Something seriously wrong after trackpad replacement

[bermudalocket]

I posted a while ago about how my mid-2012 MacBook Pro's trackpad wasn't working. I ordered a replacement and replaced it today using iFixit's guide and following it to the letter. Now, both my trackpad and keyboard are completely unresponsive. Additionally, the bluetooth icon is now appearing in the menu bar telling me bluetooth isn't available. The Superdrive eject icon is also appearing but is greyed out.

I cannot use any keyboard commands on startup. I had to get an external keyboard to reset the PRAM but that didn't work.

I don't know what to do. I'm not sure what could have caused this.

 

[dtravis7]

Did you plug in all the cables to the trackpad and keyboard correctly? Right now that is my only guess.

 

[bermudalocket]

Did you plug in all the cables to the trackpad and keyboard correctly? Right now that is my only guess.

Yes. I triple checked.

 

[pigoo3]

I posted a while ago about how my mid-2012 MacBook Pro's trackpad wasn't working. I ordered a replacement and replaced it today using iFixit's guide and following it to the letter. Now, both my trackpad and keyboard are completely unresponsive. Additionally, the bluetooth icon is now appearing in the menu bar telling me bluetooth isn't available. The Superdrive eject icon is also appearing but is greyed out.

I cannot use any keyboard commands on startup. I had to get an external keyboard to reset the PRAM but that didn't work.

I don't know what to do. I'm not sure what could have caused this.

Consider this. Reinstall the old trackpad…thus putting the computer back into it's original condition. Now two situations are possible:

1. Computer is as functional as it was before (trackpad not working).
2. Computer is not working as it was before (trackpad not working, keyboard not working, bluetooth issue).

If situation #1 is where things are after reinstalling the old trackpad…then the replacement trackpad has issues.

If situation #2 is where things are after reinstalling the old trackpad…guess what the intervening factor is?…the human factor. In other words…the "human" doing the repair/replacement made a mistake somewhere.

- something was not connected properly
- something got damaged during the trackpad replacement
- human may not have been properly grounded
- or any of a number of other unknown possibilities

The is the most logical/unemotional way of assessing the situation.

- Nick

 

[bermudalocket]

Consider this. Reinstall the old trackpad…thus putting the computer back into it's original condition. Now two situations are possible:

1. Computer is as functional as it was before (trackpad not working).
2. Computer is not working as it was before (trackpad not working, keyboard not working, bluetooth issue).

If situation #1 is where things are after reinstalling the old trackpad…then the replacement trackpad has issues.

If situation #2 is where things are after reinstalling the old trackpad…guess what the intervening factor is?…the human factor. In other words…the "human" doing the repair/replacement made a mistake somewhere.

- something was not connected properly
- something got damaged during the trackpad replacement
- human may not have been properly grounded
- or any of a number of other unknown possibilities

The is the most logical/unemotional way of assessing the situation.

- Nick

Great minds think alike. I just got done putting my old trackpad back in, and the problems persist.

I did a little investigating and I think I found a scratch on the logic board. One of my battery screws stripped so I asked my boyfriend to try to get it out for me. I took a picture and attached it here. I put the scratch in a red circle. The keyboard connection is in yellow and the trackpad connection is in blue.

That looks like a scratch to me. I'm pretty ticked off.

 

[chscag]

I did a little investigating and I think I found a scratch on the logic board. One of my battery screws stripped so I asked my boyfriend to try to get it out for me. I took a picture and attached it here. I put the scratch in a red circle. The keyboard connection is in yellow and the trackpad connection is in blue.

You can see the "scratch" better than we can. Does it go across a trace on the board? It appears that it does but you can probably see it better with a magnifying glass and strong light. Also, if it was caused by the slip of a screwdriver, it's possible that it may have induced a very small difficult to see crack in the board.

 

[bermudalocket]

Well, everything just started magically working again. My keyboard is fully functional and my trackpad is back to its tempermental, impossible-to-use self. I think I'll stick with a USB mouse and a functioning keyboard.

 

[bermudalocket]

Nevermind, the keyboard is being erratic. It goes in and out. Sometimes I have to press a key a few times for it to register.

 

[pigoo3]

Nevermind, the keyboard is being erratic. It goes in and out. Sometimes I have to press a key a few times for it to register.

I don't know what to say about the scratch...other than to say...things got worse after a human started poking their fingers around inside. Something must have gone "off-course" during the trackpad swapping.

Just for the heck of it...one thing you could try is an SMC Reset:

Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) - Apple Support

- Nick

 

[bermudalocket]

I don't know what to say about the scratch...other than to say...things got worse after a human started poking their fingers around inside. Something must have gone "off-course" during the trackpad swapping.

Just for the heck of it...one thing you could try is an SMC Reset:

Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) - Apple Support

- Nick

No dice. I made an appointment with the Genius Bar for Saturday.

 

[pigoo3]

No dice. I made an appointment with the Genius Bar for Saturday.

Apple has good diagnostic software. Hopefully they will be able to pinpoint the issue. Please let us know how things turn out.

- Nick

 

[bermudalocket]

Apple has good diagnostic software. Hopefully they will be able to pinpoint the issue. Please let us know how things turn out.

- Nick

Will do. Thank you for helping me troubleshoot, I appreciate it. I still can't believe this happened. I've been opening computers since I was 15.

 

[pigoo3]

I still can't believe this happened. I've been opening computers since I was 15.

How do I know if you're just 16 now??

Who really knows…maybe it's something you had no control over.

- Nick

 

[bermudalocket]

How do I know if you're just 16 now??

Who really knows…maybe it's something you had no control over.

- Nick

Haha, I'm 23 now.

So I found an image of my exact logic board online. I put a red line exactly where the scratch on my board is. It definitely cuts through some stuff. I'm not logic-board savvy so I really don't know the names of anything besides fuse and trace, lol.

Anyone willing to take a look and maybe tell me what it's cutting through?

 

[bermudalocket]

Okay, so I had a friend's dad take a look and he determined that a black fuse was definitely knocked off, and he thinks a trace may have been cut too.

Would it be safe to bridge that fuse? I can't find anything online about a replacement fuse.

 

[pigoo3]

Would it be safe to bridge that fuse? I can't find anything online about a replacement fuse.

Yes…I see what you mean now. The square-shaped piece/part is missing. You probably won't find anything on the internet. That sort of stuff is not supposed to happen (parts getting knocked off a logic board)…thus it is rarely discussed (if ever). The best thing would have been to still have the part…and possibly try to reattach/solder it back in place. It would be tough to know where to get a replacement part.

It does look like something that could be reattached (not too "teeny" of a part…or too closely mounted next to something else) if you still had the part

- Nick

 

[bermudalocket]

Update: I found someone who told me the exact part that was broken off. It was a 5.1Kohm resistor. I bought a circuitwriter pen and bridged the connection, and after letting it dry overnight, everything is working perfectly, including my new trackpad!

 

[pigoo3]

Update: I found someone who told me the exact part that was broken off. It was a 5.1Kohm resistor. I bought a circuitwriter pen and bridged the connection, and after letting it dry overnight, everything is working perfectly, including my new trackpad!

Hey that sounds absolutely awesome…congrats!

Can you tell us (or at least me) where you purchased the part from? I would love to know where to get this sort of stuff in the future if I needed something. And please don't say Radio Shack!lol

- Nick

 

[bermudalocket]

Hey that sounds absolutely awesome…congrats!

Can you tell us (or at least me) where you purchased the part from? I would love to know where to get this sort of stuff in the future if I needed something. And please don't say Radio Shack!lol

- Nick

Well, I did get the pen from radioshack .

The resistor I got from Mouser Electronics. This one specifically: AC0402JR-075K1L Yageo | Mouser

I soldered the resistor back in place and then fixed the severed traces with the pen. Let it sit overnight, and voila!

 

[pigoo3]

Well, I did get the pen from radioshack .

The resistor I got from Mouser Electronics.

I soldered the resistor back in place and then fixed the severed traces with the pen. Let it sit overnight, and voila!

Thanks a bunch for the "Mouser Electronic" info. And great to hear that some logic board "nitty-gritty" stuff like this can still be repaired by a home DIY person!!!

Nice job...sure saved from spending a bunch of cash for a replacement logic board...or worst case...another computer!

- Nick