MacBook Pro A1989 in reboot loop

[Rigo]

Hi Folks
Replaced the screen on the machine, did everything right except that I forgot to fully tighten the screw securing the wireless antenna cables to the motherboard.
The laptop keeps rebooting after sitting on the Apple logo for about 30 sec. Display is clear and neat for what is displayed, logo, boot options.
Same thing even after properly tightening the screw.
Same thing after disconnecting the antenna from the motherboard.
Resetting PRAM and SMC no help
Tried to boot from USB installer, get to select the option but it still fails to start the repair/install
Gonna put the original screen tomorrow and see whether the new screen might be the problem.
Or something else happened to the motherboard from the loose screw.
This is an expensive screen
Thanks for any suggestion

 

[overburnz]

Hi is that a 2018 touchbar model? Those have a T2 security chip wich means when you replace the display, logic board or topcase, you need to run a software (only available to CAAA) to inject the new component in to the T2 firmware, otherwise it will not go past the Apple logo.
Don’t know if there any alternative software that can bypass that or not

 

[Rigo]

Hi is that a 2018 touchbar model? Those have a T2 security chip wich means when you replace the display, logic board or topcase, you need to run a software (only available to CAAA) to inject the new component in to the T2 firmware, otherwise it will not go past the Apple logo.
Don’t know if there any alternative software that can bypass that or not

Either 2018 or 2019
I'll have to check through the serial number tomorrow
I was never able to access the os even through external monitor with or without the faulty monitor connected.
If it requires that software, wow!
Talk about Apple crap!

 

[overburnz]

Either 2018 or 2019
I'll have to check through the serial number tomorrow
I was never able to access the os even through external monitor with or without the faulty monitor connected.
If it requires that software, wow!
Talk about Apple crap!

It’s their way to prevent non-Apple parts repairs and because ou T2 you can’t boot to external OS without the admin account password…

 

[Rigo]

Hi is that a 2018 touchbar model? Those have a T2 security chip wich means when you replace the display, logic board or topcase, you need to run a software (only available to CAAA) to inject the new component in to the T2 firmware, otherwise it will not go past the Apple logo.
Don’t know if there any alternative software that can bypass that or not

This is a 2019 version
According to this article they may not have activated the block for repairs.

Apple’s Secret Repair Kill Switch Hasn’t Been Activated—Yet

Well, stop the presses. Turns out, ‘Apple makes your MacBook inoperative if you get it fixed at local repair shops’ isn’t quite true—not yet, no matter what The Sun says. Our lab testing has found…

www.ifixit.com

I'll test with the original now to see if the problem is more related to the screen hopefully

 

[overburnz]

So have you tried with the original display? Has it worked?

 

[Blues]

Those are old articles and I don't recall much coverage of it or it stopping people like Louis Rossmann so I suspect that plan of theirs died perhaps someone reminded them of how it turned out when they bricked iPhones for 3rd party repairs to the home button.

 

[Rigo]

So have you tried with the original display? Has it worked?

Yes, I did and it does the same thing.
But that allowed me to remember that the rebooting also happened before I did the swap and I had put on the account that it may have been happening because of the faulty monitor creating some instability of some sort. Need to start documenting these things before starting work, more work but need to cover the back side.
Had not come across such thing before. Especially that it wouldn't output to the external monitor whether the on-board was connected or not should have been a clue that there might have been something else going on. Live and learn, or fiddle and learn .
At least I no longer feel responsible I might have brought on the instability.
This appears to be a board level problem.
It won't boot to safemode, and keeps rebooting in recovery from USB the same way.
When I attempted internet recovery, after downloading the package it reboots and requests connection to the internet again rather than proceeding with the installation.
When I booted to diagnostics it came up with a HDD pic with an alert mark on it, couldn't find any interpretation of that symbol so not quite sure what to make out of it
I don't do board level repairs and if the customer accepts I can send it to someone who does.

 

[Rigo]

Those are old articles and I don't recall much coverage of it or it stopping people like Louis Rossmann so I suspect that plan of theirs died perhaps someone reminded them of how it turned out when they bricked iPhones for 3rd party repairs to the home button.

I have done quite a few touchbar MacBooks screen replacements without any major problems so indeed the T2 issues appears to not have been implemented.
Done a 2018 MacBook Pro screen about a month ago with no trouble, that one was actually simpler to do.

 

[overburnz]

I have done quite a few touchbar MacBooks screen replacements without any major problems so indeed the T2 issues appears to not have been implemented.
Done a 2018 MacBook Pro screen about a month ago with no trouble, that one was actually simpler to do.

do you replace the entire display with housing?

 

[Rigo]

do you replace the entire display with housing?

Yes,
The amount of work required to do panel only replacement only benefits the customer. If they don't agree to the complete assembly price they can take it to somebody else.
Same for Windows laptops with panels integrated as an assembly.

 

[sapphirescales]

Keyboard issue. To test if this is the case, hold down the B key or whatever during startup. Doing this interrupts the signal the MacBook is getting from the power button (which is part of the keyboard). As soon as you release the B key it will turn off a few seconds later.

 

[gadgetfixup]

Most of these later model Macbooks have a fingerprint reader so the power button isn't integrated into the keyboard. It's separate with a separate connector. That said, I have seen power buttons get liquid damaged and stick causing issues. At this point, I'd disconnect the power button and power it from the USB cable to see if the power button is involved in the problem.

 

[Rigo]

Most of these later model Macbooks have a fingerprint reader so the power button isn't integrated into the keyboard. It's separate with a separate connector. That said, I have seen power buttons get liquid damaged and stick causing issues. At this point, I'd disconnect the power button and power it from the USB cable to see if the power button is involved in the problem.

The laptop was in pristine condition and didn't show anything potentially liquid effect.
Yes indeed a touchbar one with the power button as you're saying.
I mentionned to the customer about the secondary problem now that the monitor is working fine and he's refusing to pay the extra to have that fixed because he reckons as an expert I should have been able to see that secondary issue was not going to be fixed before quoting him.
Granted that I didn't mention to him about the instability in the quote as I did indeed associate it with potentially related to the screen damage.
Though I said I was 95% sure the glitching on the screen (vertical pink and white stripes) were due to the screen having failed (no apparent crack marks). 5% possibility it could be the graphics card or something else on the motherboard which we wouldn't be able to confirm until the screen was sorted out.
I've put back his faulty screen on and asked him for his bank account details so that I can refund him his deposit.
I can't see how he could compell me to fix that secondary problem. All our exchange has been via text so I have records of everything we've discussed about.