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13" MBP noise. What the hell?

Abyssgh0st

Abyssgh0st

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 12, 2009
1,888
9
Colorado
Okay guys, so I monitor my CPU/fan speeds with smcFanControl. About yesterday I started noticing this gargling like noise, coming from the left of the trackpad. I've never dropped this computer, it's in pristine condition. Here's an audio file:


file:///var/folders/xc/xcf0U+f1EQqbu6RKjCSqY++++TI/-Tmp-/com.apple.mail.drag/Memo.m4a

This noise was recorded by just setting my iPhone 3G S to the left of the trackpad, with fans idling at about 2000 RPMs.
 
Abyssgh0st said:
Okay guys, so I monitor my CPU/fan speeds with smcFanControl. About yesterday I started noticing this gargling like noise, coming from the left of the trackpad. I've never dropped this computer, it's in pristine condition. Here's an audio file:


file:///var/folders/xc/xcf0U+f1EQqbu6RKjCSqY++++TI/-Tmp-/com.apple.mail.drag/Memo.m4a

This noise was recorded by just setting my iPhone 3G S to the left of the trackpad, with fans idling at about 2000 RPMs.
Click to expand...

So the noise is coming from the fans? I think I'm experiencing a similar problem. I posted a thread here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/786450/

I'm not sure what to do; I suppose I have to take it to Apple, but I'll have to wait until the weekend, and I don't have a hard drive to back-up my data unfortunately.
 
Heh, this sure is convenient. I just sent off my iCoffin tonight. That warbling/vibrating/buzzing/whining? It's not the hard drive, it's not the optical drive. It's a bad fan. Go ahead and call up AppleCare and get it sent in (or go to your nearest Genius Bar or AppleCare Support Rep). If you're lucky, it won't take too long. At week at most if you send it in. According to the Apple tech, it'll get worse and eventually the fan will fail. Good luck.
 
zip the audio file and attach it to your post. the internets cant see the audio file residing on your hard disk ;). if its too large to be attached put it in your public MobileMe or Dropbox folder and post the link or use a file host website like mediafire.com.
 
I don't know how to view any of the clips you posted.
 
Okay, done. The first one is the fan, the second one is the hard drive (the noise is at about 00:00-01:00 seconds, and then again from 19:00-20:00).
 

Attachments

  • 1Memo.m4a.zip
    82.2 KB · Views: 72
  • 2Memo.m4a.zip
    191.6 KB · Views: 53
The hard drive noise sounds like the sensor that detects when you suddenly shift your computer. It's supposed to protect your hard drive in the event that you accidentally drop your computer, so that no information is lost. If you lift your computer and tilt it from side to side, you should be able to hear the click.
 
This is the sound that my fans have been making recently. It doesn't sound normal and they turn on even when I'm not running any intensive apps and the computer is cool. They won't shut down on their own either, I have to turn the computer off or close the lid.
 

Attachments

  • 20090914 155451.m4a.zip
    515.9 KB · Views: 57
Yeah, that's pretty close to mine. Yours sounds louder, but I don't know what could be causing that. Maybe your recording device/position.
 
I took it to the Apple Store yesterday, and the Genius heard the fan noise. I was a little worried at how they would do the repair, because I didn't want them to keep the computer since I need it for my college classes. He said "Let me check if we have this model in stock so we can swap it out." and I thought he was going to swap out the entire computer. I was worried because I didn't have any of my data backed up on anything at home. Fortunately, he just took it to the back and swapped out the fan, which he said "had trouble spinning properly". I also decided to by an external hard drive to back up my information like I should have done long ago. Luckily, I never experienced losing my information when I wasn't backed up.
 
Went to Apple today. What an awful experience.

Got a douche bag Genius, who told me that he couldn't hear the noise and that I should go home (after checking in for my 2:20 appointment at 2:00, precisely. It was now 3:00). I told him that I knew it was there, and he saw smcFanControl running and flipped out, saying that it would ruin my fans, etc, etc, etc. I let him listen to the same voice memo I posted here, and he claimed that he couldn't hear anything. I had him cup his hand around the headphones and then he 'finally' could hear it.

He deemed that where the noise was coming from was actually the hard drive, after he took it into the back room to listen to it. He said he could replace the harddrive and I would get it back tomorrow night, but that it would still have the noise because (and I quote, verbatim) "all hard drives have that noise." I told him that neither of my WhiteBooks, nor any of the MBPs in this very Apple store, nor even MY MBP before the Snow Leopard upgrade had this noise. He said that it was the disc spinning and moving (and I told him that I know how HDDs work, and that I didn't need an explanation), to which I replied so when I have no applications running, and my computer closed, it is supposed to make this noise? He didn't reply.

So I left, and now I don't know what to do. The noise is still obviously prevalent, and even though I'll be getting a SSD in December, I'd still like to have a normal harddrive until then. Any ideas?
 
I would call AppleCare. **** the Geniusbags. I've only had good experiences with AppleCare Support; all three guys I got were chipper and ready to deal with my noise. I got the computer back two days later (sent it out on a Monday afternoon, got it back Wednesday afternoon) and my MacBook Pro is now totally silent.

I'd even be willing to give you the number and extension of the guy I exactly dealt with -- a referral, of sorts -- if you send me a PM (for this nice tech support guy's sanity). Also, see if you can file some complaint against the ******* (in store or through Apple); you should NOT under any circumstance be treated like that by any arrogant retail store nerd.
 
So I'm assuming that if you guys listen to the noise I posted, I'm correct and assuming that this is not a typical noise for a stock HDD?

I got the guys name, but since I'm only 17 and look younger I didn't think it'd be beneficial to take it up with in-store management, I figured I'd call later
 
If it's a buzzing noise, it's almost certainly a fan. That so-called Genius doesn't know **** about magnetics. If a hard drive made that noise, it wouldn't work. Don't believe that kind of BS... but it doesn't matter, anyway. Just say to AppleCare you suspect either a fan or hard drive issue and describe the buzzing with the best adjectives and descriptions you can. They'll fix it anyway. Hell, I even opened mine up to check the fan and they still fixed mine (and replaced my bottom panel without my asking b/c I scratched it with a screwdriver... :D ).

EDIT: Oh, and I'd like to say if your MacBook is still less than 30 days old (buying, of course), call ASAP. They're much more willing to fix and/or replace it within this 30-day span. The longer it gets, the more suspicious they are. And rightfully so.
 
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