Looking for a Late 2013 Macbook Pro 15" LCD Display

[Appletax]

Customer damaged her screen by accidentally dropping her phone on it. It's producing strange lines and graphical artifacts. She says the glass piece that sits in front of the LCD is fine so I am in need of an LCD but not the whole assembly, which is what I am mostly finding online. I can't seem to find just the LCD panel.

This is my first time replacing a Macbook Pro display but I feel confident doing it (I have replaced LCD panels in Windows laptops).

Model: a1398emc2674

Also, where would I go to find a suction cup for removing the glass panel? I'm thinking that my Menard's probably has a heat gun.

EDIT:

I purchased a screen assembly on Amazon from Vectus for $251. I charged the customer $120 for labor (total $400). Replacing the LCD assembly was easy and didn't take long for my first try. She is very happy with the work I did. I even did extra stuff like clean the whole exterior, update the OS and software.

When I dropped off the computer, the remainder of the balance was $71 and her husband gave me a $100 bill . She texted me later and said she was very happy with it!

 

[sapphirescales]

Some advice for you. DON'T. Apple fuses these displays together real good. Quote for an entire assembly, or send the client to one of your competitors that you hate. A heat gun will totally destroy the rubber banding around the display (a deliberate trap by Apple). Your best bet is a professional heating pad, but even using those these displays are terrible. Apple will charge her a minimum of $600 for the repair. Quote her $450, buy the assembly for $100 - $150 and make a cool $300 - $350 profit in 5 minutes. So long as you're cheaper than Apple, you're a hero to clients.

 

[Appletax]

Some advice for you. DON'T. Apple fuses these displays together real good. Quote for an entire assembly, or send the client to one of your competitors that you hate. A heat gun will totally destroy the rubber banding around the display (a deliberate trap by Apple). Your best bet is a professional heating pad, but even using those these displays are terrible. Apple will charge her a minimum of $600 for the repair. Quote her $450, buy the assembly for $100 - $150 and make a cool $300 - $350 profit in 5 minutes. So long as you're cheaper than Apple, you're a hero to clients.

Then why are there so many resources on how to replace the LCD panel if this is an issue? This issue must be why I am almost exclusively finding assemblies rather than LCD panels by themselves.

Can you elaborate on the rubber banding issue? If the banding is destroyed, what will I notice? Will the banding just fall off or not stick well?

I quoted her $100 for replacing the screen. I know I am pretty cheap but I live in a small town and don't have a storefront. Probably still underselling myself.

I can't seem to find a complete assembly for under $250.

Thank you so much for your advice.

 

[pcpete]

@Appletax $100: are you mad? Just kidding, but that is insane. What you offer is worth so much more, don't cut yourself short. If your clients can afford to buy expensive computers, they can afford to pay fair rates, in this case between $400 and $500! How much were you expecting to make at that price and how much time involved were you thinking? Just curious.

@sapphirescales we are paying about $200 for the 13" and 250 for the 15" on amazon. If I remember correctly you said to try and and contact these distributors directly to get the better prices. I think I need to try a little harder. We have to charge almost $100 more than you are. Feel free to PM your distributor

 

[sapphirescales]

Then why are there so many resources on how to replace the LCD panel if this is an issue? This issue must be why I am almost exclusively finding assemblies rather than LCD panels by themselves.

Can you elaborate on the rubber banding issue? If the banding is destroyed, what will I notice? Will the banding just fall off or not stick well?

I quoted her $100 for replacing the screen. I know I am pretty cheap but I live in a small town and don't have a storefront. Probably still underselling myself.

I can't seem to find a complete assembly for under $250.

Thank you so much for your advice.

I'm not saying that it's impossible. Just that it's extremely difficult and not worth the time. As for the rubber banding, it will look like runny black cheese running down the screen. You can use a razor blade to try to take most of it off (this is what we did the first and ONLY time we screwed this procedure up), but it will never look the same. And your client WILL notice, guaranteed. Take this as a learning experience and next time quote appropriately.

 

[Appletax]

I'm not saying that it's impossible. Just that it's extremely difficult and not worth the time. As for the rubber banding, it will look like runny black cheese running down the screen. You can use a razor blade to try to take most of it off (this is what we did the first and ONLY time we screwed this procedure up), but it will never look the same. And your client WILL notice, guaranteed. Take this as a learning experience and next time quote appropriately.

Can you show me what you mean by the rubber banding? I am assuming that you mean the rubber piece that keeps the screen from touching the keyboard. Can you show an example of what it looks like when this goes wrong?

 

[sapphirescales]

Can you show me what you mean by the rubber banding? I am assuming that you mean the rubber piece that keeps the screen from touching the keyboard. Can you show an example of what it looks like when this goes wrong?

Yes, it's the black rubber trim around the entire perimeter of the display. Sorry but I don't like to take pictures of my mistakes, and this was years ago.

 

[cyabro]

If it is a retina model get her to check if the coating is coming off the glass.
Even if the display has issues Apple will still replace the display under their repair program for the coating issue.

This has not been made public by Apple but an Apple Store or authorised service provider will know about.

http://www.macrumors.com/2015/10/17/apple-mbp-ar-coating-quality-program-staingate/

 

[mkeathley]

Don't do it. Replace only the whole assembly. We replace LCDs in laptops every day. But for the macbooks taking off that glass is just not a good idea. Even Apple themselves just replace the whole top.

You quoted only $100? Well you screwed up. Thats alright, we have all done it. Go back to your customer and explain. Worse case you have to refund the $100 if they already paid. Next time look up the parts and know the repair before you quote the price. I know our markets may be different, but I live in a fairly low income part of the country in a small city. Our whoel metro area is around 100K. (45k in my city itself) I woudl charge $129 Labor, plus Part. The part I would charge whatever it cost me plus at LEAST 30%. Yeah, some guy down the road may charge half my labor, but he will have to do twice as many jobs to make the same amount I do.

Espcially being a Apple Customer your customer can and will pay good money for good quality. They spend a minimum of $999 on that laptop, likely more. I always tell my customers parts cost more for an apple. Its like Buying a BMW or a Chevy. When you need a new starter the BMW is simply gonna cost more, quality always does.

 

[Appletax]

Don't do it. Replace only the whole assembly. We replace LCDs in laptops every day. But for the macbooks taking off that glass is just not a good idea. Even Apple themselves just replace the whole top.

You quoted only $100? Well you screwed up. Thats alright, we have all done it. Go back to your customer and explain. Worse case you have to refund the $100 if they already paid. Next time look up the parts and know the repair before you quote the price. I know our markets may be different, but I live in a fairly low income part of the country in a small city. Our whoel metro area is around 100K. (45k in my city itself) I woudl charge $129 Labor, plus Part. The part I would charge whatever it cost me plus at LEAST 30%. Yeah, some guy down the road may charge half my labor, but he will have to do twice as many jobs to make the same amount I do.

Espcially being a Apple Customer your customer can and will pay good money for good quality. They spend a minimum of $999 on that laptop, likely more. I always tell my customers parts cost more for an apple. Its like Buying a BMW or a Chevy. When you need a new starter the BMW is simply gonna cost more, quality always does.

For clarity, I quoted $100 for labor only. I would lose money if I charged that for the whole job as an LCD panel itself costs more than that usually.

I will let her know the possible consequences of replacing only the LCD panel and advise that she have the whole assembly replaced. There's a reason why you almost only find the whole assembly for sale!

Great advice everyone

 

[Appletax]

I purchased a screen assembly on Amazon from Vectus for $251. I charged the customer $120 for labor (total $400). Replacing the LCD assembly was easy and didn't take long for my first try. She is very happy with the work I did. I even did extra stuff like clean the whole exterior, as well as update the OS and software.

When I dropped off the computer, the remainder of the balance was $71 and her husband gave me a $100 bill . She texted me later and said she was very happy with it!

 

[cyabro]

So it wasn't a retina model then?

 

[Appletax]

So it wasn't a retina model then?

Yes, the late 2013 model with Retina.

 

[Krynn72]

We've been doing whole assemblies just because we've been so busy that the extra labor time hasn't been worth it, so I haven't done an LCD only on a retina model. But if its the same as the ones before it (and not like the new Airs which are horrible) then its easy enough to do. Use a temperature controlled heat gun (not the $10 things you buy at hardware stores, but like the pic below) and set it to ~250F, and use guitar pics to cut the adhesive when its loosened up. Or better yet, use the iFixit opening picks, as they're bigger, thinner and stronger.

The plastic picks and lower heat make it so its actually difficult to damage the rubber gasket like sapphire mentions. First few times I thought it was impossible too as I was using a way too strong heat gun which brought the rubber nearly to melting temperature, and then was using a metal isesamo tool which then deformed and cut bits right out of the gasket.