Macbook pro Charger flicking on and off

[DDRNotchGuy]

Hi there,

I've got a macbook pro 13 inch mid 2012 model. Running 16gb Ram and 500SSD. Never given me much trouble until very recently when it started doing this

Basically, whenever I plug the charger in it works for a while before flickering on and off like in this video.

Initially when this started happening, I was receiving notifications saying I needed to service my battery. So I went out and got one of these replacement batteries.

(I understand that buying/using after-market peripherals/hardware is perhaps a taboo but I'm a full time student with looming deadlines and no job, so OEM hardware is way out of my bracket at the moment)

It worked for literally half a day and now I'm still having the same problem, as well as getting occasionally "battery is not charging messages?

Does anyone have any idea what is happening? I've tried resetting the PRAM and the SMC and the problem continues to persist.

Thank you

 

[cruisin]

Perhaps the charger and/or charger contacts are dirty? Or the charger is dying. The flickering can easily be from the contacts struggling to maintain a connection and not the battery.

 

[Peter Franks]

(I understand that buying/using after-market peripherals/hardware is perhaps a taboo but I'm a full time student with looming deadlines and no job, so OEM hardware is way out of my bracket at the moment)

We don't have any choice with Apple MBP over 5 years old, but to get non-OEM, as Apple won't supply any battery for a product that's over 5 years old, and to my knowledge nobody else supplies OEM batteries. So no other option really. But it does point to the new battery, surely? I'm sure someone on here with more knowledge about it will chime in and let you know.

 

[DDRNotchGuy]

I think I figured it out, it's the charger which was a knock off. Used someone else's and got to full charge with no issues.

 

[Fishrrman]

Buy a new charger.
BUT... don't buy "the cheapest you can find" -- it will probably be a counterfeit.

 

[Peter Franks]

Let us know what sort of battery life you get out of that one. So many to choose from

 

[LV426]

I think I figured it out, it's the charger which was a knock off. Used someone else's and got to full charge with no issues.

Ah, well. At least your house didn't burn down. Knock off chargers are evil and can kill.

This is one area where Apple could make a pointed statement, as they have so much money in the bank. A few years ago when someone was electrocuted by a fake charger Apple dramatically reduced the price of their chargers to undercut the dodgy ones, but I don't think that lasted long. Frankly, they should sell their chargers at a loss to help save lives in my opinion.

 

[Peter Franks]

Ah, well. At least your house didn't burn down. Knock off chargers are evil and can kill.

This is one area where Apple could make a pointed statement, as they have so much money in the bank. A few years ago when someone was electrocuted by a fake charger Apple dramatically reduced the price of their chargers to undercut the dodgy ones, but I don't think that lasted long. Frankly, they should sell their chargers at a loss to help save lives in my opinion.

Never gonna happen, It's all about the £$£$£$£. I paid £80 for an OEM replacement charger, and it was nowhere near the quality of the original it came with, thinner wire and it got far hotter than the original too.
How do you know if a non-Apple battery is a dodgy killer too? You can't access an original part.