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Nooooooo! Got a great display but now the ****ing latch hook doesn't retract!

P

PDE

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Nov 16, 2005
2,484
18
Finally got a display that's worthy of the macbook pro and just discovered that the latch hook doesn't retract and sometimes doesn't hook into the bottom either. Took it in to Tekserve and was told that the only way to fix this is to replace the entire display assembly...I can't believe it. I don't want another go at the display lottery. I want this one.

Anybody with experience of these latch hooks? I'd greatly appreciate suggestion how to possibly fix this. Not sure if there is a little spring in there, or is there a magnet in the top that pulls it back too? Looks like a spring now that I'm looking at more carefully....

Cheers
 
I think the main mechanism for engaging the catch is a magnet in the base of the macbook pro. I would guess ensuring the magnet is working would be a good start but after that, yes I would imagine the spring inside the lid has failed.

Is the laptop still under warranty?
 
R.Youden said:
I think the main mechanism for engaging the catch is a magnet in the base of the macbook pro. I would guess ensuring the magnet is working would be a good start but after that, yes I would imagine the spring inside the lid has failed.

Is the laptop still under warranty?
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's brand-new but I just got it back from apple with a new screen because the old one was defective. The new one is great, but as I understand it, the little springs can't be replaced by themselves. The whole display assembly has to be replaced....
 
Techguy172 said:
Yeah just the assembly not the entire display you won't lose your perfect screen.
Click to expand...

The tech guy at tekserve said because the LCD is glued to the front assembly where the latch is, you can't replace the latch hooks - you have to replace the whole thing, including screen....can that really be true? Apple seems to do everything in whole units, rather than trying to fix small things by hand. I suppose it's cheaper that way since the labor is done in China.
 
I can take it back to the Apple Store again.....:(
 
That is so sad! But for me, a latch problem would be a dealbreaker, beautiful screen or not..
 
I fixed it!

I fixed it!!!! I used two needles and managed to move the tiny spring back into the right position. There is a slight issue still in that the hook doesn't come down as early as the other one, but I suspect it has to do with the magenet in the bottom case. Maybe it moved when they replaced the display.

I'll remove the top case and see if there's anything I can do to fix that, but first I'm just going to enjoy that the hook is fixed and that I can keep my display! Yay!

Yessss :)
 
PDE said:
I fixed it!!!! I used two needles and managed to move the tiny spring back into the right position. There is a slight issue still in that the hook doesn't come down as early as the other one, but I suspect it has to do with the magenet in the bottom case. Maybe it moved when they replaced the display.

I'll remove the top case and see if there's anything I can do to fix that, but first I'm just going to enjoy that the hook is fixed and that I can keep my display! Yay!

Yessss :)
Click to expand...


I got the same problem as u. pls show the detail how to fix
 
PDE said:
Finally got a display that's worthy of the macbook pro and just discovered that the latch hook doesn't retract and sometimes doesn't hook into the bottom either. Took it in to Tekserve and was told that the only way to fix this is to replace the entire display assembly...I can't believe it. I don't want another go at the display lottery. I want this one.

Anybody with experience of these latch hooks? I'd greatly appreciate suggestion how to possibly fix this. Not sure if there is a little spring in there, or is there a magnet in the top that pulls it back too? Looks like a spring now that I'm looking at more carefully....

Cheers
Click to expand...

seems Apple is teasing you..
just out of curiosity... are you thinking about the yellowish tint 24/7:D
i still remember our conversations.. and the huge thread about performing the yllow tint test!
oh well!
i hope everything works out well..
you're ALREADY there.. but not quite YET
 
mikezhao911 said:
I got the same problem as u. pls show the detail how to fix
Click to expand...

After checking, my two latch hooks can hold bottom properly. But after release, one of them cannot retract automatically. It seems the spring is not power enough.

Any idea?

Thanks
 
mikezhao911 said:
I got the same problem as u. pls show the detail how to fix
Click to expand...


It was quite simple actually. If you look at both hooks very carefully, you'll see that the functioning hook has a tiny metal spring attached to the side that is opposite the actual hook part. With the faulty one, that spring had somehow been displaced to the other side - the hook side of the mechanism. I used one needle to keep the hook slightly outside the bezel (if it's too much outside, I don't think the spring will move easily because of tension), and the other needle to catch the spring and carefully move it to the opposite side where there is small groove for it.

Hope this is clear enough, but ask if it isn't and I'll try to clarify.
 
markrivers said:
seems Apple is teasing you..
just out of curiosity... are you thinking about the yellowish tint 24/7:D
i still remember our conversations.. and the huge thread about performing the yllow tint test!
oh well!
i hope everything works out well..
you're ALREADY there.. but not quite YET
Click to expand...

Ha ha ha...yes, I'm Already there, but not quite! The yellowing? Yes, it's there and I'd prefer if it were not (and I haven't had it long enough for it to be a 24/7 obsession with the yellowing!), but it's I suppose I have to see it as a tradeoff for the positive attributes of the LCD. At least it's only the lowest portion of the display, not the 1/3 that I've seen before.

Apple IS a tease....the good part is that I've had so many exchanges and new displays that I'm relatively used to and not as worked up about it.
 
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