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User profile for user: arun.vbn
arun.vbn Author
User level: Level 1
10 points

Macbook Pro Retina when tilted or flipped makes a clicking/popping noise

Hello All.. Not sure if anyone of you have experienced a (formerly faint but growingly clearer) clicking noise from the 13 inch retina macbook pro?

I started hearing this about 3 or 4 months back, from inside the case of my macbook whenever i tilted it, not while working or when the device is stationary, only when I flip the device to one side, usually about 90 degree, whether with lid open or closed.. I already took it to two different Apple Authorised Service Centers in Germany (the place where I live does not have any Genius Bars).. But both of them could not fix it, one of them (Compustore, Nuremberg Germany) I think opened it up and made a bigger mess (now I can hear the noise a bit more louder), and the other (Gravis Retail, Nuremberg Germany) told me that all retina macbooks make the same noise when tilted, which of course I find difficult to believe..

When I bought it, the notebook had absolutely no noise from anywhere.. I live in Europe, and living rooms here can be freakishly quiet.. And I used to love it when there was not a click or a hiss out of place while working or carrying it around... To me, this made the device feel solid, and gave the impression of no moving parts inside, even though there were still the cooling fans.. But even they seemed held together so tight not making any noise out of the ordinary.. Of course one could hear them pretty well when they ran in top speed.. eg. during some heavy graphics, games etc.. But this again was a very steady whir.. which upon closing the heavy graphics app, slowed down steadily bringing the noise back to a zero. (I don't know if it's just me, I always thought it was intentionally part of the design, to try and make the whole device look and sound as solid as possible, like nothing lying loose inside).. I used to admire this in Apple devices.. But maybe I was wrong.. I don't know.. Is it only my macbook, or is it all retina macbooks and only I notice and care about such stuff?

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013), OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)

Posted on Mar 5, 2015 11:00 PM

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71 replies
User profile for user: OGELTHORPE
OGELTHORPE
User level: Level 9
57,305 points

Mar 6, 2015 1:19 AM in response to arun.vbn

When you were told that all MBPs make such a noise, you should have gone with the technician and have him demonstrate that for you on the showroom floor. None of my three MBPs make noise when tilted or turned over. They are not retina models but I have no reason to believe that this would be inherent in a retina model which has less moving parts than a regular MBP. If you can purchase Apple Care, I suggest that you do so.


Ciao.

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User profile for user: arun.vbn
arun.vbn Author
User level: Level 1
10 points

Mar 6, 2015 3:05 AM in response to OGELTHORPE

Hi..


Yes I had asked them to demonstrate it on the other devices. Then they took me to one of those devices on display, and shook it.. I could hear nothing like it was on my device.. Then they said "see.. the same noise".. I told them, it's the wires from the anti-theft devices attached to them.. It was apparent that they were trying to get rid of me..


I've had it with the Apple Authorised Service Centers here..


The first place I took it to was Compustore, in Nuremberg Germany.. Outright annoying!! The problem with them is that they get intermittently deaf.. First they couldn't hear anything.. At that time, you needed a quiet room to reproduce the issue.. I somehow got them to hear it.. and they immediately told me it could be the fan.. (very convenient guess).. Finally they asked me to leave the device there for 2 weeks.. After a week, I got a call saying everything's fixed.. Upon reaching the store, I learned that they've replaced the right-fan (in warranty) but the noise was still there.. and this time, a little more clearer and louder!! I was so angry.. But the worst was only yet to come..!! They all were now completely deaf!!! .. said they couldn't hear anything! Boiling with anger, I asked why did they replace the fan if they weren't sure that was the reason.. Dumb explanations again.. Finally an apprentice-looking guy (no offence) kicked me out of there (of course with polite sugar-coated words)... Everyone who visits Germany with their Apple Devices should think many times before repairing it at Compustore!! Dangerous folks!!!


Feeling insulted and furious (I was actually not at all annoyed in the first place with the noise, i could live with it, till the morons opened it up and made a bigger mess).. I went to another service center (Gravis, Nuremberg DE).. They could hear the noise, (of course thanks to the Compustore geniuses, now everyone could hear the noise easily).. Another two weeks there.. The problem with them was with status updates.. It took me 2 weeks of waiting, a follow-up call that gave me the wrong status, another week of waiting, an escalation call to Apple online support, to find out that the device was ready for pickup for over a week now.. Anyway upon visiting the store, they tell me that the device works fine (I know it works fine!!!!), and about the sound, all macbook retinas have it..


After a month of leaving my macbook at two "Apple Authorised" service centres in Germany (one of them even causing the noise to grow louder), I still hear the noise when I tilt the device..!! (Don't tell me not to tilt it).. I escalated this to Apple online support, and there was this gentleman from Apple Europe senior management who used to tell me a lot of "Apologies" and "I understand .. so sorry for all the trouble".. "we will surely help you in the best way we can"... has now disappeared into thin air.. no longer answer my calls, or responds to my emails..


My 1-year warranty ran out already, and due to the presence of this issue and uncertainty going forward, I already bought AppleCare (rather cornered into buying it).. I'm not really sure what to do next.. Some of you may tell me it's just a noise afterall, I should be worrying about better things in life.. Maybe yes, but what about the pathetic service from those "Authorised Service Centers"? And the "Compustore".. How could they get away with such reckless service, that too in a nation that is obsessed with perfection in everything..? Of course I gave them bad feedback in their reviews, but I don't know if anyone cares much about those in this nation - I think employees here are more protected than customers.. And Apple Management..?? Only sugar-coated words, no actions..


Of course, i've not given up on Apple yet.. Although Apple has gotten a bit greedy lately, they still haven't lost it completely.. I really still admire their products, their design and commitment and the iOS devices.. they're just brilliant.. I have an iPhone 4s from 3 years back, such lasting devices.. You need to really drown them in water, or drop them from a great height to kill them... But these incidents, pathetic service centres etc.. just ruins the experience..!! which is probably why my windows PCs and notebooks are now looking at me and laughing - "If you have to just live with such issues, why not do it with just any other computer?"..

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User profile for user: OGELTHORPE
OGELTHORPE
User level: Level 9
57,305 points

Mar 6, 2015 3:17 AM in response to arun.vbn

I am on the west side of the pond so some of the details in Europe are alien to me. It looks like you were not at Apple stores (owned by Apple), but rather Apple Authorized Service Providers. My suggestion is to get the MBP to an Apple store id f you can and I suspect that your chances for a proper resolution will be much better there.


Ciao.

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User profile for user: arun.vbn
arun.vbn Author
User level: Level 1
10 points

Mar 6, 2015 3:37 AM in response to OGELTHORPE

Good suggestion! In fact I had asked this question to the Apple Europe Senior Management guy, but he told me that the same "Apple Geniuses" who work at the Apple Stores usually work as technicians at "Authorised Service Centers".. so usually there is not question of incompetence.. But I think I should consider that option.. Need to find where is the nearest Apple Store.. I hope it's not in another country..!! Thanks for the tip though..

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User profile for user: mondesigns
mondesigns
User level: Level 1
22 points

Jul 3, 2015 4:49 AM in response to arun.vbn

Hey. My macbook pro is making same noise. I took it to two authorised apple dealer one of which is main directly from apple. Both opened it and said nothing important was loose as there are only about 3 main parts in there. Both came to conclusion that it has to be in trackpad area and it wont do harm. But just to be safe i am going to get apple care first time in my life. Any update for you? Mine only moves when its moved from right to left from front side.

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User profile for user: noisexcore
noisexcore
User level: Level 1
1 points

Jul 6, 2015 10:12 AM in response to arun.vbn

Hi all,


I took my Macbook to the Apple store last week for this reason (clunking sound when tilting left and right) and this is what happened...


The woman who helped me confirmed that other floor models weren't making the same sound and so she agreed that it should be serviced.


(As a note, that same morning, after days of not being able to determine whether the sound was coming from the body or screen sections, I firmly gripped the edge of the screen about an inch and a half in from the left side, tilted the Macbook back and forth, and the sound was gone...so a component is loose behind the screen.)


She took it in the back to open it up just to confirm that nothing else was loose in the main body (I had already opened it and confirmed this, but she said she had to as part of the process. When she came back she informed me that their technician had been at Apple HQ the last week and he said that this issue is what Apple considers "expected behavior," essentially an accepted design flaw/manufacturing defect that doesn't affect performance.


While this may be the case, I didn't spend $1,500 for anything less than a perfect machine, which she agreed with, and they still took it in for service (performing the repair at the store rather than sending it out because she thought if it was sent out, off-site technicians might say "expected behavior!, we're not fixing it!").


I just got it back yesterday and it makes the same noise. That being said, the issue is something BEHIND the screen, and from my work order, it sounds like they may have only replaced the LCD itself. Work order reads Item Number: 661-02360 Description: Display, LCD. I'm not sure if they replaced anything aside from the actual display.


I'm trying to decide if it's worth bothering with. I already left it for repair once, and they don't even seem to have understood what they were fixing. Kinda bums me out.


p.s. They didn't fix the issue, but they did manage to put a nice big scuff on the back of the Macbook. I'm pretty frustrated.

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User profile for user: vintatsh
vintatsh
User level: Level 1
15 points

Jul 28, 2015 1:22 PM in response to arun.vbn

Hi,


So I recently experienced the exact same noise coming from my 13" rMBP 2015.

When tilting it left to right/ right to left (most noticeably with the Display nearly closed) you can hear a loose part inside the display area.

I know that you normally don't do stuff like that with your MB but still I think that a Notebook (especially) with a price that like that shouldn't have any loose parts.

In everyday use it's not really noticeable though, you just know it's there.

After the experience you guys have had with your MacBook I wonder if I should do anything about it, especially if Apple is considering it as "expected behavior".


Do you have any news concerning this issue maybe/ did you fix an appointment?

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Macbook Pro Retina when tilted or flipped makes a clicking/popping noise

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