Macbook air 2013 Gpu issue?

[iBLtz]

Hi everyone,

last night i got this not funny screen on my macbook air 2013 :

(the left side of the screen has artifacts)

I decided to reboot a couple of times, PRAM reset, nothing happened, the problem was still there.

I went to bed and when i woke up, the issue was gone...

I booked an appointment to the genius bar, but if i go there and there is nothing more to show then they will not acknowledge the problem.

Facts :

• I was doing nothing that could stress the cpu/gpu, was only web browsing
• 20mins before the issue occurs, I sprayed the screen with a solution to clean glasses (to clean the screen), exactly at this place, could it be related?
• My warranty expires in 10 days (bought my MBA like 1year ago)

Any ideas, comments or suggestions?

thx in advance

 

[zunairryk]

Show them the pic you posted here.

 

[scaredpoet]

[*]20mins before the issue occurs, I sprayed the screen with a solution to clean glasses (to clean the screen), exactly at this place, could it be related?

I would bet money that this is absolutely related. My guess is the cleaning solution leaked into the casing, made contact with the LCD connector, caused some shorting and it resulted in what you were seeing. When you turned it off and let it sit while you slept, the solution evaporated overnight and the short disappeared with it.

Whether it'll come back is a big question though. It might never do this again (unless you spray liquids on your screen again). Or, the cleaning liquid might've caused some corrosion while it was in there, and later on the problem might come back, and maybe even get worse as the connector corrodes and breaks down.

This is why spraying liquids directly on the screen is a bad idea. If you're going to use a glass cleaner to clean your screen, spray onto the paper towel or cloth, and then use the damp cloth/towel to do the cleaning. Not TOO damp though... if the cloth or towel is dripping, then it's too damp.

[*]My warranty expires in 10 days (bought my MBA like 1year ago)

Did you buy this MBA with a credit card that provides extended warranty coverage? Does your homeowner's/renter's insurance policy cover your laptop against damage? Are you planning on buying a replacement for this MBA within the next month or so?

If the answer to all of these is "no" or "I don't know," then you should definitely buy Applecare for that Mac RIGHT NOW.

Applecare almost always pays for itself with a single repair instance, and it's already pretty clear that something happened to your Mac, and there's a chance it might come back after the warranty expires. If it turns out the GPU is in fact bad, Applecare will cover it for another two years. And if it was caused by a short from the glass cleaner, you might get some leeway from Apple when you bring it in to get it repaired, if you spent money on Applecare.

In any case, I wouldn't gamble, unless you're already looking to buy a full replacement. For one reason or another, your MBA glitched, and hoping it doesn't come back after your warranty expires is not a good idea, so ensuring you have some sort of coverage, Applecare or otherwise, would be the smart thing to do right now.

 

[calvol]

I would bet money that this is absolutely related. My guess is the cleaning solution leaked into the casing, made contact with the LCD connector, caused some shorting and it resulted in what you were seeing. When you turned it off and let it sit while you slept, the solution evaporated overnight and the short disappeared with it.

Whether it'll come back is a big question though. It might never do this again (unless you spray liquids on your screen again). Or, the cleaning liquid might've caused some corrosion while it was in there, and later on the problem might come back, and maybe even get worse as the connector corrodes and breaks down.

This is why spraying liquids directly on the screen is a bad idea. If you're going to use a glass cleaner to clean your screen, spray onto the paper towel or cloth, and then use the damp cloth/towel to do the cleaning. Not TOO damp though... if the cloth or towel is dripping, then it's too damp.



Did you buy this MBA with a credit card that provides extended warranty coverage? Does your homeowner's/renter's insurance policy cover your laptop against damage? Are you planning on buying a replacement for this MBA within the next month or so?

If the answer to all of these is "no" or "I don't know," then you should definitely buy Applecare for that Mac RIGHT NOW.

Applecare almost always pays for itself with a single repair instance, and it's already pretty clear that something happened to your Mac, and there's a chance it might come back after the warranty expires. If it turns out the GPU is in fact bad, Applecare will cover it for another two years. And if it was caused by a short from the glass cleaner, you might get some leeway from Apple when you bring it in to get it repaired, if you spent money on Applecare.

In any case, I wouldn't gamble, unless you're already looking to buy a full replacement. For one reason or another, your MBA glitched, and hoping it doesn't come back after your warranty expires is not a good idea, so ensuring you have some sort of coverage, Applecare or otherwise, would be the smart thing to do right now.

Yes, Yes,... it's cleaning solution... happened to my 2010 MBA, but went away after a day or so... be careful when cleaning the bottom of the screen!

 

[iBLtz]

Thank you all for the answer and advice!

Did sou have the problem again afterwards on your macbook aie 2010?

 

[SmOgER]

Ehm... Post the ingredients of that cleaning solution.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Hi everyone,

last night i got this not funny screen on my macbook air 2013 :
Image

(the left side of the screen has artifacts)

I decided to reboot a couple of times, PRAM reset, nothing happened, the problem was still there.

I went to bed and when i woke up, the issue was gone...

I booked an appointment to the genius bar, but if i go there and there is nothing more to show then they will not acknowledge the problem.

Facts :

• I was doing nothing that could stress the cpu/gpu, was only web browsing
• 20mins before the issue occurs, I sprayed the screen with a solution to clean glasses (to clean the screen), exactly at this place, could it be related?
• My warranty expires in 10 days (bought my MBA like 1year ago)

Any ideas, comments or suggestions?

thx in advance

As you've got only a few days left on your warranty, go to the Apple Store and show them the picture you posted. Explain you're terrified that it'll happen again, you'll be out of warranty, and you'll end up with a $1000 brick.

Cleaning solution won't cause this, and if it did, it's due to liquid damage. If it's liquid damage then they'd find that and tell you -- and you can always request for it to be returned unrepaired.

Go to the Apple Store, definitely. You can never second-guess a computer, even a Mac. Sod's Law.

 

[chrfr]

Thank you all for the answer and advice!

Did sou have the problem again afterwards on your macbook aie 2010?

Bottom line here is that every case of liquid damage is different, so one experience isn't really applicable to another.
Also, don't ever spray liquids on your screen, exactly for this reason. Spray a cloth and then wipe that on your screen.
Also, Applecare does not cover damage like this so it's debatable whether or not it'd be worthwhile to spend money on it.

 

[iBLtz]

I have an appointment this afternoon, let see what they say

 

[JoEw]

Hi everyone,

last night i got this not funny screen on my macbook air 2013 :
Image

(the left side of the screen has artifacts)

I decided to reboot a couple of times, PRAM reset, nothing happened, the problem was still there.

I went to bed and when i woke up, the issue was gone...

I booked an appointment to the genius bar, but if i go there and there is nothing more to show then they will not acknowledge the problem.

Facts :

• I was doing nothing that could stress the cpu/gpu, was only web browsing
• 20mins before the issue occurs, I sprayed the screen with a solution to clean glasses (to clean the screen), exactly at this place, could it be related?
• My warranty expires in 10 days (bought my MBA like 1year ago)

Any ideas, comments or suggestions?

thx in advance

I go this too! going to apple store to get a replacement/fix.

----------

Bottom line here is that every case of liquid damage is different, so one experience isn't really applicable to another.
Also, don't ever spray liquids on your screen, exactly for this reason. Spray a cloth and then wipe that on your screen.
Also, Applecare does not cover damage like this so it's debatable whether or not it'd be worthwhile to spend money on it.

I have never gotten any liquid near or on my macbook air, or cleaned with a cleaner solution. This just happened to mine last night. Literally the exact same as the picture. I will post response/explanation I get from apple, hopefully they won't try to play the blame game on this, if so it looks like I am buying AppleCare while I am there.

 

[iBLtz]

so, i went yesterday to an apple store, they checked but the tools did not find anything.

She checked the picture and said it might come from the display or the graphic card(well...)

She noted everything and said that if the problem appears again, the garantie will cover it since it happened in the garantie period though she couldn't detect anything. Thank you apple, Very nice as always

Well, that was it, thanks everyone for answering

 

[JoEw]

I got mine in for repair.