MacBook Pro screen issue

Question

MacBook Pro screen issue

Hello everyone.

I'm running a Macbook pro retina late 2013 that I'm very happy with. Lately I've been running into this issue, and it seem to be occurring more and more often, and it's that my screen is turning bad. See picture below.

After a while it seems to stop doing it, but then the screen has a habit of flickering instead. The "top" of the screen never gets "weirded" out. My guess here is that it might be the cable connecting the screen to the logic board that is starting to get worn out, as it's a well used laptop. If not that my second guess it that it's the screen or lastly intel built in GPU.

It's hard to troubleshoot the problem as it comes and goes. It happened just now but it might take an hour, or a few days, before it occurs again. As I'm a student I want to know as much as I can before I hand it in to someone, (I don't have any real Apple stores where I live).

What do you guys think it can be, and have you seen this issue before?

Here's a video showing the problem:
MacBook Pro knas - YouTube

Best regards,

Pontus.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013), macOS Sierra (10.12.6)

Posted on Nov 13, 2017 4:34 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Allan Jones

Level 9

68,606 points

Nov 13, 2017 7:40 AM in response to Pontus Andersson

As you have already figured out the "likely suspects" that people here would suggest and are far from an Apple Store, you have limited options and very little additional investigation left to do. However, there are a couple of things:

1) While the computer is running, move the display on its hinge while watching the screen. Any artifacts that occur during movement are strong evidence the display cable is worn and shorting out.

2) If you can lay hands on a known-good external monitor and find the proper adapters to make it work, it can help narrow the suspects.

Turn off the computer, attach the external monitor, and restart. If the image is normal on the external and stays that way as the computer comes to normal operating temps, the GPU is working properly, leaving the display, the inverter, and the cabling as the problem.

If it is the display and cable they are all one piece in your model and integral with the display case. The entire mechanism above the hinge must be replaced. I found a used one online for US$400 and, if you cannot do the fiddly bit yourself, add a couple of hours of labor.

As yours is still "supported" by Apple (parts should be available) I would call the support phone number and ask if a "Depot Repair" is available and request a shipping container. A depot repair is done at a central refurbishment facility and they go through everything and fix for a flat rate. Display repairs cost more than repairs like logic boards that do not require case parts but it should be cheaper than parts+labor from a private technician.

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Answer 2

Nov 13, 2017 7:52 AM in response to Allan Jones

Hello Allan Jones, and thank you for your reply.

I would like to start off by saying that I might have solved the problem, but I'm not sure yet. More on that later.

I wrote my other post in a bit off a rush, and therefore missed out on a couple of things. Once the screen starts doing what it's doing, there is nothing I can do about it other than wait for it to go over. I can change the position of the screen, I can restart the computer completely and I can put a small amount of pressure around where the cable is connected/runs through the hinge and it does no difference.

With that being said, I had the feeling that the problem was occurring more often when the computer was cold, and had been in my bag outside, than when it has been inside.

I've also opened the computer and plugged out the screen cable/cleaned around the connecters, this did not make a difference either. I have not had the opportunity to connect it to another computer while the problem has been going, as I've never been home when it occurred.

After reading a lot about it seems like I'm not alone with this problem. I found the following two threads here:

http://www.appstorechronicle.com/2012/10/retina-macbook-pro-screen-flicker-solut ion.html

http://www.appstorechronicle.com/2012/11/major-widespread-flaw-in-apple-retina-m acbook-pro-causes-flicker-no-recall-plan…

Resetting the PRAM does seem to have done the trick, and did make the flicker go away, (this was 3-4 hours ago now). However reading his second article about it being a hardware problem does not make me feel safe. I will have to wait and see a couple of days, who knows, I might be lucky.

If it comes back now I'm going to try and find a screen to see if it happens on it as well. If it doesn't, I'll order a new screen. If it does, I'll bring it with me home now for Christmas, (I study in a smaller town than the town I come from), and hand it in there.

It's most likely going to cost a lot of money to get this issue fixed.

I will keep you updated on this forum.

Best regards,
Pontus.

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Answer 3

Dec 31, 2017 3:53 AM in response to Allan Jones

Okay so I’ve got a big update on the screen problem I’ve had on my MacBook Pro.

The problem is not solved, and it’s now worse than ever. However, the way it works is still super weird. If I use my computer, change how the screen is pointing and so on it never occurs as long as I don’t close the lid. If I do close the lid and wait like a day before opening it again the flickering will start.

I’ve managed to connect the Mac to a separate screen and while the laptop flickers it does not occur there. This points to it being the screen on the Mac, but I’m still not convinced because off how the problem is occurring.

It’s seems like inactivity, (cold), is what triggers the problem. What’s your thoughts? Apple wanted between 700-800 dollars to replace it, I’m not sure I want to do it on “a hunch”. It would suck to spend that amount of money and still be having the same issue with the computer.

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Answer 4

Allan Jones

Level 9

68,606 points

Nov 13, 2017 8:25 AM in response to Pontus Andersson

Excellent update, thank you. I forgot to mention that a depot repair may not be available outside the US or Canada, so it is worth calling ahead if you live elsewhere.

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