By David Coe, founder and bench technician
MacBook won't turn on: what to check before the bench
A MacBook that does nothing at all (no fan, no light, no charge tone) is usually a logic board fault, not a dead machine. Before it goes in the post, there is a short checklist that tells you whether you are looking at a port, a charger or the board. That difference decides whether the job is worth sending.
First, rule out the boring things
- A known-good charger and cable, on every USB-C port, not just the one the customer always used.
- Ten minutes on charge if the battery is flat-dead; some machines need a moment before they will negotiate at all.
- The lights: on Intel machines a Caps Lock press; on Apple Silicon a trackpad click or a charge sound. No light anywhere means the board is not coming up.
- The history: a spill, a drop, a third-party charger, or "it happened after the update". Each one points somewhere different.
The USB-C meter tells you the most
If you have a USB-C power meter, it splits the job in two. 20 V negotiated means the board is talking to the charger. The port and PD controllers are alive, and the fault is deeper on the rails. 5 V only, no negotiation usually means the port or the CD321x power controller on that side is the fault. Both are board-level jobs, but they are different board-level jobs, and it is exactly the kind of finding our diagnosis confirms before any paid work.
What actually fails
- USB-C port damage: bent pins, liquid, or a cable levered out one time too many
- The CD3215/3217/3218 power controllers that sit behind each port
- Shorted power rails after liquid: the number-one reason a spill turns into "dead"
- Firmware: interrupted updates and T2/Apple Silicon that need a revive, which is a bench job, not a customer fix
What it costs, and whether the data comes back
Diagnosis is £35 + VAT and is waived when the repair goes ahead. Laptop logic board repair is £120 + VAT including post both ways and a 12-month warranty; the priority slot is £180 + VAT when the customer cannot wait. On machines with soldered storage, fixing the board is usually how the data comes back too. The machine boots again and you take the backup before anyone breathes out. Standalone data recovery for the truly dead cases is launching soon.
MacBook no-power questions
How much does a MacBook no-power repair cost?
Diagnosis is £35 + VAT, waived when the repair goes ahead. The board repair itself is £120 + VAT (post both ways and a 12-month warranty included) or £180 + VAT in the priority slot. Bigger faults get a revised quote on your portal before any paid work.
Can you get the data off a dead MacBook?
Often yes, and usually by repairing the board so the machine boots again. On soldered-storage Macs that is the recovery path. If the board cannot be saved, the case belongs on the data-recovery desk, which is launching soon, and you will be told that honestly.
Do I send the whole MacBook or just the board?
The complete machine. No charger needed. It is tested against a real battery, ports and display cable before it goes back.
Is it worth repairing versus replacing?
Board repair is £120 + VAT against the replacement cost of a laptop that holds the customer's data. If the honest answer is that it is not economical, the diagnosis says so with photos, and the £35 is all you pay.
The books are full. Join the list
Our bench is at capacity, so we are not taking new jobs right this moment. Open a trade account and we will email you the moment we are booking again. No commitment. Questions? Email jobs@soldersector.com.
