Just a SLEW of Problems

Question

I have the original MacBook Pro from 2006. It's the 15.4" Model and has a 2.16GHz Processor. It's almost three years old and I am having a slew of problems. I do have AppleCare, and I intend to take it to my local Apple Store this week. I just like going in with an idea of what can be done.
Here are my problems (please note, these are consistent over multiple reinstalls of Mac OS X)...
On the keyboard, sometimes the 9, 0, O, and P keys will not work. To fix this problem, I have to restart.
There is a large gap between the lower part of the casing and the plastic strip on the front left portion of my laptop.
The very right portion of my display is sometimes dimmer than the rest of the display. This display has already been replaced once.
The batter quickly drains to 20%, if I plug in the charger it will charge quickly back to 100%. If I close the lid when it is between 10% and 20% and then reopen it right away, it is at 0%. I have tried to recondition the battery using Apples steps and others multiple times. The problem persists.
My charger light turns green after about 15 minutes, despite the fact that it is still charging.
My wireless network connection is dropped if my battery drops below 20%. I have to plug in to power and restart to get it working.
I baby this machine, and these problems have been slowing getting worse over the past few months. Any suggestions as to what needs to be done? Will Apple fix them all?
Thanks.

Answer 1

Sounds like you're having tons of fun!
I have the same Macbook Pro you have (year, size, processor, etc.) and I've run into a few problems myself. Your issues aren't horrible, so don't be discouraged.
Depending on how you type, the keys on your keyboard can be pretty sensitive. The connection between the physical key you touch and the sensor that detects the "press" of your finger is sensitive. It's kind of like an old television remote that has a button you have to press really hard to work. The more you use it, the more life you use. Since you have to restart for them to work, I'd say it's an issue with your Mac processing the information that your keys send and that kind of issue is usually easily fixed. Take that problem to any decent computer store and they'll most likely fix it for free.
With the large gap problem, are you saying that there is a gap between the aluminum casing and plastic strip? If that's the case, did you once drop it? I can't imagine you would have recieved your MBP with a warped casing. If it's sticking up like a cliff edge, it sounds like something has gone loose and isn't holding things tightly together anymore. If you're talking about when you close your laptop, that's simply a design flaw with the mechanism that clamps the halfs together. It's bound to losen up overtime and keep things from staying tight. But I'm sure there's an easy way to fit the aluminum closer to the plastic since the aluminum is more malible.
Your display issue sounds like there's an overall energy issue within the computer. I say that simply because if you've had your display replaced once already, it's probably not your display. It seems more like the energy being produced throughout your display isn't being properly displaced.
If you havn't replaced your battery yet, you should. If you're battery is draining quickly, it can't hold a steady charge. It's similar to a car battery; you can recharge it but if it's old and worn past it's lifetime, it won't hold the charge it used to be able to. I also keep my battery cycled like Apple instructs you, but considering how much heat the Macbook Pro's produce, your battery's life will inevitably take a toll. I have a similar issue where my battery will turn my screen off and sleep at 45%, but once I put the charger in it changes to read 0%. This is more of a registration issue and it's the computer slowing down on other processes as it loses energy.
Your wireless signal takes up a bit of your battery's energy, so check how you have your energy settings. If you have it on Better Energy Savings your Mac might just be trying to save you energy. It's like your Bluetooth; if it's on it takes up energy even if you aren't using it. Granted, you shouldn't be losing your internet connection ever but I'd say a new battery will get rid you of this problem.
I care a lot for my Mac too, but problems are innevitable. All of your problems sound fixable and inexpensive and I'd take your Mac to Apple to get a tune up. Any genius bar should help you out. Even a decent computer store could help. I hope this helps!