MBP w/ Retina won't connect to any Bluetooth devices

Question

In the last few days I've started to have recurring issues connecting to my Bluetooth devices. It hadn't happened since I've had the computer (several months) and then suddenly all of my Bluetooth devices (keyboard, trackpad, iPhone) would disconnect and not only can the computer not connect, but Bluetooth preferences won't even display any BT devices.

The first time the issue was resolved with a reboot+cleared PRAM, the second time that didn't work, but I was able to unload/reload the Bluetooth controller to resolve. It happened again today and now I haven't been able to resolve the issue. Any ideas?

OS: 10.10.2 Hardware: MBPw/Retina (2014), iPhone 5S, Apple Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad

Answer 1

Your bluetooth controller is probably kaput. If your MBP is under AppleCare (hopefully still since it's a 2014), this should be covered under warranty. I would take to the local Apple Store for service

If not, go to your local electronics retailer (Walmart will work here), get a usb bluetooth dongle, install and see if devices can connect.

If they can, then you have narrowed down your problem to the internal bluetooth. You may be able to find a BT module on eBay for a nominal price. They are fairly easy to replace. But if you aren't handy with a screwdriver, a local "Geek" could handle this task.

Answer 2

The MacBook Retina models have a combined Airport/BT card. Before actually spending any money on parts I would suggest deleting the BT preference file, then perform an SMC reset.

The file to delete is com.apple.bluetooth.xxxxx.plist (xxxxx = a string of charcters unique to your machine) and will be in /Library/Preferences/ByHost/ in your Home folder.

If that doesn't work the next stage is disconnecting the battery then removing and re-seating the card. Ifixit link here. Ensure the battery is disconnected as this will clear all SMC settings and protect the board while you remove the card. Don't skip this stage.

In addition to the SMC reset this will also ensure a good connection between the combo card and the logic board. It's worth checking out in case the card is actually ok but not working for other reasons.

Another check you can perform is to install OS X onto an external drive if you have one available. If you see your BT icon on the new, clean installation you will then know it's a software issue rather than hardware.