Squeaky, Creaky, And Screwy
The only time squeaky noises are a positive thing is when the sound is coming from bed springs. I’d prefer not to hear it from my Macbook. For some reason, my display hinge just started to creak and clunk whenever I opened or closed the lid. Many of you might say “big deal, get over it”! However, the trouble is, besides the ridiculous sound making me squirm, it slightly bothers me that my brand new Apple notebook sounds like a cheap baby toy whenever I open and close it.
The Creak: A harder, clunky (and click) sound as soon as the lid is pulled open.
Possible Fix: There are two screws on the back of the macbook - one on each side of the hinge. I did notice that mine had come a bit loose and when I tightened them, the creak seemed to disappear for the most part.
The Squeak: It’s an annoying squeak with a slight sound of rubbing if you do it real slow.
Possible Fix: I read on a forum that the hinge is made to be self-lubricating so opening and closing it a few times consecutively might do the trick. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. I noticed others on the same forum and elsewhere have tried using WD-40 and letting a very small amount seep into one side of the hinge. That one scares me, and just doesn’t sound right.
So, I dug deeper and found a Glide Kit from RadTech for the Macbook that consists of small tools for opening up the notebook as well as their Syndrol HD metal conditioner for silencing stiff and/or creaking hinges! Taking the Macbook into Apple for service on the hinge is something I’d rather avoid so I don’t have to be without my notebook for any length of time. For $19.95, I’ll probably take a chance on the Glide Kit and deal with the squeaks until it arrives.
I just hope it works!
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I think the squeak was included with the black model. It’s the “haunted house” look.
Ah, that explains why everyone else I know received apple logo stickers and mine were pumpkins!
Did you buy it onnline or at an apple store? Take it back to the store if one is near by. Or check the support pages at apple.com. Google the issue too.
[...] You basically need a quarter and a screwdriver to replace your ram and hard drive, but what if you have an intimate desire to explore the anatomy of your Macbook? What if you have an uncontrollable urge to convert your ironing board into an operating table so you can delicately remove the LCD screen and lubricate the joints of that squeaky hinge? Maybe your new found love is suffering from RSS (Random Shutdown Syndrome) and diagnosing it yourself (by checking if the cables from the thermal sensors were melted in the heat sink) is something that appeals to your inner-surgeon!? [...]
Are you sure the “clicking” you’re hearing when you open your computer isn’t just your hard disk spinning and starting up again?
Mine does the same thing, and it’s coming from the hindge somewhere not the harddrive