Melted MagSafe

Hi GamerPly5,

Get in touch with Apple. They should send you a new replacement adapter. Alternatively, if you live close to an Apple Store, pop in and they should replace it on the spot.

http://www.apple.com/support/contact/phone_contacts.html

RD

I am not certain as to the exact conditions your MagSafe adapter has been used in to cause the short which shows in your photos and video. I can't say that Apple should or should not replace the adapter without first investigating the adapter for what the industry calls 'abuse' which could be anything from a heavy book falling on the cord and crimping it to purposeful breaking of the cable.

I'm not saying you did it on purpose, but that you should not expect Apple to replace it immediately without question as to the environment it has been handled and kept in.

Nonetheless if the machine is required for everyday use and you do not have a backup adapter I would recommend calling Apple and obtaining an agreement from them to reimburse your cost for the purchase of an adapter should their support personnel find the adapter in need of replacement by Apple itself and not a replacement purchase by you as the end user.

Just my input.

Why would you plug in a power adapter that already has signs of damage and could pose a safety hazard? Certainly you must have thought something like "Hey, if this is already melted, could it possibly get worse and endanger myself or others?"

Don't plug in anything with torn, frayed, melted, or otherwise damaged wiring!

The title of your post is misleading. The connector does not appear to be dammaged in any way, although it's hard to tell with out of focus pictures.

The dammage is in the wire itself. Any number of things may have caused it, but to continue to use that adaptor in that condition is unsafe and should be stopped immediately.

Dammage like that is most often from abuse, but it could have been a manufacturing flaw of some sort. Apple will most likely replace it for you.

Do not continue to use that adaptor, or you are at risk of causing a fire. Don't wiggle the wire around to make it work. It is dangerous.

Well, I, for one, believe you.
Because my power brick did exactly the same thing.
Although the damage to mine is not nearly as bad as yours.
I noticed a tiny little flame and I unplugged it immediately, so I think I stopped any further damage.
But basically, it did the same thing.
And NO I did not do anything to it. I used it normally.
And yes, I have pics to prove it.
I had a post about this topic, but they deleted it.

I had this exact same thing too. And no I did not do anything bad to it. Photos at http://flickr.com/photos/abscond/sets/72157594321443109/

I believe the rubber shielding got so weak from the heat of the macbook pro itself (mine gets silly hot when charging, and yes, flat surface and all), and as this is the point where the cable gets bent most often, it just got pulled apart.

It's kind of comforting to know I'm not alone, as the guy I took it too in Apple Store Regent Street said it was an unknown issue and they would not replace it until a genius looked at it. Of course the geniuses where fully booked (there never isn't a time when they're not), so now me and my girlfriend are sharing an adapter between us. This is unacceptable if you ask me.

Last night my wife kept claiming that she could smell something burning (for once it wasn't what I cooked).. we both ingnored it, I realized this morning that it was my MagSafe power cord (where it connects to the computer) that was melting. I was playing a DVD last night (cpu intensive) at the time of the most melting, I rember feeling the computer arround the plug and thinking to myself "this is VERY warm".

The plug pretty mutch stoped working this morning, unless I put in the cord in some feng shui position .

I went to the apple store today (in Emeryville,CA) in hopes that the "genious" bar dude would be familiar with this issue, given how many people seem to be running into this. His first respose , you damaged it by pulling on the cord. I have been reparing computers and electronics long enough that I know better, than, to pull any electrical component from the cord. I've always held the MagSafe plug by it's head and glentry nudged it from the computer (because, really it seem fragile to me from the begining) . Back to the story, finally the "genious" at the bar agreed to give me a "one time replacement" for the power adapter. Wouldn't you know it, they didn't have any in stock, so he'd have to order it - although he did offer to sell me one for $85 (hmm they had some in stock for sale!??).
Considering that it's laptop that eventually (probably withing 2 to 3 hours) need it's darling plug to the wall. This doesn't seen to be very helpfull . Point being, after 4 months I don't care if you do pull the plug by the cord it should not BURN UP! . I've seen enough posts to wonder why apple isn't either recalling or replacing these weak power cords with updated/re-designed cords that are not so easily kincked and burned.

As a 10+ year apple customer/supporter, I'm dissapointed and embarased by the this one simple,yet,critical flaw in function and support .

MackBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

I'm sorry, but don't their commercials boast about the magsafe plug not taking down your laptop with it if you trip on the wire? Along those lines, since the plug is magnetically attached to the laptop, why would pulling the chord matter? It's not like there is any resistance being applied at the connection point.

I don't much appreciate the accusation that it was your fault and you were trying to "swindle" them out of a new cable. I would have got his name and called Apple Customer Care or spoken with the store manager. Those guys know to be friendly and more helpful than that. But some bad eggs get through.

I also find the "one time replacement" rather funny too. Are they going to put a flag on your account now saying you got your free cable? Cripes...

I'm sorry, but don't their commercials boast about
the magsafe plug not taking down your laptop with it
if you trip on the wire? Along those lines, since the
plug is magnetically attached to the laptop, why
would pulling the chord matter? It's not like there
is any resistance being applied at the connection
point.

I don't much appreciate the accusation that it was
your fault and you were trying to "swindle" them out
of a new cable. I would have got his name and called
Apple Customer Care or spoken with the store manager.
Those guys know to be friendly and more helpful than
that. But some bad eggs get through.

I also find the "one time replacement" rather funny
too. Are they going to put a flag on your account now
saying you got your free cable? Cripes...

Sadly I was only able to take advantage of this "MagSafe" feature once , when I pulled the cord off with my hand by accident .. uhm yay.. besides that , I have treated that adapter (specially arround the connector) like a small child, since it looked so **** weak. I even expected that I was going to have to replace it.... but burning!?! I should have been more aggresive in the genious bar , but I was just glad the guy even talked to me considering that I didn't have an appointment (I didn't know I'd need an appointement for a burned power plug that I thought could just be replaced).
Tomorrow I fly back home to los angeles, I will try to seak some intelligence in one of the area apple stores. I'm sure eventually I will get a new power cord, but will it be before my current one fully burns up? (don't even start telling me about how unsafe it is to use a burned plug) , or before my poor MBP's battery dies. The sad part is that when I do get a new power adapter (one way or another) it will in time kink up with minimal effort, and melt down again. I understand very much that problems can get through in early revs, but it's this unresposive reaction that is making me remove my apple sticker for my car.

It isn't just how you pull the cord from the port or push it back in, but you also have to be aware at each junction of the cable, if you bend it more than a certain angle you risk fraying at the junction. That's just the nature of cords that thin. It is safer to keep the cord at a straight out angle from the brick as well as from the computer, than bend it at any angle. Wrapping it around the brick ends that pull out can risk if you are't careful causing the cord to fray if the cord goes into the brick at a significant angle. To avoid that problem, when I travel, I don't wrap the cable around the brick ends.

One cause of this may be that Apple may be using wire that is not be annealed. I hope this isn't the case.....

I am in the manufacturing of technical equipment and have seen this happen.

In the industry that I'm in a competitor was not using annealed wire and not using a strain relief. The wire inside the cord was breaking in a very similar location as the MagSafe connector.

The competitor in question blamed it on user error for over a year then ended up having a recall after their sales reduced. They ended up emulating us and began using the same cord glands, strain relief’s and cable that we are using. This was flattering to say the least.


http://www.thefreedictionary.com/annealed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annealing


Mac Book Pro, Ipod Nano 8GB, G4 Tower, G3 Tower, Titanium Powerbook Mac OS X (10.4.8) Multiple operating systems... yes even Windozzzzzz

Dwain,
I hope you have called AppleCare and opened a case number with them. If not I suggest you do, and inform them of the process. I suggest everyone who has fraying cords consider doing so. It has after all been pointed out on the knowledgebase this problem can happen:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302461

By the way, I have no idea if Apple anneals their power adapters or not.

After trying numerous apple stores, and being told that they don't have MBP power adapters in stock to replace my melting one (they did have plenty for me to purchase ). I decided to call Apple Care directly, the tech that I spoke to was supper helpful and nice. Eventually after consulting with the engineers, she said they'll send me a new one. I was a bit surprised that she said they haven't really heard of this issue much, and kept insisting that this type of damage would normally be from miss-handling of the adapter . I know that I handled that power adapter with way more care than normal use would dictate. I was careful not to have it at any weird angles, twists or kinks, and didn't pull it from the cord to disconnect .
Please, if you're having this issue report it to apple care right away, a power adapter that breaks this easily (within months) is a useful as a laptop made of glass, and it won't hit their radar until they see numbers.


MackBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

MackBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

I had something that looked similar on mine, except no melting. It was just majorly frayed with the wire coming out at the end. I took it to an Apple store and they tried to tell me I did something to damage it!!! I only had the thing a few months with normal use. no yanking, pulling, dog chewing, etc. They tried to tell me I should contact Apple Care, because they wouldn't cover it. With enough persistance they di replace it. But it was a very frustrating experience. I do think there is something shoddy going on with the power cords. They should not be doing this under normal wear and tear.

This case seems to be on the side of an obvious warranty replacement issue.

Don't let this go to long... Or future MAC customers will be effected.

Apple needs to address this soon and nip it in the bud (sort of speak).

What should be done....

Ensure annealed cable is used.
Thicker outer shield on cable.
Better strain relief.

This should take care of this.


Mac Book Pro, Ipod Nano 8GB, G4 Tower, G3 Tower, Titanium Powerbook Mac OS X (10.4.8) Multiple operating systems... yes even Windozzzzzz