is your macbook display only working when slightly open and shuts off when opened fully?
then read further and let iFixApple explain the design flaw and what you can do about it.
Flexgate is an unofficial term for display backlight related issues caused by a fractured display flex cable. This flex cable is what connects the display to its controller logic board, It is a very fragile part tends to break over time through repeated opening and closing of the lid due to a design flaw.
This design flaw primarily afflects the MacBook Pro 2016 and 2017 models. Both 13 inch and 15 inch models.
A1707 - MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016-17, Touchbar model)
A1706 - MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016-17, Touchbar model)
A1708 - MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016-17, non-Touchbar model)
Apple made a change in the 2018 model to circumvent this flex cable issue. But even though it is by far less frequent we have even seen this in several 2018 and 2019 models.
Your MacBook may exhibit one or multiple of the following behaviours:
Stage light effect: The display backlight shows alternatively bright and dim areas all the way across the bottom of the screen, creating a “stage light” effect. This is usually the first sign of problems before getting worse.
Backlight turns off after opening the lid beyond a certain angle: The display works fine when you just open the lid a fraction but goes black or turns off suddenly when you open it up fully. It comes back on again if you reduce the lid angle. This in peculiar is a common sign of a damaged Flex cable.
Complete backlight failure: This is, sort of, the last stage, wherein the backlight is completely off. The display looks blank (or black?). It is easy to confuse this symptom with other faults, because a blank display could mean various different things. But if you observe very closely or shine a flashlight into the display, you’ll notice that it is not actually blank. You’ll be able to see the pictures and text on the screen. It’s just too dim to be visible - meaning the backlight is not functional.
Graphic Glitches: This particular behaviour is slightly different. The backlight doesn’t play up, but instead often shows graphic glitches - its may start showing vertical colours or a tints of colour filling the entire screen.
The MacBook Pro line underwent a major redesign in the year 2016.
Up until 2015, the MacBook display controller or logic board used to be tucked inside the hinge cover at the bottom of the display. It was part of the “lid”, so the wire connecting to it ran inside the hinge cover and never really moved a great deal.
2016 onwards, this board is separate from the display panel. It sits inside the top case or main chassis beneath the touch bar. The flex cable connecting the display to this board is wrapped around the hinge. It is a spring-ed ribbon cable. It pulls tight each time you open the lid, and relaxes when you close the lid. This makes it prone to breakage after months or years of usage.
The flex/ribbon contains multiple cables. Usually the backlight cable gives way first, causing various backlight related faults. The damage progresses in stages:
When the cable isn’t fully broken and beginning to wear, it manifests as what looks like stage lighting.
The next stage is when the cable is cracked but remains connected. When you open the lid, the cable is stretched and the connection tends to disconnect, breaking the connection, This is where the display goes blank when you open the lid past a certain point.
The last stage is when the cable is completely fractured leading to a complete black display.
At first there was complete Radio Silence, Apple just waited and watched, until the complaints grew so much and they could no longer just ignore the problem.
Then Apple Quietly introduce a fix? in later models, Apple discreetly increased the length of the flex cable in 2018 model MacBooks buy just a few millimetres. Thus reducing the chances of damage to the cable thru stress.
And Finally, Apple could no longer just ignore the public and in May 2019 introduced a free display replacement program.
Apple acknowledged their design flaw and launched a free display replacement program.
However!!! this program only covered the 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro?, even though it is clear the design flaw actually impacts both 2016 and 2017 13-inch and 15-inch models.
The program covers eligible MacBook Pro models for 5 years after the first retail sale of the unit or 3 years from the start date of this program, whichever is longer.
If your MacBook is 2016 13-inch Model, and purchased between October 2016 and February 2018, you’re eligible Apple’s free display replacement service called 13-Inch MacBook Pro display backlight service https://support.apple.com/en-gb/13-inch-macbook-pro-display-backlight-service
If you are experiencing these issues in both the 2016 15-inch or 2017 13 and 15-Inch then unfortunately need to get a paid display replacement. which is certainly not cheap even if closing one of the many non authentic apple displays on the market.
Well yes and no? the cable is integrated into the display and as the display can not be taken apart, so it cannot be swapped out. So the standard resolution offered is to replace the entire display.
iFixApple have performed 1000’s of repairs and have accumulated plenty of genuine spare parts over the years including displays which we can provide for a very reasonable price?
alternatively at iFixApple we have successfully repaired several of these MacBooks by micro-soldering extremely small pieces of cable “Hair Thin” onto it and extending the cable a few millimetres as what Apple did to improve the issue in the 2018 models.
This is a highly skilled and delicate repair, there is always a risk of failure or further damage to the display but so far results have been very encouraging, and we have managed to save our clients a lot of money in doing so.
