Found a weird fix for a dead 2015 MacBook Air that wouldn't power on

The board had no signs of liquid damage, but I was getting zero volts at the main rail. Out of sheer frustration, I gently flexed the board near the SMC while applying power, and it suddenly booted. Has anyone else had a temporary fix like that point to a specific BGA solder joint issue?

3 comments

3 Comments

michael89517d ago

Wow, that's a wild fix! Flexing the board near the SMC and getting it to boot is a HUGE clue. That almost certainly points to a cracked solder ball under that chip, since pressure made it connect. Are you planning to reflow that area, or is it running okay for now?

the_jana1d ago

Reminds me of an old Xbox 360 I had. It would only work if you wrapped it in towels to overheat the board, a classic "towel trick" for the red ring of death. Applying pressure or heat to make a temporary connection is such a weird, specific fix. It always felt like a magic spell more than real repair work.

danielm4817d ago

I mean, could just be a loose connector or something, right? Flexing the board might have just nudged a cable back into place. Seen that happen before with a ribbon cable. Idk if I'd jump straight to a cracked BGA, that sounds like a major repair. Maybe it's just a fluke and it'll keep working.