For $29/mo, we provide access to advanced level technicians who will answer your questions on any Macbook board related matter to the best of their knowledge promptly & walk you through how to solve your problem so you can deliver a working board to your customer.
Thanks 2inforaticos.
I appreciate your help, once again.
OK, I desoldered Q7030 and checked the desoldered chip.
All pins/pads on the removed Q7030 show essentially zero ohms resistance, so you were correct re it being shorted.
R7025 shows zero Ohms.
C7025 seems OK.
I did find a tiny bit of corrosion near U7000, primarily on C7000, but otherwise area around U7000 looks good.
I don't think I have the same board to grab a replacement Q7030 from.
I may have to order one in.
Hi again 2informaticos, and thanks again for your help.
Sorry for the delayed reply - first day back at work since the mid December.
I replaced Q7030 and now have the unit booting.
One thing that isn't working is the left Shift key.
HOWEVER, the SMC correctly resets by pressing the left Shift, Control, Option and power buttons - i.e. the magsafe light changes from orange to green and back to orange, so it must be at least partially working?
However, I notice that it is booting in Safe mode most of the time?
I did an SMC reset and it booted normally, but seems to intermittently boot into safe mode.
I assume that the shift key may be stuck down - although when in OSX, the characters type in lower case unless I press the right Shift?
Once in OSX, after logging in, the red Safe mode up the top right disappears, I only see it on the login screen.
I'm not familiar with safe mode as to whether this is standard behaviour.
Short of replacing the keyboard/kb& top cover, any suggestions?
Thanks again for any help and advice.