Q: MacBook A1342 Won't turn on, the light blinks
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Aug 28, 2016 12:07 AMby K Shaffer,If your MacBook identifies with the following, you may be able to do some aspects
of troubleshooting or repair DIY. As indicated by another user who posted twice, &
you replied to one of those, the issue may reside in the need to replace the power
circuit known as MagSafe Board (a DC-in Board) and in your model it can be done.
• MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2010)
Introduced May 2010
Discontinued July 2011
Model Identifier MacBook7,1
Model Number A1342
EMC 2395
Order Number MC516LL/A
If you are a DIY person, to try replacement of this part, carefully, may resolve the issue
OR it may simply prove the other more costly part may be required. Even if you bought
a new Logic Board, this power board would be required; perhaps as separate purchase.
An independent AASP would be most likely to repair this old of a unit. A diagnostic
may be performed by an official Apple store with Genius, that may help troubleshoot.
If you are not comfortable with the detailed takepart and reassembly to solve this issue
an AASP may find when actually looking into the taken-apart MacBook, the power board
could be the real problem. Sometimes, they can suggest 'worse-case scenario' just in case
they take in a Mac and find once it is opened on the bench, a different part is to blame.
• MacBook Unibody Model A1342 Repair Guide - iFixit:
.. 2.26 or 2.4 GHz / White plastic unibody enclosure ..
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/MacBook_Unibody_Model_A1342
Although most shops are honest, I've found a few that may go as far as saying the 'Logic
Board is defective' - when a smaller adjacent circuit board, separate, is the problem. This
may mean they are sloppy in diagnostic, or did not perform detailed diagnostic; and threw
you a 'best guess' highest cost repair to see if you'd retreat or pay up. Like a car dealership.
In the above guide, the 'MagSafe Board' details are in separate section; others are artfully shown.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Unibody+Model+A1342+MagSafe+Board+Replaceme nt/1676
Online, there are shops that specialize in repair of portable Mac computers and have almost
every part made; they are also competitive in cost plus parts. Some will send you a box; &
a few will do quite a bit for free, before giving you a Quote based on their takeapart finding.
Sites such as powerbookmedic, wegenermedia, and others offer repairs; some offer fully
repaired models (as they fix them for a living) and at various times, you may find one you
like for about what the repair estimate given you by a local shop. My local shops cited huge
markups over the cost estimate (and actual price paid by me) for repairs; it was only 30%
of the full local cost to ship a Mac portable to wegenermedia for repair, including shipping.
Since the entire computer was tested, they offered a limited guaranty on the whole machine.
You can also buy known-good parts from pre-owned MacBooks, places such as
powerbookmedic sometimes show more than one choice that matches your mac.
And other dedicated repair shops can repair the actual logic board; wegenermedia
can do that, among other reputable shops who've been in the trade many years.
(Avoid used MagSafe Boards, + odd bits; unless as-new, cheap/working, or free.)
So if the numbers don't add up, consider other options; if you need to have an older Mac to
run older software, & have older peripherals to match, then no point in the upgrade/new path.
Just avoid new iDevice temptation; since the sync to iOS will drive you to a new/er MacOS.
In any event...
Good luck & happy computing!
