2016 Macbook Pro Issue - High Pitched Keyboard Clicking Sound

[turbineseaplane]

Glad to see I wasn't alone in getting my money off the table with the 2016 models (tried several).

I wish they'd go back to the drawing board on the KB part and basically put the Magic Keyboard in there, which has well established and reliable 'ol Scissor switches in there.

 

[max1274]

An update from my earlier post. I was putting up with the ‘clicky’ keys while waiting to see what Apple did with the update, however today my space bar stopped working correctly.

This was my 4th keyboard for this device having already had a failing F key, then two devices with the ‘clicky’ keys issue. I can't carry on with a laptop where I can't trust that the keyboard will work tomorrow, so I'm afraid I'm asking for a refund this time.

 

[jeh72]

<rant>

I went to the Apple store today again for the sixth time in three weeks, because my W and 2 keys still have this problem even though 15 other keys were replaced and now seem to be working correctly. It took an inordinate amount of effort to convince the "genius" tech that I actually had a problem, and that no, it will not be apparent unless the computer has been under load for a while.

He went to the back to get more info and comes back with some notes (that I'm assuming are from the depot) that basically say "No trouble found on last repair event but replaced the (15) keys as requested, if the customer requests more repairs don't honor request". He tried to say something to the effect of "well, if it passes all of the tests and diagnostics in our store I don't know what we can do.."

Give. me. a. break. If your techs can't test it under the right conditions, that is your problem, not mine. The problem is reproducible every time if you follow the steps to reproduce it. I do warranty repair work for HP as part of my job and even that company with the low quality machines they produce don't give me this much grief about getting a defective part worked on.

I did manage to convince him to send it to the depot to replace the "W" and "2" keycaps, but this is the third time this machine has been sent off in the last three weeks. If it comes back defective again or if their technician says "no trouble found" and refuses to replace anything, I'm selling this damn machine and I'm done with Apple. I'll take a look at the new thinkpad t470s or dell precision machines, or something.

Please, if you don't need a macbook pro right this moment, don't buy this rev. Wait until Apple (hopefully) corrects this issue with its next release. This is ridiculous.

</rant>

 

[Brookzy]

<rant>

I went to the Apple store today again for the sixth time in three weeks, because my W and 2 keys still have this problem even though 15 other keys were replaced and now seem to be working correctly. It took an inordinate amount of effort to convince the "genius" tech that I actually had a problem, and that no, it will not be apparent unless the computer has been under load for a while.

He went to the back to get more info and comes back with some notes (that I'm assuming are from the depot) that basically say "No trouble found on last repair event but replaced the (15) keys as requested, if the customer requests more repairs don't honor request". He tried to say something to the effect of "well, if it passes all of the tests and diagnostics in our store I don't know what we can do.."

Give. me. a. break. If your techs can't test it under the right conditions, that is your problem, not mine. The problem is reproducible every time if you follow the steps to reproduce it. I do warranty repair work for HP as part of my job and even that company with the low quality machines they produce don't give me this much grief about getting a defective part worked on.

I did manage to convince him to send it to the depot to replace the "W" and "2" keycaps, but this is the third time this machine has been sent off in the last three weeks. If it comes back defective again or if their technician says "no trouble found" and refuses to replace anything, I'm selling this damn machine and I'm done with Apple. I'll take a look at the new thinkpad t470s or dell precision machines, or something.

Please, if you don't need a macbook pro right this moment, don't buy this rev. Wait until Apple (hopefully) corrects this issue with its next release. This is ridiculous.

</rant>

What a disgrace.

If a customer gives a damn enough to waste the time and stress going to the store on multiple occasions, there is an issue, end of.

(This is why I try to almost torture my new Apple products within this first two weeks, to avoid all this repair nonsense. If it isn't perfect, it's going back.)

 

[wiffle]

Sorry to hear about others' poor experiences with this issue.. I finally brought my refurb unit into the store to address the same issue and was quickly met with an offer to replace the topcase entirely and accepted. Hoping to see the issue resolved when the part arrives.

 

[conan-kun]

I took mine in last week because the 5 and b key kept repeating and it was very reproducible.

They sent it way for repair and the replaced the top case as well as the logic board. I'm not entirely sure why the logic board needed replaced too, it just said it was causing some of the keyboard issues. They also replaced some input cables. Either way, I have it back and it's working great. I wonder how long it will take before I have keyboard issues once again...

 

[TripleMoxy]

I took mine in last week because the 5 and b key kept repeating and it was very reproducible.

They sent it way for repair and the replaced the top case as well as the logic board. I'm not entirely sure why the logic board needed replaced too, it just said it was causing some of the keyboard issues. They also replaced some input cables. Either way, I have it back and it's working great. I wonder how long it will take before I have keyboard issues once again...

And that is one of the most frustrating things about the new keyboard, the inability to trust it. You're constantly waiting for something to go wrong, typing on it gingerly.

I don't recall ever feeling that way about the keyboard on any other machine.

 

[polee]

this Mac is a joke had 2 with pop sound from hinge then 3rd one has 0 key clicking loud this is a £3300 machine this isn't right I'm gonna get refund and wait for refresh

I am not sure if the refresh will resolve the keyboard issue completely. It appears to be like a CPU upgrade more than anything else.

 

[upandown]

MacPro 15/2016 touch bar/id, same issue but i fix it by using simple compressed air duster. Blew out all the dust from under the buttons and it works. Idk for how long but its third day already. Fingers cross! Shame that i need to do such a think with an expansive laptop but i think there is now other solution that will solve this problem. I hope it will help to others.

It's not dust. It's that you're cooling the keys and therefore the sticky sound stops momentarily until they heat up again. Best guess anyway

 

[MrGuder]

It's not dust. It's that you're cooling the keys and therefore the sticky sound stops momentarily until they heat up again. Best guess anyway

I think your exactly right. I've never been a believer that dust is causing the sound. I mean really all of a sudden dust is getting under keys that are so tightly placed in the keyboard? No way, some people haven't had the laptop more than a couple days and the keys are popping. People make it sound like all of a sudden billions of dust particles are making there way under the MBP. It's almost laughable. It's most likely heat relative.

 

[alexitillo]

This thing is so annoying that I had to spend a lot of time reading about this issue on YOUTUBE and here on this forum trying to find a solution but it doesn't seem like there is one. I bought the 15'' MacBook Pro 2016 the entry model, and it works excellent except when it heats up, then the keyboard problems start, where several keys on different parts of the keyboard start making the click sound and become kinda sticky.
The only thing I do that could be making the computer heat up a little bit is to connect two external 24'' displays and have Safari with around 10 to 15 tabs opened. Any computer should be able to handle that without having keyboard issues.

Anyways, I'm posting this with the hope that Apple will push some kind of update to fix the problem because I'm afraid if I take my computer to the Apple Store they will say those keys with the barely noticeable noise are not considered a problem, but they sure are for me.

 

[Blizzardman]

This thing is so annoying that I had to spend a lot of time reading about this issue on YOUTUBE and here on this forum trying to find a solution but it doesn't seem like there is one. I bought the 15'' MacBook Pro 2016 the entry model, and it works excellent except when it heats up, then the keyboard problems start, where several keys on different parts of the keyboard start making the click sound and become kinda sticky.
The only thing I do that could be making the computer heat up a little bit is to connect two external 24'' displays and have Safari with around 10 to 15 tabs opened. Any computer should be able to handle that without having keyboard issues.

Anyways, I'm posting this with the hope that Apple will push some kind of update to fix the problem because I'm afraid if I take my computer to the Apple Store they will say those keys with the barely noticeable noise are not considered a problem, but they sure are for me.

It looks like someone posted a youtube video on page 30 of this thread with a solution but it involves taking the caps off the keys and applying tape to the problem areas. Seems a bit scary for me to try at this moment and I wonder if adding the tape causes a slight lift of the key which could scratch the screen when the laptop is closed? Either way my only hope at this moment is that Apple finally acknowledges this problem and comes up with a solution and issues a recall for everyone with the issue to get the fix applied.

 

[jeh72]

I got my computer back yesterday and it looks like the W and 2 keys were fixed as I requested, but now the Right Arrow and minus key make the sound sometimes when it is warm. Yeesh. At least it is not as bad as some of the other keys were. This is ridiculous for a laptop that can cost more than $3k. I'll be keeping an eye (ear?) on these keys and will certainly be going back to the Apple Store with a list of problem keys a couple months before the warranty is out.

I too hope Apple issues a recall or special repair program for this.

 

[0110076]

I too hope they do some sort or repair program. I don't know about you guys, but this is a 7 months worth of rent machine for me. I'm very disappointed. And somewhat fearful that this will turn out like those repair programs that Apple acknowledges only years later.

For me it's the B and Left Arrow key. Doesn't really matter if it's hot or cold.

..as a developer, I type like 6 to 8 hours a day. That Left Arrow key gets so, freaking, annoying!

 

[N0ughtsAndCr0sses]

I got my 13" not too long ago and I've tested all the keyboard keys pressing them from different sides of the actual key rectangle. No issues so far. I think the sooner you get a product, the more chances are to get it faulty. They tend to fine tune it as they go along.




==========================
REMEMBER!!!! Steve is dead, Apple is not what it was in his lifetime...

 

[TripleMoxy]

No mention of an updated keyboard at the WWDC. Disappointing.

 

[jeh72]

No mention of an updated keyboard at the WWDC. Disappointing.

They would never admit to having a defect that required fixing at WWDC. It could be a silent fix, if they did fix it.

 

[TripleMoxy]

I really hope so. I might try and re-order in the hope that that's what they've done.

 

[sublunar]

They've not said very much about the Macbook Pros other than the Kaby Lake update, I still expect a teardown to reveal any engineering improvements in due course. Not long to wait.

 

[Brookzy]

This is a screenshot of CNET's hands-on of the 2017 MacBook Pros... is it me, or do those keys look higher profile than the 2016 Pro?

 

[N0ughtsAndCr0sses]

It's all in the lenses... Don't worry

 

[TripleMoxy]

This is a screenshot of CNET's hands-on of the 2017 MacBook Pros... is it me, or do those keys look higher profile than the 2016 Pro?

View attachment 702585

I've just watched that hands-on, and I'm not sure. It's difficult to tell.

I'm hoping that iFixit do a teardown shortly, or that some of the people on this forum who have had problems with the 2016 revision get a Kaby Lake machine and report back.

Now that they've decided to use the updated keyboard for the retina MacBook, it's even more important that they fix the issues with it.

 

[kevinkyoo]

Lol I was interested in actually purchasing a 13" MBP. I didn't realize just how bad this issue was when reading the past posts. Hope people can chime in on an improvement with the 2017 models

 

[jeroenvip]

I've just watched that hands-on, and I'm not sure. It's difficult to tell.

I'm hoping that iFixit do a teardown shortly, or that some of the people on this forum who have had problems with the 2016 revision get a Kaby Lake machine and report back.

Now that they've decided to use the updated keyboard for the retina MacBook, it's even more important that they fix the issues with it.

I am really tempted to buy the new MBP. But do i want to be the first one getting the new ones ?

Ill be visiting an apple store. Asking an employee to run a benchmark test to heat up the CPU and see for myself if the problem is solved or not

 

[emde]

I'm in the process of getting an advanced replacement (again) with the spec bumped MBP. I'll post my findings in a week or two. Hope this issue is put to rest finally.