MBP 13inch M1 flexgate issue question

[geek2022]

Hi, I spilled some juice on my MBP 2days ago but the keyboard was kinda spared. There is a pretty big watermark on my screen (ie water is shown on the display). The keyboard is working fine. There is also a flexgate that showed up!
Issues

What I am concerned about is did the juice spill make the flexgate happen? or do u think it was already there and I didn't notice it till now? Issues I have so far - kinda often, the screen turns black and I have to restart it using the fingerprint sensor button. But all works well so far I know it has been 2 days only.

I spoke to a repair shop and Rossman company and they asking me 650USD to fix it. One repair guy told me to use the laptop till the display crashes and then fix it but is the fix even worth it for 650USD? or should I save up for a new laptop? (I don't have apple care)

also, tips to keep the flexgate from crashing my display please please? I am student and cant lose my laptop T_T

 

[jav6454]

M1? I have yet to see an M1 with the Flexgate issue. Have you talked to Apple?

 

[geek2022]

M1? I have yet to see an M1 with the Flexgate issue. Have you talked to Apple?

No, I haven't. I was concerned that they would dismiss it as their issue as there is liquid damage. Should I still talk to them? I bought the laptop like 14 months ago so even the limited warranty wouldn't help

 

[mr_roboto]

It almost certainly is liquid damage, not cable flex. Just saying it's "a flexgate" (I presume because the symptoms are similar?) doesn't make it a cable flex problem.

 

[geek2022]

It almost certainly is liquid damage, not cable flex. Just saying it's "a flexgate" (I presume because the symptoms are similar?) doesn't make it a cable flex problem.

I see the stagelight-like effect on my screen so I assumed it is flexgate. Here is a picture:

 

[JPack]

I see the stagelight-like effect on my screen so I assumed it is flexgate. Here is a picture:

That is classic flexgate symptom. Flexgate happens because the display connector ribbon becomes damaged and communicates weak or intermittent signals. Either way, the 13.3-inch MBA/MBP design is prone to flexgate.

 

[geek2022]

That is classic flexgate symptom. Flexgate happens because the display connector ribbon becomes damaged and communicates weak or intermittent signals. Either way, the 13.3-inch MBA/MBP design is prone to flexgate.

Yes! I noticed this only after the water damage. Not sure if it was always there. Do you think water damage could have caused it? And what would u suggest new laptop or repair?

 

[JPack]

Yes! I noticed this only after the water damage. Not sure if it was always there. Do you think water damage could have caused it? And what would u suggest new laptop or repair?

Yes, it could have caused it.

Since your liquid spill went into the keyboard (logic board) and display, I lean towards leaving it, especially if you have a base model 8/256. If you have an upgraded spec, I'd consider a repair.

 

[geek2022]

Yes, it could have caused it.

Since your liquid spill went into the keyboard (logic board) and display, I lean towards leaving it, especially if you have a base model 8/256. If you have an upgraded spec, I'd consider a repair.

Uh. I have 16gb Ram and 512 storage my heart aches for the money i spent on this ( thank you for replying!!

 

[upandown]

.

 

[jav6454]

Yes! I noticed this only after the water damage. Not sure if it was always there. Do you think water damage could have caused it? And what would u suggest new laptop or repair?

Then yes, the liquid damage is causing it. The only repair option is for an Authorized Repair shop or Apple. As per cost, it'll be expensive so you will have to weigh if it's cheaper to buy a new Mac or repair the current one. Unless you have AC+ which drives the cost way down.

 

[chrfr]

That is classic flexgate symptom. Flexgate happens because the display connector ribbon becomes damaged and communicates weak or intermittent signals. Either way, the 13.3-inch MBA/MBP design is prone to flexgate.

No, this is a symptom of a failing backlight. In this case, the failing backlight is almost certainly due to the obvious liquid damage. It certainly has nothing to do with a cable problem.

 

[JPack]

No, this is a symptom of a failing backlight. In this case, the failing backlight is almost certainly due to the obvious liquid damage. It certainly has nothing to do with a cable problem.

No other notebook with a failing backlight has this stagelight effect. It's unique to MacBook. On any other notebook computer, a failing backlight would be very dim or have specific zones or strips of darkness down the display.

 

[chrfr]

No other notebook with a failing backlight has this stagelight effect. It's unique to MacBook. On any other notebook computer, a failing backlight would be very dim or have specific zones or strips of darkness down the display.

Nonetheless, it's a symptom of a failing backlight. It's not always a symptom of the defective cable design as in earlier Mac laptops– particularly when the computer has had substantial amounts of juice poured into it.

 

[BanditoB]

I would make a Genius appointment and take it in. If it really is a flexgate issue, they will likely repair it at no cost. If it does appear that the juice spill caused it, they will quote you the repair cost. Either way, you’re not out anything to have them examine it.

 

[mr_roboto]

That is classic flexgate symptom. Flexgate happens because the display connector ribbon becomes damaged and communicates weak or intermittent signals. Either way, the 13.3-inch MBA/MBP design is prone to flexgate.

So what do you think happens when some juice gets into the connector from the motherboard to the display backlight flex cable? There are multiple ways to make cable connections fail, and juice in the connector is very much one of them.

I see no reason to assume that just because the symptom matches flexgate, it must be a cable fatigue failure just like flexgate. It's just juice.

(the other thing here is that actual flexgate seems to have been limited to 2016-2017 models, and apparently the fix was stupid simple - the cable just needed to be a tiny bit longer to avoid excessive strain at the limits of hinge travel. Well-publicized problems with extremely simple fixes usually don't come back in future designs. Sure, it's possible, but man it would be weird if there's not extra attention on cable strain in Apple's display hinge engineering processes now.)

 

[lcubed]

it's really a case of juice gate.
i'm amazed you didn't fry the laptop.

 

[JPack]

So what do you think happens when some juice gets into the connector from the motherboard to the display backlight flex cable? There are multiple ways to make cable connections fail, and juice in the connector is very much one of them.

I see no reason to assume that just because the symptom matches flexgate, it must be a cable fatigue failure just like flexgate. It's just juice.

(the other thing here is that actual flexgate seems to have been limited to 2016-2017 models, and apparently the fix was stupid simple - the cable just needed to be a tiny bit longer to avoid excessive strain at the limits of hinge travel. Well-publicized problems with extremely simple fixes usually don't come back in future designs. Sure, it's possible, but man it would be weird if there's not extra attention on cable strain in Apple's display hinge engineering processes now.)

With flexgate, the damage happens on multiple traces on the ribbon cable. That what causes the signature stage light effect. Juice is unlikely to cause that those exact same symptoms.

Flexgate occurs with all models up to M1. You'll find this documented on iFixit forums for example. Although the ribbon cable is longer, the fundamental design is the same and causes stress with repeated opening and closing.

 

[chrfr]

With flexgate, the damage happens on multiple traces on the ribbon cable. That what causes the signature stage light effect. Juice is unlikely to cause that those exact same symptoms.

Flexgate occurs with all models up to M1. You'll find this documented on iFixit forums for example. Although the ribbon cable is longer, the fundamental design is the same and causes stress with repeated opening and closing.

Nonetheless, the panel has major liquid damage showing and had no issues prior to juice being spilled into the computer. Attributing this to a cable failure is absurd.

 

[mr_roboto]

With flexgate, the damage happens on multiple traces on the ribbon cable. That what causes the signature stage light effect. Juice is unlikely to cause that those exact same symptoms.

Flexgate occurs with all models up to M1. You'll find this documented on iFixit forums for example. Although the ribbon cable is longer, the fundamental design is the same and causes stress with repeated opening and closing.

How do you know juice is unlikely to cause the same symptoms?

I think it's extremely likely, myself. The reason you ever see stagelights has to do with the design details of how Apple powers its LED backlights (prior to the new XDR backlights, anyways). The backlight consists of many LEDs arranged in one line on the bottom edge of the LCD panel, firing upwards into the LCD's diffuser layer. The backlight flex cable has a total of six wires and connector pins dedicated to carrying LED return current. Each return wire connects to 1/6th of the LEDs, and Apple seems to have chosen to use an interleaved pattern for which LEDs are served by which wire. Thus, if 1 of 6 connections goes bad, you see a regularly spaced pattern of backlight LEDs go out instead of a big chunk all clumped together.

The reason the resulting dark spots are only visible at the bottom edge is that eventually the diffuser layer evens the light out. But right at the bottom, next to the LEDs, it can't completely hide that some are dead and some aren't.

Just like fatigue cracks, juice can knock out individual connections. A drop gets in a connector and corrodes the contacts for one pin? That's all you need for stagelight effect.

Also, sorry, I've read enough posts on iFixit forums to dismiss the idea that people who post there have great insights into the root causes of failures. Like all other fairly open forums on the internet, it's mostly random people who don't know anything but are making lots of noise.