AppleCare Just Expired -- Anyone Have Support Luck?

[JoelMarcey]

As Murphy's Law would have it, my AppleCare expired two weeks ago on my MacBook Pro 15" and now I am seeing idle temps of my CPU pretty high. About 60-65C at 2000 rpm fan rates or 55-60C when I bump the RPM to 3000 via SMCFanControl. I am pretty sure "normal" idle is about 40-45C.

Has anyone had any luck with Apple getting no cost support just after AppleCare expired? Just curious. Obviously, the free support has to end sometime, but 2 weeks seems to be a short time period such that maybe I fall into some sort of grace period or something.

Otherwise, I will need to look into my own support options -- maybe apply some new thermal paste myself or something to see if that fixes the issue -- or actually pay someone locally to help me fix the issue.

Thanks.

 

[miles01110]

60-65 C isn't that hot.

 

[GGJstudios]

Your temps are perfectly normal. And when AppleCare expires, it expires. Not 2 weeks or 2 days or 2 hours later.

Searching the forum with MRoogle will usually find answers to most of your questions:

Macbook Pro Heat Dissipation
2010 Macbook Pro 17" i7 heat question
Heat on my i7 Macbook Pro 15"
Macbook overheating?
My Macbook Pro reached 106 degrees !
Macbook pro heat problem
MacBook Pro Over Heat Issue
Heat on my i7 Macbook Pro 15"
Macbook pro Hot after 10.6.3. Update
Macbook Pro too HOT!!!
My Macbook Pro Runs Hot
Macbook Pro gets really hot when running windows 7
How hot should my macbook be getting?
Macbook Boiling Hot!
Hot 15" i5 MBP!
MacBook Pro Overheating or That's What I Think It Is?
Macbook pro temperature
MacBook Pro heat causing pain in hands
Alu Macbook vs. 13" Macbook pro: Heat & Battery Life
Etc., etc., etc.

 

[JoelMarcey]

Your temps are perfectly normal. And when AppleCare expires, it expires. Not 2 weeks or 2 days or 2 hours later.

Searching the forum with MRoogle will usually find answers to most of your questions:

Macbook Pro Heat Dissipation
2010 Macbook Pro 17" i7 heat question
Heat on my i7 Macbook Pro 15"
Macbook overheating?
My Macbook Pro reached 106 degrees !
Macbook pro heat problem
MacBook Pro Over Heat Issue
Heat on my i7 Macbook Pro 15"
Macbook pro Hot after 10.6.3. Update
Macbook Pro too HOT!!!
My Macbook Pro Runs Hot
Macbook Pro gets really hot when running windows 7
How hot should my macbook be getting?
Macbook Boiling Hot!
Hot 15" i5 MBP!
MacBook Pro Overheating or That's What I Think It Is?
Macbook pro temperature
MacBook Pro heat causing pain in hands
Alu Macbook vs. 13" Macbook pro: Heat & Battery Life
Etc., etc., etc.

Yes, I have used and know how to use Google or MRoogle or otherwise -- thanks for the colorful (figurative and literal) pointers. People can draw their own conclusion based upon research, and I have concluded that when two weeks ago your idle temp is sitting at 45-50C and now it is sitting at 60-65C at the same fan RPMs, then something is likely going wrong. Hence that is why I asked the question.

Your point about AppleCare expiring 12 AM on the day after your finish date may indeed be true. My research did tell me that some people, when getting the right AppleCare rep, have had luck in getting support if it hasn't been long since AppleCare expiration. Thus, I thought I would try seeing if that research was based on any sort of fact or not. Hence the reason for my question.

 

[GGJstudios]

Yes, I have used and know how to use Google or MRoogle or otherwise -- thanks for the colorful (figurative and literal) pointers. People can draw their own conclusion based upon research, and I have concluded that when two weeks ago your idle temp is sitting at 45-50C and now it is sitting at 60-65C at the same fan RPMs, then something is likely going wrong. Hence that is why I asked the question.

There was no sarcasm. Just facts. If you had searched, you would know your temps are well below those that many others are running. Your temps vary with the current workload, so it's not unusual at all for there to be a variance of 20-50+ degrees from one time to another. It's not an indication that "something is likely going wrong".

 

[JoelMarcey]

There was no sarcasm. Just facts. If you had searched, you would know your temps are well below those that many others are running. Your temps vary with the current workload, so it's not unusual at all for there to be a variance of 20-50+ degrees from one time to another. It's not an indication that "something is likely going wrong".

I changed the word sarcasm to pointers after re-reading your original post. You must have replied before that happened.

Anyway, my understanding of scientific method suggests that when, under the same conditions, a variable changes, then there must be some force acting to allow for that change. In this case, same idle workload (i.e. startup) w/ differing steady state temps suggests there is something amiss. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen. I at least have a hypothesis. But before I go and start messing with heatsinks and thermal paste and such myself, I figured I would at least ask the question that could guide me to the simplest solution.

 

[Gomff]

But before I go and start messing with heatsinks and thermal paste and such myself, I figured I would at least ask the question that could guide me to the simplest solution.

If it ain't broke.....

 

[JoelMarcey]

That's the point...

If it ain't broke.....

That was the whole point of my question. If indeed others have had success getting an AppleCare "grace period", it is better to get this looked at now rather than later ... even if there is no real issue.

Otherwise, I have to decide to live by the "ain't broke" mantra, pay someone else, or play serviceman myself.

I did just think about something though .. even if I was somehow able to find a "grace period" type rep, I have installed my own SSD drive in the laptop so that right there might void any further AppleCare repair anyway. (And no, it is not the new SSD that is causing the issue since I installed that many months ago).

 

[Ruahrc]

I'm not 100% certain but I believe the hard drive is listed as "user upgradeable" and has been since the days of the Aluminum Powerbook G4. There should be no issue with putting a new HD/SSD in.

Regarding the expired warranty... it looks like you have answered your own question. Some people have had success getting things fixed just outside warranty but it is not guaranteed. The only thing you can do is to contact Apple yourself and see if something can be done for you, but don't expect Apple to extend any obligation towards you. Maybe you get lucky and they help you out, maybe you don't. That's about all you can do really.

Ruahrc

 

[Aboo]

To answer the OP's question - yes I have had luck in getting free support and even replacement on an out of warranty macbook pro. I had a Late 08 MBP that started showing a horizontal line on the left size of the screen about 15 days after the standard Apple Care ran out. Called Apple and explained the problem. The agent transferred me to T2 since I was out of warranty. T2 agent said "no problem", we will fix it gratis.

 

[fluffyx]

AppleCare probably won't do much for an issue like that. They will probably suggest that you visit an Apple Store, or perhaps that you do a mail-in repair.

The mail-in repair center or the Apple Store will either return the computer "no trouble found" or perhaps clean the heatsink and fans.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Yes, I've had lots of luck getting AppleCare to look at problems after the warranty has expired. (Apple just replaced the logic board in my MBP two and a half YEARS after its warranty expired; although they still didn't fix the underlying issue...)

However, it has to be a real problem. "It runs a little hot" is not going to get them to look at it. Heck, it's Summer right now (in the Northern hemisphere, anyway; I didn't look where you're located,) so they can just blame it on that.

 

[Queen of Spades]

My roommate just got her alu MacBook repaired 3 months out of warranty. But like another poster said, it has to be an actual malfunction. I'm not sure those temps qualify, but you can certainly try.

 

[TrojanX]

I would suggest getting a alternative issurance such as Safeware.com (who have resonable rates with alot of coverage and good reports) or adding it on to you homeowners insurance.

 

[JoelMarcey]

My approach

I think I am going to try to tackle this myself and/or work with someone local. If it is what I think it is (needs new thermal paste), then that shouldn't be too awful to do solo or too costly to pay someone.

I think many people here are right -- my temps, while rising from long time norms, are still not in danger mode or anything.