MID 2010 Mac Book Pro 15 Inch Unibody Case Bulging (not the battery)?

Question

MID 2010 Mac Book Pro 15 Inch Unibody Case Bulging (not the battery)?

Hey guys, in the past 24 hours I noticed that two slight bulges have appeared in the form of lines to the right of my hard drive. After taking the back cover off I noticed that it was not the battery and that the bulges occurred where the black bar that holds the hard drive into place is. Has anyone experienced this before? I have attached a link to a picture that shows the bulge (Sorry, ththey are kind of difficult to see). Any help would be really appreciated! Thanks guys! 🙂

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Jul 27, 2015 1:34 PM

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Answer 1

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Jul 27, 2015 1:40 PM in response to JERRYGARCIAFROMTHEDEAD

You are correct, I cannot see anything meaningful in your image.

Is that bar properly installed? You are certain that the battery is normal with NO evidence of expansion?

If so, this malady is most unusual.

Ciao.

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Answer 2

Jul 27, 2015 8:57 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

Try and look for the two lines in the picture (they kind of look like shadows except- in real life- they are much easier to see).Again, I found nothing wrong with the battery and the backplate had not been warped to any extent (wouldn't a damaged battery do this?). Further, the warping appears on the side opposite to the battery. Does anyone know what might be causing this? Could it expand?

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Answer 3

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Jul 28, 2015 3:07 AM in response to JERRYGARCIAFROMTHEDEAD

Upon closer examination I do see the lines. Again I have never seen this type of distortion on the key board. This certainly does not have the characteristics of an expanding battery. I would have to see it to make any type of valid assessment as to the reasons for this distortion.

Ciao.

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Answer 4

Jul 28, 2015 11:18 AM in response to OGELTHORPE

Here is a better photo showing the bulging. I noticed that this was exactly the same width and and distance from the edge as the black bar that holds the hard drive in place is. It is also near the IR receiver.

Does anything look out of place?

Here is a picture of what is below the bulge in the MacBook.

Have you ever seen anything like this before?

Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it! 🙂

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Answer 5

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Jul 28, 2015 1:54 PM in response to JERRYGARCIAFROMTHEDEAD

The newer image clearly shows the distortion and yes, I still think is is most unusual. I would take out the HDD and anything else in the vicinity of the distortion and see if you can make any sense of it. I have never seen anything like this before.

My conjecture is that you may have to live with it or if want to try and minimize the distortion, you will have to take every component out and use a hydraulic press. A full repair would entail replacing the top case.

Ciao.

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Answer 6

Jul 28, 2015 9:06 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

I did removed the hard drive and noticed that (internally) everything was fine- no warping or distortions. I am fine with cosmetic damage (the computer is 5 years old!) but would just like to confirm that it won't expand/get worse due to use

Does anything look out of place?

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Answer 7

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Jul 29, 2015 2:34 AM in response to JERRYGARCIAFROMTHEDEAD

My experience has been that picture can show a lot, but also can hide a lot. I do not see anything abnormal but to give you a definitive answer I would have the view MBP in person. Since I have never seen anything like this before, I cannot say if it will or will not get worse. To answer that question, one must determine what is the cause of this distortion and that has not been diagnosed.

If the cosmetics are of no concern, I would simply live with it. I wish I could give you a solid conclusive answer, but I simply cannot. I trust you can understand that.

Ciao.

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