charge plug nor the long extension lead. I took it to my local Genius Bar...what help...they do not have a replacement charging cable in stock. So this means I now have to wait for a call, so I can make ANOTHER appointment with them, travel ANOTHER 30 miles each way to pick up a cable which is going to cost me £50 instead of £65. I am not happy with this arrangement, but if its sorted, then I do not have a choise. I just think Apple need to take note and get this issue with a 3/5 year warranty as are most power tool manufacturers, now able to supply batteries and chargers with a 3/5 year warranty, this should also be the case for laptop manufacturers. I look forward to any further input from other MBA users. FWIW, I have tried heating for 5 mintues with no luck.

  • by rich.lou,

    rich.lou rich.lou Mar 20, 2014 2:46 PM in response to Flipstick476
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 20, 2014 2:46 PM in response to Flipstick476

    Ok, so Apple now have my replacement in stock. However, I have to pay for it still... And they want to take my old one off of me in exchange. I'm not being funny, but I would have paid for both so surely I am entitled to keep both. Right?

  • by jfkemper,

    jfkemper jfkemper Mar 20, 2014 7:55 PM in response to Mags-n-D
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 20, 2014 7:55 PM in response to Mags-n-D

    I have been using the blow drying trick since December 2012 when I first read about it from Stone's post.  I was out of warrantly at that point and am still not willing to pay $80 for an F-ing charging cord. I use my MBA at home only so this is inconvenient but workable.  Someday when I get time I want to bring in my MBA and blow dryer to an Apple Store and demonstrate this - hopefully shame them into providing me a new/free one.

     

    by the way, I am intrigued about the suggestion to replace the I/O board but it seems that since heating up the charging brick with a blow dryer means the problem is with the brick and not the I/O board inside the MBA.  What do others think? 

  • by bobpark,

    bobpark bobpark Apr 8, 2014 1:40 AM in response to Flipstick476
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iCloud
    Apr 8, 2014 1:40 AM in response to Flipstick476

    Under the armpit just worked for me. (13-inch MBA: Glad I found this thread.)

     

    FWIW, I am in a hotel room with cold, airconditioned air blowing down onto my adapter. I had been having the intermittent "no-charging" problem ever since I got here.

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