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New MacBook Air 13" Creaking

A

adamtj11

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 26, 2011
418
41
Belfast
When I seem to touch the air in random places , it randomly makes a creaking noise , which is starting to really annoy me when I am using it, considering it was a €1300 odd purchase. I have gone over my 14 days (day 16 now) , If I take it into my local store(Premium reseller with repair people) and get the screws tightened will it fix this problem. It doesn't affect the Air in usage, just when using it the odd click gets highly frustrating, almost to the point where I cant help myself but to try to find the click :eek:
 
My 11" air does it too. I will creak slightly if I press the wrong spot on the shell. It doesn't bother me much at all. I don't know if tightening the screws will help, but it seems that it would. It might also harm the shell by putting too much stress on it or something.
 
I had a horrible creak and took it to the apple store to have the screws tightened. The creak came back in two days. I then bought my own pentalobe screw driver and some blue loctite. I took out all the screws slathered them with loctite, put them back in and tightened them and then went around and retightened as some get lose after tightening another. It's been a month now with no creaking at all. My air feels so much sturdier. In the end it cost me $15-20 to fix a problem that should have not occurred, but it was definitely worth it considered the creak is gone.
 
dread said:
I had a horrible creak and took it to the apple store to have the screws tightened. The creak came back in two days. I then bought my own pentalobe screw driver and some blue loctite. I took out all the screws slathered them with loctite, put them back in and tightened them and then went around and retightened as some get lose after tightening another. It's been a month now with no creaking at all. My air feels so much sturdier. In the end it cost me $15-20 to fix a problem that should have not occurred, but it was definitely worth it considered the creak is gone.
Click to expand...



Has anyone just bought only a Pentalobe screw and tightened the screws themselves? Is this a viable solution without the need of the blue loctite? Or would one be tightening them every few days/frequently?

My 2011 Air creaks as well (I exchanged it once, the second one doesn't creak as much, but still does...) and I'm considering purchasing a pentalobe screw.
 
Yes I tried that several times before getting the Lotite and each time it became loose a couple of days later. The Lotite is not a big deal as its already on the two rear center screws, which are longer than the rest. It's not like your mac will be permenantly closed. The Lotite just prevents the screws from backing out do to flexing of the frame. Just make sure to use blue and tighten all screws once and then again. Be careful not to strip the screws.
 
well update, I took it into my Apple reseller today and the guy who does the warranty repairs said my screws were already tight, however after running a hardware test that produced zero faults, he took off the case and reseated it with the screws, its only been less than an hour but so far no creaks so far, still too early to judge but looking/ feeling sturdier. The bottom casing doesn't seem as flexible now. Touch wood I have no more problems now! I can't buy the fact that "all Airs have a creak" because I had a 2011 11" with no creak beforehand as well as my sisters 2010 air that also has no creak.
 
The apple store did the same for me and the creak came back within days. Without loctite its pointless.
 
I swear sometimes my Air creaks even when I'm not touching it, as in, I don't have my palms resting on it, nor am I typing, nor am I using the trackpad.

I'm guessing it happens because while my hands are on it, it's depressing the metal or the bottom plate... and when I lift my hands off, the metal sort of "goes back to place" or something... and the creak/click happens.

Premium feeling, this is not.
 
So the creak has come back worse than before, It's really getting beyond a joke now, I am well passed the 14 days, does anyone know what they will do if I take it in again?
 
All Apple will do is tighten it or re-seat the plate at the bottom, and this will stop the creaking for some time, but it will in all likelihood come back. I've been through this and even had an exchange; I now accept the creak is part of the 2011 Airs. It sucks and doesn't feel premium at all, but it is what it is.
 
All airs will eventually creak because the screws are small and loctite was not applied from the factory. The only way to get a creak free air is to fix it yourself. Total cost, $15; lack of creak, priceless.
 
onthecouchagain said:
All Apple will do is tighten it or re-seat the plate at the bottom, and this will stop the creaking for some time, but it will in all likelihood come back. I've been through this and even had an exchange; I now accept the creak is part of the 2011 Airs. It sucks and doesn't feel premium at all, but it is what it is.
Click to expand...

I owned a 2011 11" and it didn't creak at all. I have ordered the screw driver myself so I can tighten the screws myself the second I hear that god awful creak.

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dread said:
All airs will eventually creak because the screws are small and loctite was not applied from the factory. The only way to get a creak free air is to fix it yourself. Total cost, $15; lack of creak, priceless.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't want to void warranty with glue and ruining the screws that are there.
 
What will Apple think/do when they see all of your screws locktited?

You're not supposed to be able to deal with those screws.

Why wouldn't they assume you opened up the Air?
 
Last I checked opening a mac does not void the warranty. Blue Loctite is not glue and it is designed to break at the slightest amount of force applied with a screw driver. The screws are so small that the loctite residue would be barely noticeable. I doubt a genius would void my warranty for me trying to prevent my screws from falling out. Like I said before loctite is already applied on the two biggest screws (back middle of the plate) from the factory so its not like it would be weird for them to see loctite on the screws.

I know that loctite absolutely solves the creaking problem. I applied it before christmas and still do not have any creaking. I am posting this so individuals who really want to solve the creaking problem know of a method that has worked. Whatever you decide to do is your own business, but because the screws are small and come without loctite they will eventually come lose on most macbook airs. Getting your computer replaced is not the solution.
 
Not that I recommend blue loctite on the threads of the MBA. Mainly because a lot of people will over dose the amount and can become a real mess. But if used properly on the first 3 or 4 threads and only a very small amount, it could be effective in stopping the screws from loosening in the future from torque of the body. Every bolt that has came loose on my Victory Vegas Motorcycle, get's blue loctite. But too much loctite in the wrong area of a MBA is worse then no loctite at all.
 

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I swear, my Air creaks even when I'm not touching it, or even when I gently tap my trackpad. I've had Apple tighten it twice. It just comes back.
 
Even if the screws are loose, I can't believe it makes such a loud creak. It's almost like a popping sound. It's very audible. Are they screws that loose that they can pop like that? Or is it more the metal giving way?

I can press down on the right side of the resting pad, and it'll generate an incredibly loud pop. Sometimes not even pressing down hard, at all. It's pretty amazing how loud it is for a loose screw...
 
I have accepted the creaks as part and parcel of owning a macbook air. Mine is the Oct 2010 model.
 
The popping sound is the bottom plate rubbing against the rest of the computer. I had this before my loctite fix. Now I don't. The housing doesn't flex at all when properly tightened
 
Just use the tiniest bit of clear nail polish instead of blue loctite - it does the same job and it is invisible so you don't need to worry about Apple seeing it and asking questions.
 
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