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Mid 2010 Model A1278 / 2.4 or 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo processor

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Why is the logic board not detecting the battery?

I'm working on a macbook pro 13.3" that wouldn't power on due to some liquid damage, I managed to clean the board and got it up and running, everything is being detected except the battery. I get an X at the top. I've tried two adapters and a different battery and it just wont detect a battery being present. Also when I turn it on I get no chime but it boots into MAC OS. I've tried zapping the NVRAM, but I cant get a chime and the speakers work. Is it possible that the two problems are connected?

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Can you give us the last four digits of your systems serial number so we can correct identify which model you have.

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Is the X red or black?

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black x, WQ43DZATM

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MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz 13" Mid-2010

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Did you remove the logic board completely? Often when a spill happens it effects the other sides components.

If you look just above the battery connector on the left you'll see a four legged on one side chip. This is a switching FET. On the other side you should see six more just like it (they have a fifth larger pin on the other side of the four pins). Make sure they are all fully clean of any corrosion and have no discoloration. The ones nearest the battery connector control the switching between the battery and the AC adapter in conjunction with the SMC services.

You should download this little gem: coconutBattery It will show you the status of the battery and it's charging. Post a screen shot of it with and without the charger so we can see what it tells us.

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can I see a general picture of what this fet is suppose to look like? yes I did take the board out and cleaned it with rubbing alcohol and a toothbrush all over, thats how I got the board to power up. There are no more corroded spots that I can see, if you can show me the general area to find what you described then I can go from there.

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Simular to this MOS FET

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Did you checkout coconutBattery? what does it tell you? Post a screen shot so we can see.

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I tried to run coconut battery, and the program crashes a few seconds after trying to open it. Their is no corrosion near any of the fuses and mosfets near the battery. their is a 3 leg one just below the connector, but can't find any other. my model is a 2.4GHZ core 2 duo 13.3", do you need a picture of the area to help me a little better?

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You may need the older version of coconut if it's crashing.

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On some models muting sound will also mute the chime. You should to go over the cleaned (formerly damaged) parts with a magnifier and look for burn marks, swollen components. I know of no other process for DIY diagnosing logic board component failure.

If you're up to logic board component repair (not a DIY project for most users - logic board soldering requires special tools and skills) finding the part is step one.

If logic board component repair is beyond your skill set you could try one of the services from e-bay that offer logic board rebuilds (no - I don't have any suggestions or favorites).

There are no software "fixes" for hardware issues.

If this answer is acceptable please remember to return and mark it.

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Logic board repair doesn't scare me, I'm willing to do soldering to fix the problem, I just need to know where to start. When I try to zap the nvram, sometimes the board goes into sleep mode and I have to remove the adapter so I can start it up again, but I've never seen a board where the battery wasn't detected.

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After an ultrasonic cleaning, of 1 minute per side, in a sweep mode ultrasonic(NOT A JEWELRY CLEANER), with 1 gallon of distilled water and 103 milliliters of branson EC, dip in 99% alcohol. Let it dry for a day, then try again.

Check pullup resistors on data line to SMC, R5281 & R5280.

See what you get on an oscilloscope, should be pulsing between 2.1v ant 3.3v if all is good.

If you see that but still no battery, check current sense resistors R7051 & R7052 & R7050, traces between them and U7000. Also check trace between CHGR_BGATE & Q7055.

If all of that is good, bad SMC. Good luck soldering that with the 0.25mm balls, that is misery. Also you have to get it from a DONOR board because none of them come with programming and there is no way to program them.

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Louis, Focus on the unanswered questions and the ones that don't have an accepted answer as well.

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Michael will be eternally grateful.
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