macbook pro retina creaking

Hi jaygatsby1123 (F. Scott Fitzgerald is not an obscure author),

Based on my experience since August, 2012, I believe the noises are caused by poorly applied battery adhesive that was mandated by a poor engineering design. Like you, I also tried adjusting the pentalobe screws. I personally found that that the problem resurfaced over time.

I am still basically satisfied with my 15" MacBook Pro Retina. I do believe that there is a manufacturing defect. Interestingly, it remains the best laptop I have ever owned. The Apple prescribed cure, however, is worse than the disease.

In the future, I WILL NEVER buy a first generation Apple product, if at all.

My current complaint is that Apple's recent "upgrade" to this sku eroded the resale value of my purchase. I won't be able to resell it for even a third of the price.

Regards,

Harvey

It is caused not just by the battery adhesive but also the adhesive for other compenents (e.g. speaker). I have basically already given up on these and other problems (e.g. ghosting etc.) a long term ago.

For me, not only i am hessitate of getting a 1st gen Apple product, I am hessitate in getting any of their products in general ...

Rgrds,

Ken

Thanks for the replies and getting the Jay Gatsby reference haha.

Actually I was looking up thread after thread on this last night in the wee hours of the morning, desperate for hope, and I didn't realize this was a Retina MBP thread. I have a 2012 13" Macbook Pro, bought it in January of this year.

At first loosening the bottom cover screws (just phillips-head!), everything seemed to be fine, but the creaking came back. It creaks at about 80 degrees, slightly folded in towards the keyboard, and I'm not sure if it's just chance or from my taking off the back cover to replace the HDD with a SSD and upgrade the RAM... At about the same time this creaking started happening, I tried out an InCase hard shell case and took the bottom cover off to clean out any dust... Of course there was hardly any.

Anyway, if I repeatedly move the hinge back and forth past that 80 some odd degree "sweet spot", no creaking, it's usually when I open/close it slowly... In any case, I don't think it's worth the 5 hours there and back to the closest Apple Store, especially if they opt for a repair, in which case I have to DRIVE BACK the following day/weekend, I mean the thing still works perfectly, and according to all the threads and replies around the internet, this issue is relatively common, rMBP or no.

I'm experiencing the same issue since two weeks. My MacBook Pro 13" with Retina display is creaking, flexing and wobling like h-e-l-l. If you have it on your lap it sounds like a creaking piece of wood. The notebook wobbles as well. It has a kind of flex between two corners like if there are residual stresses inside the aluminium casing due to a milling operation. One edge of the top case is able to move up, stays at this possition and the whole buttom case isn't flat.It feels definitely not good. I made a video about the issue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqdnfYe42Hc I've allready contacted apple care and have a appointment at Apple Store next week. It's my second one. I'm pretty disapointed. I'm expecting a better built quality of such an expensive notebook. I won't accept a exchange of the top case. That's like a heart transplant. I want replacement.

Dudos to you for the video ... sending in your set? ... just be prepared for those rather standard responces for this case (e.g. "we find nothing loose in there" or "it looks like a mere cosmetic issue" etc.) ... like I said ... for me, i have given up long time ago 🙂

Yes. They replaced the top case in record breaking time: saturday i brought the computer to the apple store and today i got it back. The top case assembly consists of a keyboard and battery, so I got a new battery as well. That was the fastest repair I've ever experienced so far. The creaking and flexing is gone, but I will report If the problem comes back.

I had the same repair, top case. Plus, they replaced the bottom panel for good measure. I didn't get mine back in record time, though.

If anyone is experiencing the "scratching" sound from the bottom, put some dielectric grease on the springs that are pictured on page 2.

If your sound is the creaking/cracking, just keep going back to the store for the same reason, be persistent. I went 4 times before they decided to replace the case. So far so good.

Mine did this too, and still does, and it scares me. I hope i can have this fixed... and my trackpad is sticking....

They replaced the whole top case, but that helped only for about two weeks. The notebook started creaking again. The flexing and bending is away. I think it's simply a design flaw or it's an engineering tradeoff between stiffness and slim design. I'm accepting it now. Apple products are not perfect;-) .

Want to get rid of the creaking? Spray silicone along the seam between the back plate and the case. No creaking for me anymore.

this worked for me! thanks for the tip!

Hi all. I had this problem and decided to attempt the screw tightening on my MBPR 13". The creaking was pretty bad, obviously especially in a quiet room.

Long story short, removed all screws (Got pentalobe screwdriver from Amazon). Removed backplate. Cleaned off junk along the backplate rim and got rid of the remaining loctite crap with denatured alcohol. Carefully reseated backplate. Reattached screws. Be careful, as 2 of the screws (the 2 that go along the back) are shorter by a small amount.

Creaking gone.

has it creaked since??

No, the creaking is completely gone. It's been almost a month and I do commute with the laptop several times a week. So it does get plenty of handling. I'm convinced that the issue is solved.

actually I have deal with this problem for nearly a year, replaced two times, and I am sorry to say it is still happen, even one time i directly email to the CEO and get the replace. so since I bought a apple care for the computer, what i did is put some rolling folded paper on the four corner of the bottom inside the machince (put them carefully don't touch the wire). And so far the crack noise gone. My only concern is that what I did might have a press on the barrtery so in a long term I am scar that it will damage the machine, but whatever, I got 2 years warranty left.

P.S

The conclusion I got about this cracking noise is that: the craftwork is not prefect on each machince, and the noise get frequend while mac got hotter. Since one time my machine was sent to Apple's engineer (as they said, i don't know), they said they didn't find anything wrong, may be the way they build the machince is originally wrong. Catch up Apple.