MacBook Pro 15" 2016 820-00281 no backlight. Another flexgate issue?

[slimmy182]

Hello, I bought this machine from a friend. It's a 15 inch MacBook Pro 2016 model, logic board 820-00281. He said that the screen would go off if open more than a certaing angle but it's perfect working whit an external display.

The backlight screen remains stay off even if I open just a little the lid, so I never see backlight work, but I can confirm that LCD show images as using a torch I can see it on the screen. It seems also that camera is not rocognized as the keyboard backlight stay off and touchbar have full brightness.

Is this a classic flexgate issue? I never manage to repair this kind of thing before but I wont try. How I can identity the damaged area of the backlight flex cable to select where to cut?. If you can give me any suggestion to improve the work or a guide it would be really appriciated.

But, if it's not a flexgate problem? How I can check the backlight circuit? What i should measure whit multimeter?

Really, really thanks..

[slimmy182]

Re: MacBook Pro 15" 2016 820-00281 no backlight. Another flexgate issue?

These are 3 different approach on how to solve this. What is the best?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2QSHlcMfxw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nBiN8Uujlw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeVEE0PKSac

[spidertnt]

Re: MacBook Pro 15" 2016 820-00281 no backlight. Another flexgate issue?

This is easiest and most durable / cable breaks very close to connector both backlight and camera suffer flexgate problem / I have used this method to repair the camera cable also - incredible small ribbon wires

TIPS : cut connector off screen side - strip about 2-3 mm of both cables to expose copper / tin then wick both cables to ready overlap joint / use iron to melt and remove a 3mm portion of backside donor cable - thus making it transparent / add flux and align copper traces / use tweezers and iron start soldering on one side moving across the traces one at a time - Don't try to solder all of them at the same time / leave a small amount of traces exposed and use meter to make sure ground is not touching backlight traces

FYI i use full temp iron and regular leaded solder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nBiN8Uujlw

Just harvest a cable from a cracked screen

Tape https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

[mon2]

Re: MacBook Pro 15" 2016 820-00281 no backlight. Another flexgate issue?

These are 3 different approach on how to solve this. What is the best?

No, the best approach should be the first solution - Contact Apple and demand that they fix this fault they created. They chose a too short of a flex cable in the PCBA.

It is flexgate. If you are polite but firm, they will cover the repair - regardless of warranty. Climb up their phone support ladder till you receive a positive response for a repair. They have been sued for this fault.

[spidertnt]

Re: MacBook Pro 15" 2016 820-00281 no backlight. Another flexgate issue?

No, the best approach should be the first solution - Contact Apple and demand that they fix this fault they created. They chose a too short of a flex cable in the PCBA.

It is flexgate. If you are polite but firm, they will cover the repair - regardless of warranty. Climb up their phone support ladder till you receive a positive response for a repair. They have been sued for this fault.

agreed ...should be covered

I have had many clients come from Apple store with no luck.

These 2016 models normally won't get covered ...but you should complain.

[mon2]

Re: MacBook Pro 15" 2016 820-00281 no backlight. Another flexgate issue?

Forget the Apple store - phone them and do not stop till you have a resolution.

They support clients who buy their products - more products, the better the service. It is all about how smooth you are in chatting with them. Make it clear that you will not buy their product unless they can resolve this issue which is their fault to start with. We have countless stories where they did cover the service, even after the warranty.

[reformatt]

Re: MacBook Pro 15" 2016 820-00281 no backlight. Another flexgate issue?

Officially, only 13" models are covered, and that's only 2016 models. These were only produced from October that year, so it only equates to a few months. 2017 models are flat out rejected by Apple and the last price I heard quoted was AUD$1100.

BTW, replacement displays I've seen from China still have the flexes the same length. I bought one a while back and the camera failed not long after I got it. You are better off doing the cut and solder on a new flex hack if you have the skill.

The T1 MAC's are just plain awful if I'm honest and not worth stuffing with. The butterfly keyboards in these are just awful, and ridiculously expensive to replace.