Macbook A1278 2008 MB467LL/A Spill Damage Repair log

[xalu]

Hello again,

I came across a cheap 2008 Macbook unibody MB467LL/A and decided I would go for it to see if I could repair it.

I just wanted to note my progress here and if anyone wants to chime in feel free.
(I currently have a shitty phone (mine broke--no couldnt fix it ) so no photos)

So when I received the laptop first thing I did was plugged it in. The magsafe started blinking green after I pressed the power button. On and off. (Power not getting to where it needs to go). Removing the battery gave me an amber flashing light when I plugged it in.

So I pulled it apart and saw it was covered in whatever spilled on it. It was very hard to get what appeared to be corrosion off the board. I used qtips with alcohol. After a while got it clean. Tried again and same problem.

The DC adapter was especially corroded. It seems like it shouldnt be broken since it was doing something but testing it with a volt meter is proving that it could in fact have something gone bad on it. I am going to look at that later.

After I cleaned the board I inspected it. I noticed that it appeared to be missing a couple components based on the look of some of the pads. Sure enough it is based on the board view. Missing C6915, C6880, and a corner of the plastic on T3902 is broken off. I am still testing components and looking for anything missing. My guess is these were separated from the board slightly and I knocked them off when I was cleaning it. Or its possible they were missing before. Last, I could have just knocked good pieces off the board. Still trying to verify if anything else is missing. I know A continuity check on fuses looks good so far, but not 100% sure I checked them all.

Side note: board view says there is something suppose to be near C68820, R6882, however its not there (and doesnt look like it should be), and when I looked at photos of other boards it wasnt there. So I am a bit confused if anyone has any input on that. Also if you have a high resolution clear board images (top/bottom) that would be helpful. I cant find one thats the same and clear. The board is 820-2327-A.

I will be working on it and updating this original post. I want to see if I can confirm the Magsafe DC board is in fact dead or not then I can either repair it or a order a new one for around $10 on ebay. The part for this is 820-2361-A.

Happy April!! (its spring finally!!!)

[xalu]

Re: Macbook A1278 2008 MB467LL/A Spill Damage Repair log

Guess I cant edit the original post.

Okay...so I tested the DC input on its own. I thought it was blown but now I am not sure.

I am getting different results depending on the charger I put in. If I use the 65w charger that puts out 17V I am getting 17v that drops way down to 0 randomly.
On the DC board itself I cant get a reading when its connected to the 65w..I get like .5v where this person was getting 6v

Reference post

Now, here is the strange part. If I go with my other charger (a chinese copy) thats only 45w I am getting just under 15v everywhere (on the DC board and the logic board).

So the question I am posing (for myself included ) is if this is because its underpowered and not causing the issue...or if the other charger (which works fine with the macbook air A1237) is for some reason causing issues.

[xalu]

Re: Macbook A1278 2008 MB467LL/A Spill Damage Repair log

So I started getting frustrated that the DC board or the charger wasnt working and the other tests that I was doing were pointless until I solved the power in.

Then it clicked I have the DC board from the 2008 macbook air. I checked the schematics and it looked good. Worked great in the macbook air. A stable 17V. After moving it to the Macbook it started doing exactly the same thing as the other DC board.

Conclusion, the DC board isn't causing the voltage jump. The jump seems to be from 17V to 8V over and over. I think the 1-wire circuit is at fault. Specifically, U6915 is where the cap C6915 was missing. I found a .1uf cap and did the best I could to get it on.

It is obviously something around that area. Whats good is that I know its not the charger.

It could also be U7000 isn't providing the voltage to the 1-wire circuit. It is a pain to check voltage here. I will update on my results. Working on taking some photos.

[Agent24]

Re: Macbook A1278 2008 MB467LL/A Spill Damage Repair log

You look like you already know what you're doing but you might find some of the videos here https://www.youtube.com/user/rossmanngroup/videos useful