Status Indicator Light not working

Question

I've been having a recurring issue with the status indicator light on my 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 2.8 GHz (Mid-2009). I learned recently that it's normal for the status indicator light to be on when the computer starts up, shuts down and goes to sleep. Lately, the status indicator light has not appeared at all when the computer starts up, goes to sleep, and shuts down. I've tried almost everything and still nothing has worked
1.) Checked to see if any of the ports are working: FireWire, Ethernet, MagSafe, SD card, USB, Mini-DisplayPort. These ports are behaving as normal, working fine.
2.) Checked and successfully paired a seven button Apple Remote to test the IR receiver.
3.) Ran an Apple Hardware Test, found nothing wrong, passed the test.
4.) Reinstalled and erased my hard drive, still having issues.
5.) Bluetooth, AirPort Extreme, microphone, audio ports, speakers, and iSight are working.
6.) Battery works and the charger is working.
7.) Backlighting for display and keyboard work.
The computer is only 1 year and 4 months old. The issue began occurring two months ago. Now the computer does sleep, but if the fans are going, it takes a bit longer for the computer to go to sleep when I close the lid.
I haven't replaced the hard drive or installed any new hardware.
The battery and power information is still at 100%:
Model Information:
Serial Number: W0945***7VC
Manufacturer: SMP
Device name: bq20z451
Pack Lot Code: 0000
PCB Lot Code: 0000
Firmware Version: 0003
Hardware Revision: 0003
Cell Revision: 0100
Charge Information:
Charge remaining (mAh): 4165
Fully charged:No
Charging: Yes
Full charge capacity (mAh): 6662
Health Information:
Cycle count: 43
Condition: Normal
Battery Installed: Yes
Amperage (mA): 3177
Voltage (mV): 12109
System Power Settings:
AC Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes): 15
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes): 15
Wake On AC Change: No
Wake On Clamshell Open: Yes
Wake On LAN: No
Current Power Source: Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim: Yes
GPUSwitch: 2
Battery Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes): 2
Wake On AC Change: No
Wake On Clamshell Open: Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim: Yes
GPUSwitch: 2
Reduce Brightness: Yes
Hardware Configuration:
UPS Installed: No
AC Charger Information:
Connected: Yes
ID: 0x0100
Wattage (W): 85
Revision: 0x0000
Family: 0x00ba
Serial Number: 0x009fe8db
Charging: Yes
My computer's warranty with Apple, including tech support, service, and repair, has expired. However, I do have a remaining two year warranty with Best Buy Geek Squad.
I'm wondering how much would it cost out of pocket to take this computer to an Apple Store for service and repair with a Mac Genius?
So is there anything that could be wrong with this computer and if so, please help!
<Serial Number Edited by Host>

Answer 1

studabaker wrote:
I erased the disk with Disk Utility using the installation DVD ....
If you used "Secure erase", you can be certain that there is nothing left on the disk that is causing your problem.
Because you have a long wait for access to an Apple Authorized Service Provider, if you merely clicked "erase" (the one that does not take more than an hour), you could try Secure Erase now if you want to try the final possible fix you can do on your own.
... and installed the combo update recently, the size for that update was over 1GB.
That is the right one.
I have been regularly doing those permissions. Thanks for the suggestions.
You're welcome.
I'm taking my Mac to Geek Squad and Mac Genius next month when I visit my dad in Georgia, there's an Apple Store about 45 minutes away from his house and a Best Buy that sells Macs, cause it turns out Geek Squad's coverage for Apple/Mac is only in places where they sell Macs. I used my zip code and turned up 0 results but I typed the zip code for where my dad lives in North Georgia, and a Best Buy in Atlanta is available. So I will definitely go there and visit the Apple Store to at least see what my options are.
If you need help from Apple before you can go to a physical location next month, other Apple Technical Support service option contacts are available here:
  http://www.apple.com/contact/
Best Buy by far has the best warranty for computers from what the sales associate was telling me. Apparently, Best Buy warranty covers spills, drops & breaks, and overall maintenance issues. In fact, they told me if the computer can't be fixed, they'll replace it with a new one.
It should surprise nobody when salesmen tell customers that their own warranty product is best. Because you have apparently already paid for the Best Buy warranty, you can take advantage of their warranty and enjoy the "best" results if you can find a location that honors it.
Thanks for advice and if there's anything else you can think of, let me know.
You're welcome. You have all my suggestions. However, if I think of anything else, I will post back here.
We will watch for your status update. Please let us know what fix works for you.
EZ Jim
Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz Mac OS X (10.6.7); MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.7)
LED Cinema Display; G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11); iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9); External iSight; iPod4touch4.3.1