Periodic "tink" or click sound from inside new Macbook Pro

I had the same 'tinking' noise. I couldn't actually describe it myself, but that's the word they used at my Mac store to which I took my MBP 3 times in the last 2 weeks. They never told me what the issue was. Each time they told me it was fixed, and each time it plainly wasn't. They intially replaced my HDD and fans, then made 'adjustments'. I dont live particularly close to my 'local' Mac store so each time this was quite an effort.

By the third time when I actually demanded they fix it 'for real' and not for play play, they said they could try to fix it but it would be a lot of fiddling around and that's not good for computers you know. Well if Apple are afraid of working on their own computers ...

And still they couldn't really give me a straight answer. My girlfried who found a video on YouTube when I got home that told me straight!

The sound is better than it was- though is still present. I suspect the technichian tried the 'star pattern' approach to screw tightening. Why plague such a good product with such a simple design issue? And why try to convince your customers to walk out with an expensive product that everybody can tell is not quite right.

Wasting customers time (a complete contradiction of the core principles that made Mac what it is), as well as generally misleading people and insulting their intelligence is so tired. Please try a different approach.

If you take your MacBook pro and show the Genius this link (http://tenonedesign.com/blog/fix-your-macbook-pro-like-a-champ/) and ask him to re-seat the afformentioned part they'll do it and it'll fix the problem. That's what I just did and I haven't heard it yet. 🙂

Have the same problem.. which usually always occurs when i move it around. As Max (IT) mentioned earlier, its probably the hd going into park mode.(Sudden Motion Sensor).. annoying though..need a fix without having to remove any parts 🙂.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1935?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_

weird that a $2000 + laptop makes such a sound (or any sound at all) and apple mentions it as being normal.

I came across this problem yesterday for the first time, and might be able to shed some light on it...

I work at a large UK university, and repair computers for a living. A student came in yesterday with a Macbook Pro presenting this exact issue - a single glassey 'tink' or metallic click sound was happening intermittently. It seemed to be coming from around the trackpad area, she reported that it might happen more when she was using the trackpad, although she'd heard it happen while typing, or sometimes even just moving the laptop.

My first thought was that it was a noisy hard disk, but after taxing the disk with a lot of applications and downloads open at the same time, it was clear that this wasn't the problem. It crossed my mind that it could be the heads 'parking', but the sound wasn't quite right.

I then thought it might be some kind of arcing, but this seemd wrong - the sound was happening when the machine was being physically touched, and didn't happen when it wasn't. The student went on to demonstrate how the sound could sometimes be made to happen by running fingers over the back of the laptop, under where the track pad is.

I removed the back of the Macbook and scratched my head for a while, then the penny dropped: the battery is under the trackpad, and this is the only thing that could be making the sound.

As it happens, the battery is wrapped in a stiff, plastic sticker, which isn't completely flush with its surface. Applying light pressure to the battery in certain areas replicated the ticking sound exactly - it was air bubbles trapped between the battery and its sticker.

There seemed to be no fix for this, but the student left reassured that the machine wasn't faulty.

I'm not dismissing any other claims that this sound might be caused by anything else, but in this case, that was most definitely it. Might be worth checking out if you come across it.

I have same problem for my 15 macbook pro I bought 2011. First I just found there was a faint "click" sound occasionally from inside unibody when I sat my macbook on my lap. It was getting more unacceptable when the sound constantly occurred as long as I tap on the unibody after awhile(it did not happen at all when sitting laptop on table, asuming anything stable). I brought my macbook pro to assesement within warranty, it ended up with replacement to my battery since the sound told was from battery. Till now, the "click" sound still happen sometimes with my torlerance. Kinda disappointed by Apple with no words.

CHINkdynAsty - yep - this seems to be the issue - the sticker on the battery - see my last post before yours.

The fix is to open the Macbook, remove battery, and remove its sticker. I promise you - this will fix the problem!

This thread is old now, and I'm surprised there have been no more comments, but anyway - there we are.

Hmmm Intersting!! I just bought a brand new 15" MacBook Pro in JUNE 2013! Does The same tink noise!

I thought it was some kind of new gyroscope thingy to let the hard drive know the computer was beeing touched or moved... like the Sudden Motion Sensor that's Turned on when you get System Info under 'About This Mac"

So I thought it was a Good Thing!!! anywho Still under Warranty but know from reading all these posts I'm not taking it in.... It works and runs too well with 4 cores etc,,,

Well Leave the sticker on.. lest you accidentally slip when trying to put the screws back in and knock your MacBook on the Floor.

Learn Adobe Creative Suite Apps from top to Bottom... then you'll never hear the TINK!

Robert

If it is a rapid clicking noise every 4 seconds lasting for 3-4 clicks, I have a solution. It is the fan acting up, and all you have to do is bang the area to the left and right of the trackpad a few times. This should make the fan work again. You will first encounter a loud noise.. kind of like when your computer overheats. This signifies that your computer will stop ticking.

You're nuts…. this is not what people are talking about … mine still does it when i move it or pick it up even closed… but I disregard it now as a accelerometer thing… even if that isn't it… my MacBook works perfectly since day one.

hey it's a good sound as I see it… if it stopped I'd get worried.

When I take it apart to add the 16GB ram or the bigger hard drive I'll "Tink"er around with it!!!

haa

robert

Apple does not support taking apart their computers.....

Thanks. 🙂

Graymamba wrote:

If it is a rapid clicking noise every 4 seconds lasting for 3-4 clicks, I have a solution. It is the fan acting up, and all you have to do is bang the area to the left and right of the trackpad a few times. This should make the fan work again. You will first encounter a loud noise.. kind of like when your computer overheats. This signifies that your computer will stop ticking.

Worked after I did that once 😝

That is not correct, Apple supports in their own documentation, user RAM and HD upgrades/ exchanges.

Graymamba

I have a solution. It is the fan acting up, and all you have to do is bang the area to the left and right of the trackpad a few times.

Errr, NO. Stop recommending someone here "smack" their macbook around.

Absolutely positively NO.

You have all probably found the right answer to this by now but in case you havent...The new Macbook Pro's are still making this tinking glass noise when you move the computer or if it is on an uneven surface like your lap...Mine is a couple months old and it has been driving me nuts. It will even make the noise with the computer OFF... it is NOT the hard drive, it is NOT the fan, it is NOT the screws being tightened down in a certain pattern... it IS a grounding component inside the computer....This IS THE SOLUTION:

http://6ixpassions.com/post/1095520847/fix-the-ticking-clicking-sound-in-your-ma cbook-pro

I just performed this and all you need is a small screw driver to remove the 10 screws on the bottom cover and an even smaller driver to take off the 2 screws of the actual grounding component. IT ONLY TAKES 10 MINUTES and incredibly worth every second as my computer is finally SILENT!!!! Removing this piece has no effect on the performance of the machine as described in the above link.

This software solved the problem! Amazing! No clicking sound now!