Ron Schenone

Apple MacBook Power Adapter – Is There A Problem?

Posted by on Sep 23, 2007 | 29 Comments

I was reading a post this morning in one of the forums concerning the MagSafe power adapter for the MacBook. The poster complained of having to replace the adapter only after six months of use with a new one. I went over to the Apple store and this seems to be a problem for many who are using this new type of adapter.

If you are not familiar with the adapter, Apple explains that it is:

The 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter features a magnetic DC connector that ensures your power cable will disconnect if it experiences undue strain and helps prevent fraying or weakening of the cables over time. In addition, the magnetic DC helps guide the plug into the system for a quick and secure connection.

When the connection is secure, an LED located at the head of the DC connector will light; an amber light lets you know that your portable is charging, while a green light tells you that you have a full charge. An AC cord is provided with the adapter for maximum cord length, while the AC wall adapter (also provided) gives users an even easier and more compact way to travel.

A replacement adapter is $79.95 so this is no inexpensive item. I noted that of the 392 reviews, the adapter was only given a rating of 2 out of 5 stars. Which would seem to indicate that there are not many folks that are very happy with this type of an adapter.

Not knowing very much about Apple nor their products, I guess my question is, are these adapters defective in design? What is Apples stance on replacing these adapters?

Comments welcome.

Apple reviews here.

[tags]apple, magsafe, adapter, power, macbook, [/tags]

  • Tom

    I’ve owned my Macbook now for about 5 months without any issues with the MagSafe. However, I will admit being careful using it since the cord from the computer connection to the power brick appears to be somewhat fragile. I can certainly see how some users could have a problem with this portion of the cord (Separating either from the power bick or connector.)

    As for price, the cost for the Macbook power cord/supply is comparable with what I paid to replace a Dell Inspiron power cord a couple of years ago. I would note that the Dell power supply cord seems to be much more robust.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Tim,
    Thanks for your comments and for sharing your experience with us.
    Ron

  • Dean

    I moment ago I noticed my black MacBook was acting like the power cord was not connected, yet the power cord was connected. I noticed the charging light was off and reached to the the magsafe piece to jiggle it. It was hot, and I noticed the cable’s insulation near the magsafe head was beginning to turn brown from the heat.
    Good thing I was using the computer when I saw this occur. Otherwise, I do not know how hot and burnt/melted/shorted the power cord would have become.

    I’ll take a picture.

    I’ll be taking it to the Apple Store this morning to see what they say and do.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hello Dean,
    Please let us know what happens.
    TIA, Ron

  • dominique

    Same experience. Just got the “you’re running on battery power message” with the MagSafe plugged into a 2006 MacBook Intel). I looked at the power cord and saw it was burnt and melted at the point where it goes into the magsafe jack. Like others, I’m off to the Apple Store to (presumably) buy a new one-it’s Saturday morning and I can’t wait several weeks to recharge.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/webwahala/ Ms. Wahala

    That’s exactly what happened to me. I wrote a long winded post about this n my blog about a month ago. But long story short, if you need a replacement fast, offline, try calling in the part number to apple or best buy. Online, try PowerBookGuy – email first, they answer pretty fast. Then try Amazon, it will say on their page that handling takes an extra day if they’re not in stock, but if you order overnight shipping you’ll still get it pretty fast. Finally, online you can go to the Apple site, but don’t expect them to ship in less than 5 business days.

    No kidding – FIVE days.

  • Rusty

    I had the same problem with my charger for my macbook. The wires started to spark near the magsafe adapter and the sheath melted, exposing some of the wires. I took it to the Apple store, and after much wheeling and dealing they finally gave me a new one free of charge (my macbook was OUT of warranty). After reading many posts on Apple’s website regarding this issue, it appears that many ppl are just buying new one’s. DO NOT buy a new one, get Apple to replace it for FREE. Make sure to tell them that this is a very common defect (just look up the customer reviews for this product at apple.com), and that it creates a serious fire and safety hazard. If you don’t get anywhere, ask for a manager, and don’t take no for an answer.

  • http://MYPOWERADAPTERGOTFRIED james

    I bought my macbook about 14 months ago and a few days ago I noticed the power adapter got all burnt and melted where the adapter meets the macbook. I could see the wires and I’m suprised it didn’t break off. I printed up this page along with the reviews from apple.com for the power adapter and took them to the apple store with my adapter. I told them it seemed like it is a common problem and I wasn’t going to pay for a new one (as nice as i could) even though I was out of warranty. When I showed them how many people are having problems they quickly brought me a new power adapter and I was out of the store in less than 5 minutes. Although it is the 3rd time i’ve had to go to the apple store with a problem regarding my macbook. This will probably be the last mac I buy.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi James,
    I’m glad this helped you get a new adapter. I wouldn’t give up on the Mac though. Both Dell and HP seem to have adapter problems as well. :-(

    Regards, Ron

  • lawrence

    I’ve had the same problem and have had two friends who have had the same problem. Here’s how I fixed it. I took apart the apple adapter wire and saw that it’s built much like a cable for a television with an external wire and a center wire. I then took a cable wire apart (about 4 inches) and twisted it together and then wrapped it round and round the external apple adapter wire. I then took a hot glue gun and coated it once it went around the existing broken apple wire. The wire connected the two and then I wrapped electrical tape around it and plugged it in. It works perfectly but looks silly. Still, I’ve saved about $200 for all three and am happy to share this technique with everyone.

    It only takes about 10 minutes at most to fix so it’s incredibly fast.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Thanks lawrence for you comments and fix. I did another article posting your suggestion.

    http://wp3.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/02/03/apple-two-wire-power-adapter-here-is-a-fix/

    Regards, Ron

  • Sherry Lynn

    I can affirm that my HP entertainment laptop does indeed have issues with the power cord recepticle. I don’t think the
    cord itself is the problem here. It appears to be the jack.My friend has a macbook it has issues with power cable and recepticle, it appears to be across the board problem with laptops.

  • Travis R.

    i just got a macbook the other day, i got it used from a friend and his bro apperantly had the same prob, so he gave the adapter from this one to his bro. so i have to buy a new one, is there any difference from the ones at apple that cost $80 and the ones at amazon that cost 40?

  • http://www.therandomfrequency.com Kyle Hemker

    I am sorry if I am resurrecting and old post, but I was beginning to wonder if anyone has actually measured how hot one of these MagSafe Power Adapters gets? I do not usually think to check these sorts of things, but today, I left some change on my desk, and one of the quarters found its way onto my power adapter. The quarter got really hot; almost burnt at the touch.

    Do other companies have issues with power adapters and heat? How hot do other adapters get?

    If no one knows, I think I will take a reading tomorrow on this MagSafe.

  • http://www.CamZappa.com Scott

    Ok, here is the deal with my macbook power cable. This thing has been driving me crazy for the last few days.. Here is my story. I bought my 13″ Macbook eight months ago. Within the first two weeks the factory power adapter started to hum. It wasn’t very loud but it was very annoying. I kept thinking my refrigerator or some other appliance in the house was about to go on the fritz. I finally figured out that it was my mac power cord. I called Apple and they sent me a new one. Now eight months later listen to this: I noticed my screen flickering one night and thought that weird, then I noticed that the little green light that connects to the computer was very dim..I unplugged the adapter from my computer and the little dim green light stayed on..Strange huh? That’s not the end of it. Now the power plug wouldn’t charge the computer at all. My battery was being drained and when I plugged in the power cord to the computer the light stayed a dim green, but it should have been bright orange red indicating that the battery was being charged. I went to the mac store the next day to have it tested. They plugged it in and guess what..I freakin worked fine. I looked like a complete idiot. I came back home plugged it in and guess what..? It freakin worked again…GRRRR. A couple hours later it stopped working and showed the same problems listed above..I tried different outlets in my house everything you can thing of to troubleshoot what the heck was going on.
    I figured it out. It was rather simple. When the power plug gets hot it does not want to work correctly. I did an experiment. I let the plug get hot, then i noticed the plug stopped working. I unplugged it from the wall and computer and put the darn thing in the refrigerator for 10 minutes and tried again..Think it worked?…Of course it did..Now I am going to the apple store and will plug my computer in and let that sucker get hot so they will know I wasn’t crazy in the first place.

    Come on Apple get it together please..I payed a lot of good money for this thing the least you could do is gimme a power cord that actually works right.

  • Marlene

    I am slow at visualizing what to do to fix this myself… :( … Could you guys email me pics of what to do or better yet make a youtube video… im sure it would help a bunch of people… you said something about “then took a cable wire apart (about 4 inches) and twisted it together and then wrapped it round and round the external apple adapter wire”…. how do i do this part?….. Where do I get a cable wire?…HELP!…. THANKS!

  • Andrew

    My power adapter just did the same thing today. I have had it for quite awhile now though, so i’m not sure why my cord is the one that lasted longer than everyone else. But I did notice it was hotter than usual last night. I have also had the experience of the light turning a dim green instead of vibrant or the orange/red color.

    I’m really hoping that this is just due to the heat issue and allowing a time for it to cool down will help. I dont really have the money to get a new one (even if $80 is a “reasonable” price for a new adapter.)

  • Rafael

    my power cord gave up exactly a day after my warranty expired!

  • chiqui

    i’ve had my macbook for a little over 2 years, i’ve been having the same problem with my power adapter. i get that dim green light instead of the vibrant green or orange when its charging. It does not charge to full as well. my maximum charge is stuck at 96%. im going to apple in a couple days to see what they say about it. Could it be because my first battery warped and apple gave me a refurb one as replacement? My battery exhausts too fast as well. since i started typing this comment it was 96% now its at 91%. i need to check my warranty if its still good. i think i have until august this year. well, goodluck to me.

  • Krissy

    well i have it too an the magnet got stuck in the computer and came off will so i had them ship the item to me and they had to put a hold onto my card. 72 dollars now will they try to keep my money cause i need it for bill.

  • Drew

    I have had such a headache with these power adapters. The first one I bought didn’t even work, then the replacement one (thanks Apple for sending it within a 2 month period) stopped functioning after 6 months. I finally decided to buy one from somewhere else. I found a good deal on http://www.macbookpoweradapter.com. It was cheaper than Apple sells them for by A LOT. And it has been working great for me. You would think that such a big company (I love Apple) would do a better job with the quality of their products.

  • mickymac

    brought macbook p/s (still under warranty) back to store (not working(, they sent photos to their “engineer” who decided by looking (or magic) at photos that problem was not apples, but must be something i done, would have to be paid for……….
    short of it, i went nuts (without abuse), they gave me an “exception”, and will replace this warrenty item for free.
    dont let them fool, or bully you (or dazzle you with bullshit)
    you have rights, and they have obligations.
    cuig ar la

  • simon deegan

    i am on my second charger in 3 years & its playing up again,seems to be a different problem,the small spring loaded pins inside the magnetic end of the adaptor seem to have lost their spring,same as the last 1,i read a thread earlier that said to clean it with alchohol or methelated spirits & a toothbrush or cotton woolbud,just thought some of you maybe having the same problem,will let you know if it’s worked once i’ve tried it.

  • http://geekorgy.com alex assouline

    i have gone through 4 defective power supplies already.
    i have had none of them replaced for free, but i have kept them and i intend to. all of them have gotten so hot they eventually ‘popped’ with a spark and an audible crack sound : i have lots of chargers since all our staff use macbook pros and this is the shared pool of ‘blown’ chargers in only 12 months from 8 users, so thats a 50% hit, the chargers are definitely faulty and i would be concerned about a fire hazard : also we use the 85w version because i figured they would run a little cooler but it made no difference they still eventually pop.

  • agnY

    Hi :)

    I got my MacBook in February and in March it failed to charge… My charger was connected but nothing was happening… I brought it back to the store and it was sent out and fixed for free. I love my MacBook and the charger seemed exciting a first! The way it magically connected made me happy *__* until it didn’t work anymore.

    Now I notice that the plastic around the power socket is breaking and there is a black outline of where the charger attaches inside the socket which worries me… I do not want to keep getting it repaired >.<
    This is probably the only complaint I have about the MacBook the power supply. I think and old school plug would've done fine…

  • Kim

    i had my macbook for 1month and the cord of the charger rip! i say 1/10 for durability! it costed $99 to get it replaced if i brought it at a apple store, however i ended buying mine at a store on ebay for $50 with a 12month warranty.

  • Phil

    Replaced my first on after 6 months. Now the replacement needs a replacement…bad design for sure

  • Nathan

    I’m going on my 4th magsafe — the first one burnt through the wire after almost 3 years, the second one broke after 6 months (this one was my free replacement), and the third one broke just after their 90-day warranty (super pissed about this one). Apple quality control has been going way downhill…

  • Andrew

    The things are total shit! the one that came with my macbook the wiring near the magnetic connector broke due to a flimsy design that easily wears away. I bought a replacement and the exact same thing happened within one year of ownership! I know people who have had the damn things melt on top of that, I know someone who is on their forth one! they’ll either melt and burn your house down or break, and frankly im not going to keep feeding money to a company that makes a defective product and doesnt recall it or even change the design. I’m going back to PC.