Recently, though it has not received much attention, Apple has decided to replace some out-of-warranty MacBook and MacBook Pro power adapters. Check out their support page for more information. It does not, however, provide the whole story.
My MacBook Pro is a more than two years old now, and, I just recently noticed that some of the exposed wire through the insulation near the base of the power cord’s connection to the power adapter (not, as in the picture on the Apple site, near the magnetic connector). This caused the adapter to work only about half of the time.
After seeing the support page, I took my adapter into my campus computer store. Fortunately for me, after informing them of the replacement (and the tech support guy checked out the support page) they replaced it for free. Make sure to write down your computer’s serial number, as well as your adapter’s serial number, as that will be required info for the store to get a warranty exception and replace the adapter. Apple Stores or other authorized retailers will also conduct the replacements. Wherever you go, however, you cannot keep your old adapter – getting a new requires a swap for the old one. It will typically take a day or two to get the confirmation of the warranty exception from Apple (less, I imagine if you do it at an Apple Store).
By my experience, here’s what it takes to get your adapter replaced:
• The wire is exposed at some point in the cord or there are significant signs of the rubber insulation has melted
• The exposed wire can be near the magnetic connector or near the base
• There cannot be any signs of abuse
Even if your adapter is still working despite the melting, it’s best to get it replaced. First, the replacement is free. Second, the newer MacBook Pro adapters are smaller and more compact. And lastly, if there’s been some melting, it’s a potentially dangerous sign that the adapter could cause other problems later on. Make sure to take advantage of this offer while you can.
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