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Can My Macbook Be Fixed?

A

A Yellow Fellow

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
219
I recently dropped my Macbook Pro 15" and the light in the display is broken. You still can see the screen, but it is very dark and impossible to use unless there is a ton of light in the room. The computer runs fine and for the mean while I have been using a separate screen for my laptop. I took it into the apple store to see how much it would cost me to get it fixed and they said roughly around $1000. Here are the parts they said I need and their item number

661-4239 Display Clamshell Assembly, 15", glossy -$703.13
922-7909 Top Case Assembly --$201.56

In the problem diagnosis evaluation they said the issue was a dented hinge/case and a failed inverter. The computer runs fine and everything works perfectly the only problem is the display. It just doesn't make sense to me to spend $1000 on a computer screen when the macbook pro was about $2500. Is there anything I can do? Can I get used parts to save cash? I would like to keep this laptop because it is only 1 year old. Any help is appreciated.
 
yep bro, u are getting WAYYY overpriced. ill give u 3 options, i perfer the last 1.

#1. take it to a small apple shop
#2. take it to tekserve (they are expensive but not as much)
#3. check craigslist for a broken macbook pro or someone selling parts and do it yourself (google some tutorials)
 
The Top Case Assembly has nothing to do with the functionality of the screen, so you can save $201.56 as long as you can deal with any cosmetic damage. As far as the screen assembly goes, I would check Ebay before spending $703.13.
 
I just checked Apple Global Service Exchange for a price quote, and even Apple agrees that you are being overcharged. The price breakdown for the Screen Assembly is $640 (Stock Price) or $450 (Exchange Price).
 
I am not very tech savy, so I don't think I would be able to do it myself. What is the best option to get it fixed? Would it be better to sell it and buy a new one?
 
No you'd sell it at a heavy loss. Just spend the $150 for that screen and do it. If you're good at following directions you can get this done.
 
If it is actaully just the inverter that needs replacing, you are being *hideously* overcharged. The inverter is a ~$25 part which sits just beneath the LCD panel & coverts the low-voltage power from the battery into the high-voltage required to power the CCFL backlight of the screen. The guy at the Apple store wants to sell you an entire new LCD when probably only the inverter needs repalcing.

My recommendation would be to take the laptop to a local computer repair shop, tell them that you think that it's just the inverter that needs replacing (the tech should realise this within 30 seconds anyway if s/he is any good) & see how much they will charge you to have a new inverter sourced & fixed. When I was working at such an establishment last summer I had several jobs just like this & I generally charged no more than the price of the inverter then £10 on top for service as it is such a simple fix.
 
the problem is that the user stated he dropped the mac and thus the lcd back light failed. if he went in with case damage but only mentioned that his lcd panel lost its backlight, he might have been able to get the display replaced under warranty. additionally, not all generations of macbook pro's list the inverter board as a replaceable part.
 
This sounds about right, although as others have said it doesn't seem like the top case needs replaced other than to repair cosmetic damage. Apple sells the display clamshell as one piece (lcd, inverter, hinges, cables, covers). And since this is going to be a COD repair, I don't think the Apple store is going to do a core return through GSX, hence the $700 price tag. You would basically walk out with your fixed computer + your old display clamshell (which you could sell).

When I was working at such an establishment last summer I had several jobs just like this & I generally charged no more than the price of the inverter then £10 on top for service as it is such a simple fix.
Click to expand...
If you were replacing inverters on macbook pros for only £10 in labor then you are either a god among computer techs or you were severely undercharging. Theres a good reason why the display is sold as one piece. It's very cumbersome to get the display apart and then back together without breaking the bezel. I would be leary of any mom and pop computer shop who claims they can replace just the inverter on a macbook pro for cheap. It probably means they haven't done it before.

he might have been able to get the display replaced under warranty.
Click to expand...
The fact that he has a 15" pro with a non-led backlight means that its an 06-early 07 model so there wasn't any chance of a warranty to begin with.
 
i keep forgetting that individual users tend not to buy the apple care warranties. all my clients have the 3 year plan. by the way, getting into the macbook pro display assembly is a much easier task than it was with the powerbook g4's. its removing the lcd panel that hurts because apple applies adhesive to both the bottom and top edges of the lcd.
 
jwhazel said:
If you were replacing inverters on macbook pros for only £10 in labor then you are either a god among computer techs or you were severely undercharging. Theres a good reason why the display is sold as one piece. It's very cumbersome to get the display apart and then back together without breaking the bezel. I would be leary of any mom and pop computer shop who claims they can replace just the inverter on a macbook pro for cheap. It probably means they haven't done it before.
Click to expand...
As rennyf77 said, getting the panel out is awkward, but simply removing the bezel & replacing the inverter is a ~20 minute job. As a matter of fact it is easier on a MacBook Pro than a MacBook, as the bezel is screwed on for the former but clipped on using extremely weak & irritating clips on the latter (I replaced the screen of a MacBook belonging to a girl who had stepped on it when she was running away from a cockroach...).
 
I guess to each his own. I can do a MacBook panel/inverter in about 15 minutes. However, I've done it enough times that I can keep the bezel clips in the brackets and not have them stick to the bezel. As an ASP, our company has deemed it more feasible to replace the upper clamshell on the pros than mess with the internals.
 
Where do you guys suggest I get the parts? Also do you think I should take to geek squad or something or should I just try it myself?
 
if you want to do it yourself you will need torx 6/8 and philips 0/1 tools. remove all of the external screws as well as the two underneath the memory cover. the whole display assembly is secured to the base assembly with four torx 8 screws. once out, remove the two torx 6 screws at the bottom corners of the display assembly. now the fun begins. using your thumbs with gentle pressure, push the lcd cover away from the lcd bezel until the tab pops out. you should start at the lower left and right sides of the display and work your way up. the inverter board is inside the hinge cover. WARNING. apple is run by a tea bagging asshole who always places aesthetics over function. the macbook pro is made of soft aluminum that can easily warp when you're taking it apart. you can seriously fuck up the appearance of your machine. proceed with caution.
 
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