Apple macbook pro 17 inch late 2008 User Manual

							MacBook Pro 17-inch (original, Core 2 Duo, 2.4/2.6GHz, 2008) Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 171
System shuts down intermittently
Disconnect all external peripherals and eject any ExpressCard.
1.  
Consult system.log for possible shutdown error codes using Console (in Utilities folder).  
2.  
Shutdown Code Potential Indication, Issue and/or Fix
3 Normal behavior... power button was pressed for more than four 
seconds to force shutdown.
-5 Normal behavior... regular shutdown
-60 Try charging battery.
-70 Replace top case.
-72 1) replace heatsink sensor 
2) reapply thermal paste 
3) replace heatsink
-74 1) swap battery for KGB battery 
2) replace battery
-78 Charger circuit on logic board...  
1) try swapping for KGB left I/O board... replace if necessary 
2) replace logic board
-82 Test thermal sensor JST connectors for improper seating or damage. 
Replace thermal sensor(s). See Thermal	Sensor take apart section.
Make sure a known-good fully charged battery is fully inserted. Check that the battery latch 
3. 
is fully engaged and functional. Check the battery connection to logic board.
Make a visual inspection of the battery connector in the battery bay. The battery connector 
4.  
should allow for some play to align to the battery terminals. Make sure all blades are visible 
and not bent. If damaged, replace the battery connector.
Make sure the system is not overheating, the air vents are clear, and the unit was not being 
5. 
used on a soft surface.
Make sure all feet are still on the bottom case. If not, order foot replacement kit.
6.  
Check that the fan cables are connected and the fans are operational.
7.  
Remove the battery and connect a known-good 85W power adapter and power cord or plug 
8.  
to a known-good power source. If the DC plug is properly seated, the LED should light up. If 
not, consult the MagSafe	power	adapter troubleshooting section. 
Verify that all three thermal sensor connectors are well seated to the logic board and that 
9. 
there is no damage to any of the cables.
Run ASD diagnostics to determine if any of the thermal sensors are not functioning correctly. 
10.  
Replace any failing sensors. See chart below for correlation between error code and part.  
NameLocation
TC0D, TC0P, TG0P, TG0T, TG0D, Th0H Main logic board
TB0T Main battery
TW0P AirPort Extreme Card
Tm0P Left I/O board 
						

							MacBook Pro 17-inch (original, Core 2 Duo, 2.4/2.6GHz, 2008) Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 17 2
Ts0PTop case
Th1H  Thermal sensor on heatsink
TG0H Bottom case thermal sensor near right fan
Th2H Bottom case thermal sensor near left fan
Verify that the left I/O board cable is securely connected and shows no signs of wear. 
11 .  
Try known-good left I/O board.
12.  
Check that the thermal material between the heat exchanger and logic board is in contact 
13 .  
by unscrewing the logic board screws and gently pulling up on the left side of the board 
to verify resistance caused by adhesion of the thermal material. If not, reinstall new thermal 
material for the processor, system controller, and video chips (see Logic Board Take apart).
Replace the logic board.
14.  
System shuts down almost immediately after startup
Disconnect all external peripherals and eject any ExpressCard.
1.  
Make sure a known-good battery is fully inserted. Check battery charge and make sure that 
2.  
at least two LED charge indicators light up; otherwise connect the adapter. The adapter LED 
should light when plugged in. If not, consult the MagSafe	power	adapter section for further 
troubleshooting.
After charging for a while, if the battery does not seem to charge, or if it is charged up but 
3. 
quickly discharges, replace the battery. Verify with a known-good battery.
Check battery connection to logic board, and check wire attachment to connectors.
4.  
If just before the system shuts down, the sleep LED briefly comes on, check the three thermal 
5. 
sensor connections to the main logic board. They should be fully seated with no damage to 
the wiring. If any thermal sensor is damaged, replace it.
If a known-good battery does not charge, replace the left I/O board.
6.  
Replace the logic board.
7.  
Application Quits, Kernel Panic or other booting problems
If a specific application quits, replace the application. Verify that the application is compatible 
1.  
with OS X.
Reset PRAM. (After restart, hold down the Command-Option-P-R keys until you hear the 
2.  
startup chime at least one additional time after the initial startup chime).
Run Disk Utility from the Software Install and Restore DVD.
3. 
Reboot the system.
4.  
Run Apple Service Diagnostic (ASD) in loop mode (Control-L) for an extended time to test 
5. 
the memory. If the test finds bad memory, replace the DIMMs one at a time and test until all 
bad DIMMs are replaced with known-good modules.
Replace the logic board.
6.   
						

							MacBook Pro 17-inch (original, Core 2 Duo, 2.4/2.6GHz, 2008) Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 17 3
AirPort Extreme
Note: The AirPort Extreme card is separate from the Bluetooth module, the AirPort antenna is in 
the clutch barrel behind the gray plastic window, and the Bluetooth module and antenna are 
mounted underneath the top case.
AirPort Extreme card is not recognized
In Mac OS X, use Software Update in System Preferences or see the Apple Software Updates 
1.  
web page to make sure the latest version of AirPort Extreme software is installed.
Reset PRAM. (After restart, hold down the Command-Option-P-R keys until you hear the 
2.  
startup chime at least one additional time after the initial startup chime).
Open AirPort in System Preferences and make sure AirPort is on and Base Station is selected.
3. 
Reseat the AirPort Extreme card in its slot.
4.  
Remove and reinstall the AirPort Extreme software.
5. 
Replace with known-good AirPort Extreme card.
6.  
Replace left I/O board.
7.  
Replace the main logic board.
8.  
AirPort connection is slow
Move computer closer to the AirPort Base Station or other AirPort device.
1.  
Check the number of users trying to use AirPort in the area. Too many users may be 
2.  
accessing the network at the same time, causing heavy network traffic. To improve network 
connection speed, add additional AirPort Base Stations. 
Check for other changes in the environment that may cause int
3.  erference with the AirPort 
signal. For more information, consult these Knowledge Base articles: 58543: AirPort: Potential 
sources of interferenc e., 307289: MacBook Air: Optimizing AirPort Performance while using 
Bluetooth, and 307296: MacBook Air: Optimize Wireless Communications when using an 
External Display 
Use Software Update in System Preferences or see the Apple Software Updates web page to 
4.  
make sure the latest version of AirPort Extreme software is installed.
Restart the computer.
5. 
Check the AirPort Extreme antenna connection to the AirPort Extreme Card. Make sure each 
6.  
connector is securely connected and placed in the proper order.
Reseat the AirPort Extreme card in its slot.
7.  
Replace with known-good AirPort Extreme card.
8.  
Check AirPort Extreme antenna wires coming from clutch barrel for nicked insulator or 
9. 
crimped wire. If damaged, replace the display assembly.
Check the left I/O flex cable for proper seating on both the left I/O board and logic board.
10.   
						

							MacBook Pro 17-inch (original, Core 2 Duo, 2.4/2.6GHz, 2008) Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 174
Replace the left I/O board.
11 .  
Replace the main logic board.
12.  
Battery
Warranty Note: If the battery is determined to be the root cause of the customer issue, see 
Kbase article 500644: Portable Computer Battery Screening Process for Apple Service Providers to 
determine if the battery can be replaced under the one-year limited warranty.
Before troubleshooting battery-specific issues, make sure to check Software Update in the System 
Preferences or see the Apple Software Updates web page for battery-related software updates.
Battery will not pop up
Flip over the unit and slide the battery latches to their full extent.
1.  
If the battery does not pop up, use a small plastic flat-blade tool to pry up the battery 
2.  
around the battery latch. If the battery is swollen, replace the battery. See below.
Try a new battery.
3. 
Verify proper latch operation by exercising the latch. If it does not move smoothly or evenly, 
4.  
try disassembling the battery latch. Check that the spring held between the latch cover and 
the battery latch pin is intact. 
Replace the bottom case.
5. 
If the latch does exercise correctly, verify that the customer is not installing the battery with 
6.  
excessive force or the body of the battery has not been deformed around its perimeter.
Warning: If the battery plastic housing has been damaged, or the two halves of the 
housing have separated, the battery is unsafe for use.
Note: If there is no sign of abuse (dents, scratch marks) replace the battery under warranty.
Swollen battery
Symptom(s):
1.  
The computer may not run off battery power alone
• 
The computer wobbles and won’t sit flat on a flat surface
• 
The trackpad button is continually pressed and doesn’t release (in this case, test by 
• 
removing the battery to see if the trackpad button functionality returns).
A swollen battery can expand and cause the battery case to break open, exposing cells. 
• 
Use care and common sense when handling a battery with exposed cells.
If the bulged battery will not release/come out of the unit, try removing the top case to help 
2.  
release the battery. 
Replace the battery.
3. 
For more information and visual examples, consult Knowledge Base article 303922: MacBook, 
MacBook Pro (15-inch), or MacBook Pro (17-inch) with swollen battery . 
						

							MacBook Pro 17-inch (original, Core 2 Duo, 2.4/2.6GHz, 2008) Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 17 5
The battery won’t charge
Remove any externally connected peripherals.
1.  
Try a known-good power outlet.
2.  
Connect a known-good MagSafe 85W power adapter with power cord or plug. If the DC plug 
3. 
is properly inserted, the LED should light up. If not, troubleshoot the MagSafe connection 
and power adapter. If the LED is green, turn over the computer and press the battery button. 
The battery lights should glow green and stay on if the power adapter is operating correctly.
Try a known-good battery. If it charges, replace the battery. If doesn’t charge, check the 
4.  
battery connector and its connection to the logic board.
Reset the SMC (power manager) as described in “
5.  Resetting the System Management 
Controller (SMC)”  under “Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks” in the previous section.
Make sure the left I/O cable is firmly connected. Look for damaged insulation or wires.
6.  
Replace the battery connector assembly (requires removing the logic board).
7.  
Replace left I/O power cable.
8.  
Replace the left I/O board.
9. 
Replace logic board.
10.  
Battery won’t charge completely
If the battery appears to stop charging between 95 and 99 percent, this is normal operation. 
Refer to Knowledge Base article 88344: Apple portable computer’s battery does not show a full 
charge in Mac OS X. 
Short battery life
Three categories to consider:
There is a system issue (not the battery).
1.  
If you have the customer’s power adapter, plug it into a known good outlet and verify 
• 
that it can charge the system. Also make sure it is the correct 85W adapter.
Plug a known good 85W adapter into a known good outlet. Verify that the DC connector 
• 
is fully seated into the computer.
Check whether the customer’s system is set up for heavy battery power use (AirPort on, 
• 
optical media always in drive, Energy Savings set to Highest Performance, etc).
Use Activity Monitor to check for any runaway applications. Stop any runaway processes.
• 
Test the computer with all third-party devices (printers, hubs, third-party keyboard or 
• 
mouse) removed.
Reset the SMC (power manager) as described in “
•  Resetting the System Management 
Controller (SMC)”  under “Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks” in the previous section.
The battery needs calibration, or it is nearing the end of its useful life.
2.  
Calibration should be done when you first use the battery, and every few months after. It 
•  
						

							MacBook Pro 17-inch (original, Core 2 Duo, 2.4/2.6GHz, 2008) Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 17 6
allows the battery to properly calculate how much power is left in the battery.
The battery is a consumable part. It can be charged and discharged only so many cycles 
• 
before it becomes depleted and can no longer hold a charge.
Note: The battery calibration procedure is as follows: Plug in the power adapter and fully charge your battery until the light on the power 
a.  
adapter plug changes to green and the on-screen meter in the menu bar indicates 
that the battery is fully charged.
Allow the battery to rest in the fully charged state for two hours or longer. You may 
b. 
use your computer during this time as long as the adapter is plugged in.
Disconnect the power adapter with the computer on and start running it from the 
c. 
battery. You may use your computer during this time. When your battery gets low, 
you will see the low battery warning dialog on the screen.
Continue to keep your computer turned on until it goes to sleep.  
d. 
Note: Save all your work and close all applications when the battery gets low, before 
the system goes to sleep.
Turn off the computer or allow it to sleep for five hours or longer.
e. 
Connect the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully 
f. 
recharged again.
3.   The battery has a defect.
Symptoms include, but are not limited to, a relatively new battery that will not charge 
• 
at all, reports an “X” in the menu bar icon, or a status light on its case that will not go 
out. In the first two cases, the battery may need calibration—try this first. In addition, 
after troubleshooting at the system level, if it is demonstrated that the battery is causing 
abrupt shut-downs or goes to sleep without warning, the battery can be considered 
severely degraded and follow the criteria at the beginning of this section.
Useful Knowledge Base articles: 86440: Apple Portables: Battery life
• 
86284: Calibrating your computer’s battery for best performance
• 
304301: MacBook and MacBook Pro: Battery not recognized after being fully drained
• 
Bluetooth
Bluetooth system preference pane does not show up under hardware section of 
System Preferences
Check for software/firmware updates on the web.
1.  
Check the Bluetooth card flex cable. Make sure the cable is not damaged and is fully seated.
2.  
Check the Bluetooth flex connection to the trackpad flex.
3. 
Check the flex connection to the main logic board. 
4.   
						

							MacBook Pro 17-inch (original, Core 2 Duo, 2.4/2.6GHz, 2008) Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 17 7
Replace the Bluetooth card.
5. 
Replace the logic board. 
6.  
Bluetooth card not recognized by other devices
Open Bluetooth in System Preferences and make sure that Discoverable is checked under 
1.  
the Settings tab.
Make sure the Bluetooth antenna is properly installed.
2.  
Check that the Bluetooth antenna is connected to Bluetooth card.
3. 
Replace with known-good Bluetooth card.
4.  
Replace logic board.
5. 
Display
Display latch not working
Note: As the display is being closed, two latch hooks in the top of the display housing should be 
magnetically pulled down through the slots in the top case and secured by the latch mechanism. 
When the latch button is pushed, the hook should release and retract into the display housing.
See Latch	Adjustment chapter for more information on adjusting the latch mechanism.
If one or both of the latch hooks are broken, replace the display latch hook assembly.
When displaying a single color over the screen area, the LCD panel shows one or 
more pixels that are not properly lit
To determine whether or not the display has an acceptable number of pixel anomalies, follow the 
steps below:
Set the display image to one of the following colors: all-white display, all-red display, all-green 
1.  
display, or all-blue display. Knowledge Base article 112125: Service Diagnostics Matrix, has the 
LCD Tester Diagnostic Utility that will generate these patterns on the screen.
Using a jeweler’s loupe, pocket microscope, or other magnifying device, identify and count 
2.  
each pixel anomaly:  
• Bright subpixel anomaly = subpixel that is always on 
• Dark subpixel anomaly = subpixel that is always off
Acceptable Number of Subpixel Anomalies
Bright Up to 3
Dark Up to 5
Combination Up to 7 
						

							MacBook Pro 17-inch (original, Core 2 Duo, 2.4/2.6GHz, 2008) Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 17 8
If the number of subpixel anomalies exceeds the acceptable number listed in the above 
3. 
chart, replace the display panel assembly.
Replace
Bright 4 or more
Dark 6 or more
Combination 8 or more
If the number of subpixel anomalies is acceptable, explain to the customer that the pixel 
4.  
anomalies are within specifications, and no repair is necessary.
Important: Do not release the specifications to customers. Instead, inform them that a certain 
number of subpixel anomalies are considered acceptable, and these factors apply to all 
manufacturers using LCD technology—not just Apple products. 
When speaking with customers, please use the following explanation:
Active-matrix LCD technology uses rows and columns of addressable locations (pixels) that 
render text and images on screen. Each pixel location has three separate subpixels (red, green, 
and blue) that allow the image to be rendered in full color. Each subpixel has a corresponding 
transistor responsible for turning the subpixel on or off.
There are typically millions of these subpixels on an LCD display. For example, the LCD panel used 
in the Apple Cinema HD display is made up of 2.3 million pixels and 6.9 million red, green, and 
blue subpixels. Occasionally, a transistor does not work perfectly, which may result in the affected 
subpixel being turned on (bright) or turned off (dark). With the millions of subpixels on a display, 
it is quite possible to have a low number of faulty transistors on an LCD. Therefore, a certain 
number of subpixel anomalies are considered acceptable. Rejecting all but perfect LCD panels 
would significantly increase the retail price for products using LCD displays. These factors apply 
to all manufacturers using LCD technology—not just Apple products.
ExpressCard/34
ExpressCard will not insert into the ExpressCard slot
Make sure the ExpressCard is 34mm in width. The general ExpressCard standard does allow 
1.  
for 54mm cards which will not fit in this slot.
Make sure the ExpressCard is oriented right side up (cards are keyed and cannot be inserted 
2.  
upside down).
Verify that the ExpressCard is not warped or damaged in any way; if so, replace the card.
3. 
Try a different ExpressCard.
4.  
Carefully raise the ExpressCard slot cover and check for a foreign object inside the slot.
5. 
If the slot cover is preventing the card from being inserted, the door may be catching on the 
6.  
top of the ExpressCard mechanism. Adjust the position of ExpressCard cage on the left I/O  
						

							MacBook Pro 17-inch (original, Core 2 Duo, 2.4/2.6GHz, 2008) Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 17 9
board by making sure the cage is closer to the main logic board.
Reseat the ExpressCard cage. 
7.  
If the ExpressCard cage is damaged, replace it.
8.  
Replace the left I/O board.
9. 
ExpressCard does not mount to the desktop
Make sure the correct drivers are installed for that ExpressCard.
1.  
Check to see if a known-good ExpressCard works in this slot. The ExpressCard may be bad.
2.  
Check the left I/O Board flex cable connection to the logic board.
3. 
Try inserting the card without the ExpressCard cage installed on the left I/O board. If the card 
4.  
is recognized, reinstall the ExpressCard cage with the card in place to ensure the card cage 
properly aligns to the connector on the left I/O board.
Replace the left I/O flex cable.
5. 
Replace the left I/O board.
6.  
Replace the logic board.
7.  
Hard Drive
Internal hard drive will not initialize
Make sure the hard drive is a cable select drive set as a master (0). 
1.  
Start up from the MacBook Pro Mac OS X install Disk 1 disc that came with the computer 
2.  
(hold down the “C” key during restart).
When the Installer opens, from the Installer menu, select Open Disk Utility.
3. 
If the hard drive is recognized, format it under the Erase tab.
4.  
To format a blank hard drive: Boot from the MacBook Pro Mac OS X Install Disc 1 which came with the system (hold 
• 
down “C” key while booting).
Select the desired language.
• 
Select Disk Utility, under the Utilities menu.
• 
Click the Erase tab.
• 
Select the hard drive in the Source pane.
• 
Verify that Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is selected.
• 
Click Erase.
• 
Continue using the MacBook Pro Mac OS X Install Disc 1 to install the system software.
5. 
Restart the computer and run Software Update and install updates. Continue to run Software 
6.  
Update until no more updates are listed.
Important: If the computer is under warranty and data recovery is required, refer to  
						

							MacBook Pro 17-inch (original, Core 2 Duo, 2.4/2.6GHz, 2008) Troubleshooting — Hardware Symptom Charts 18 0
Knowledge Base article 31077: Hard Drive Data Recovery & Warranty Implications for 
important information.
System boots to flashing question mark:
Refer to the previous Flashing	Question	Mark section for tools to troubleshoot this issue. 
Internal hard drive not recognized:
Boot from the MacBook Pro Mac OS X Install Disc 1 which came with the system (hold down 
1.  
“C” key while booting).
If not the primary boot volume, use Apple System Profiler to check under ‘Hardware: Serial-
2.  
ATA’ option to see if the system recognizes the hard drive hardware.
Check the SMART status. If the status is ‘About to Fail’ or ‘Failing,’ replace the hard drive. 
3. 
Reseat the hard drive flex cable.
4.  
Check the hard drive flex cable for damaged connectors (a connector peeled off the flex 
5. 
cable, for example); if damaged, replace the hard drive flex cable.
If still not recognized, replace the hard drive.
6.  
Replace the logic board. 
7.  
Reinstall system software using the MacBook Pro Mac OS X Install Disc 1. 
8.  
Note: Don’t forget to install both the Mac OS X system and application software.
Important: If the computer is under warranty and data recovery is required, refer to Knowledge 
Base article 31077: Hard Drive Data Recovery & Warranty Implications for important information.
Apple Remote
Remote won’t communicate with system applications such as iTunes or iPhoto, or 
with the optical drive.
Make sure of the following when using the (infrared) Apple Remote: You are within 30 feet of the front of the computer.
• 
You have an unobstructed line-of-sight to the front of the computer.
• 
You are pointing the lens end of the Apple Remote directly at the front of the computer.
• 
The computer is powered on and awake.
• 
The “Disable remote control infrared receiver” check box in the Security pane of System 
• 
Preferences is NOT checked.
Make sure the active application works with Apple Remote. Apple Remote uses Front Row, 
1.  
and from Front Row it can access DVD Player, iPhoto, iTunes, and QuickTime Player.
Make sure the remote is paired with the computer. Access the System Preferences -> Security 
2.  
pane and check “Unpair” if available. Close the Security pane, and re-pair the Apple Remote. 
See Knowledge Base article 302545: Pairing your Apple Remote with your computer.