Non-booting Macbook Pro early 2008

[HolmPC]

I'm trying to revive an early 2008 Macbook Pro and not having much luck so wondered if anyone can help, or tell me that it's the logic board and to give up.

When I press the power button, the sleep LED flashes once. The fans spin for about a second and stop.

Removing all the RAM causes it to give the single diagnostic beep for no RAM every 5 seconds.

I've tried resetting PRAM and SMC and NVRAM but no startup chime, or activity of any kind apart from the single flash and the fans.

I have replaced the battery, as the old one was completely dead. Before replacing the battery the sleep LED would flash 3 times when I tried to power on. This is no longer happening.

What causes the single LED flash and the fans to start and then stop?

Thanks.

 

[Idefix]

If you've got an early 2008 15" MacBook Pro 4,1, then you've got the Nvidia GeForce 8600M.

The graphics chip would come unsoldered from the logic board and Apple finally offered an extended warranty (most reluctantly, forced into it). You had to have the problem diagnosed with a very persnickety test at the genius bar. Mostly, Apple was hoping that the narrowly written test would find some other possible problem, but if the laptop failed the test, Apple would then replace the logic board with the exact same logic board, guaranteeing the exact same problem within 6 months or a year. Apple was hoping that the problem would be outside of the extended warranty period. This solved Apple's liability.

I took my MBP 4,1 to the Genius Bar where the first pass of the test said it was OK. The second pass indicated it had the problem by the screen going blank. I was promised a free warranty repair, and it was sent off to Apple.

A week later, I received an email, wanting to bill me $900 for the repair. I called up and after 1.5 hrs on the phone with senior Apple support, found out that Apple wanted to charge me because I'd installed after-market RAM and a larger HD, both of which are user-installable. I finally told them to ship it back, I'd reinstall the original 2 GB RAM and the original 200 GB HD, and send it right back to them. Apple shipped it back to the Apple Store with a refurb logic board. Somehow the after-market RAM and HD wasn't really an impediment to the repair. When I picked it up at the store, right next to my repaired MBP was a lady with the exact same laptop, getting charged $550 for a logic board. The Apple Genius gave me a side-eye, hoping I wouldn't say anything.

The laptop is still running, on AC without a battery (swollen.) Just don't tell me that Apple is benevolent.

Back to your question: There used to be loads of websites telling how to wrap the logic board in tin foil, leaving the 8600M bare, and broil it in the oven on the top shelf till the chip re-settled into the solder.

If you live in NY, take it to Louis Rossman and see what he says.

It's probably not worth fixing.