What Was Happening
A customer from Hammersmith W6 brought in a MacBook Pro 15-inch 2015 (A1398) that had stopped charging reliably. The MagSafe indicator light was only coming on intermittently — sometimes orange, sometimes nothing at all. The battery had been draining progressively despite the charger being connected, and the machine had eventually reached a point where it could not hold enough charge to boot reliably.
The customer worked from this machine in a media company office near Hammersmith Broadway and had been using it with the charger connected almost continuously for the past year. They had already tried a different outlet and assumed the charger itself was failing.
Our Diagnosis
The first diagnostic step was testing the customer’s charger on a second MacBook Pro of the same generation. The charger lit green and delivered a full charge on the test machine, which ruled out the charger as the fault.
With the charger confirmed functional, the fault was either the MagSafe DC-in board (the internal component the MagSafe connector attaches to) or, in a worse scenario, the logic board’s power management section.
We opened the machine and tested the DC-in board directly. The board was showing no output voltage — it was receiving the charger’s signal input but not converting and passing it to the logic board’s power management circuit. The connector itself showed evidence of repeated insertion wear: the pins inside the DC-in board connector were slightly recessed and the magnetic engagement was noticeably weaker than a healthy connector.
The logic board power management section was tested separately and confirmed healthy. The fault was entirely within the DC-in board.
How We Fixed It
We replaced the MagSafe DC-in board with a compatible replacement. On the A1398, the DC-in board is a discrete component connected to the logic board via a ribbon cable — it is not soldered to the board and can be replaced without logic board work.
The replacement board was fitted, the MagSafe connector re-engaged, and the machine was connected to the charger. The indicator light turned amber immediately, confirming the board was receiving the charger signal and drawing current for charging. Over the following 30 minutes we monitored the battery state of charge as it climbed steadily, confirming the charging circuit was working through its full range.
The Result
The MacBook Pro was returned to the Hammersmith customer the same day with charging fully restored. Battery reached full charge and held it with the charger connected. The machine was ready for use at the office the following morning.
Why Charging Port Failures Are Common in Professional Use
MacBooks used primarily in office environments, kept plugged in for most of their working life, see a different wear pattern from machines used mostly on battery. The MagSafe connector is inserted and removed multiple times a day in active office use — between desk and meeting room, between office and home, when packing up at the end of the day. Each insertion and removal cycle wears the connector pin surfaces fractionally.
The A1398 MagSafe 2 connector, while a strong design, has pin-based contacts that wear over time. Machines used in professional environments for several years frequently reach the point where the connector engagement is mechanically sound but the electrical contact resistance has increased enough to cause intermittent charging behaviour. This presents identically to a faulty charger, which is why testing with a known-good charger is the essential first diagnostic step.
Prevention Tips
- If your MagSafe light is inconsistent — sometimes orange, sometimes green, sometimes nothing — test with a known-good charger before assuming the charger is faulty
- Avoid pulling the charger by the cable; grip the MagSafe connector itself when removing it, which reduces wear on both the connector pins and the cable stress point
- MacBooks used on battery regularly rather than permanently connected tend to see slower connector wear and better long-term battery health
- If the machine is not charging and the charger is confirmed functional, bring it in for diagnosis — logic board power management issues can sometimes be resolved without board replacement if caught early
Local Help in Hammersmith W6
We carry out MacBook charging fault diagnosis and repair at our Putney workshop for customers in Hammersmith W6 and surrounding areas. Free collection is available from W6 — parking around Hammersmith Broadway is difficult and collection is usually the most practical option.
Related Services
- MacBook Repair — hardware repairs for all MacBook models including charging faults
- MacBook Repair in Hammersmith — local service for W6
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