Unibody Hinge - Clicking/Friction?

[The Rabbi]

Anyone else experiencing this? My Mac is only 2.5 months old, yet when I open and close it, I get these sporadic, clicking-like noises, almost as though the plastic hinge is coming into contact with the actual notebook, generating friction. I'm not quite certain what to make of it. Sometimes, it opens and closes smoothly and silently, yet more often than not, it makes the aforementioned noises, and I'm just wondering if this should be cause for concern. Has the plastic expanded from the heat? Could it be a loose spring? I honestly have no idea.

This is my first Mac, so I'm not entirely aware of common flaws and faults. I'm very pleased with the over-all product, and will now be a Mac user for life, so this minor annoyance is something I can definitely learn to live with, but I have no idea if said minor flaw will grow into a major flaw of sorts. That said, if it's nothing to worry about, and other people are experiencing it as well, I won't bother driving 1 hour to the nearest Apple Store, only to be laughed at by some Genius. Beyond that, I've heard and read the horror stories... I don't know if I want my new notebook being opened and prodded for the sake of a minor issue, if it is indeed minor. Just wondering if anyone else gets this clicking/friction like noise, not to be confused with the infamous haunted house-creaking door like noise on the older models. This is more a cracking/clicking type noise.

 

[VSMacOne]

I am experiencing some of those symptoms, but I don't think it's cause for concern. If your screen doesn't seem loose, then i wouldn't bother with it. Mine can get annoying sometimes, but i don't even notice it anymore...

 

[uicandrew]

i don't have that problem. my macbook unibody has very tight hinges, for which i've been told to count my blessings, since it seems the majority of complainers have very loose hinges.

for reference, this is supposed to be good for fixing loose or tight hinges. I haven't used it, but this company has been around for a while, and i THINK i've read good things about them. their screen cleaner is excellent, at the very least

http://www.radtech.us/Products/Glides.aspx#MacBook

 

[amrk47]

mine does that too

im sending it in for the hinge and one of my keys pops out

 

[The Rabbi]

I may give Applecare a call and see if this is a fairly common occurrence. Again, I could easily deal with it, but it does get a tad annoying and loud at times. I just don't think these types of things should happen with such a high priced item, after so little time. I'll likely be told it's a cosmetic issue, or that it's completely normal 'wear and tear,' but hey... I paid big bucks for this laptop. It's within my right to make a bit of a stink, haha. I just want to make certain that it's a minor issue, one which won't get worse as time goes by.

 

[5280m]

i heard clicking a few times, i went to the genius bar and they told me they couldnt hear anything. it figures that they want you to come to a loud store to check out things like weird sounds coming from your machine.

 

[marbles]

i heard clicking a few times, i went to the genius bar and they told me they couldnt hear anything. it figures that they want you to come to a loud store to check out things like weird sounds coming from your machine.

why din't you just ask them to find a quiet room then they could hear it ?.

 

[aluminumapple]

i dont think its too much of a problem.. atleast for me
i have both alu and plastic macbook and my macbooks like 4 years old, i got it since it first came out and i know what your saying because i have had the same "problem" for the last 2 years.. iv learned to live with it but it doesnt affect your computer in anyway... atleast for me that is.

 

[piimaPAKK]

Click is quite normal, take a plastic pen and put it on a table, it makes a sound unless you do it super slowly. So why wouldnt the plastic trim around the screen do a click when it touches with the aluminium body?

 

[VSMacOne]

Click is quite normal, take a plastic pen and put it on a table, it makes a sound unless you do it super slowly. So why wouldnt the plastic trim around the screen do a click when it touches with the aluminium body?

lol... you're funny. It seems like you misunderstood the whole issue..
And the trim around the screen is not plastic, it's rubber.

 

[The Rabbi]

Click is quite normal, take a plastic pen and put it on a table, it makes a sound unless you do it super slowly. So why wouldnt the plastic trim around the screen do a click when it touches with the aluminium body?

Haha, not the issue at all. But I got a laugh, so thanks. Meh, it's a minor issue, and I can live with it. I might try giving it a blow-out, just to see if there's any gunk or what-not stuck in there, but I doubt that's it. The overall machine is so near-perfect, it seems silly to sweat the small stuff.

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

 

[amrk47]

just got my macbook back from the depot

they fixed the broken key

and the hinge

they had to replace the whole LCD and case for the hinge

its perfect now

 

[finnit]

Macbook Unibody Hinge

I had the same problem with mine. Basically it would make a creak noise sometimes when I closed it. Generally this would happen if the screen had been open for a while and I hadn't moved it. I also noticed that when closed one of the corners didn't close properly and hovered ever so slightly. If i held it upright the screen popped open very easily. As it's only 7 months old and I've been very careful with it I was quite disappointed.

I took it into an Apple Store and the guy (after looking at it for a good while) saw what I was talking about and put it in for a replacement screen shell.

 

[Cyclo0n]

Got same problem when I close my MacBook. And Im afraid that i will demolish my MacBook