What to do when MBA won't boot at all (ie no chime, black screen, no fans etc)

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What to do when MBA won't boot at all (ie no chime, black screen, no fans etc)

I was given a broken MBA (mid-2013 model) that was dropped. Has not worked since it was dropped, and was basically given to me to see if I can fix, and I can keep it if I fix it. Here is my problem:

Computer doesn't respond to power button at all. MagSafe charger used to be orange, now it's green after fully charging. Still won't turn on. No start up chime, no fans working, absolutely nothing happens.

I've opened it up to see if anything on the inside is jacked...the only thing I can see is that there is a small crack near a screw on the battery.

There is also, on the exterior, a small dent in the corner of the display, but it doesn't seem nearly bad enough to do any real damage?

Things I've tried doing...

- SMC reset,

- taking out battery, unplugging magsafe, pressing down power button, inserting magsafe again, reconnecting battery...now, this does get me somewhere - the fan turns on. Nothing else happens though. Screen still black, keyboard isn't lit or anything...

- pressing power button down for 10+ seconds,

- disconnecting and reconnecting the hard drive

- shaking the laptop like a weirdo as seen on these forums elsewhere, to no avail

Not really sure what to do from here. I am being told by Apple to drive it about an hour away to diagnose, is there not a way to mail it in? Is there anything else I can do here? I've seen articles advising to switch out the RAM which I haven't tried yet but not really sure where to start on that anyway...any advice?

Is it just a dud? My friend says he'd just want $100 for the whole laptop, and I only need to pay if I can fix it or want to keep it and sell for parts. So...I don't want to give up just yet, I really need a freaking computer! What should I do? Does this sound like a situation where I'd have to just replace the logic board? ...and is that truly only $280 from Apple?!

MacBook Air

Posted on Nov 19, 2015 8:17 AM

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Answer 1

John Galt

Level 10

141,162 points

Nov 19, 2015 8:39 AM in response to heyaddi

...and is that truly only $280 from Apple?!

If Apple can fix your Mac for that little, it's a steal. Grab it with both hands.

There isn't much anyone on this site can do, considering an attempt to diagnose your MBA from afar. Look for disconnected cables, etc. Some connections are very tiny. Getting the fan to operate is an encouraging sign. Does the Caps Lock LED illuminate?

You can't switch out the RAM. It's soldered in place, with microscopic solder joints on a multilayer PCB. It's not the problem anyway.

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Answer 2

heyaddi Author

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Nov 19, 2015 8:56 AM in response to John Galt

Thanks for the reply! What I've read online is that a $280 repair can be asked for from Apple saying something like "Uhh, can I have the $280 price through Depot" I don't know much about it - I thought it was an insane deal also.

At this point, I'm probably just in denial about a failed logic board 🙂

There's no disconnected cables that I can tell, granted, I haven't had a Mac laptop open since I tried to rescue my poor G4 iBook after Hurricane Katrina (lmao). Do you know if there's a guide anywhere that will show me like "Ok, you've got the battery and HD out, now here's how to take out the logic board or keyboard or blah blah" ? Like what if I need to go deeper into this silly laptop?

I'm considering making the trek out to that authorized technician an hour away...it's in a cool town, maybe I could make a day of it or something. Maybe I'll try that soon and see if those guys can tell me what's going on.

I'm a little antsy about it because to me, I'm looking at it as a $700 computer that I will only pay $100 for. Willing to put up to $500 in it w/ switching out parts if need be, if that means I can have my own computer again. My friend has already replaced his MBA with a brand new model. Must be nice lol

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Answer 3

John Galt

Level 10

141,162 points

Nov 20, 2015 8:55 AM in response to heyaddi

Not all Apple Stores offer that "depot repair" option, nor do I know if all Macs are eligible for it, but definitely ask for it by that name. It may or may not require a logic board. Apple can make that determination, after which you can decide what to do with it.

Do you know if there's a guide anywhere ...

Yes. Use iFixit's website for disassembly instructions with detailed photographs. Your old G4 iBook is like working on a diesel locomotive compared to the MBA though. It's not impossible to work on, just tedious.

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Answer 4

heyaddi Author

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Nov 20, 2015 8:57 AM in response to John Galt

Awesome, thanks for the info! The iFixit tutorial for the logic board replacement looks totally doable...I'm gonna call Apple one last time, and then possibly make that trip out to the authorized reseller/technician to diagnose it and go from there. Thanks again!

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