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USB-C charger and battery level not showing. Ack.

Argh!!!!! I am so angry. Like many posting on here, I am *already* well-versed and tech-savvy about Apple specific products, so I am tearing my hair out over this one.


I have a MacBook Pro, late 2016, running 10.13.2; 16GB of RAM and 750GB free space of 1 TB HDD. I keep my Mac (guts, software, cache in tip-top shape) I am super-p*ssed. Out of the blue, my battery indicator in upper right no longer works / charging not working.


As always, I plug my Mac in at night to charge while I am asleep. This morning, I noticed that it was at 22% after a full night of charging. (I am sure it usually charges from low-teens to 100% in an hour or two anyway.) So, I figured maybe I had a bad cord or something. I tried TWO different Apple brand 87W USB-C power adapters (yes, of course, I own two) as well as several different USB-C cords (Apple brand and other). I have NEVER had a problem. Well, nothing worked.


At best, the battery indicator in upper left of ribbon which shows "22% <battery symbol>" would change so that the battery symbol shows a lightning bolt, indicating plugged in... BUT IT DOES NOT TURN BLACK with lightning bolt to indicate it is charging. ACK!!! 😠


And yes, I tried SMC reset (that only frustrated me more as I had to redo Touch ID).


So, I scheduled a call like a dope, from the Apple Support app on my iPhone 8 Plus. This should not happen to my device. No no no no. Bad Apple. Bad bad bad. Make this right. Send me a new Mac TODAY. Super p*ssed.


Anyone else with WORKING IDEAS?


Since this issue a couple hours ago, I have googled and checked Apple Support on here and see I am not the only one with a fudged up USB-C MacBook Pro super-dang-expensive machine. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



MacBook Pro TouchBar and Touch ID, macOS High Sierra (10.13.2)

Posted on Dec 15, 2017 5:27 AM

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Posted on Dec 15, 2017 6:00 AM

If you have Apple Care plus you are within the period for warranty repairs. If not, you should still try to get it back to an Apple store because the fault may be in the inner workings and known. In which case they'd usually inspect it and report to you free. You could at least then try to negotiate if there were repair costs.


All the above would be subject to which country you live in as not all countries have Apple Care plus or free evaluations, especially with authorised re-sellers, which are in the main, private businesses.


It appears to me to be a software fault because if the indicator was not working, the charging facility could be ... and it appears that isn't either. It would help to establish that when you take it back. Do you have a friend with a similar machine that could test the charger and cables for you (though an Apple store should do that, indeed, any half decent electrical supplier could).


I wish I could be more practically helpful.

7 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Dec 15, 2017 6:00 AM in response to phdezra

If you have Apple Care plus you are within the period for warranty repairs. If not, you should still try to get it back to an Apple store because the fault may be in the inner workings and known. In which case they'd usually inspect it and report to you free. You could at least then try to negotiate if there were repair costs.


All the above would be subject to which country you live in as not all countries have Apple Care plus or free evaluations, especially with authorised re-sellers, which are in the main, private businesses.


It appears to me to be a software fault because if the indicator was not working, the charging facility could be ... and it appears that isn't either. It would help to establish that when you take it back. Do you have a friend with a similar machine that could test the charger and cables for you (though an Apple store should do that, indeed, any half decent electrical supplier could).


I wish I could be more practically helpful.

Dec 15, 2017 5:59 AM in response to seventy one

Hi "seventy one" -- appreciate your reply. Yes, with a machine like this, I absolutely have Apple Care plus. I'm just annoyed at having to spend time to DRIVE to an Apple Store to take care of this issue. It is obviously not a user-error, but a d*mn Apple scr*w-up as many posts on here suggest. And, naturally, for every post you see on here, there are dozens of others with same issue who are not posting. ARGGGH! 👿


Yes, for $2000+ Apple Care + everything else, they should SEND me a new machine and I will return this. Take a page out of Amazon customer-centric support.


Meanwhile, I have a phone call with Support scheduled for this morning, per Apple Support app. I suppose I am posting this here, more than anything else, so that others who have the same issue can see the fault. This is NOT something you can fix. And YES -- my relative has a MacBook Pro 13" (I have the 15"); same year, touch bar, blah blah blah... and no issues there (yet). Clearly, something in my computer.


While I have everything backed up to the cloud, etc... it would still be REALLY d*amn annoying if I had to setup a new Mac.


Emphasis on *G-D D*MN ANNOYING* for people who know what they are doing and expect this NOT to happen. This is not a Dell from 1998.


Super p*ssed.

Dec 15, 2017 6:49 AM in response to phdezra

Thanks. Anyone else feel free to join in. INCLUDING APPLE!!


Situation gets better. Apple called me at the scheduled time for my support call. I explained, succinctly, my MacBook Pro model and the issue with the USB-C not charging/battery not indicating on screen. So the support rep says to me "On the power adapter, when you plug it into the Mac, what color light is it?"


So, of course, I'm like "What?! It is a USB-C. There is no color light on the adapter. This is not a MagSafe that is going to show orange or green." After a few flustered comments, the Apple rep hangs up on me!


MAD!

Dec 15, 2017 6:58 AM in response to phdezra

What country are you in?


Just been looking at one of those plugs. They are very complex in structure. I'm just wondering if occasionally yours has been exposed to soiling of some kind. If you can see enough, you could try to brush both plug and port with a stiff, clean and dry brush (new toothbrushes should be fine). This is nothing but inspiration, so don't hit me too hard.

USB-C charger and battery level not showing. Ack.

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