Known fault
Flexgate repair
The screen cuts out as soon as you open the lid further. Or there are light patches along the bottom of the image, like spotlights shining up. That is flexgate, a design fault, not something you did.
Where it comes from
From 2016 the MacBook Pro screens got thinner, and the flat cable feeding the backlight was shortened along with them. That cable runs over the hinge edge and gets pulled around that edge every time you open the lid. After a few thousand openings one of the conductors cracks. Usually the one for the backlight.
The result is exactly the pattern people describe: on a narrow opening the image is still there, and past roughly forty degrees it disappears. Earlier on you first see light and dark patches along the bottom, because part of the backlight is already going.
How to recognise it
- The screen goes black as soon as you open the lid further, and comes back when you nearly close it
- Alternating light and dark patches along the bottom of the image, like separate spotlights
- The image flickers or dims when you move the screen
- The image looks gone, but with a torch on it you can still faintly see what is on screen
That last one is the proof that it is the backlight and not the panel. The screen still works, there is simply no light behind it any more.
What we do, and what most do
The easy answer is to replace the whole display assembly. That works, and it costs hundreds of euros. We replace the cable itself and route it with a little more slack, so it no longer pulls tight over the same edge. That removes the cause and not just the symptom.
In some cases the cable is not cracked but the connector on the board got damaged. Then it is board-level work, which we can take on in the same round.
Prices
What flexgate costs.
| Model | Years | Price |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro 13 inch | 2016 to 2019 | €169 |
| MacBook Pro 15 inch | 2016 to 2019 | €199 |
| Connector on the board damaged | All models | from €229 |
Apple once ran a repair programme for this fault, but it has closed and it did not cover every model. If you still qualify, we tell you, even though that costs us the job.
Questions about flexgate
Will it come back after the repair?
Not if the cable is routed with more slack, because then the cause is gone. If it did happen again within twelve months of our work, we sort it out with no new bill.
Is my model affected?
It mainly affects the MacBook Pro from 2016 through 2019, so models A1706, A1707, A1708, A1989, A1990 and A2159. On the Apple Silicon models from 2020 onwards the design changed and it barely shows up any more.
Does the whole screen have to come off?
The display assembly opens, but the panel stays yours. That is exactly what you want, because the panel is the expensive part.
Next step
Screen dies when you open the lid?
That is nearly always flexgate, and it is a fixed price fix without a new screen.