Thermal paste mod gone wrong, please help!

[aphexacid]

I was trying to do the thermal paste mod on my macbook, and while trying to pull up on the temp sensor wire, the plastic head broke, and then the two pins that it attaches it to the logic board broke as well.

the temperature is no longer regulated obviously, i can however use smcfancontrol, but this i not good!

can anyone think of any solutions, or possibly somewhere i can take it to get fixed?

please help!

[alphaod]

I was trying to do the thermal paste mod on my macbook, and while trying to pull up on the temp sensor wire, the plastic head broke, and then the two pins that it attaches it to the logic board broke as well.

the temperature is no longer regulated obviously, i can however use smcfancontrol, but this i not good!

can anyone think of any solutions, or possibly somewhere i can take it to get fixed?

please help!

It would help if we had pictures. ;)

I don't know exactly what broke. If it's just the sensor, get a new sensor from iFixIt. If you ripped the cable out of the logic board, solder it back on (though get a someone whos good at soldering if you're bad).

[aphexacid]

These are the two little spots where there used to be these little bitty posts for the head to sit on, and then you see the two wires in the upper left:

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/8930/img1255dw6.jpg

here is the other one, thats not broken:

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/4904/img1256qn4.jpg

[e.m.]

what's the "thermal paste mod" anyways?

[MacDann]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like you broke the pins off the socket. If that's the case, you're going to have a bitch of a time getting this back together without some very creative soldering.

MacDann

[aphexacid]

now that i look at it, it looks like there were 4 pins. i think there were 2 pins above the obvious ones, and i think those broke off inside the plastic head. then the 2 that i actually saw were the ones towards the bottom.

just lovely. i dont know how any human could have possibly got the head off without damaging a pin, they so god damn delicate.


Anyone have any idea how much i could get for the macbook if i were to try and sell it?

[e.m.]

Anyone have any idea how much i could get for the macbook if i were to try and sell it?

Does it have Applecare? What's the processor on it?

[aphexacid]

Nope, no apple care. T7200, 2GHZ c2d

its a secondary laptop thats seen maybe 40 hrs of usage. if it was my main one, i'd be pulling my hair out lol

[e.m.]

Nope, no apple care. T7200, 2GHZ c2d

its a secondary laptop thats seen maybe 40 hrs of usage. if it was my main one, i'd be pulling my hair out lol

I take it it's not under the initial one year warranty either, right?

[aphexacid]

yeah actually it is, but im sure thats been voided now

[ashjamben]

no harm in trying to take it back, is there?

try to get it back looking as it was inside and say it just 'stopped working', and if they mention that you've opened it up just play stupid and say you've never opened it up.

who knows, they might repair it or something?

[Stokes]

no harm in trying to take it back, is there?

try to get it back looking as it was inside and say it just 'stopped working', and if they mention that you've opened it up just play stupid and say you've never opened it up.

who knows, they might repair it or something?

Yes, there is harm. This is lying, and it's defrauding Apple.

How about this...
Take responsibility for your actions. If you broke it, you pay to fix it. Stealing from Apple is just wrong.:mad:

[anirban]

what's the "thermal paste mod" anyways?


Its claimed by some that the thermal paste coating on the CPU and GPU of MB/MBPs are not upto the standards that the consumers expect. As a result, there is an unnecessary increase in the operating temperature of the computer.


So the "mod" is to take the computer apart, wipe off the old thermal paste, and re-apply new paste nicely, so that it conducts heat better and helps lower the temperature.

[ashjamben]

Yes, there is harm. This is lying, and it's defrauding Apple.

How about this...
Take responsibility for your actions. If you broke it, you pay to fix it. Stealing from Apple is just wrong.:mad:

i knew someone would get on their high horse about this :p so its up to you. either be moral and get it repaired by apple and pay for it or try to convince them that it 'just happened'

[Stokes]

Sad world when it's 'High Horse' to just be a good person instead of a liar or a thief.:mad:

[alphaod]

i knew someone would get on their high horse about this :p so its up to you. either be moral and get it repaired by apple and pay for it or try to convince them that it 'just happened'

It's not about morals here; it's about it being illegal. If the OP defrauded Apple and they gave him a new machine and finds the broken thermal sensor? I think someone would have just committed a felony.

These are the two little spots where there used to be these little bitty posts for the head to sit on, and then you see the two wires in the upper left:


Do you still have the connect that used to be on the logic board?

If you do, you can try to solder it back on.

If you don't have the connector: The blue circled ones are just ground. Figure out the polarily of the connectors and just solder end to their respective places one the board. It would appear the gray side connect to left connector and the black on the other--in this orientation anyways.
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f390/alpha_ran/c0d383e3.jpg

what's the "thermal paste mod" anyways?

It's just replacing the thermal paste that Apple applied to your own. Thermal paste is used to transfer heat from the processor, video card to the heatsinks and fans. Too much of it (like the way Apple does it) instead of transfering heat, ends up trapping heat. Too little usually means heat won't be transfered. The mod is just get a thin film of it. I'm talking less than 1 mm thick film.

yeah actually it is, but im sure thats been voided now

Yes this is one of those mistakes you can't really cover up.

[logana]

Yes - I agree with the soldering the bare wires on to the board bit - just make sure that whoever solders them knows what they are doing.

Both connectors have the gray/black wires in the same places. The other end of the wires are connected to thermistors on the heat-sink (I think) so too much heat while you are soldering will literally fry them. I used to use freeze-spray stuff to cool components while soldering but no idea if the stuff is still available...

You could probably have left the connectors in place and just peeled the tape of the fan/heatsink join - and then just flip the heatsink out of the way to remove and replace the thermal grease.

[alphaod]

Both connectors have the gray/black wires in the same places. The other end of the wires are connected to thermistors on the heat-sink (I think) so too much heat while you are soldering will literally fry them. I used to use freeze-spray stuff to cool components while soldering but no idea if the stuff is still available...

Good point. You don't want to overheat the thermal sensors. A simple solution is head just the solder and none of the wire. just heat the solder instead of the the wire.

[jeremy.king]

Its claimed by some that the thermal paste coating on the CPU and GPU of MB/MBPs are not upto the standards that the consumers expect. As a result, there is an unnecessary increase in the operating temperature of the computer.

I thought this was only the original Macbooks? :confused:

[Uoila]

Yea, most of this has been covered already but:

1. Apple care wouldn't touch that! Most warranties (for anything) don't cover you taking it apart and breaking something in the process.

2. It looks like it could be simply soldered back into place. Either solder the metal connectors back to the board or use some light gauge wire to solder to the little pads on the board and then connect that wire to the original connectors.

[alphaod]

I thought this was only the original Macbooks? :confused:

I believe the original MB problem was they didn't removed the air vent film. All the computers had this thermal paste issues; I mean it's gotten better, but it's still not good enough.

[Jpoon]

I agree that it's wrong for the OP to take it back and act like nothing happened....

But jeez, you think Apple would have not cheaped out on something so inexpensive? I would have paid an extra 10 bucks for some decent thermal grease if there was an option..... it's such an easy thing to fix.

[alphaod]

But jeez, you think Apple would have not cheaped out on something so inexpensive? I would have paid an extra 10 bucks for some decent thermal grease if there was an option..... it's such an easy thing to fix.

There is nothing wrong with the thermal grease; it's just they used too much. As with that $10, well you'd be getting jipped.

[ingenious]

Yes, there is harm. This is lying, and it's defrauding Apple.

How about this...
Take responsibility for your actions. If you broke it, you pay to fix it. Stealing from Apple is just wrong.:mad:

Stealing from anyone is wrong. period. (before anyone makes a big deal about not stealing from, oh my gosh!, Apple)

i knew someone would get on their high horse about this :p so its up to you. either be moral and get it repaired by apple and pay for it or try to convince them that it 'just happened'

that's just ridiculous. think if someone were to do the same to you (i.e. they bought your car, bike, macbook, whatever, modified it, and then brought it back and tried to make you fix it because they royally messed it up.

somehow i don't think you'd be that willing to pay for their mistakes. why should apple pay for yours (their being a corporation has nothing to do with it.)?

[anirban]

I thought this was only the original Macbooks? :confused:


Nope, as alphaod mentioned, it was prevalent in earlier generation of Macbook Pros as well.