red light in audio jack PLEASE HELP!

A

ackerc

Registered
Hello! So, I have a dilema. I bought this laptop from a friend. I believe it is an older macbook. I know it is a mac os x 10.4.11. It started doing this funny thing with the headphone jack, where a red light with flash on and off at random intervals and when the red light is on, sound won't come out of the computer OR external speakers. I have my laptop plugged into external speakers most of the time, but when this happens the sound will just flicker in and out or stop all together and then start randomly again. I researched a little and people had said there was a button or switch inside the audio jack i could turn with either my headphone jack inserted or a toothpick or paper clip or even sewing needle. I have looked around in there and haven't been able to find a button and have carefully poked around and still nothing- sound will come out and then the red light will flicker and I get frustrated. It's random and last sometimes all day or just a little while. I know in the sound option it will flicker from internal speakers to digital-out and I never have the option to switch back and forth it will just do it on it's own. It seems like maybe a wiring issue? Any suggestion? I know I'm probably not still under insurance since I bought it off a friend, and I can't afford to get it fixed. Anything I could do on my own? PLEASE HELP!!!
Sincerely,
Frustrated
 
All these macbook have very common problem with head phone sockets.
It is actually sound card comes with extenal speakes port, mic and head phone if you have problem with sound or sound quality then you need to replace the sound card.

New sound card on logic boards can be done at very low price at applerepairsinlondon.co.uk
 
I seam to recall having similar issues with my MacBook Pro when i was running 10.5, where the red light would come on inside the headphone jack. I believe this is something to do with it also being an optical port! From what I recall I was able to change some settings in the system preferences to switch off the optical port in the headphone jack.
Try looking in System Preferences/sound under output with the speakers plugged in and see if you can change settings to unsure the optical port doesn't come on.
Don't know if this will work but good luck with getting if sorted.
 
as a quick / cheap 'bodge' there are cheap USB soundcard dongles on Ebay for a few pounds / dollars which will prob give you working reliable sound - until you get the thing fixed
 
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