Audio not working

My speakers have stopped working, but headphones work fine. When the headphones aren't plugged in, the little headphone jack lights up red!?!? What the heck is going on?

Thanks,
Damien

In addition to this, if I use a paperclip, as someone on the Apple forums suggested in a post from a few weeks ago, the light does shut off. This is supposed to indicate that the switch has been thrown back to using the internal speaks. Unfortunately, it still doesn't work. I don't think it's a hardware issue, though. When I restart the computer, it still plays the startup chime through the internal speakers. Anyone have any ideas that might keep me from having to call AppleCare or go to the Apple Store which is an hour away?

It could still be a hardware issue. When I have external speakers plugged in my iMac G5 but shut them down (or forget to put them on) when I fire up the iMac, the start up sound still plays through the internal speakers.

Give that call to Apple Care is my suggestion.

Besides, if it isn't hardware and they guide you through troubleshooting procedures and you end up getting the sound back, it'll be worth the call.

Just take the time to keep us up to date with your problem and its solution.

Okay, guys. I called AppleCare today. Surprisingly, I didn't have to wait at all. I was immediately talking to a guy named Jason in Ontario. We talked about the snow for a while (apparently, Niagra Falls is expecting 20-25 cm of snow tonight, which I think is around 10 inches). Anyways...he led me through all the obvious things such as taking out the battery and unplugging the computer and holding down the power button for 10 seconds, resetting the PRAM, trying to get the switch inside the audio jack to switch back. Of course, I had already tried all of these things and more. He told me that I would need to visit my Apple Store. The drive, which normally takes 40 minutes, took me more than 2 hours, because of the snow.

It turns out that my problem was dust/dirt in the audio jack. They have a really cool machine that sends compressed air through an attachment that is shaped like an audio jack. I definitely don't have a tool like that in my tool box.

Thanks for reading this long post. Maybe some day, someone on here will have the same problem and benefit from my experience.

~Damien

Dust and dirt did that ? Whoah !

Thanks for reporting back, Damien. Very cool of you !

It worked

Yup I had the same problem, I used my canister of air and blew out the audio jack and it works now again! Dust!

Thanks for the post

I also used my canister vacuum!

Thanks everyone for your posts... I just had the same problem and used my canister vacuum, and... voila, it's working again!!!

Hey guys, thanks!
I didn't have an air canister, so I just used the little dust blower offer (don't know the official name for those things) that I use for the lense of my camera, took off the little brush on the end and puffed air several times into the headphone jack. It was as if the problem never existed!

Nothing working for me. I think something in there is physically damaged. Red light still on too.

Had the same problem. Learned from a "Genius" that I needed to clear the jack port. Apparently, the sensor is very sensitive and if any lint, or whatever, gets in there, the sensor reads it as occupied, hence the red light indicator continues to illuminate after the headphone jack is removed causing the sound preferences to set to digital output instead of resetting to internal speakers. Use a can of pressurized air to clear the port. Hope this helps. Seems to have been the fix for me.

I was dreading having to go to the Apple Store until I read this thread and tried blowing really hard into the audio jack (without spitting all over the place) and Animal Collective began playing again! Thanks guys.

Speakers not working

MBP ,13", early 2011

The tip of a 3.5mm audio plug broke off in the jack. I believe this is my problem, but have read there is a red light when the laptop recognizes an input and switches to headphone mode. Can somebody explain where to find this light [as verification]. The Apple store associate could only offer to replace the logic board [for $300-500].

Firstly, is there a way to 'definitely' determine if this is the issue? is so, does anybody have any ideas on how to remove the tip. Cannot access it by removing the back cover and I tried a drop of superglue and 'ever so carefully' tried to remove it -- no joy.

EDIT - didn't realize I was tagging on the end of an old post.

T'Pring said:

MBP ,13", early 2011

... have read there is a red light when the laptop recognizes an input and switches to headphone mode. Can somebody explain where to find this light ...

Click to expand...

Look inside the headphone jack.