Mac Pro - Applecare for installing a wireless card?

Without getting into too much detail, I am wondering if my Applecare will cover the wires that connect to an internal Airport card in my Mac Pro. I was installing a card myself and ended up breaking the head unit off of one of the wires that attaches to the card.

(FYI, the card still functions. Mac Pro has 3 wires that can connect but only 2 need to actually be connected to the card)

If I take my machine in to Apple (after removing the card) will they replace the wire? Thanks for any help you can provide!

The "straight-up" honest answer is...Applecare does not cover damage done by a user "poking" around on the inside of a computer...doing their own repairs.

If your prior Airport card was faulty (and the computer was covered with Applecare)...the computer probably should have been taken to an Apple Store (or shipped to Apple) for the failed Airport card repair.

With this being said...take your computer to an Apple Store...and see what they will do. But like I mentioned...this would have been the best thing to do in the first place.

- Nick

Thanks Nick, good advice as always. The computer never had a wireless card. I was installing one for the first time so I didn't want to shell out extra $$ for labor. They wouldn't know the damage was done by a user if I took the old card out...not sure if they would replace the wires without obvious proof that a person had been in there trying to install a new one. Guess it would be a gamble...

Mackerley said:

Thanks Nick, good advice as always. The computer never had a wireless card. I was installing one for the first time so I didn't want to shell out extra $$ for labor.

Click to expand...

Sorry...I assumed incorrectly that your Mac Pro already had a wireless card in it. When folks pay as much as they do for a Mac Pro...the little bit of extra $$$ for the optional (and VERY useful) Airport card is peanuts!

Mackerley said:

They wouldn't know the damage was done by a user if I took the old card out...not sure if they would replace the wires without obvious proof that a person had been in there trying to install a new one. Guess it would be a gamble...

Click to expand...

Depending on how this Airport card wire is attached to the logic board...WHOA...this repair could be as serious as a logic board swap (depending on the capabilities of the Apple Store to repair the wire).

I think you just got to take it in and see what they will do about it...since it sounds like you still have Applecare on it. If you take it in...please let us know how things turn out.

Good luck,

- Nick

And also as Nick suggests it looks like your responsibility as fitting Bluetooth and Airport to Mac Pros is considered a technician only task. With any luck you may have broken the lead that does not attach to the card.

Thanks guys, I agree that the wireless card is small change and should have been installed in the beginning. I forgot to mention that this is a used machine so it was part of the bargain. Thanks for the advice I will let you know how it goes if I take it in!