The Tech Bench

MacBook Air with bottom case removed. Arrow shows expanded battery.

This is a first for us.

This is a customer’s MacBook Air whose battery expanded after being left in a very hot car for an extended period of time.

Usually the expanding battery phenomenon shows up in the original MacBook Pros (silver keyboard) and other external batteries. The expanding battery issue is normally caused by overheating of the battery itself, not external heat conditions. But enough heat and time can do this.

While the top case is bent and needs to be replaced, the logic board and other components are fine.

With it hot here and getting hotter, I know I’ll be cracking the window for my laptop this summer.

Machine:

MacBook (White or Black)

Symptom:

Screen goes dark and computer enters sleep mode while in use. You can wake up the computer by pressing the space bar, but it may go back to sleep in a few minutes.

The symptom usually manifests itself after extended, processor intensive use (i.e. watching videos full screen encoded in Flash.)

Possible Cause:

This is most often triggered by the computer thinking that it is overheating. Going into sleep mode is meant to help cool the computer and protect vital components from damage.

This can be caused by the failure of the main fan, an error with the temperature sensor, heatsink issues, or an issue with the logic board itself.

Solutions:

The easiest “solution” is to shut the computer off and wait for it to cool down.

You can also restart the machine and listen for the fan. If you hear the fan roaring at startup, then at least you know that the fan is working. At this point, the computer either thinks it’s too hot because of a faulty temperature reading or it is just plain too hot.

Often, the best fix is to clean and re-apply new heat-sink compound to the processor/heat-sink. This requires removal of the top case, disconnection of some delicate cables and components and a static-free environment. We recommend that a authorized technician perform the work. When we do this, we also clean out the fans and vents for optimal air flow.

The temperature sensor may also be the culprit. Sometime these can come loose or fail and are available for replacement. Once again, a little involved and the sensor is an Apple service part.

If distorted or choppy video is noticed as well, there may be an issue with the logic board itself. This is usually not the original cause of the overheating, but may manifest itself if the MacBook has been overheating for a long time. The solder (glue) that connects the GPU to the logic board can become weaker with repeated high temperature fluctuations. Once the connections become weak, the video can distort or cut out.

Keeping your MacBook as cool as possible and shutting it down or sleeping while not in use is the best way to extend it’s life. If your MacBook is running hot with the fans on high, try to keep it elevated where air can flow underneath (i.e. not on a comforter.)

The best option if your MacBook is continually going to sleep while in use is to have a free diagnostic performed to learn what exactly is causing the issue and options for having it repaired. Feel free to contact one of our Service Advisors with any questions.

[ MacBook Free Diagnostic ]

Here is a list of 5 of our favorite Mac accessories that any Mac user is sure to love.

Sonos ZonePlayer S5 (S5)

$399 w/ Free Shipping from Sonos

Sonos is provider of premium mulit-room audio equipment that works great with iTunes. The ZonePlayer S5 is a wireless speaker system that can be controlled with your iPhone or iPod Touch to deliver great sound to any room in your house. Sonos equipment can be expensive and the ZonePlayer is probably the best value in their line.

Apple World Travel Adapter Kit

$39 at the Apple Store

This a great gift for the Mac world traveler.

Apple’s power adapters can handle most world voltages so all you need to do is swap out the end tip (duckhead) to fit the physical plug for the country you’re in. This kit comes with lots of different tips that connect to almost any wall plug. The tips work with existing power adapters for iPhones, iPods and Mac laptops.

Apple Magic Mouse

$69 at the Apple Store

The latest Apple mouse brings multi-touch gestures and enhanced tracking. This mouse has proven to be very popular with stock outs seemingly common. If this is on your list, you may want to pick it up early.

The mouse is wireless only, so make sure that the Mac you’re getting this for has bluetooth and is running 10.5.8 or later.

Brand new iMacs already come with this mouse included.

Bose Companion 2 Speaker System

$99 w/ Free Shipping on Amazon

This tried and true set is our pick for best computer speaker set for under $100. This set features rich bass without the need for a separate bass module (less space and less cable clutter.) Setup is super easy and the standard mini-jack can easily connect to iPhones and iPods as well.

The design isn’t that exciting but it blends in with most Apple products nicely.

Road Tools PodiumPad

$29.95 at the Apple Store

The design of the PodiumPad hasn’t changed much since it first was released over 6 years ago.

There are a lot of gimmicky and cheap laptop stands out there but the PodiumPad is simply a solid, low profile stand that fits any laptop and works great.

The adjustable stand elevates the laptop and reduces heat while the laptop is in use. The height also helps keep the laptop safe from liquid spills (saved mine form a coffee spill.) Every MyService technician has one of these under their laptop.

Look under the laptops used by employees of MyService and you’ll see a Podium Coolpad.

I got my fist Coolpad for my TiBook and have been using one ever since.

The Coolpad is an adjustable swivel stand that allows airflow underneath the laptop.

In addition to helping the laptop run cooler, the stand can also save against liquid spills on the desk (saved me from a coffee spill.)

The stand has a good build quality and it disappears under the laptop providing a clean look.

[ Podium Coolpad ] $29.95 from the Apple Store. 5 Star Rating.

Heat pipe from a 15" MacBook Pro

How can you keep increasingly hot CPU and GPU chips cool while making laptops thinner?

The answer is smart cooling using a combination of heat-sinks, temperature sensors and airflow.

The Fujikura heat pipe is a good example of effective laptop cooling.

Here’s how it works:

1. The hottest components on the logic board are the CPU, GPU and Northbridge. The tops of the chips are connected via thermal grease to their contact plates (1.)

2. The heat is then carried (dissipated) via “pipes.” Inside these pipes are a spiral metal filling and fibers that “draws” the heat down the line.

3. On the pipe itself, temperature sensors (2) are placed to determine how hot the system is getting. More graphics intensive apps will produce more heat and the temperature sensor will report the temp back to the system to determine fan speed.

4. The heat is this taken to a heat-sink (3) which further spreads out the heat. A fan is connected to this heat-sink and draws the heat out of the system.

Pretty cool

[ Fujikura ] [ Fujikura Technical Info ]

MacBook processor getting new thermal grease.

Thermal grease is a paste like substance that is used to aid a components heat transfer to a heat-sink.

In other works, thermal grease helps get the heat from a chip onto a heat-sink. The heat-sink then sends the heat to a fan or dissipates (spreads) it out.

Overheating can lead to component failure so making sure processor and graphics chips stay cool is very important. If thermal paste is not applied properly, chips can overheat and fail.

Here are a few good tips to keep in mind:

1. If you remove a heat-sink from a processor to perform a repair or upgrade, always clean the old thermal grease off (using rubbing alcohol) both the chip and the heat-sink and apply new thermal grease when re-assembling. This makes sure you have a fresh tight seal (no air pockets) and good conductivity.

2. Buy the good stuff. Different thermal greases have different heat transfer properties. Silver compounds transfer heat better and keep chips cooler than standard silicon. Cheap grease can also dry our faster and lead to higher temps. We use Arctic Silver 5.

3. Cover the surface of the chip (that makes contact to the heat-sink) but don’t apply too much. Too much thermal grease will keep the heat from getting where it needs to go (the heat-sink.) Spread the grease flat so they’ll be no air pockets.

4. Some of the higher end thermal grease contains metal which conducts electricity as well. Make sure that any excess grease is cleaned off of the logic board to avoid shorts.

FYI – Thermal grease is also commonly known as thermal paste & heat-sink compound.

"You go. We go."

One question our techs often get asked, especially by those new to Apple products, is “just how sturdy and reliable are they?”

Well, personally I would say that the 12″ iBook could rival the Panasonic Tough book in many ways and of the current books, the polycarbonate MacBook is quite a workhorse.

If you don’t believe me, then just take a look at the white MacBook in this photo. This poor fellow suffered through a house fire and while it came out bruised and battered, it was functional.

A helpful (and free) OS X widget we use everyday is iStat Pro.

iStat Pro is a customizable, real time system monitor that displays info about your Mac. This dashboard like utility shows network activity, CPU & Memory usage, disk space, battery info, fan(s) speed and temp readings.

We use this utility to test fans and monitor internal temperature sensors.

Mac laptops contain many different temp sensors that help the system determine fan speed. A failed temp sensor or broken fan can lead to overheating which in turn can lead to component failure. This app is very helpful in diagnosing heat related issues.

There is also a new iStat Server and iPhone app for remote monitoring which is very helpful for server admins.

[ iStat Pro ] [ Version Tracker Download Page ]

MacBook Core Duo Fan

At this point most owners of the  core duo MacBooks (1.83GHz or 2.0GHz) have probably addressed issues arising from problems with the firmware that these books were shipped with, however, we still see these problems with some regularity.

These problems could manifest as, but are not limited to, issues with backlighting, sleeping and waking for sleep, charging the battery, fans, and temperature controllers.

These problems can be fixed with Apple software update or with the EFI or SMC updater in System Utilities. The Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) is a small program residing on a chip on the Main Logic Board that helps Mac OS communicate with the hardware. Similarly The System Management Controller (SMC) is also an integrated circuit that helps control certain functions such as the Fans that also interfaces with the Main Logic Board.

It is important to follow the on screen instructions provided for the installation of the EFI and or SMC updates, failing to do so will not properly install the firmware. In most cases this means having a working AC adaptor or a working battery.