New Macbook Pro retina - case creaking sound

[Jim L]

Hi all,

I'm a new rMBP owner, but have been a Mac user for several years.

I have read others have problems with noise/clicking on their unit, but those seem to come from the hinge.

My sound is from the lower half of the case shell itself. It is more like a flexing noise. Sometimes it happens when I just put my wrist on the right side of the blank area near the track-pad.

Does anyone else get this? It doesn't sound like anything is loose or broken, but is an odd sound. I'll have to see if it gets worse.

 

[JeffiJers]

I believe it is a ground.

 

[bkribbs]

Mine creaks a lot too.

 

[Xerotech]

Happens to me also.

 

[MacReloaded]

The bottom plate creaked on my 2012 model when I carried it until the bottom plate was reinstalled during a repair.

 

[Macman45]

No sound on my late 2012 13". Either from the hinge or the speakers.

 

[ducatiti]

No sound on my late 2012 13". Either from the hinge or the speakers.

I believe only the 15 inch retinas are prone to this problem. Just purchase a pentalobe screwdriver from Amazon or Ebay. Loosen the screws a bit and tighten evenly to reseat the bottom cover. The creaking will be gone after doing so.

I had a brand new 15 inch retina last year which had the same problem. Brought it to a genius to fix the creaking. When I got it back, the black rubber feet were all scuffed up and the screws were rounded.

So my advice is to try to fix it yourself.

 

[Jim L]

I believe only the 15 inch retinas are prone to this problem. Just purchase a pentalobe screwdriver from Amazon or Ebay. Loosen the screws a bit and tighten evenly to reseat the bottom cover. The creaking will be gone after doing so.

I had a brand new 15 inch retina last year which had the same problem. Brought it to a genius to fix the creaking. When I got it back, the black rubber feet were all scuffed up and the screws were rounded.

So my advice is to try to fix it yourself.

Thanks a lot. I'll give that a try and report back.

 

[surroundfan]

...And when re-seating the bottom case, don't strip the screws like I did!

If there is a slight squeak when you press the back half (towards the hinge) slightly off centre, that will be the grounding pins on the logic board. I noticed that when I had the bottom case off, they squeaked loudly the first few times I pressed them. As they loosened, they became less squeaky. Once the bottom case was reseated properly (i.e. not my poor effort), the squeaks and creaks were hardly noticable.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4108642 has a photo of the culprits...

A video demonstrating the sort of noise I had (posted by someone else): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYuioWEYc0A&feature=youtu.be

If the creak comes from the front half of the case, it may be that the glue holding the battery in situ has become unstuck...

 

[darcmasta]

If I paid close to 3k for a laptop, I would be pissed if it was scratched or stripped by someone other than myself; specifically Apple repair services. :x

 

[bkribbs]

If I paid close to 3k for a laptop, I would be pissed if it was scratched or stripped by someone other than myself; specifically Apple repair services. :x

If its stripped screws I would just make them replace them. Scratch would be the same actually.

 

[Shmanky]

...And when re-seating the bottom case, don't strip the screws like I did!

I stripped some of the screws using a pentalobe screwdriver trying to solve the creaking problem. Then I brought it in to the Genius Bar and somehow they magically removed the stripped screws. I have no idea how they were able to do that.