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What in the 2011 MBP has a small spring?

T

The Mad Mule

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 27, 2010
117
104
Hey everyone,

when I got my MBP a few days ago, I was standing up with it (still opened) when I heard a short, but acute sound from the right hand side of the laptop: a small spring uncoiling. So it pretty much sounded like a metallic "twang."

I opened it up later on and poked around, but couldn't find anything immediate that showed a small spring. And this year's model doesn't have that dual contact spring thing in the middle like the past years did.

It hasn't happened again, and at this point I'm growing obsessed with what could have caused the sound, and why. I'm thinking it's the optical drive, since I'm quite sure no hard drive employs a spring to work, not even for SMS.

Anyway, if anybody can really help calm my curiosity, I would greatly appreciate it. :)
 
I hear this noise all the time too when i pick it up from my desk to my bed or vice versa, makes a small noise like something in balancing in there when i tilt the laptop slightly or make motion.
 
Its the Sudden Motion Sensor kicking in. The noise is the Hard Drive heads parking to prevent damage to the HDD in case of a drop.
 
Thank you all for the input.

Making this thread must have been good timing, because I was just sitting on the staircase a moment ago, and when I stood up and turned around, the spring noise came back.

I guess that it is the hard drive after all, and that its first line of motion defense is to do something that involves releasing something spring-related.

(And I do know the second step is the "clunk" of the drive, since I inadvertently tested that while trying to recreate the spring noise.)

EDIT: emiljan - that would be in preparation of a sudden drop (I've heard that "clunk" noise a few times before); this spring-related one is apparently for minor cases of sudden movement.
 
Last edited:
The Mad Mule said:
Thank you all for the input.

Making this thread must have been good timing, because I was just sitting on the staircase a moment ago, and when I stood up and turned around, the spring noise came back.

I guess that it is the hard drive after all, and that its first line of motion defense is to do something that involves releasing something spring-related.

(And I do know the second step is the "clunk" of the drive, since I inadvertently tested that while trying to recreate the spring noise.)

EDIT: emiljan - that would be in preparation of a sudden drop (I've heard that "clunk" noise a few times before); this spring-related one is apparently for minor cases of sudden movement.
Click to expand...

Actually what you are hearing is the grounding connector that shields your laptop. Most people tend to assume it's the motion sensor, however. The sound drove me to insanity when I got my 2011 MBP about a month ago and found this post (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1064360/) discussing the problem, and a way to solve it.

Hope it helps.
 
My guess is that it is the Sudden Motion Sensor parking the HDD heads as well. I had a similar problem with both my 2010 and 2011 MBP. As soon as I switched to SSD...no more sound.:D
 
Mactruck88 said:
Actually what you are hearing is the grounding connector that shields your laptop.
Click to expand...

Hi Mactruck88, I have heard of this issue during my search, but this sound is definitely different. The "sproing" sounds nowhere near that "plink."
 
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