smc issues caused by battery?

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smc issues caused by battery?

I have a mid 2009 macbook pro 13 inch that had some water damage a couple of years ago, this knocked out the question mark and key but nothing else. It has started showing the classic SMC issues (charger light not coming on, not starting up). If i unplug the battery I can get it to start in the SMC bypass mode with the fan running on full. This all seemed pretty clear cut, i tried updating firmware and PRAM reset, no effect. I have found that I can get it to restart by plugging in then unplugging the battery, it will then boot up normally as if nothing was wrong aside from the charger light not working. If i plug the battery in again it will sleep. It will not start up unless the battery is plugged in and then pulled out. I cannot find any mention of this quirk is my searches and I was wondering if it points towards anything different that might be fixable?

I live miles away from an apple store and by the time I start paying someone else to look at it, the repair will quickly become uneconomical so if it isn't fixable by me its going on ebay to be replaced by a lenovo!

Many thanks!

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Feb 7, 2016 12:33 AM

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Answer 1

seventy one

Level 7

27,430 points

Feb 7, 2016 12:57 AM in response to jtj898

Hello jtj,

Not sure you are truly appreciating the situation. You have a (relatively) old machine, that has had water problems, and that is using a much more power absorbing OS than it was delivered with.

It needs an Apple technical assessment and I think you know this. You are using too many non standard actions to keep it going for anyone to offer real pracrtical advice. I understand the problem of being located away from an Apple store but except for replacing the machine, the short term future looks bleak, let alone the longer term.

You clearly have some expertise and I think you would find a new Macbook Pro your answer. There is nothing Apple has done to make you consider another manufacturer, for indeed, it was you that spilt the water.

Out of interest, i was looking at a Lenova machine the other day and although my budget is limited, I was not very impressed, even with the top spec model.

I realise this is but a (well meant) comment, but I think you were more expressing your current feelings than asking a question. Good luck, whichever option you take.

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