Hey all, I’m having an issue with my ~2009 MacBook Pro that refuses to turn on, and I could really use some help. Here are the details:

Symptoms:

The MacBook Pro doesn’t turn on at all.

The charger stays green, even with the battery in.

When I connect the battery, all the battery indicator dots flash on, then turn off.

The MagSafe connector shows 12V on the pins, so the charger seems to be supplying power.

I’ve removed the battery, and the issue persists.

The battery appears to have a swelling issue.

Troubleshooting so far:

SMC & NVRAM Reset: Tried both, but still no luck. What should be noted though is that when I do an SMC reset for a few seconds the battery level indicator light will flash at one bar as if the battery is empty. This only happens when the batteries are moved.

Charger Works: I’ve tested the charger with another MacBook, so I know it’s functioning properly.

Battery Removed: Even with the battery taken out, it still won’t power on. Also note that the battery appears swollen. Do this, I will probably turn it in.

Board Inspection: I’ve inspected the board visually, but nothing seems wrong. I haven’t taken it apart more than that yet.

OS: The MacBook ran Linux with rEFInd as the boot manager.

Additional Info:

I’m not sure if the swollen battery could be related to the issue, but it seems worth noting.

I haven’t gone deep into the MacBook to check for possible other issues yet.

Anyone run into a similar problem or have any suggestions on what I should check next? I would really appreciate any help.