MacBook rattle - loose battery?

Me too, i experience this. There is some rattling noise inside when i shake it horizontally. I think it's normal. For the hinge sound, i had it too. I went to a apple service center and they changed my lcd screen and now the sound disappeared. For you guys who have the hinge sound, you can let apple service it(they would change the lcd).

Hi, I just got my replacement unit of the 12-inch Space Grey MacBook Retina. It has the loosen part inside clanking left and right while tilting the machine (As you mentioned, it might be normal, since most display unit in the Apple Store having the loosen part) and the creaking sound is gone while opening the lid, but there's still a little creaking noise from closing it. Overall still acceptable for the moment. Now I clearly can tell you why there's the sound. That's from the flexi cables, which use to connect the display to the logic board. Wanna see the cables? Easy, just flip to the back of your MacBook and look at the gap near the hinge (Use a torch light if you can't see the cables). There'll be 4 pieces of flat black flexi cables. Those are the culprit. When the cables flex, it will produce the creaking noise. I read from the forum, someone's creaking noise gone after using it for awhile longer. The cables are still new I guess, so it is harder when flexing it. When my MacBook heat up a bit, the creaking noise will gone for awhile and back while cooled down. I guess it'll be fine after some usages. Will update you guys again since this is the 3rd day with this replacement unit.

I took my macbook pro 13 inch retina to the apple store today and the genius told me that it's not supposed to make that noise and that him and 4 other geniuses tried to figure out what it was and none of them knew or could figure it out. They said that it should have some movement which would be normal. but the knocking sound that was happening in mine and from what you're describing along with other users isn't supposed to happen. They did a full replacement and gave me a brand new macbook pro, packaged and everything. As soon as I opened it up i noticed my brand new one didn't make any knocking noise. It does have some movement to it though meaning I can feel a bit of movement inside but it definitely doesn't make the same noise it did before. I suggest you guys take your MacBooks back and try to get them replaced. I'm glad I did.

Hi Jackalton,

When I first bought the rMB 12" (force touch), I accidentally noticed this same noise. After looking closely where the noise is coming from I deduced is it coming directly from the Retina Display panel of the computer.

The way you can test this for yourself is by lightly squeezing (pinching) the screen (interior and exterior) then, while still holding that, tilting the rMB left and right side - up and down (however which way came to find this noise).

You will find that the noise actually goes away. Then when you let go, it comes back.

I am not sure if this is a wide-spread factory defect or just how the rMB was built and put together and Apple not being aware of this internal design flaw.

At the end of the day, it's still a beautiful piece of equipment. Though, I do wish Apple would have caught this earlier on.

Hello all,

So just like all of you I experienced this same issue after just spending $2000 on a brand new Macbook Pro. Also just like you all I was super worried and freaking out once I discovered this weird, and not so pleasant "rattling" or "banging" side to side noise and feeling. So like any other person i took it into the genius bar and just like everyone else I received the same information about it being the new trackpad. I doubted it at first but after a thorough explanation from the guy there I have come to the conclusion that it is, in fact a normal thing and nothing to worry about.

Morale of this post is to save all of you who are frantically searching for answers someof your valuable time by not going to the Apple store and recieveing the same answer as I did. So please trust us and save your time... this is normal and thy wont fix it. Very disappointing for a $2000 laptop but what can you do...

So just like all of you I experienced this same issue after just spending $2000 on a brand new Macbook Pro.

That woudl be true if this was the MacBook Pro forum area, but it is not. This forum area is for the 12" Retina MacBook, not the MacBook Pros.

Yes, my MacBook has had the rattle since new. I finally got around to dropping it off to be serviced at the apple store. They did not have the wherewithal to work on it there, so had to send it out. When I picked it up, much to my surprise, they said the repair tech said the noise is "normal". Very irritated that a $1500 piece of top quality apple product would do this. Should have just kept my Air instead of "upgrading" lol.

Dobrý den,

píšu česky, zatím jsem narazil jen na Vás tady z Čech. Nevím, zda jste do fóra psal s tím, že můžete poradit, jak na ten problém s cvakáním, nebo jste jako já doteď sháněl informace. Měl jsem přetrvávající problémy s tím klikáním "v displeji" MB 12 Space Gray cca 2 měsíce, v iStyle mi moc nedokázali říci, čím to je, nicméně mi vyšli vstříc a po několika reklamacích a opravách mi vrátili peníze. Koupil jsem nový kus a poté zjistil (při kontrole vystavených kusů na prodejně a po rozbalení několika nových krabic), že to skutečně dělají snad všechny. Teď mám 4. kus (stříbrný - prý je na ně méně reklamací...), první den, zatím nic necvaká, ale těžko říct, co nastane. První kus začal cvakat až cca po půlroce užívání. Většina jich však cvaká hned.

Diagnostika servisu zněla "uvolněný LCD panel", jednou tvrdili, že je to trackpadem, nicméně obě varianty zcela zavrhli na Apple podpoře, kam jsem se včera dovolal. Nějaký zahraniční manažer mi sdělil, že o tom vědí a že jde o vadu při montáži, nikoli hardwarový nedostatek. Nyní se údajně čeká, jak se k tomu Apple postaví, zatím prý "sbírá podklady". Doteď ale netuším, co to v tom vlastně hrká.

Doufám, že se to brzy vyřeší.

S pozdravem

Martin S.

Mine does it too. It definitely coming from top part and and think its the lcd panel switching left and right.

When mine is closed and if i squeeze it a bit with index and thumb finger so i "trap" the screen inside the casing it actually become silent. As soon as i let fingers go the rattle or switching comes back.

I mean it bothers my electronics OCD as well but its nothing alarming, its just disturbing and once you know its there you keep shaking it 🙂 even tho in nornal circumstance you would never be shaking your mac around..

I know this is way later than you posted this question but have you by any chance found a solution? Cause I just bought the 2016 rMB and I've been facing the same problem so I took it to the apple service center and they opened it up and said it was the display. And so he replaced the display free of cost but now, 10 days later it's happening again, and it's exactly how you described it to be. What'd you end up doing to solve the problem?

I received my Macbook pro 15inch with touch bar, recently, the noise when slightly shaking or tilt is really annoying, so I required for replacement. But the second one still has the problem and even worse. I think it could be a big flaw inside. I have decided to return the 2rd one but took the first one to Apple store to see what they could do on it.

re: Polls

FYI -- see terms of use:

Apple Support Communities Use Agreement

In any event...

Good luck & happy computing!

How about smacking your MacBook across your forehead a dozen times. Do you hear the Astral Bells?

Look at the interior and draw your own conclusions:

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Retina+Macbook+2015+Teardown/39841