MacBook Pro screen blinks

denrk, mate, if you can do without the machine for a few weeks, get it into an Apple Store before AppleCare runs out.

If you're lucky they'll fix the problem (and your trackpad, too) 🙂

If you're very lucky you'll walk away with a new machine 😉

Honestly, anyone who has this problem, has AppleCare, and can do without the machine while they're fiddling with it... do it! 🙂

My AppleCare runs out on the 23rd, so I'm really chuffed that I had it seen to when I did.

I +1 the experience of Squinoogle. For the 4th time, I brought back my MBP to an Apple Store/APR, after 2 motherboard and 1 whole screen replacement. The nice Genius expert proposed me to replace the machine with a brand new MBP 2011. I must confess I didn't hesitate that long. It should take 2 to 3 weeks so now I waiting for the call telling me my computer is ready to get picked up.

Of course you need to have the AppleCare AND to show a nice but dissapointed face instead of an angry one, screaming about the lack of professionalism of Apple.

Show your "good faith" and if possible shoot a movie of your screen blinking (on battery, without it, every configuration that do it) so that you don't have to wait for ten minutes with the Apple guy expecting a blink and unfortunately is looking at your girlfriend when it finally blinks.

Well it's worth it. 🙂

Finally I found someone cool on the phone and apple is going to send a transporter to take my MBP and send it to a maintenance center. My applecare runs out in less than a month, so I don't have much hopes about the whole thing… I just hope that : 1/ they'll do something at all about it, and 2/ that I don't end up with a machine that is even worse than it is now…

The "trackpad sticking" is probably your battery expanding. Take it out and lay it on a flat surface -- it should lay flat, but I could make mine wobble. I took it to the apple store and got it replaced without hassle, even after 600 cycles.

After nearly 3 years of blinking, I finally got my fix.

Lived with it for over 2 and a half years. When I realized AppleCare was going to expire in 5 months I started my pain staking process of trying to get it fixed. Took 4 trips to the apple store, 2 logic boards, 1 display, 1 unable to reproduce problem. Still blinking, went in today with a video recording of the the blinking, genius recommended replacing the hard drive, logic board again, and display again. He disappeared for awhile, came back and said we are just going to replace the whole darn thing. Went in to the back grabbed a brand new 2011 MBP 15".

Persistence pays off. The guys at the genius bar were awesome everytime. Go to love Applecare.

Hi guys, what to do if expired warranty and no apple care? Will they charge me for those fixes? I'm in country where no Apple Store, just resellers.

It doesn't make sense for me that we have to pay the mistake from our computer's manufacturer.

it's just sad.

I'm in the same position. This is definitly a production error (nvidia 8600m anyone?). It should not matter if we have Applecare or not.

Message was edited by: gelki, pardon my language

yep, and this was clear from day one, when I experienced crazy overheating with the 9600 card (way before the 9400 card screen blinks) - it was proven back then by a magazine that the very same faulty thermal paste as that of the nvidia 8600 was used on these new ships.

Felix, from my understanding the bad bumps were only in the 9600 version, not the 9400 which is where we all are having the issue. Still disappointing apple can't help us out though.

I phoned my local Apple Service provider (not a real Apple Store) and they said IF I decide to fix it, they'll charge me because I'm out of warranty (not surprising). Those fixes are: new logic board, etc.

After reading this thread partially, I found someone pointing about the thermal paste bug and soldering thing by Nvidia. I got the idea to re-apply the high quality thermal paste on those 2 nvidia chips (especialy the 9400 one). Instructions by ifixit.

The question is, have someone tried this before? Still fail or not?

I still have to hear back from my service provider. Keeping fingers crossed.😎 I pointed out this thread and the fact that replacing the locigboard and/or screen does not fix the problem. I would be very dissapointed in Apple if they let this one slide.

I do not think that readding thermal paste will fix the problem. The soldering will still be bad.

My MBP is back with a new motherboard. No more screen blinks on the 9400 so far, I don't know if that will solve the issue but most importantly, the 9600 and CPU are not overheating anymore (used to go both to 90-100°C on 3D games, now around 20-30° less than that), so I'm pretty happy. I might be able to keep that computer and upgrade it with 8 Go and a SSd after all 🙂

UPDATE:

1. Logic board replaced

still blinks...

2. Trackpad replaced

still blinks...

3. Screen replaced

still blinks...

3. Now they are going to replace the logic board and the screen again, but this time both parts together...

still waiting and my AppleCare expired yesterday....

😟

Don't worry about your AppleCare expiring, you got your repair in before so it will be treated as an ongoing issue. And every repair is covered for 90 days anyway.

Just keep doing what you've been doing and take it back if the repair doesn't fix it, eventually they may just replace the machine.

finger crossed

thanks!