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reemas · May 14, 2004, 01:59 PM

hey im at the apple store in south coast plaza, ca.
i brought my new 15" pb in because it wasn't ejecting cd's and finally when it did it was struggling to do so.

the problem was it was working perfectly fine until the cd drive started having a hard time ejecting.

the guy at the genius bar said my felt was too thick or just needed to be broken in. i told him it was fine but got worse. now it ejects fine after i insert and eject a cd several times and loosen it up.

he said they could replace the felt but i means unscrewing the powerbook, taking it apart and PRYING the side plastic off. he said it would leave a visible mark where it was pryed apart.

does that sound reasonable to you? what kind of build is that where it leaves damage if you open it up?

also, is there any way i can wet the felt and loosen it up?

is it dangerous to wet a q-tip and rub it on the felt? i dont want to damage the cd drive anymore. and if i wet the q-tip should i use water or alcohol? thanks!

vinster · May 14, 2004, 02:49 PM

Originally posted by reemas:
<snip>
is there any way i can wet the felt and loosen it up?

I read an article on the Apple support site that says if you're having problems inserting and ejecting CDs then you should insert and eject a CD several times to loosen things up.

I'd say the best thing to do in this case is just to use the drive and let it wear itself in.

reemas · May 14, 2004, 03:56 PM

i read the same thing. but the thing is it was fine before. now its so tough its almsot scratching the cds.

is it normal to have a visible scratch where they open your powerbook like the genius said?

vinster · May 14, 2004, 04:25 PM

Originally posted by reemas:
i read the same thing. but the thing is it was fine before. now its so tough its almsot scratching the cds.

is it normal to have a visible scratch where they open your powerbook like the genius said?

It looks like the way they intend to "fix" the drive by prying out the front plastic would leave marks (and could also cause other problems down the road).

If it doesn't get better after a few days use, I'd push for a new drive to be fitted. You might want to try putting a CD just inside the drive and wiggling it around to loosen up the felt.

reemas · May 14, 2004, 05:29 PM

vinster... what did u mean by push for a new drive? and would that mean they wouldn't need to remove the plastic? i think the genius is right about the felt being the problem. only thing is i cant seem to make it remotely loose! i even tried a little alchohol to loosen it. it just stiffens up after not being used for a few minutes. what a bummer.

would replacing it with a new drive take care of the felt? or is that non related to the drive?

vinster · May 14, 2004, 06:24 PM

Originally posted by reemas:
vinster... what did u mean by push for a new drive? and would that mean they wouldn't need to remove the plastic? i think the genius is right about the felt being the problem. only thing is i cant seem to make it remotely loose! i even tried a little alchohol to loosen it. it just stiffens up after not being used for a few minutes. what a bummer.

would replacing it with a new drive take care of the felt? or is that non related to the drive?

That's it, ask Apple for new parts (i.e. drive, front bezel or what ever they need to replace in order to get it working).

rag on a muffin · May 14, 2004, 10:56 PM

leave the CD half way in for a while. that way it will bend the felt and keep it that way for a while. that way the cd could go in without touching the felt too much, therefore less resistance.

reemas · May 15, 2004, 12:13 AM

ahhh. its annoying and it squeeks as i put a cd in. for being 1 week old this sucks!

anyways ill try everything you all say and post back when i don't get anywhere. thanks for the help.

riotge@r · May 15, 2004, 02:10 AM

Originally posted by reemas:
ahhh. its annoying and it squeeks as i put a cd in. for being 1 week old this sucks!

anyways ill try everything you all say and post back when i don't get anywhere. thanks for the help.

That sucks. My 3 day old BTO PB doesn't have any problems with the felt.

reemas · May 15, 2004, 02:42 AM

my felt was actually fine when i got it. but only recently it got stiff... i don't know why. that doesn't make sense. but its definately the felt causing the problem. and its pretty stiff.

the wierdest thing is i can "break it in" and it works ok, but it ALWAYS hardens up after non use of about 5 - 10 mins.

i tried rubbing alcohol on a q-tip and it makes it like new again, but again, after some time it stifens up.

bummer.

Orion27 · May 15, 2004, 08:19 AM

One can buy silicon spray a hardware store. I'd spray a piece of thin plastic or cardboard and then carefully slide it back and forth in an attempt to lubricate the foam. Let it set a few moments to make sure it dries.

bighead · May 15, 2004, 08:49 AM

Don't put silicone spray in the drive! Egads, man, what are you thinking?!

I've seen the geniuses at the Fashion Island Apple Store in Newport Beach replace a couple of optical drives in AlBooks (in-store) when I've been hanging out over there. I like those guys better than the South Coast Plaza store. Maybe you should take the unit over to Fashion Island and have them take a look at it.

Orion27 · May 15, 2004, 09:22 AM

Can't see where my idea would cause a problem?

reemas · May 15, 2004, 10:27 AM

thanks for the tip on fashion island. i'll try it out soon. only thing is they documented my case, but i'll tell them its beena few days and i'm still having the problem. hoepfully they can help a bit more.

does replacing the drive require the plastic to be pryed apart?

and does it take care of the felt?

Andrew Stephens · May 15, 2004, 01:27 PM

Did you accidentally get someting on the felt?
I squished a banana into my TiBooks optical drive (don't ask) and the felt went absolutely solid. I sort of guessed that Apple Care wouldn't cover sheer imbicility so I tried everything to get the felt to loosen up. In the end I got some nail scissors and cut it off, which solved the problem but may not be what you want to do on a new machine. Anyway a few weeks later my whole drive packed in and was replaced, no felt problems since.

bighead · May 15, 2004, 02:56 PM

IIRC, on the AlBooks, the felt is a little strip with adhesive on one side that clings to the inside of the bottom case. You do have to remove the top case to get to the optical drive, but as long as you're using something soft like a nylon stick, there's no real damage done to the parts. Not something I'd recommend anyone do, as there are lots of screws. Still, replacing the felt would be the first way to go, and then the drive if it still had problems.

urrl78 · May 15, 2004, 06:31 PM

I would insert a cd part way in and leave it overnite as was afore mentioned.

reemas · May 15, 2004, 08:35 PM

i will the the disc overnight tonight. ill post back.

but meanwhile, if the optical drive was replaced at soem point, would the felt stay the same? are the two components seperate?

rag on a muffin · May 15, 2004, 11:59 PM

Originally posted by Andrew Stephens:
Did you accidentally get someting on the felt?
I squished a banana into my TiBooks optical drive (don't ask) and the felt went absolutely solid. I sort of guessed that Apple Care wouldn't cover sheer imbicility so I tried everything to get the felt to loosen up. In the end I got some nail scissors and cut it off, which solved the problem but may not be what you want to do on a new machine. Anyway a few weeks later my whole drive packed in and was replaced, no felt problems since.

did you try goo gone?

reemas · May 16, 2004, 01:25 AM

two things...
1.) whats goo gone?

2.) ive been inserting and removing a cd hundreds of time over the last few days and the felt isnt getting less stiffer. it actually is so stiff the cd squeeks when it goes in and comes out. but inserting and removing so many time ahs pushed the felt further apart. so now there are maybe 2 - 3 mm gaps in the felt in certains areas.

EdipisReks · May 16, 2004, 04:32 AM

i would get the drive replaced. mine was replaced by apple when it was in for a white spot repair (apparently the apple techs had a stuck cd, so they just replaced the whole thing), and there were no marks left on the casing.

rag on a muffin · May 16, 2004, 07:29 PM

Originally posted by reemas:
two things...
1.) whats goo gone?

its to get rid of sticky residue. not for your situation.

danbrew · May 16, 2004, 07:44 PM

If you're trying to make the felt bigger, maybe you should stick two CDs halfway into the slot?

Just kidding - if the box is a week old, I'd be raising hell and getting a new machine. This is NOT normal.

reemas · May 16, 2004, 10:13 PM

danbrew,
for being this new it really bugs. plus it squeeks so loud sometimes people think the cd is getting scrathed. (it appears as thought the cd isn't getting scratched though)

but he said at best they would replace the felt and that would cause damage to the casing. not to mention i'd be without this new powerbook for a week which i can deal with but seems unfair.

i don't know how to even begin pushing for a new notebook or if thats even a plausible solution.. are there numbers to call? like customer service?

thanks.

RedStar · May 17, 2004, 11:13 PM

Originally posted by Andrew Stephens:
Did you accidentally get someting on the felt?
I squished a banana into my TiBooks optical drive (don't ask) and the felt went absolutely solid. I sort of guessed that Apple Care wouldn't cover sheer imbicility so I tried everything to get the felt to loosen up. In the end I got some nail scissors and cut it off, which solved the problem but may not be what you want to do on a new machine. Anyway a few weeks later my whole drive packed in and was replaced, no felt problems since.

Were you trying to decipher between the W and M keys when the banana was getting shoved into the slot?

Also, I know that on my Tibook the felt is actually part of the drive, so by replacing the drive you got new felt.

ps. please don't put bananas in your powerbook 'mkay.

reemas · May 18, 2004, 12:35 AM

problem solved.
i just sprayed wd40 all over the felt and that took care of it. its greasy all over but its oily and smooth.

just kidding. in all seriousness, thanks to everyone who posted with ideas. i tried a few, just not the silicone spary. i did speak to a genious at another apple store and he decided the thing was unusually stiff and the drive was also somewhat off (funny noises).

they'll be replacing the bottom case and drive as soon as it comes in.

thanks again.

rambo47 · May 19, 2004, 08:56 PM

Good for you! When you spend several thousand dollars on a laptop that's billed as the epitome of both form and function, it ought to be right. I don't care how trivial some folks think it is, make sure Apple gets it right. If you don't speak up, these things will just get worse for all of us.

Link · May 19, 2004, 09:12 PM

Originally posted by rambo47:
Good for you! When you spend several thousand dollars on a laptop that's billed as the epitome of both form and function, it ought to be right. I don't care how trivial some folks think it is, make sure Apple gets it right. If you don't speak up, these things will just get worse for all of us.

AGREED

reemas · May 19, 2004, 10:31 PM

maybe i spoke too fast, maybe not. my main concern is the felt and the scratching. the hard to eject problem is disappearing as the felt is SO stiff, it literally gets bent inwards after inserting and ejecting a cd several times.

anyways on of the genious' behind the counter said they will replace the drive which was making noises, but they MIGHT replace the bottom case (which has the felt). i know its a lot of work replacing the bottom, but i hope the take care of that. like you said after spending all that money i hope its perfect.

i'll know when i pick it up ina few days.