Does my MBP qualify for a replacement?

[jvlfilms]

Hey guys. I was reading a thread about replacements on this forum and wanted to see if my current situation calls for a replacement. These are the current issues my Mac has.

• Fans turn on constantly, even when watching videos on YouTube, or using Skype.
• Horrible battery life (around 50 mins) on "Better Energy Savings"
• Extremely hot to the touch when sitting on lap, almost unbearable.
• MacBook Pro lid does not fully close (latch is broken somehow).
• Runs very sluggish for some reason.

My MBP is the late 2007 model so I believe that should help my case. What do you guys think?

 

[mgartner0622]

Maybe, but probably no.

Applecare requirements are that you have to have 3 consecutive repairs for the same issue all occouring under your original warranty or AppleCare. If you've had any other repairs done for these issues, you might be in luck.

Say your motherboard breaks 3 times, then you will get a replacement if the Genuis/Rep you are speaking to is having a good day. They don't always do this, and it is at THEIR discretion. Who knows though, sometimes if you're polite, and nice to people, anything can happen.
Say your motherboard breaks, the display has lines, and the mouse stops responding. That does not count as 3 consecutive repairs, it has to be all the same issue.

Regarding the battery, how many charge cycles does it have on it? If it's over 300~350 or so, Apple usually does not replace it.

Go to the Apple Menu and then About This Mac, More Info, then Power.

 

[dr. shdw]

Hey guys. I was reading a thread about replacements on this forum and wanted to see if my current situation calls for a replacement. These are the current issues my Mac has.

• Fans turn on constantly, even when watching videos on YouTube, or using Skype.
• Horrible battery life (around 50 mins) on "Better Energy Savings"
• Extremely hot to the touch when sitting on lap, almost unbearable.
• MacBook Pro lid does not fully close (latch is broken somehow).
• Runs very sluggish for some reason.

My MBP is the late 2007 model so I believe that should help my case. What do you guys think?

Flash isn't GPU accelerated, blame Adobe.
Old battery.
Caused by Flash? MBPs aren't meant for the lap, they get pretty toasty...
Wear and tear..
Old drive? Dying drive? Needs more memory? Reformat? Too much stuff no free space?

 

[jvlfilms]

Maybe, but probably no.

Applecare requirements are that you have to have 3 consecutive repairs for the same issue all occouring under your original warranty or AppleCare. If you've had any other repairs done for these issues, you might be in luck.

Say your motherboard breaks 3 times, then you will get a replacement if the Genuis/Rep you are speaking to is having a good day. They don't always do this, and it is at THEIR discretion. Who knows though, sometimes if you're polite, and nice to people, anything can happen.
Say your motherboard breaks, the display has lines, and the mouse stops responding. That does not count as 3 consecutive repairs, it has to be all the same issue.

Regarding the battery, how many charge cycles does it have on it? If it's over 300~350 or so, Apple usually does not replace it.

Go to the Apple Menu and then About This Mac, More Info, then Power.

Unfortunately, I've only gotten my MBP fixed once and it was for a motherboard issue

And regarding the charge cycles, I have 115.

Honestly, if it doesn't get replaced, I wouldn't mind. But I'm interested just in case (who wouldn't want an upgraded system?)

 

[jvlfilms]

Flash isn't GPU accelerated, blame Adobe.
Old battery.
Caused by Flash? MBPs aren't meant for the lap, they get pretty toasty...
Wear and tear..
Old drive? Dying drive? Needs more memory? Reformat? Too much stuff no free space?

Do doing something simple as watching a movie or using Skype should let the fans turn on to over 6000 rpm?

I paid for AppleCare so if I feel something needs to be replaced, I'll take it to an Apple Store.

 

[sn0warmy]

[*]Fans turn on constantly, even when watching videos on YouTube, or using Skype.

Sounds completely standard and not at all like anything is broken. I have my fans set to run at 3,400 RPMs at all times in my 3 week old MBP.

[*]Horrible battery life (around 50 mins) on "Better Energy Savings"

The laptop/battery are 3 years old. Even if Apple was feeling EXTREMELY generous they might give you a new battery. But I highly doubt that.

[*]Extremely hot to the touch when sitting on lap, almost unbearable.

Unfortunately, this is a known issue with the 2007 MBP's. They suffer from lack of thermal paste on the processor which caused them to run much hotter than newer models.

If this was a huge issues you probably should have taken it in within the first 3 years of ownership.

[*]MacBook Pro lid does not fully close (latch is broken somehow).

Apple will DEFINITELY consider this physical damage and assume it was done by you or someone else during standard use.

If the latch was broken while you were un-boxing it for the first time, you should have returned it then. Waiting 3 years to bring up a broken latch seems fishy.

[*]Runs very sluggish for some reason.

I'd imagine they will just tell you to do a fresh install of your operating system. If you haven't done a clean install of your OS in the 3 years of ownership, I would highly recommend doing so. It will definitely speed the machine back up.

 

[jvlfilms]

If this was a huge issues you probably should have taken it in within the first 3 years of ownership.



Apple will DEFINITELY consider this physical damage and assume it was done by you or someone else during standard use.

My warranty and AppleCare is still in effect so I don't believe this applies. I have the right to send it in for repairs at any time during the three year AppleCare coverage.


Again, I think what you're saying doesn't apply to me. Dents, knicks and drops ARE physical damage, but there's no way I could possibly break the metal prong inside the screen lid without opening the device. Other than the lock issue, my machine is in pretty much perfect condition. I have never once dropped it or mistreated it. I'm sure they'll be able to fix it.

 

[sn0warmy]

My warranty and AppleCare is still in effect so I don't believe this applies. I have the right to send it in for repairs at any time during the three year AppleCare coverage.


Again, I think what you're saying doesn't apply to me. Dents, knicks and drops ARE physical damage, but there's no way I could possibly break the metal prong inside the screen lid without opening the device. Other than the lock issue, my machine is in pretty much perfect condition. I have never once dropped it or mistreated it. I'm sure they'll be able to fix it.

You are still under warranty? Nice! I figured it would have expired by now. In that case I would guess that they will replace your battery if it fails their diagnostics testing. And if the lock is broken internally with no external dents or scratches then there is a good chance they will replace the top bezel.

I'd say the chances of them replacing the entire computer are slim. However, I've heard crazier things happen for people while still under warranty. Like the guy who posted on here last week about having his 2007 MBP replaced with a brand new 2010 model, free of charge.

 

[jvlfilms]

You are still under warranty? Nice! I figured it would have expired by now. In that case I would guess that they will replace your battery if it fails their diagnostics testing. And if the lock is broken internally with no external dents or scratches then there is a good chance they will replace the top bezel.

I'd say the chances of them replacing the entire computer are slim. However, I've heard crazier things happen for people while still under warranty, like the guy who had is 2007 MBP replaced with a brand new 2010 model just last week.

Thanks for the response! I just checked to confirm but my AppleCare expires in December of 2010. I am almost certain I won't get a new machine but I guess it can't hurt to ask, right?