15 Inch Retina Display, Something Stuck under trackpad!

[09MBP]

Hey guys, I have a 2012 MBP Retina. There must be something lodged under the trackpad, because it's either crunchy sounding and hard to click, soft and squishy and not responsive, or it's fine. These symptoms travel from the left to the right of the trackpad. I've tried blowing compressed air, that doesn't help, same with post-it note flossing. The only thing that helps is me blowing as hard as I can into the trackpad cracks, and that helps for like 15 minutes, before whatever is in there works its way back. It's driving me absolutely insane.

If anyone has had this issue or knows a fix, PLEASE comment, I've looked everywhere and can't find much. Thanks so much!

 

[chscag]

Open up your MacBook Pro and check your battery very closely making sure that it is not swelled and pushing up against the trackpad. This is a common fault with batteries as they get older. If the battery is swelled, take your MacBook Pro to Apple and have it replaced.

 

[09MBP]

I'll try and take a look, I need to buy a pentalobe screw driver. I thought the battery swelling issue was mainly just an issue with the fat unibody macbooks? Also I don't think it would be the battery if blowing into it makes it get better? Either way I'll probably take a look! If anyone has any other suggestions please comment.

 

[chscag]

No, battery swelling can happen on any model MacBook Pro. I'm not saying that your battery is swelled and causing the problem, but you need to check it just in case it is swelled. I can't imagine anything getting under your trackpad unless you spilled something on it. ??

 

[vansmith]

The crunchy noise could certainly be caused by dried liquid (I'm thinking that something sugary here might be especially bad). If you have the knowledge and equipment to do so, popping off the bottom panel might give you some insight.

As for the swollen battery, that could certainly be the case. Do you notice any unevenness with regards to your trackpad?

 

[09MBP]

It will affect both sides if it's left alone and I don't blow into it for a long time. After I blow into the trackpad, it goes away, then typically the right click gets soft and less responsive, before both of them are bad. After awhile the hard to click crunch happens. I bought the computer on ebay and it arrived a week ago. It was listed in perfect working order, which it is other than this issue. The only thing I noticed was the left click was the slightest bit soft, but still was tactile enough that I didn't mind or really notice it. It wasn't until probably sunday that the issue began, so perhaps whatever was stuck became loose and it moving around under there. Within that time span, nothing happened whatsoever liquid related to the laptop.

Like I said, perhaps I'll buy a pentalobe screwdriver. It's a shame the new retina computers have a battery that fully covers the trackpad.

Much thanks to you CHSCAG and VANSMITH. I appreciate the responses!

 

[Rod]

This is not a fix but a work around. Change the trackpad preferences to "tap" instead of click.
There is one other explanation I can think of, insects. I had a friend who had a MBP in Bali that became infested with tiny ants. I also saw a You Tube clip of a PC that had been colonised by cockroaches.


Sent from my iPhone using Mac Forums.

 

[09MBP]

I do have tap to click always enabled, I often switch to and from physical clicking and tapping depending on the type of work I'm doing. The computer is from the US, in fact, PA, so hopefully no bugs are living under there.

 

[Rod]

Well I sincerely hope not, just a thought.