Unable to charge Macbook (Mid-2010, 13")

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Apple_1996 Author

Level 1

8 points

Unable to charge Macbook (Mid-2010, 13")

As the title says - I have an older laptop that at this moment, I can't use. The battery was drained to 5% because I was working on something at the time and went the longest I could before it could go off on its own. As a result there's no way to power it right now, can't access configs or try various resets.

Some pointers to make this question clear and more understandable for those who could help:

Last purchased an adapter from a trusted Apple retailer, this machine uses the L-style MagSafe connector.
Other outlets around my home have been tested.
I've switched out the three-prong AC cord for the two-prong ("duckhead") but no luck with both. LED not lit.
Always made sure the adapter is in an area where it wouldn't overheat.
I don't see any sort of strain damage or tear on the smaller part of the charger cable.
The MagSafe pins on the charger are fine, none bent or stuck down.
Any possible dust or dirt has been cleaned out of the MagSafe port on the side of my Macbook.
While not all that important, I recently downloaded the most security updates for OSX El Capitan.

In short - I've tried nearly everything listed at "Apple Portables: Troubleshooting MagSafe adapters" but right now I've got no solution. Someone on the website Reddit suggested it could be my MagSafe board but a second opinion would always be great. I've had concerns that it may be my battery but the last I checked its status (using coconutBattery) I had a little over 1,100 power cycles and nearly 70% battery capacity remaining. No replacements or upgrades have been applied to my computer besides the cable I bought two years ago.

Thank you in advance. If worst comes to worst I'll have to take it in to the Apple store near me and work out a fix.

OBS,MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2010), OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on May 27, 2018 2:07 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

May 27, 2018 2:41 PM in response to Apple_1996

The expected life of the battery is 1,000 cycles. Your battery has gone its limit. I would replace the battery or decide to replace your 8-year old computer with something newer. If you decide to take it in for service they will provide a determination of what needs to be done along with an estimate of the repair cost. They would also arrange to recycle it if you buy a new model from them.

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Answer 2

Apple_1996 Author

Level 1

8 points

May 27, 2018 3:01 PM in response to Kappy

Though it did indeed hit the cycle limit I didn't see any serious issues. Battery could last for 2-3 hours with heavy use and "Service Battery" only came up twice within the last five months - for example. Though if there's just the wild chance my battery could give out just like that then I'll have to look into replacements.

All options open right now besides replacing the laptop itself, don't have the money. Thanks in advance, I'll keep this question open for more answers a little longer.

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Answer 3

Lanny

Level 6

13,183 points

May 27, 2018 3:31 PM in response to Apple_1996

just the wild chance my battery could give out just like that then I'll have to look into replacements.

Look sooner rather than later. The batteries could easily swell and ruin your MacBook beyond repair.

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Answer 4

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

May 27, 2018 3:30 PM in response to Apple_1996

You did not report all about the battery. Apple's stats indicate if the battery needs to be replaced. If you are seeing "Service Battery" reports then you need to replace the battery.

You could still use the machine by connecting the AC charger with or without the battery. In the latter case, the CPU will throttle down by 50% so it won't be as fast. Otherwise, the charger will try to charge the battery while in use but charging will be very slow.

OWC should have a fresh replacement battery for the computer. Price may be around $129.00. It will not be an unbranded, reconditioned battery. If you can remove the bottom plate then you can replace the battery.

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Answer 5

Apple_1996 Author

Level 1

8 points

May 27, 2018 3:30 PM in response to Kappy

Kappy wrote:

You did not report all about the battery. Apple's stats indicate if the battery needs to be replaced. If you are seeing "Service Battery" reports then you need to replace the battery.

My mistake - I never did include that in the original post but made note of my power cycle count and the estimated remaining capacity the software was showing. Also since you're more knowledgeable than me on Apple products I would assume you've heard about the people who had the "Service Battery" reports but after a quick reset or calibration (such as SMC) it fixed their issue. In that very case, that's what I did and I haven't seen the warning again quite yet. I can't double-check again right now though so that's a little unfortunate.

Either way it does sound like I'll have to replace my battery. The same place I bought my charge cable from (listed as a trusted Apple location/reseller) does also have batteries so I may end up giving them a call.

Thanks again!

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Answer 6

y_p_w

Level 6

17,642 points

May 27, 2018 4:03 PM in response to Apple_1996

Have you thought of at least bringing it in to some place where you could try a different MagSafe power adapter? I have an older one and another machine that can use it, so I'd be able to test both the adapter with a different machine, or my machine with another adapter.

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Unable to charge Macbook (Mid-2010, 13")

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