(Found in ‘Macbook Pro Early 2008 with dead logic board – what now?‘ thread here: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=884770&page=2)
Found via Apple Support Forums: 1 Customer’s Success Story – Apple replaces Logic Board after NVIDIA failure
(found here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2675881?start=75&tstart=0)
Sep 24, 2011 3:12 AM
As an update to my original post:
After being told in apple store it would be £400 for logic board replacement, and on the phone that there was no way the logic hoard failure was a result of the NVIDIA issue, decided to take it back into the store for a second opinion. Only one apple store in the are, so had to go back to the same one, but this time went in armed with a dossier of info on the topic and basically said ‘it’s a 2008 MBP from the batch with NVIDIA issues, the logic board has failed which, from what I can ascertain, is a fairly common issue, a couple of days before it failed I had issues with scrambled video (hadn’t occurred to me to mention that the first time I went in as didn’t know about NVIDIA)’, he had a quick look at it, confirmed what I’d said and said that the repair would be covered by the quality program.
Amazing. Very happy with that, although somewhat livid with the fact that they originally tried to charge me £400, and a lot of people would have just agreed, and the fact that they were so unhelpful on the phone.
Don’t know whether it was just because I saw a different person, or because I went in knowing all about the issue, but either way, second opinion is definitely the way to go.
Just had a call saying it’s ready to pick up, and also that their diagnostic tests show my hard drive is failing – not overly happy with that not lasting more than 3 years, but much cheaper to fix compared to LB!
Hope some of you can manage a successful outcome as well…
Okay, Apple–please explain. SOMETIMES the logic board is repaired free of charge? You just want to frustrate your customers by forcing them to contact you over and over until you finally give in?
Game on!
1 Apple Store; 3 “Geniuses”; 3 Different Diagnoses
Problem: My 15″ Macbook Pro from 2008 was working perfectly, until August 2011 when I closed the cover. I later opened it, and had no video on my screen (BLACK) and there no start up chime. I could hear the dvd drive make a noise, but the keyboard did not light up.
First visit to “Genius” Bar (please excuse sarcastic use of quotes):
“Genius” plugs in my laptop and the video appears on the screen (all my programs were still opened, so macbook never shut itself down). “Genius” declares that my battery must be bad. I insist that this makes no sense, since I removed the battery at one point, and macbooks are supposed to run on AC without batteries. The “Genius” explains “well it’s working now.”
Diagnosis: Bad battery. Bought new battery for $140 (later returned it to store since this is clearly NOT the problem)
Second visit to “Genius” Bar:
When I returned home with my new battery and opened my macbook, the screen was black again. After opening and closing the macbook several times as well as pushing the power button, the video came back. I did not close the cover when I finished using the macbook, but hours later I tried to wake it up and the screen was black again. This would be the last time I would ever have video on my macbook.I returned to apple, where a new “Genius” performed tests and told me my logic board was fried. She estimated the cost of a new board plus labor at $400-$500. I asked if it made sense that it regained video after the logic board supposedly failed, and the “Genius” said that no, that must be a fan problem.
Diagnosis: Fan problem.
Third visit to Genius Bar:
After HOURS of research online, I learned of the NVIDIA chip’s failure and Apple’s policy regarding replacement. I also learned that MANY people were experiencing this same frustration, and getting Apple to take responsibility was like pulling teeth. I printed out Article TS2377 along with 10 pages of supporting posts from the Mac forums. My “Genius” ignored all evidence and explained that they plug a device into the Macbook to test the NVIDIA card, and if they get a certain error code back, that means the card has failed and they can replace the NVIDIA chip (& attached Logic Board) for free. My NVIDIA card was not returning an error code because my logic board was dead. I asked if it was possible that the NVIDIA chip caused problems until it fried my logic board, but he said no. I asked him to verify that I did indeed have the defective NVIDIA processor that Apple refers to in Article TS2377. He removed my Macbook’s battery and confirmed that I did indeed have A CHIP KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE. I said “Okay, this chip is defective and my screen lost video as described in TS2377, so I would like my defective graphics chip replaced please.” The “Genius” answered “We can’t replace the graphics chip without replacing the entire logic board.” I explained that it wasn’t my fault they couldn’t replace one without the other, that’s what happens when you don’t recall a product with a defective part. Apple has no right to punish me for NVIDIA’s mistake and their own failure to replace the graphics cards before they caused a problem.
Diagnosis: Logic Board failure not caused by graphics card, not covered by Apple.
If the first “Genius” had listened to the symptoms I described instead of being lazy, looking for an easy answer that made no sense (uh, the battery!), she could have tested my NVIDIA card and it would have returned the error code that would have gotten my logic board replaced free of charge. Thanks a lot, “GENIUS”!
My logic board is still dead, but macbook is unusable (apparently they’re made to last less than 4 years?!) and I am blogging all of this from a horrible PC. But I will not rest until Apple fixes this issue!!
What does Apple do with your complaints? REPORTS THEM AS SPAM!!!
I recently emailed Apple Corporate to report the horrible service I received at one of their stores. Finding no email address reserved for complaints or service feedback, I did some googling and settled on Apple@Apple.com. I also sent a paper copy via snail mail to their corporate office in Cupertino, CA (found here –> http://www.apple.com/contact). I haven’t heard back from Apple regarding the letter, but now I know what they did with my email.
Time Warner Cable called me (in 6 years of service, I’ve NEVER received a call from their spam dept) and a very nice woman informed me that she was calling about an email I had sent to Apple@apple.com. The woman couldn’t figure out why my email had been reported as spam by Apple, but wanted to let me know because she had never seen anything like that happen. I asked if this would effect my internet service, but she said no, because Time Warner has a person look at the emails to verify whether or not they’re spam.
“I can’t think of anything I wrote that would have been flagged by spam filters. It’s a normal style business letter complaining about one of their stores–there isn’t any vulgarity in it!” The woman told me that Apple still responds even if there is vulgar language, but agreed that my letter was in no way inappropriate or spam-y. Then she dropped the hammer.
“Sometimes people accidentally hit the spam button on something they don’t mean to mark as spam, but that couldn’t have happened with this email. Someone at Apple@Apple.com went out of their way to go to a third party site and report your email as spam. I’ve never seen anything like this!”
Wow, Apple, that’s some seriously f-d up customer service. I’m assuming the Complaints Department in Cupertino is just a big shredder in an empty room?
It’s been 2 weeks since I mailed Apple the original letter. So far, no response. hmm, I wonder why…
Macbook Pro NVIDIA Chip Failure – Apple owes me a logic board
I purchased a Macbook Pro in 2008. Apple has acknowledged that Macbook Pro’s from 2007 and 2008 contain a defective NVIDIA graphics card that causes the computer to lose video.
Apple promises to replace all malfunctioning graphics cards in these Macbook Pro’s FREE OF CHARGE, even if the computer is no longer under warranty.
Symptoms
In July 2008, NVIDIA publicly acknowledged a higher than normal failure rate for some of their graphics processors due to a packaging defect. At that same time, NVIDIA assured Apple that Mac computers with these graphics processors were not affected. However, after an Apple-led investigation, Apple has determined that some MacBook Pro computers with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor may be affected. If the NVIDIA graphics processor in your MacBook Pro has failed, or fails within four years of the original date of purchase, a repair will be done free of charge, even if your MacBook Pro is out of warranty.
What to look for:
- Distorted or scrambled video on the computer screen
- No video on the computer screen (or external display) even though the computer is on
Specific products affected:
- MacBook Pro 15-inch and 17-inch models with NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processors
- MacBook Pro (17-Inch, 2.4GHz)
- MacBook Pro (15-Inch, 2.4/2.2GHz)
- MacBook Pro (Early 2008)
- These computers were manufactured between approximately May 2007 and September 2008
Products Affected
MacBook Pro, models with NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processors
Resolution
If your MacBook Pro is exhibiting any of the symptoms listed above, please take it to an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) for evaluation, or call your nearest Apple Contact Center. Before visiting the Genius Bar at the Apple Retail Store, please make a reservation (available in some countries only).
Apple is issuing refunds to customers who may have paid for repairs related to this issue. Please contact Apple for details on the refund process.
Note: If your MacBook Pro is not experiencing any of these symptoms, you do not need to contact Apple.
Apple will continue to evaluate the repair data and will provide further repair extensions as needed.
However, if the “Geniuses” at the Apple store fail to test your malfunctioning computer for the NVIDIA problem the first time you bring it in, you’ll burn out your entire logic board so that they can’t test for the NVIDIA error, and they’ll charge you $300-$500 for a new logic board.
Apple has acknowledged that my Macbook DOES have the defective NVIDIA processor, but they state that they will only replace my entire logic board if they can test for the NVIDIA error. Since the NVIDIA chip has already killed my logic board (and a simple google search shows that thousands of Apple users have experienced this same frustration), they cannot perform the NVIDIA test, and refuse to be of any help.
I’ll use this blog to document my struggles to get Apple to replace my defective laptop. You can watch along, and see if Apple listens to reason, logic, or the voice of one person screaming, “DO THE RIGHT THING APPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
I won’t stop screaming until then.

