2011 MacBook Pro 'failures' continue: Petition surpasses 20,000 signatures

[noxibox]

the use of lead free solder appears to be the root of the problem

Which is why it happens to every make.

 

[Tracey]

Glad I found this thread. My otherwise perfect early 2011 Mac Book Pro 15" suddenly started throwing the grey screen issue. I travelled all the way to Cape Town today to get a technician to have a look as I'd not backed up for 12 days while I was away from my office ... Needless to say, like a kid in the dentist's rooms, the pain went away as the machine booted quite happily apart from some 'beach balling'. So, I scuttle home and think ... good save. Alas, this evening, out of nowhere ...another grey screen episode. Some Googling and what do you know? I might have a late-onset dud. Nice.

 

[Grant]

Glad I found this thread. My otherwise perfect early 2011 Mac Book Pro 15" suddenly started throwing the grey screen issue. I travelled all the way to Cape Town today to get a technician to have a look as I'd not backed up for 12 days while I was away from my office ... Needless to say, like a kid in the dentist's rooms, the pain went away as the machine booted quite happily apart from some 'beach balling'. So, I scuttle home and think ... good save. Alas, this evening, out of nowhere ...another grey screen episode. Some Googling and what do you know? I might have a late-onset dud. Nice.

There are a couple of places who can do a repair, although they regard the repair as temporary.
Essentially, the main board is removed & heated to allow the solder "rework" itself.

I have sent in my one of my dud MBP's as well as that of a friend for the "repair" - there has been no problem with either since - the charge is around R1200 or so per machine.

I have also used a much more crude method on another of my dud machines, that has also worked (for me and many others), but it is a bit of a high risk fix. Having said that, the machine was perfect for about another year or so before playing up again. When that happened, it was a case of "rinse & repeat", it still runs perfectly.

 

[noxibox]

What you really want is to have the GPU re-balled and attached with lead solder. That should fix it permanently.

 

[Grant]

What you really want is to have the GPU re-balled and attached with lead solder. That should fix it permanently.

that is the only proper solution
who does that in sa, any idea ?

**
oops
i see you're in cambridge

 

[noxibox]

that is the only proper solution
who does that in sa, any idea?

I suspect not many people do it anywhere. It is quite a procedure. Actually the only person I knew doing it, repairing various things, was in Germany.

 

[noxibox]

This doesn't look too bad though.

 

[BrrIan]

Repairs.com, 021 510 5517, will do the full job. They'll charge R2500 or so.

 

[Grant]

Repairs.com, 021 510 5517, will do the full job. They'll charge R2500 or so.

i know denis well
he did the machines i referred to earlier, but they do not re-ball, but reflow the solder

 

[BrrIan]

i know denis well
he did the machines i referred to earlier, but they do not re-ball, but reflow the solder

I asked whether they would remove all existing solder, replace the ball grid and solder it back. I made a point of mentioning reflow and they were adamant the quoted fee was for a complete resolder not only a reflow.

 

[noxibox]

I've seen that place recommended by several people, but it is odd that they're doing reflows for some people and telling others they offer a full solder replacement. R1200 for a reflow hardly seems worth it (but then I do have access to a hot air station).

 

[w1z4rd]

There is no problem with the Macbook Pro, any problems you are experiencing are because of you. Any deviation from this will result in Apple fans attacking you. You have been warmed. (Jk)

 

[BrrIan]

They're too busy attacking Apple.

 

[audiogeek]

Late comer to this but I've been following this as my early 2011 Macbook Pro began acting up early 2014...

My current solution is to ensure it only uses the integrated GPU. This is done using the gfxCardStaus app > https://gfx.iohttps://gfx.io

The latest in this debacleis that Apple knowingly hid the flaw.
http://bgr.com/2015/01/16/2011-macbook-pro-class-action-suit-apple/

I'm wondering if the class action in California will have implications for us should it be successful.

 

[Grant]

I'm wondering if the class action in California will have implications for us should it be successful.

probably not
i guess the will go the same way as they did with the magsafe lawsuit.
they will settle in terms of the usa (only) lawsuit, thereby abandoning customers in the rest of the world where lawsuits was not brought against them.

 

[noxibox]

Late comer to this but I've been following this as my early 2011 Macbook Pro began acting up early 2014...

My current solution is to ensure it only uses the integrated GPU. This is done using the gfxCardStaus app > https://gfx.iohttps://gfx.io

Although it is very difficult to prevent it switching before that application even runs, and once it has switched you can't force it back.

 

[noxibox]

I'm wondering if the class action in California will have implications for us should it be successful.

For South Africa probably not much. Core won't do free repairs or replacements without being ordered to by Apple. For people in the UK and perhaps the EU winning the court case in the US could be used as evidence of a defect that existed at the time of purchase. In the UK that's covered for 5 or 6 years (I forget which). That doesn't mean Apple UK won't still try to get out of sorting it out. It's pretty usual for companies in the UK to do everything they can to avoid complying with the consumer law, and they know complaints to the authorities take a long time and perseverance.

 

[audiogeek]

Again a bit late.

Apple have come to the party;

http://www.macrumors.com/2015/02/19/2011-macbook-pro-repair-program-apple/

https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

 

[zippy]

For South Africa probably not much. Core won't do free repairs or replacements without being ordered to by Apple. For people in the UK and perhaps the EU winning the court case in the US could be used as evidence of a defect that existed at the time of purchase. In the UK that's covered for 5 or 6 years (I forget which). That doesn't mean Apple UK won't still try to get out of sorting it out. It's pretty usual for companies in the UK to do everything they can to avoid complying with the consumer law, and they know complaints to the authorities take a long time and perseverance.

The bigger companies in UK like Apple generally react quickly when the publicity gets bad. Apple are one of the top brands in the UK in just about all consumer surveys.

 

[MagicDude4Eva]

Just a quick update on this - we typically buy all our Macs from shopandship. One of our 17" developed the issue in January and we followed the Apple return process (http://www.apple.com/uk/support/macbookpro-videoissues/).

Laptop was returned via the retailer to Core 8th April and latest feedback from Core is that it will still take "several weeks" until it is repaired - not quite sure if this is due to Core relying on Apple or if it is a plain Core issue. It will be interesting to see if they actually repair or swop out with a refurb.

Has anyone here had better luck or are you guys also still waiting?