MBP A1278 Not Powering Up

1. Your battery is failing or has already failed.
2. The charger isn't working.
3. There is a motherboard problem.

Make an appointment at the Apple Genius Bar for service. If you need to find an Apple Store - Find a Store - Apple.

1. Battery issue is a possibility. Question: Will this model power on without a battery? I heard that some models will still power on with power cord connected without battery.

Yes. Remove the battery and run with AC charger plugged in.

2. Power cord is fine as it's working with my other MBP.

OK.

3. Motherboard ? Could be. Not sure if replacing a motherboard is a DIY task.

It could be, but A1278 isn't a model identifier. To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities' folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right. You may also find the complete model information by selecting About This Mac from the Apple menu.

Kappy wrote:

Does the machine have a user-removable battery? You still did not provide that information.

A1278 is one of the 13" Unibody MBPs (mid-2009 to mid-2012). I think it only applies to the bottom cover though, since there are slight differences in the case such as different bezel color? However, Apple doesn't consider the battery user-serviceable, but easy enough to do with the right tools. From the description, the OP has the tools to test all this.

I still can't figure out if the new ones are supposed to work with a completely dead battery, and I'm not pulling mine out to find out. I did that with my 2007 MacBook, and that actually worked without the battery pulled while it was in sleep mode. It was really odd too. It looked like the System Profiler still had all the battery information collected at power-on, but then charge/health showed nothing and of course "Battery installed" said no.

I found some YouTube video of a guy who demonstrated a mid-2010 MBP without a battery. He uses somewhat strong language, but nothing I'd be terribly upset about if said in front of my 7-year old. It actually started up, the front light started blinking, and he could start up from option.

Using a mid-2010 MacBook Pro without the battery - YouTube

pepsundar wrote:

I'm not sure what you mean by 'user removable'. After removing back cover, I had to remove 2 screws to take the battery out. Let me take some pictures and post tomorrow morning. Thank you.

Apple doesn't consider the battery in any of the Unibody MBP models to be "user-serviceable". I've seen the battery myself and seen aftermarket guides on how to replace the battery. It's actually pretty easy I'd think with a #00 Phillips screwdriver and a tri-wing screwdriver (which I'm guessing you have). However, they should have a label that says versions of "Warning: Do not remove the battery" in English, French, German, and Japanese. The consequence is that Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider reserves the right to refuse to service a machine if the battery has been removed by the user. However, it's more likely that they'll look at one with an aftermarket battery and refuse to service it out of warranty.

Having seen video of someone operating a 13" Unibody MacBook Pro without a battery, I'm thinking that there's probably something more serious with the power circuitry of your computer.

If the battery is not user-serviceable according to Apple's warranty, etc., then removing the battery or replacing it with a non-Apple part by an uncertified technician voids any future servicing by Apple regardless of whether a warranty exists or has expired. Bear this in mind before replacing the battery. It may well be the case that without the battery installed the computer will not run on just the charger.

The people to talk to would be OWC because they carry replacement batteries for different models. It would seem from what you have reported that the battery is failing in some way.

Again there are nuances in warranty protection laws depending on jurisdiction. If I had replaced the battery on my MBP during the warranty period, US federal law says that warranty repairs can’t be denied solely on that basis. After the warranty expires is another matter however.

I don’t know where the OP is located, but I’m guessing India based on the username.

pepsundar wrote:

I'm in bay area. Will schedule an appointment at genius bar and find out what they have to say. If this model MBP won't start without a battery, the only option for me is to buy a replacement battery (available for $40-$50); install it and see if it helps. If it still doesn't start, then I will take it to Apple (or a 3rd party repair shop).

Thank you

Cool. Just making a wild guess from your username. It sometimes works. 😕

Of course it's probably best that you put the battery back in. I'm not even sure they can run any kind of normal diagnostic if it doesn't power up. I've brought in an Apple notebook computer for a battery issue before, and that diagnostic connected through USB.

Does the machine have a user-removable battery? You still did not provide that information.