Problem NOT Solved
Hi, after fiddling around much, i decided to send this letter to Apple:
Hi,
I'm a mac user since 2004 and have never had major problems with macs or apple products, but last week I came upon an issue that made me very disappointed. I have a macbook and I used a slightly larger headphone plug on the headphone jack (which I only slightly forced in) to connect to my house's audio system. (It should be said that the cabled used had been used numerous times in many different headphone jacks.) It worked fine, but soon after I unplugged it, the internal speakers weren't working anymore. If I tried to change the volume, a circle with a line crossing it appears. Moreover, a red light shone from the headphone jack.
I waited until Monday to go to the local apple official tech support center and they told me that my warranty had expired. In order to fix it, they would have to REPLACE THE WHOLE LOGIC BOARD, and that would cost me around US$1,500! (I live in Brazil and Apple products here are much more expensive.) Apparently, there's no way to replace just the headphone jack!
I went home to read internet forums and was amazed at the number of people who had had the exact same problem: internal speakers do not work; red light comes out of the heaphone jack; on sys prefs>sound>output, the only thing showing is "digital out"; no sound from speakers; still works when headphones are plugged in. Some people had the same problem after using different headphone plugs; some people after some software update.
Apple crammed a digital audio port inside the headphone jack, which would account for the red light and, apparently, what must have happened is the sensor got bent with the larger headphone plug and now is stuck on digital out mode.
On some forums, the most common solution indicated was to insert a toothpick or something close to it and try to unbend the sensor. It worked for a lot of people, but not to me.
Other forums, thinking it could be a software problem, advised the reader either to reset the PRAM (by restarting and pressing down comm+alt+R+P) or to turn the computer off, unplugging the power cord, taking the battery out and pressing down the power button for 5 seconds. I tried all of those but nothing. Basically, what Apple told me that there is nothing they can do.
This is insane. First, Apple doesn't say anything about plugging slightly larger (and very common) headphone plugs onto the port. Second, the solution for the problem is to replace almost the whole computer. Ive talked to two certified apple tech support centers in Rio de Janeiro and to Apple Brazil in São Paulo. They all basically told me that that is nothing to be done.
Now I come to Apple in the US (the source) and ask: is this for real? Will I loose my computers speakers? Id really appreciate a quick response. Ive been an unconditional mac fan until now and got many friends to become users. Apple seemed to be a more intelligent and honest manufacturer, and that made the difference (and the extra dollars worth).
Thank you very much,
Best Regards,
