Mr Mo-Fo

Q: Design fault? 27" 2013 iMac stand just gave up!

Hi all,

I was just sitting watching TV when there was a loud crack and my iMac screen suddenly tilted down - now the screen will not stay where it is tilted / positioned. I was not using the mac at the time and it was not doing anything it just broke on its own. The mac was only bought in February and has not been moved or tilted once it was in place. This looks like a major design flaw to me as a 10 month mac just fails on its own! Has anyone else suffered this malfunction?

I have yet to contact apple as the store will be closed now but am interested to know if anyone else has suffered the same problem and what apples response was?

 

I will keep you guys posted once I have spoken to Apple

 

<Edited by Host>

iMac (27-inch, Late 2012), OS X Mavericks (10.9.1), Stand failure

Posted on Mar 18, 2014 3:40 PM

Close

Q: Design fault? 27" 2013 iMac stand just gave up!

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

first Previous Page 6 of 43 last Next
  • by xraflad,

    xraflad xraflad Aug 3, 2014 2:37 AM in response to Mr Mo-Fo
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 3, 2014 2:37 AM in response to Mr Mo-Fo

    I've joined the iMac 27" stand failure club over the weekend when I was not even at home! However, after reading all of the woes and how it needs to go away for repair, be prised apart and sometimes comes back mis-aligned I thought I would make a fix of my own. It took me two goes while I understood the forces acting on the stand and iMac due to the angles, but when I figured out what to do it took me around 20 minutes.

     

    If you look at the back you will see the cooling slots that you do not want to cover, and the RAM cover which is weaker than the rest of the back. I looked aroung my garage and found a couple of bits from some bathroom fittings and a bumper fom the front of a metal desk. I pushed the metal bathroom fixing inside the hollow end of the desk bumper and placed it on the metal below the cooling grid, then when the weight of the iMac tries to push itself down to the bottom my improvised bumper stops it at the perfect angle for me.  I applied double sided tape to the part touching the iMac to keep it from moving and it is now working as a correct height bumper, invisible unless you look for it.

     

    Now, if my iMac develops a real problem that needs internal work I can get the stand fixed at the same time, if not (hopefully) I will live with it as it is. I can't tell any difference now.  You will also be able to do this, maybe with a rubber door stop and something stuck onto the back below the grille, trial and error until you get the right angle. It's so much better than sending it away to be prised apart!

  • by sweden_morgan,

    sweden_morgan sweden_morgan Aug 6, 2014 11:17 PM in response to Mr Mo-Fo
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 6, 2014 11:17 PM in response to Mr Mo-Fo

    Another to the crowd. I bought a 27 inch imac in june 2013, my stand broke exactly 1.1 year after this. No-one was near the computer when a crack sounded...now my movies have to be watched on a lower chair.

     

    perhaps it is time for apple to admit a design flaw and start repairing these stands...

     

    //morgan

  • by iRideApple,

    iRideApple iRideApple Aug 7, 2014 9:07 AM in response to Mr Mo-Fo
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 7, 2014 9:07 AM in response to Mr Mo-Fo

    BAM! Same here just now, loud crash front of my eyes, and now my iMac late 2013 is leaning down

    Dam!

  • by jim74074,

    jim74074 jim74074 Aug 7, 2014 1:32 PM in response to Mr Mo-Fo
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 7, 2014 1:32 PM in response to Mr Mo-Fo

    My late 2012 27" iMac stand failed today. Will be a 4-5 hour job at Apple store in OKC. Am curious if a reengineered hinge will be installed or will the new one fail in another 18 months.

  • by joaorm,

    joaorm joaorm Aug 7, 2014 10:15 PM in response to Mr Mo-Fo
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 7, 2014 10:15 PM in response to Mr Mo-Fo

    Same thing just happened to me. I was using my 27" iMac and there was this laud crack and now when I try to change the position it doesn't hold, exactly as you mentioned. I already scheduled an appointment for tomorrow at the apple store. Hopefully they'll fix it fast as I can't stay without the mac for long.

  • by iRideApple,

    iRideApple iRideApple Aug 10, 2014 11:45 PM in response to iRideApple
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 10, 2014 11:45 PM in response to iRideApple

    I just made call to the Apple Service, and they told me the reason for this, it is broken spring inside iMac and it's not big job to fix.

  • by sabinamari,

    sabinamari sabinamari Aug 11, 2014 11:07 AM in response to Mr Mo-Fo
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 11, 2014 11:07 AM in response to Mr Mo-Fo

    the same thing just happened to me 5 minutes ago and I haven't had the I mac for even 2 months yet I heared a  strong crack in the room while I was going through some paperwork and though someone had just thrown a stone against a  window or so, then I noticed the monitor of teh computrer had a strange angle and couldn't adjust it any longer so I searched online adn here are your comments guys I even live in an isolated place in the mountains with no Apple Store nearby...

  • by Wittich,

    Wittich Wittich Aug 12, 2014 7:11 AM in response to Mr Mo-Fo
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 12, 2014 7:11 AM in response to Mr Mo-Fo

    I just got the same problem yesterday. I was not touching or moving the screen when a loud crack came from it. The screen bend and stay in that position. My computer has 1 year and a half since I buy it. I was stupid and forgot to renew the apple care so probably if I got it fixed will cost me a fortune.

     

    Its a shame for a computer that cost a high amount of money to brake it self like this. Apple is a very expensive computer this type of problem should be avoid with better inspection.

     

    Im really sad because its the first time I had any problem with a Mac. As I can see here, is not an isolated problem.

     

    Im waiting now to check how much is gonna cost and how long to repair this faulty stand

     

     

  • by iRideApple,

    iRideApple iRideApple Aug 12, 2014 7:19 AM in response to Wittich
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 12, 2014 7:19 AM in response to Wittich

    Our Apple Service says that this dilema is Warranty issue, and remember people, if you are living at EU area, all you stuff has Two year EU warranty, this concerns Apple all so here in EU.

     

    (http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/shopping/shopping-abroad/guarantees/index_e n.htm)

  • by MalevolentAlpha,

    MalevolentAlpha MalevolentAlpha Aug 12, 2014 10:44 AM in response to Wittich
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 12, 2014 10:44 AM in response to Wittich

    i had the same problem, it cost me USD 600.. I haven't agree to fix it yet.. it seems many people are having the same problem. if it is a fault in design, Apple should have fix the problem for free since it's their fault. what happened if we fix it with the body replacement and in a couple month it snaps again? a fault design is a fault design, no mater how many times you replace it.. it still a fault design..

     

    i think i'll hold the repair..

  • by xraflad,

    xraflad xraflad Aug 12, 2014 12:20 PM in response to MalevolentAlpha
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 12, 2014 12:20 PM in response to MalevolentAlpha

    Why not do my fix? It is detailed up this page and it works great.

  • by xraflad,

    xraflad xraflad Aug 12, 2014 12:24 PM in response to Wittich
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 12, 2014 12:24 PM in response to Wittich

    My fix costs virtually nothing, it takes 30 mins or so to find something to use to do it and hardly any time to fix it. Use super strength double sided tape on the back of the iMac and let it rest on the stand. Rock solid!

     

    "After reading all of the woes and how it needs to go away for repair, be prised apart and sometimes comes back mis-aligned I thought I would make a fix of my own. It took me two goes while I understood the forces acting on the stand and iMac due to the angles, but when I figured out what to do it took me around 20 minutes.

     

    If you look at the back you will see the cooling slots that you do not want to cover, and the RAM cover which is weaker than the rest of the back. I looked aroung my garage and found a couple of bits from some bathroom fittings and a bumper fom the front of a metal desk. I pushed the metal bathroom fixing inside the hollow end of the desk bumper and placed it on the metal below the cooling grid, then when the weight of the iMac tries to push itself down to the bottom my improvised bumper stops it at the perfect angle for me.  I applied double sided tape to the part touching the iMac to keep it from moving and it is now working as a correct height bumper, invisible unless you look for it.

     

    Now, if my iMac develops a real problem that needs internal work I can get the stand fixed at the same time, if not (hopefully) I will live with it as it is. I can't tell any difference now.  You will also be able to do this, maybe with a rubber door stop and something stuck onto the back below the grille, trial and error until you get the right angle. It's so much better than sending it away to be prised apart!

  • by EpicGrey,

    EpicGrey EpicGrey Aug 12, 2014 1:41 PM in response to xraflad
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 12, 2014 1:41 PM in response to xraflad

    I can't tell if your being serious???

     

    Well how about if the iMac screen needs tilting, like it often does as the screen is like a mirror when it comes to reflections. An expensive device that fails within a few months of purchase has a real problem

     

    Have you any spare tape that you mentioned? you should use it to tape your hands inside you pockets, they type crazy things when you let them near a keyboard ;-) [just joking]

     

    Ive applied a similar fix to mine, and ill leave it with apple to repair when I go away in a month.

  • by 12c,

    12c 12c Aug 16, 2014 9:24 PM in response to Mr Mo-Fo
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 16, 2014 9:24 PM in response to Mr Mo-Fo

    My screen just gave way today as well.  The earliest I could get a Genius Appointment is during the week.  I'm not sure how I feel about having my imac repaired for what seems to be a minimum of three days.  That's a very long three days, especially during the week.  And I'm not sure that enough of these imacs have been worked on to have a low error rate of repair.  It is a lot ironic that the newer designed imacs have a reputation of being particularly difficult to upgrade and now there is a "flaw" that requires the computer to be taken apart.  Whether this "flaw" is due to a design using a plastic washer or otherwise, I can't remember the last time I put something together that used plastic washers.  Especially anything that is a metal device like a spring hinge.  What i'd like to do is arrange it before hand so that the part will be on-hand and I can have a one day turnaround.  Drop it off in the morning and have it by the evening.  With a proper manual and experienced technician it could probably be done in less than an hour.  Instead of disposing of my 2009 24" imac, I upgraded the hard drive on it, and really enjoyed the process.  I looked at paying someone do it, but it ran several hundred dollars, when I could simply do it myself.  That's how this all started right, doing things yourself?  There were some pretty good guides, along with tons of cautionary tales and I don't think I would attempt it unless it was out of warranty.  But nonetheless, I was able to accomplish the mission and now use both.  It is a slippery slope between having a well designed desktop like an imac or beige box with easily exchangeable components.  We all know what we pay for when we purchase an Apple product, I know I do.  But I'm sure glad that I'll have my early-2009 24" imac that I upgraded as a backup if I have to be without my late-2013 27" imac because of a "flaw" requiring it be out of my possession for more than a day.

  • by Paul Wilkins,

    Paul Wilkins Paul Wilkins Aug 18, 2014 11:37 PM in response to Mr Mo-Fo
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Aug 18, 2014 11:37 PM in response to Mr Mo-Fo

    I woke up this morning to find my iMac looking down.. Add mine to the list. Purchased April 2013.

    There is no way I can let Apple have my machine for longer than 24 hours, I need it for my business.

    Time to go 'a hunting' for some blocks of wood.

     

     

first Previous Page 6 of 43 last Next