[kylemacr]

Are other people having widespread fan problems with their MBPs like I am? My first unit developed a fan issue and was actually replaced back in June. Now my new unit's fan has bitten the dust and they want me to send the darn thing back in (it's been in before, for non-fan related problems).

I feel like there should come a time when they say, "hey, we messed up. we're sorry your computer keeps developing problems." But, alas, that time probably will never come.

Anyway, I guess my question is, is there any way that people know about where I can take my unit in to an Apple Authorized Service Provider and get it fixed under warranty so I don't have to send it in and lose it for another week?

[seanc]

Well 3 repairs warrants a replacement I think.

[zac4mac]

I took mine to a local Apple Store and they replaced the fan there. Took a few days waiting for parts, but they said I could bring it back when the part arrived if I couldn't be without it for that time. I felt it wasn't worth the extra trip

15"MBP 2.0G - left fan replaced

[kylemacr]

Originally Posted by zac4mac

I took mine to a local Apple Store and they replaced the fan there. Took a few days waiting for parts, but they said I could bring it back when the part arrived if I couldn't be without it for that time. I felt it wasn't worth the extra trip

15"MBP 2.0G - left fan replaced

Apple Store as in the Apple owned stores, or an authorized place?

[zac4mac]

Apple owned - Flatirons Crossing in Denver. Not sure, but it sounded like repairs are part of a "Genius'"job description.

[kylemacr]

Originally Posted by zac4mac

Apple owned - Flatirons Crossing in Denver. Not sure, but it sounded like repairs are part of a "Genius'"job description.

Awesome, I'll head in to my local store sometime soon and see what they can do. Thanks so much

Oh, BTW, how long did it take them to fix it?

[zac4mac]

Not positive on how long the repair took, it was at the store about a week, but almost all of that was waiting for the fan. Sounded like the actual repair took significantly less than an hour. Call your local store and talk to a Genius, explain the situation and see if they can get the part, call you and fix it while you wander around the mall, get a burger, etc. I did that when I had a keyboard replaced on my Wallstreet, years ago.

g'luck
Zack

[kylemacr]

Okay, so I went to an Apple Store, talked with a Genius, and sent in my computer - all under the "watchful eye" of Apple Executive Relations. I just got it back today - the logic board and 2 heat sensors were replaced. The problem is still there.

I believe it is because the Genius didn't agree with me that the problem was a physical problem with the fans, but rather was a problem with the logic board telling the fans to power up all the time. I explicitly told him that the fans were powering on and off as they should be - but rather they sound very broken. On the service request that he opened he put his symptoms, not mine.

I noticed this after I had left, and told the person at Executive Relations. She informed me that it shouldn't be a problem and that the repair depot would find anything wrong with it. Obviously they didn't.

Now she wants me to send it in AGAIN, claiming that the repair depot needs to properly fix it and she wants them to have a good look at it.

Does anyone else find this absurd? Is there anything else I can do at this point? Can I go any higher than Executive Relations?

[atc ben]

Originally Posted by kylemacr 

Okay, so I went to an Apple Store, talked with a Genius, and sent in my computer - all under the "watchful eye" of Apple Executive Relations. I just got it back today - the logic board and 2 heat sensors were replaced. The problem is still there.

I believe it is because the Genius didn't agree with me that the problem was a physical problem with the fans, but rather was a problem with the logic board telling the fans to power up all the time. I explicitly told him that the fans were powering on and off as they should be - but rather they sound very broken. On the service request that he opened he put his symptoms, not mine.

I noticed this after I had left, and told the person at Executive Relations. She informed me that it shouldn't be a problem and that the repair depot would find anything wrong with it. Obviously they didn't.

Now she wants me to send it in AGAIN, claiming that the repair depot needs to properly fix it and she wants them to have a good look at it.

Does anyone else find this absurd? Is there anything else I can do at this point? Can I go any higher than Executive Relations?

That's absolutely ridiculous. You're the customer who OWNS the computer. Why didn't the "genius" put the symptoms that YOU brought it in for on the work order? That's one thing I hate about Apple. The little geeks in their stores think they really are "geniuses" and everyone else is beneath them. I've usually found them very condescending, and I've been in Apple Stores from Orlando, to Atlanta, to Dallas, to Phoenix, and almost always walked out thinking the same thing. I would speak to the manager of the store about the "genius," and then talk to every other geek in the store until you find one that will treat you like you have at least a room temperature IQ. Unfortunately, you'll probably just have to send it in again and pray.

[kylemacr]

Ugh, I fear you're right and I agree it is absolutely ridiculous. If they would just replace the fans, everything would be better. I would replace the fans myself if I had access to them. It just seems absolutely ridiculous that I should have to part with the computer again because of their incompetence.

This will be my fourth problem with my MBP between the two units. It's getting to the point where I might just let the fan kill itself, and then maybe when the computer turns off every 5 minutes because it's too hot, the Genius *might* believe me.

For what it's worth, I asked the Genius if he could just order fans and have me bring in the computer when the fans come in so he could stick them in. He said it was possible, but that it would take a while to get the fans in, and that when I brought the computer in I'd be in a queue. Since I don't have ProCare, I would have to leave it there until someone could work on it - which could take a few days because they're busy.

Oh, and while I did not post it, my problem is identical to this one: YouTube - MacBook Pro GPU (right speaker) fan noise

Of course with my luck it's not easily reproducible for some reason - it only happens sometimes.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by kylemacr 

Oh, and while I did not post it, my problem is identical to this one: YouTube - MacBook Pro GPU (right speaker) fan noise

Of course with my luck it's not easily reproducible for some reason - it only happens sometimes.

Have you tried running the AHT? Did it give you an error code? Mine does (right fan was noisy, suddenly stopped, and is now definitely broken). It might help them fix it right and exchange the fan rather than some other stuff.

[kylemacr]

I did try AHT and nothing came up.

There is some good news though - I brought it in this morning and talked to a Genius. I told him that the wrong problem, etc. was fixed and this time he actually listened to the fans and acknowledged they sounded bad (this was the same genius as before, btw). He told me that the only option that he could do would be to send it in again, and I told him that was not a viable option.

I then asked if he could order in the fans, let me know when they come in, and have me drop off the computer in the morning and pick it up in the evening. He said that would be possible, so that's what I'm going to do.

Hopefully that'll fix it.

[chris_in_CA]

I just got a black Macbook and was thinking getting the latest v2 model would eliminate the possibility of annoying noises and was unfortunately wrong.

Whenever the computer is on where is a low level hum that is similar/same as the one described here.. it sounds like a big of a hum/whirring AC adapter sound. When I played with the fan control apps out there I could get the pitch to go higher and a little louder when I increased the RPMs but no matter how slow the fan was running it wouldn't go away.

At first I was thought I was being to sensitive then read and talked to other macbook owners and everyone seemed to say the same thing -- the only thing I should hear is a fan 'whoosh' -- no hum... and when the thing is just sitting there 'idling' at 1800 RPMs it should be near impossible to hear..

Then I used my machine a few late nights at home and the office when my space was 'church quiet' and the sound became really annoying.. I found myself playing music just to cover it up and eventually decided it was ridiculous to be working around the situation rather than dealing with it.

I took the machine in today to an Apple Store (oakridge mall, san jose, ca) and of course the store and mall noise covered up the sound but the Apple Genius took it into the back and came back saying he could definitely hear something and that it wasn't normal.

He said they would order a new fan and would replace/install in the store. Part should arrive in a day or two and the repair should take a day or two. Seemed reasonable. I had the option of leaving my machine there or taking it home and bringing it back in a day or two. With my old 12" Powerbook at home with all the same files (man -- OSX 'transfer files/settings from another computer is BRILLIANT) I opted to save myself a trip and just leave it there. Option to drop off or come back seemed reasonable and appreciated.

So that was earlier today.. Hopefully the part will come in tomorrow (most likely scenario) and it will be ready to pick up tomorrow afternoon or the day after.

From reading this thread and taking it in I'd say unless your expectations are that your machine runs TOTALLY silent (which I don't expect) if you have some funky sound then you should take it in...

When my machine comes back I expect it to run totally quiet with fan at low speed (unless I laying my head down on the keyboard with ears on keys) and then I expect to hear a 'whooshing', non-humming fan noise when I am doing CPU intensive things..

Are there any MacBook owners that have 'clean and silent' running machines that can double confirm this is an accurate and reasonable expectation?

- Chris