When it runs into the no charge problem, the battery drains extremely fast, much faster than if you are just using the computer unplugged on battery life, which can be as much as 70 minutes on a good day. Right now it is at 39 %, was at zero 15 minutes ago. Once it starts charging, it charges quickly. The computer just will not respond, no matter what you do, for a couple of hours and then, after you keep trying better connections, restarting and many other things that may be having no effect at all, the charging cycle kicks in. Letting everything cool down seems to help most of the time. Sometimes shutting everything down to let it start charging will get it charging, sometimes not. After a thorough cleaning of the connections and making sure the little pins inside of the mag connection extend outward, sometimes banging the cord with the pins facing down on the counter when it is wet with alcohol, then checking with a magnifier glass to see if the contact pins extend out instead of being recessed inward, and carefully connecting making sure the cord is flat, the pressing the cord in and taping it tight so the connection doesn't shift. The routine for me is cleaning the mag safe connecter with alcohol (with the cord unplugged) and the end of the cord itself using a swab with some of the cotton peeled off.
Went for hours today trying all the tricks but it would never start to charge, always remained 0 %, the amber light on so showing that it is charging and then the screen blacks out because the charge fails to start. The mag cord connection with the light becomes very hot when it is charging or trying to charge. It is as if the power demands of this computer exceed its ability to recharge and that constant drain combined with the battery being charged yet over-drained at the same time just causes havoc and the battery to become unresponsive for a long long time to allow things to cool down.