A couple problems on MBP, AppleCare question

[tmoney468]

Hi all,

I've been debating for a while now whether or not I should send my MBP in for repair (it's the 17", 2.33Ghz model from a few years back). First, to the problems I'm having with the MBP:

1) There appears to be a speck of dust or a string of 7 dead pixels in the upper left part of the screen.

2) A portion of the paint on the palmrest cover is starting to rub off (it's on the sloped portion right under the keyboard.

3) The latch button seems to be stuck in 1/2 the way regardless if the display is closed or not (the lid still latches, it's just the button doesn't come out as far as it once did).

I realize that this is an objective question that depends on who you ask, but do you think that this is worth sending in?

And for a hypothetical situation, say I upgraded my harddrive a year ago, I assume that I need to put the old one back in before bringing it in correct? I realize that this might hypothetically void my warranty, but we're only talking hypothetical anyways right?

 

[HLdan]

So what exactly is your "Applecare" question? Do you still have Applecare? You said you bought the MBP years back? Are you out of warranty or not?

 

[AeroStud1026]

Hi all,

I've been debating for a while now whether or not I should send my MBP in for repair (it's the 17", 2.33Ghz model from a few years back). First, to the problems I'm having with the MBP:

1) There appears to be a speck of dust or a string of 7 dead pixels in the upper left part of the screen.

2) A portion of the paint on the palmrest cover is starting to rub off (it's on the sloped portion right under the keyboard.

3) The latch button seems to be stuck in 1/2 the way regardless if the display is closed or not (the lid still latches, it's just the button doesn't come out as far as it once did).


I realize that this is an objective question that depends on who you ask, but do you think that this is worth sending in?

And for a hypothetical situation, say I upgraded my harddrive a year ago, I assume that I need to put the old one back in before bringing it in correct? I realize that this might hypothetically void my warranty, but we're only talking hypothetical anyways right?

I would assume that ANY non-factory installed options will void your warranty.

 

[Westicular]

re:

call them and find out, I had a dead pixel on my old powerbook a few years back, and they said it's only a defective item if a certain number of pixels are out, so I would call them to see if you're covered, and yes put the old HDD back in. hope this helps.

 

[kastenbrust]

On MOST (99%) of Macbook's and Macbook Pro's and Powerbooks replacing the RAM and Hard Drive DOES NOT void your warranty.

 

[alphaod]

After speaking with a store manager, I had been told that upgrading the hard drives in classic MB/MBPs did not void the warranty as long as the user took all the precautionary steps to prevent damage to other components. I've sent in computers for repair with changed hard drives and have had no issues with warranty coverage.

However, so they don't have any excuses for refusing service, I would reinstall the original HDD into the computer before taking it into repair.

 

[tmoney468]

Sorry for not being clear, I have AppleCare, and I believe it expires this December, so I have about 11 months left.

I guess the best solution would be to call my nearest Apple store and ask if they would service my MBP even though I have aftermarket RAM and HD in it. I was mainly trying to avoid the hassle of changing the HD 2 more times if I chose to get it serviced (put the old HD in, and then the new one back after I get it serviced).

I would hope they would be understanding because the problems I'm having have nothing to do whatsoever with my upgrading my HD.

 

[sehnsucht77]

Sorry for not being clear, I have AppleCare, and I believe it expires this December, so I have about 11 months left.

I guess the best solution would be to call my nearest Apple store and ask if they would service my MBP even though I have aftermarket RAM and HD in it. I was mainly trying to avoid the hassle of changing the HD 2 more times if I chose to get it serviced (put the old HD in, and then the new one back after I get it serviced).

I would hope they would be understanding because the problems I'm having have nothing to do whatsoever with my upgrading my HD.

i was always under the impression that doing work on your own voids your applecare. check your contract agreement to be sure. with reports of people having to go to different genius bar people and receiving different answers each time, i'd be hesitant to take anyone's "final" word with 100% certainty.

the damage you are reporting seems to be from wear and tear so i doubt applecare will cover it since they deal mainly with manufacturing defects. still, it wouldn't hurt to ask. the paint rubbing off is an aesthetic concern but the latch problem and pixels might be covered by warranty repair if it is indeed due to a manufacturing failure. i had an ibook run for 5-6 years without any dead pixels until the screen just died and the unit was due for an upgrade anyway.