Charger stuck at 5 V instead of 20 V

USB-C macbooks get charged through their USB-C ports, using USB-C PD standard which allows to deliver high power through a USB-C connector by raising the voltage higher than the regular 5 volts we've been used to on legacy USB ports. This requires a handshake between the laptop and the charger through a dedicated data bus, so that the charger can tell the laptop what its capabilities are, and so the laptop can then request a higher voltage, if available.


 * PP3V3_G3H missing due to a short circuit on the input to PP3V3_G3H creation circuit
 * Corroded LDO cap for PP3V3_G3H around a CD3215. On boards with 4 ports, on right side of board, check under shielding by SSD under the right CD3215 for hidden corroded cap.
 * PP3V3_G3H missing due to PM_EN_P3V3_G3H missing due to bad ISL9239
 * PP3V3_G3H missing due to CHGR_EN_MVR missing due to bad ISL9240. ISL9240 is not available for purchase. Donor would be required. Watch this troubleshooting video on similar 15" model (A1990) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ2jyo7pAmE
 * Bad CD3215
 * Bad CD3215 ROM chip (U2890)
 * Corroded probe points on the data lines between ROM chip and CD3215
 * Corrupted T2 firmware (when applicable)

If the issue is a bad CD3215, one way to get an idea, is to see which does not boot loop. When you plug the charger in with the USB-C amp-meter, it will turn on for 2-3 seconds, then turn off and turn on again. Whichever port doesn't boot loop usually has an associated CD3215 that is bad. Also, the bad CD3215 will occasionally get hotter than the rest.

CD3215s are chips made by Texas Instruments specifically for Apple, and are likely custom versions of their TPS65986 chip. Texas Instruments do not sell them, so replacement chips must be taken off donor boards. There are multiple revisions of them, CD3215B, CD3215C, ... They are not compatible with each other, so make sure that you always replace a CD3215 with one from the same revision.

T2 firmware can also cause the machine to be stuck at 5v. It is however, important to rule out other possible causes for the issue before re-flashing T2 firmware. Typically machines that have corrupted T2 firmware will be stuck at 5v 0.0 amps and typically will have PPBUS present and PP3v3_S5 missing. PP5V_S5 will often be present. T2 firmware can be re-flashed via Apple Configurator 2, however this will erase data in most cases. Try a "soft" Re-flash first by clicking Advanced options > Revive Device in Apple Configurator 2.