Does anyone know which component this is?

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Level 1

12 points

Does anyone know which component this is?

Hi all,

I bought my daughter a used MacBook Pro 13" mid 2012 a1287 i7 2.9ghz 750gb 8gb ram laptop for her 21st birthday. It cost me many £££ and worked fine when I received it.

Anyway I stored it away ready for the big day. She opened it up, pressed the start button, we heard the chime but nothing appeared on screen. The ebay seller was unhelpful since 'it worked on arrival'

After trying every command prompt scoured from the internet to get it going we finally opened it up to eventually find a severely corroded possible resistor on the logic board which disintegrated to dust upon trying to give a very light clean. The missing / corroded to dust part is part of the display section of the logic board.

I cannot afford a new logic board. It would cost almost as much as I paid for the entire laptop. A local repair guy has many generic resistors and capacitors that could possibly fix it, and under the circumstances I'm willing to give a try.

So my question is, does anyone know what part number or name the corroded missing part circled in the photo attached might be?

I know I shouldn't have bought second hand and I also know in future that if I can't afford a brand new model then don't even bother but my daughter needs this MacBook to be in working order if at all possible for her studies, plus it was her only present for her 21st so I hope someone here can help.

Many thanks.

MacBook Pro, iOS 10.1.1

Posted on Jan 5, 2017 9:58 AM

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Answer 1

S.U.

Level 6

9,601 points

Jan 6, 2017 12:47 PM in response to Tigzybear

Unfortunately, the chances for repairing this are slim to none. First of all, it may not be possible to identify this component. Best bet would be if someone else has the same computer where any numbering or lettering on the component is visible, and even then, it might not really tell you what it is.

Secondly, these logic boards are assembled using BGA technology, and it will take a BGA specialist to work on it. I don't know if there are any in your area, but that would be the place to take it if anywhere.

Thirdly, this dead component could be just one indication of a more serious problem, and if so, replacing it may not solve the problem.

As an aside, these machines sometimes have an issue with the hard drive cable failing over time. If you haven't tried booting it from a bootable external drive, it may well be worth doing to see if it could be that the internal hard drive is not seen because the cable has failed, although in that case you will usually see a flashing question mark.. It also might be worth trying an external display to see if the dark screen is clearly tied to the internal display. If the Mac works with an external display, it would not be nearly as convenient, but it could function as a desktop and could still be used.

One other odd thing--if this is a 2012 MBP, then I wonder why the Apple ©2009 is on the logic board along with the number 820-2565-A. This may not be significant, as it may just indicate an original date of some sort.

I think the best thing for you to do is to visit an Apple Store and make an appointment at the Genius Bar for a comprehensive hardware test so that you know for certain what the hardware issues actually are. I don't know for certain where you are, but in the US there is a flat-rate Depot Repair Program where Apple will fix anything that is wrong with your Mac for a flat rate of $300-$350 USD. The Mac has to qualify--so it has to be in good shape with no spills or any other type of accidental damage. That would be an excellent deal for you if you can get it.

In the future, if you want a used Mac, it's always worth checking the Refurbished and Clearance section of the on line Apple Store. The basic model of the 13" MBP was listed at I believe $829 USD last time I checked, and you could probably get Apple financing and be able to pay it off gradually over time.

The mid-2012 13" MBP is a wonderful machine and can be upgraded to 16 GB of RAM and the original HD can be upgraded to a SSD. I truly hope you can get it up and running.

Good luck!

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Answer 2

Tigzybear Author

Level 1

12 points

Jan 6, 2017 12:47 PM in response to S.U.

Hi

thanks very much for taking the time to respond.

I have actually had someone identify the corroded component which apparently is a C9010, which deals with the PP3V3_LCDVDD_SW_F signal (for picture).

It is a 0.001uf 10% 50V 0402 capacitor. If this is the issue what needs doing is to clean the corrosion, tin the pads and solder the capacitor. Also needs a wire running across it. I was astounded the guy knew what that tiny component was as I wasn't holding out much hope to be honest.

It's currently with my local TV repair guy who is confident he can do the job. Whether it fixes it is another matter. My son thought it had got wet inside at some point as a screw was also a bit rusty. If tv repair guy fails I will send it to the guy on ifixit who identified the part, as he repairs logic boards. Good to know that they can actually be repaired in the right circumstances, such a waste to throw away an entire board.

Interesting about the 2009, I'd seen it but not registered it. My son says it's correct for this laptop. Tried an external drive, all fine. Also hooked it up to an external monitor all good.

I'm in the UK, not sure about the repair programme, I will definitely check that out if all else fails. I have a feeling that over here we would be charged per job rather than a flat rate. Actually I just checked - it depends on the issue, no flat rate 😟 pfftttttt typical.

I know it's a great machine, I researched long and hard before I went for that particular model. Fingers crossed a new soldered generic capacitor will make for a quick and cheap happy ending!

thanks again for your help and suggestions 🙂

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Answer 3

S.U.

Level 6

9,601 points

Jan 6, 2017 6:46 PM in response to Tigzybear

Congratulations for getting as far as you have!

Interesting about the rusty screw. If there was a liquid spill inside, then it's entirely possible that the machine worked at first but corrosion took place over time and so it didn't work at a later time. If there was a spill, lets hope it was just water, as that would have the fewest issues over time. And if there was a spill, that would disqualify it for the Depot Repair Program anyway, even if it were offered in your area.

It is definitely possible to repair a logic board. I sent my iBook off to a specialist many years ago and it was reballed at a very reasonable price. It sounds like the ifixit guy has the specialized equipment needed for this type of repair if necessary. So it sounds like you will be able to get it going again one way or the other.

And at some point, you might want to consider 16 GB of RAM and an SSD--a worthwhile upgrade to this very fine machine! And do keep an eye on the hard drive cable--they do seem to deteriorate over time. I've had to replace them in two different machines.

Good luck with it!

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