Took my loose hinged MBA to the Apple Store last night and they are going to fix it and anything else that might be wrong with it too. Should be back within 4-5 days I was told.
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MacBook Air developing "play" or "slop" in hinge
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Took my loose hinged MBA to the Apple Store last night and they are going to fix it and anything else that might be wrong with it too. Should be back within 4-5 days I was told.
Mine broke this weekend
I totally baby my first gen MBA. Got it for Valentine's Day 2008 for $3,000+. Have already paid $800 TWICE for issues we feel sure we didn't cause, and now the hinge crack issue! Of course it's out of warranty, but wouldn't have mattered anyway. Why is the second generation not experiencing hinge issues? What was changed, and why?
I totally baby my first gen MBA. Got it for Valentine's Day 2008 for $3,000+. Have already paid $800 TWICE for issues we feel sure we didn't cause, and now the hinge crack issue! Of course it's out of warranty, but wouldn't have mattered anyway. Why is the second generation not experiencing hinge issues? What was changed, and why?
We don't know yet that the second generation is free from issues. Remember, it hasn't been out for that long yet. We'll see in a year or two.
Unless it was a very minor minor minor change in the diameter of the bar that the little c-clamps hold onto, there doesn't appear to be any physical diff.
mine was repaired under AppleCare
Mine had increased "play" over time, though still wouldn't spontaneously close no matter how close the screen was to the keyboard.
Nonetheless, the screen tended to vibrate or wobble when I typed while the MBA was resting on my lap.
I neither called AppleCare nor spoke with a Genius.
I simply showed up to my local Apple Store and asked to "Quick Drop" my MBA for repair. The concierge hooked me up with a "specialist" who opened up a case # and asked me to type in the details of my repair request. (I also requested repair of a Super Drive with a frayed cord where it connects to the drive).
Later the same day, a repair Genius at the store said it the MBA hinge problem was a covered item and he needed my permission to ship it to the repair depot since that was not a repair they do locally.
They shipped it overnight, it was repaired the day it was received, shipped back overnight to my local store. Roundtrip was 48 hours.
The same repair genius at the store called me to inform me of the completed repair and they replaced my Super Drive with a new unit.
(Before it was shipped to the depot, I did ask if they would simply swap my unit out for a new one, but because it was the unit's first repair, they declined. I asked this because the week prior, the manager replaced my 1.5 year old iMac 24" that needed two things repaired with a BRAND NEW iMac 24" - list price of $1500. I did purchase ProCare and used it for both sets of repair requests, but I think it had the biggest effect on my iMac repair/replacement).
Big fan of AppleCare so far (had it for both the MBA and iMac).
UPDATE: after reviewing my AppleCare repair ticket, not only did they replace the hinges and bezel, but they replaced the logic board (I had complained about system slowing/spinning beach ball), the hard drive ("wouldn't mount" according to the technician), and the fan ("noisy/slow"). I practically have a new computer!
Mine had increased "play" over time, though still wouldn't spontaneously close no matter how close the screen was to the keyboard.
Nonetheless, the screen tended to vibrate or wobble when I typed while the MBA was resting on my lap.
I neither called AppleCare nor spoke with a Genius.
I simply showed up to my local Apple Store and asked to "Quick Drop" my MBA for repair. The concierge hooked me up with a "specialist" who opened up a case # and asked me to type in the details of my repair request. (I also requested repair of a Super Drive with a frayed cord where it connects to the drive).
Later the same day, a repair Genius at the store said it the MBA hinge problem was a covered item and he needed my permission to ship it to the repair depot since that was not a repair they do locally.
They shipped it overnight, it was repaired the day it was received, shipped back overnight to my local store. Roundtrip was 48 hours.
The same repair genius at the store called me to inform me of the completed repair and they replaced my Super Drive with a new unit.
(Before it was shipped to the depot, I did ask if they would simply swap my unit out for a new one, but because it was the unit's first repair, they declined. I asked this because the week prior, the manager replaced my 1.5 year old iMac 24" that needed two things repaired with a BRAND NEW iMac 24" - list price of $1500. I did purchase ProCare and used it for both sets of repair requests, but I think it had the biggest effect on my iMac repair/replacement).
Big fan of AppleCare so far (had it for both the MBA and iMac).
UPDATE: after reviewing my AppleCare repair ticket, not only did they replace the hinges and bezel, but they replaced the logic board (I had complained about system slowing/spinning beach ball), the hard drive ("wouldn't mount" according to the technician), and the fan ("noisy/slow"). I practically have a new computer!
Failed hinge
My macbook air's hinge finally broken yesterday after being sloppy for a while.
Info on the machine: I have bought my air little over a year ago and recently I purchased apple care to extend my warranty. Not to mention I took care of my unit well.
After the failure of the hinge yesterday, I reserved an appointment with a "genius" today. He inspected the machine and told me that it was caused by the user(me) and will have to charge for it. After speaking with his manager, he agreed to send the machine to the depot and let the service people decide it is user made or not. The service center is in texas and they send the units overnight, so I will hear from them by thursday. I believe the failed MBA's started to pour into the service center and hopefully they will notice this and fix it under warranty.
However after seeing all the people turned down by the same problem, I have little hope.
I will keep you guys posted.
BTW it looks exactly as this
http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/26/macbook-air-hinge-defect-not-covered-by-apples-warranty/
My macbook air's hinge finally broken yesterday after being sloppy for a while.
Info on the machine: I have bought my air little over a year ago and recently I purchased apple care to extend my warranty. Not to mention I took care of my unit well.
After the failure of the hinge yesterday, I reserved an appointment with a "genius" today. He inspected the machine and told me that it was caused by the user(me) and will have to charge for it. After speaking with his manager, he agreed to send the machine to the depot and let the service people decide it is user made or not. The service center is in texas and they send the units overnight, so I will hear from them by thursday. I believe the failed MBA's started to pour into the service center and hopefully they will notice this and fix it under warranty.
However after seeing all the people turned down by the same problem, I have little hope.
I will keep you guys posted.
BTW it looks exactly as this
http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/26/macbook-air-hinge-defect-not-covered-by-apples-warranty/
Yo shrtmkr what happened with your hinge? Mine is exactly the same as the one in the YouTube video, I am using a 3 month old Rev.B and I only noticed the play a couple of weeks ago.
If anyone has had any luck at the apple store I may try and get mine fixed
Anybody any experience of the apple store in Cambridge, UK?
If anyone has had any luck at the apple store I may try and get mine fixed
Anybody any experience of the apple store in Cambridge, UK?
Ugh. I hate to hear that
I hope you are able to get it repaired without a hassle, and hope it isn't something that will afflict Rev Bs as they age. Though, if Apple didn't alter the hinge design between revisions, we could all be facing this eventually.
MBA Hinge Problem
It's really getting loose on mine despite the fact that I've put very little wear on my machine and only use it for business trips. I'm very concerned about waiting any longer to take it in for servicing and will go ahead and take it in for repair now, before the condition worsens.
It's really getting loose on mine despite the fact that I've put very little wear on my machine and only use it for business trips. I'm very concerned about waiting any longer to take it in for servicing and will go ahead and take it in for repair now, before the condition worsens.
iv barely had my rufrub rev b for over 2 months with a case on it all times
and the screen now goes 180 degrees, the hinge is loose once it hits a certain point. the system sometimes slutters on video, fan gets very noisy, and theres bright spots on the screen..im wondering what'll happen when i bring it in!
and iv treated the system very well, never held by screen or dropped. heck when it bends past the normal point it pops part of the case off! so im not sure how that could of happened.
and the screen now goes 180 degrees, the hinge is loose once it hits a certain point. the system sometimes slutters on video, fan gets very noisy, and theres bright spots on the screen..im wondering what'll happen when i bring it in!
and iv treated the system very well, never held by screen or dropped. heck when it bends past the normal point it pops part of the case off! so im not sure how that could of happened.
I have a Rev B full display sitting here and the hinges are the exact same on the Rev A I'm replacing it with.
I do think this will turn into a long term problem for the Air. It should have been completely changed when Rev B came out. I'd imagine they didn't have much else they could engineer in such a tight space.
I do think this will turn into a long term problem for the Air. It should have been completely changed when Rev B came out. I'd imagine they didn't have much else they could engineer in such a tight space.
On Sunday, my hinge finally cracked, after about 6 months of it being "sloppy." I brought it to the Apple Store (Boston, Boylston Street), planning on putting up a fight to get it fixed. My warranty expired a month ago, on March 10th, 2009. The genius I was set up with originally implied that I damaged the machine myself. When I pulled up this thread, he talked to another genius. Five minutes, later, I was signing the repair papers.
No charge to me, and I just got a call (24 hours later) saying that my computer is ready to pick up. Looks like Apple has fully accepted the problem with the MBA, seeing as how they fixed mine at no charge, even out of warranty.
That said, I picked up a 15" MBP yesterday, and will be selling my Air. The machine is just too damn slow as a primary computer, even as a college student.
No charge to me, and I just got a call (24 hours later) saying that my computer is ready to pick up. Looks like Apple has fully accepted the problem with the MBA, seeing as how they fixed mine at no charge, even out of warranty.
That said, I picked up a 15" MBP yesterday, and will be selling my Air. The machine is just too damn slow as a primary computer, even as a college student.
My macbook air's hinge finally broken yesterday after being sloppy for a while.
Info on the machine: I have bought my air little over a year ago and recently I purchased apple care to extend my warranty. Not to mention I took care of my unit well.
After the failure of the hinge yesterday, I reserved an appointment with a "genius" today. He inspected the machine and told me that it was caused by the user(me) and will have to charge for it. After speaking with his manager, he agreed to send the machine to the depot and let the service people decide it is user made or not. The service center is in texas and they send the units overnight, so I will hear from them by thursday. I believe the failed MBA's started to pour into the service center and hopefully they will notice this and fix it under warranty.
However after seeing all the people turned down by the same problem, I have little hope.
I will keep you guys posted.
BTW it looks exactly as this
http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/26/macbook-air-hinge-defect-not-covered-by-apples-warranty/
Good news Apple acknowledged the issue and fixed it free of charge.
Just to confirm with fellow hinge sufferers, the play seems to be not the hinge itself, but the attachment of the hinge to the rest of the computer.
When looking down at the hinge (ie as I type this, looking at the hinge below the screen) the lighter grey plastic and aluminium of the hinge seem to move together, the play being in the join between the lighter grey plastic and the computer somewhere inside.
When looking down at the hinge (ie as I type this, looking at the hinge below the screen) the lighter grey plastic and aluminium of the hinge seem to move together, the play being in the join between the lighter grey plastic and the computer somewhere inside.
Mine's going too
Rev.A MBA bought when it was first released. Very gently used as I also had a MB and MBP. The hinge has less than half inch of play, not enough to bother me but I'm hoping others are having luck getting it fixed for a reasonable price as I'm sure it will soon be my turn.
Rev.A MBA bought when it was first released. Very gently used as I also had a MB and MBP. The hinge has less than half inch of play, not enough to bother me but I'm hoping others are having luck getting it fixed for a reasonable price as I'm sure it will soon be my turn.
My MBA is only two months old, I'm going near an apple store in a week's time, think I'm going to take my sloppy hinge in and see what they say. If nothing else, if it does break in a few months time I will have a record of my earlier visit/concern.
I really want my MBA to be perfect, I don't want to buy a MBP (and I wouldn't buy a MB for the screen), but this screen (hinge and grey lines) is making me think I should call it quits and sell on eBay...
I really want my MBA to be perfect, I don't want to buy a MBP (and I wouldn't buy a MB for the screen), but this screen (hinge and grey lines) is making me think I should call it quits and sell on eBay...
My 11-month old Rev A was getting sloppy so I sent it in to Apple.
They replaced 4 parts in total for the loose hindes, including the full bezel, which had black marks from the trackpad button I think. It was back in my hand in 2 days.
I was quite pleasently suprirsed that they addressed it, so you might want to try if you have loose hinges.
They replaced 4 parts in total for the loose hindes, including the full bezel, which had black marks from the trackpad button I think. It was back in my hand in 2 days.
I was quite pleasently suprirsed that they addressed it, so you might want to try if you have loose hinges.
Won't fix it? Did they give you a quote on how much you'd have to pay or is it just irreparable?
My MBA Rev A hinge broke last night. We don't have Apple Stores in Spain so I went to an authorized dealer who told me it was my fault and I would have to pay. I told him that I have never knocked it or anything and it's still under warranty (Since June 08). Knowing from what I read here, I said I would speak to Apple directly. I called them this afternoon and was told to send in pictures and they would get back to me..... :-( Still waiting.
Attachments
This is what mine looks like exactly
http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=168225&d=1240511847
I was quoted 800 dollars which is outrageous considering its a hinge.
http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=168225&d=1240511847
I was quoted 800 dollars which is outrageous considering its a hinge.
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8310/4.5.0.110 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/179)
Update!
Took my MBA to the apple store today and showed the sloppy hinge to the genius. At first he said he would log it (against the serial number) so if it did get worse we would have a record.
I asked about what they could do, he said they would tighten the screws but if it didn't work they would have to replace the part, which is the whole screen.
I advised the slop had gotten worse over the past few weeks and was afraid it would break (as others have). I requested he took it in to see what they could do.
The genius said OK, and ordered a new screen in case it was needed. I should have my MBA back either way by the end if the week.
I'm very happy with the service received so far by the apple store, in the UK at least they don't seem to want to blame the user for everything.
I'll let you all know when I get it back.
Update!
Took my MBA to the apple store today and showed the sloppy hinge to the genius. At first he said he would log it (against the serial number) so if it did get worse we would have a record.
I asked about what they could do, he said they would tighten the screws but if it didn't work they would have to replace the part, which is the whole screen.
I advised the slop had gotten worse over the past few weeks and was afraid it would break (as others have). I requested he took it in to see what they could do.
The genius said OK, and ordered a new screen in case it was needed. I should have my MBA back either way by the end if the week.
I'm very happy with the service received so far by the apple store, in the UK at least they don't seem to want to blame the user for everything.
I'll let you all know when I get it back.