They are generally correct. Liquid damage can be pervasive and the damage can become more extensive over time (corrosion can build, sugars can cause additional damage, etc). Unfortunately, all bets are off once there is liquid damage, the machine is categorically dismissed and is no longer in warranty.
Apple's repairs tend to be very expensive. A good alternative might be a mail-in service like MacService.com or TechRestore.com. Otherwise, you could sell the machine "as is/for parts only" or attempt to repair it yourself (check out ifixit.com).
hey everyone sorry if this has been asked but yeah.
ok in my tired state of mind i accidentally knocked about a quarter of a cup of coffee onto the right side of my white macbook's keyboard. it wasn't much and most of it didnt even go through. i firstly turned it off and removed the battery the i turned it upside down and most of it came out i then put a tea towel on the edge of a table and put it on that upside down to drain as much as i could. i had it like this for a few hours then i flipped it back up normal and pop off the keys were it got in. i positioned a fan on it to try and dry out as much as possible. 24 hrs later i turned it back on to here the wonderful deep mac tone, it proceeded as normal to the desk top screen. butttttttttt when i checked the keys to see if they were working weird thigns started happeninggg. i went to change the volume and then it started going up and down on its own, this key ( } ) seems to think its being held down constantly as well as the minus key ( - ). so basically its a bit brocken. i immediatley turned it off again and removed the battery and have had it open like that since this morning.
so what im asking is, is there a way to fix this by buying a new keyboard and putting that in (i dont care about my warranty any more as they probably wont be happy to know about the coffee) or am i going to be due for a new motherboard and stuff like that or will things just blow over and go back to normal.
if there are any previous threads that are similar to mine could you please link me to it or give me some advice.
if it helps my macbook is an early 2009 white macbook, 2.0ghz, 2gb ram.
I'm joining the ranks of people who seem to have lost their macbooks to the abyss of liquid damage.
In an unfortunate daze I knocked a cherry limeade onto the macbook while it was in sleep mode only to find it would never re-awaken.
I finally got to the mac store to find out how bad this would hit my pocket to replace the motherboard and was pretty much floored by the idea that any liquid damage was a flat rate of $750 or so (I was in a daze when I heard the actual number so it may be up or down about $5) but that would indeed re-instate the warranty.
I'm comfortable with changing out the logic board however in my PC head, I know that when I change out a motherboard there are complications with the data on the hard drive.
Does anyone know if it is possible to set up a partition for the new install of the OS or whether the new board will possibly recognize the previously installed copy on the drive? If not, anyone have any ideas on how to slave the drive itself?
I find it really unfortunate that my mac is dead yet my pc endured an entire bottle of vitamin water 3 years ago. I'm sorry that electronics and liquid don't mix well, but making a computer that is so reliable yet will fall apart if it rains seems like something the folks over at Apple can handle. . .
Ok, so my wife thought she would do a nice thing for our Macbook and she wiped down the keyboard with damp cotton balls. She used very little water on them, but apparently it only takes a few drops, because it will not power on. I have read through the forum here and I see there is little hope of saving the computer without practically spending the money to buy a new one, so I have come to grips with that. The problem is that I was careless enough to not backup my important files. What are my chances and what is the best route in retrieving them?
Ok, so my wife thought she would do a nice thing for our Macbook and she wiped down the keyboard with damp cotton balls. She used very little water on them, but apparently it only takes a few drops, because it will not power on. I have read through the forum here and I see there is little hope of saving the computer without practically spending the money to buy a new one, so I have come to grips with that. The problem is that I was careless enough to not backup my important files. What are my chances and what is the best route in retrieving them?
Unless there was a significant amount of water, the hard drive should be fine. If your MacBook doesn't turn on at all, the easiest thing to do would be to remove the hard drive (the procedure varies depending on which version of MacBook you own). Once the hard drive is out, you can use an adapter like this to connect it to another computer to retrieve the data.
Be aware that Windows can not read Mac partitions without the help of third party software. So, you'll need to connect it to another Mac or try a solution like MacDrive for Windows to be able to see the drive from a Windows machine.
Also, if you are not in the habit of using something like Time Machine to do regular backups to an external hard drive, let this be your lesson. There are two types of computer users in this world, those that have lost data and those that will.
Unless there was a significant amount of water, the hard drive should be fine. If your MacBook doesn't turn on at all, the easiest thing to do would be to remove the hard drive (the procedure varies depending on which version of MacBook you own). Once the hard drive is out, you can use an adapter like this to connect it to another computer to retrieve the data.
Be aware that Windows can not read Mac partitions without the help of third party software. So, you'll need to connect it to another Mac or try a solution like MacDrive for Windows to be able to see the drive from a Windows machine.
Also, if you are not in the habit of using something like Time Machine to do regular backups to an external hard drive, let this be your lesson. There are two types of computer users in this world, those that have lost data and those that will.
CWA, thanks for the quick response. Thats exactly what I was hoping to hear. A couple of questions. First, where is the best place to find the procedure for getting the hard drive out? I have an intro level white Macbook. Also, if my hard drive is most likely not fried, what most likely did happen and is it viable to try to repair it myself? (I have repaired some PC laptops in the past, but never a Mac.)
CWA, thanks for the quick response. Thats exactly what I was hoping to hear. A couple of questions. First, where is the best place to find the procedure for getting the hard drive out? I have an intro level white Macbook. Also, if my hard drive is most likely not fried, what most likely did happen and is it viable to try to repair it myself? (I have repaired some PC laptops in the past, but never a Mac.)
It's designed to be user-serviceable, so it's not terribly difficult. Here's a YouTube video that describes a replacement:
I need some help on this one, sorry it's kind of long:
We bought a macbook pro from a large appliance store here in the chicago area at Christmas 08. We were told that it was returned, and was in fine working condition. We had purchased extended warranties from this store before that covered physical damage, and used said warranty on a camcorder that one of my kids dropped. Since I have 2 tweens, I bought the extended coverage, was assured by the salesman that physical damage was covered.
Used the computer on a Sunday night, wouldn't turn on Monday morning. We brought it back to the appliance store, since it was only 6 mos. old and we had the extended warranty.
Results back were that the logic board, RAM, and fan were all shot due to massive corrosion. They said we spilled something in it. After looking at what happens when liquid is spilled in a laptop and the steps required to attempt to fix it, I knew we could not have spilled anything in it. Because my husband and I use it every day, we would have certainly known that there was a problem because it seems that if liquid is spilled it has to be taken care of immediately or the damage is immediate and fatal.
What we've theorized is that whoever returned it could have spilled something in it, let it dry out for a few days, and returned it. It would have started up and operated, so the store would have taken it back. Over the last 6 mos. that we owned it, is it possible that corrosion from whatever was left of the liquid spilled on it would be so pervasive that it would cause the massive system failure described above 6 mos. later?
Although this might seem counter intuitive, I think when a liquid is spilt on a macbook you have to po the battey out and unplug it ASAP as the first post says... but then you really need to open the computer up. As mentioned the warranty is voided as soon as the liquid goes inside so you have lost nothing. Next you need to pull the motherboard out and remove the small battery from the underside of it.
Now you need to look at the motherboard and see just how much liquid actually got onto it.
If you see any liquid then you might as well accept that you need to wash the motherboard.
The reality is pure water doesn't conduct electricity, if you were in a bath tub full of distilled water and someone dropped a toaster that was plugged in you wouldn't get fried... That said, most liquids we drink aren't pure water and its the impurities that allow water to conduct electricity. So first step is to wash the mother board in water to get off any acidic or sugary liquid. When you are done get distilled water and rinse off the motherboard one last time.
Now you can let it dry. Frankly I would recommend a blow dryer set on a warm temp. The longer you allow water to sit on the metal the greater chance for corrosion and a short circuit. So don't assume 72 hours is okay, get the blow dryer going quickly and after you think you have it completely dried don't assume it is, the very small cracks and connections between ICs and the board are difficult to dry because they wick water up... so after you think it is dry, dry it a little more.
Now put it all back together and try it out.
Lastly, if your computer was turned on when the liquid went in and then shut down.... don't get your hopes up, if there was a short caused from the liquid instantly there is a good chance that a circuit is already fried.
I have a 17" Macbook Pro that I spilled a tiny bit of water into, and ever since then, when I push the 'delete' button, the [ bracket appears. Whenever I push the left shift button, the letter 'Q' appears. Whenever I push 'return' my windows split as if I had pushed 'f11' and whenever I push the right shift button by brightness goes down. Oh and my volume controls don't work. - - I took the Pro apart following online instructions and cleaned the keyboard thoroughly; all layers using alcohol. I noticed a lot of cat hair and stains, and thought i did a really good job cleaning up... 2 hours later, I had the thing back together, but all the same problems keep occurring. Any suggestions or feedback would be GREATLY appreciated!!
Yesterday I managed to accidently spill a small amount of vinegar on my keyboard (MacBook Pro 15 inch).
All seems well in terms of function, but what alarms me is that now the presumed affected keys (specifically f,b,v,r) are visibly brighter, more radiant, even, than the rest of the keys. Yet they work just fine, turning off with the rest of the keys etc.
Is this the spill sensor? Is there a way to make this even… Did vinegar miraculously "clean" the light underneath to make this brighter???
Furthermore, it seems ironic that the affected keys would be brighter and essentially better suited for low-lit environments than the others. :/
Worst of all, I haven't even owned it for a full 2 months...waaaaa.
Mac Specs: eMac 1.25Ghz, 1Gb 40Gb SuperDrive, Mac Mini 1.66Ghz Core Duo, 2Gb 160Gb HD Combo Drive
Just my advice since I see the products in the stores, skin the unit....I've seen molded keyboard skins that can avoid issues. I had one made by a friend for my Toshiba laptop (he has vacuum forming equipment, stripped the laptop down and he made a custom top panel cover for it) But they do make these types of skins or keyboard protects for Macbooks and MBPs... cost is reasonable and can prevent a big bill. Just my 2 cents.
Just my advice since I see the products in the stores, skin the unit....I've seen molded keyboard skins that can avoid issues. I had one made by a friend for my Toshiba laptop (he has vacuum forming equipment, stripped the laptop down and he made a custom top panel cover for it) But they do make these types of skins or keyboard protects for Macbooks and MBPs... cost is reasonable and can prevent a big bill. Just my 2 cents.
I think the biggest problem with skins is the fact that they can insulate the laptop and reduce the ability of it to dissipate heat. if any air is being sucked through the keyboard to be pushed through the back gills of the macbook to help cool it then you would have limited the airflow. While it might not matter to people that use the macbook as a glorified PDA it could create problems with people that put more strain on the computer... I think for me I simply try to keep my drinks away from my computer
Spilled coffee on macbook pro trackpad, what to do next?
Hi,
I just bought a new macbook pro 13, and even though I have been very protective about anything hitting it, I ended up neglecting the dangers of spilling liquids...
This afternoon I spilled some coffee (about one table spoon, no sugar) on top of it. Most of it hit the aluminum body, but part landed on the bottom area of the trackpad. Nevertheless, everything seems to be running smoothly.
I am not sure if I should still have my computer checked, or if it is probably nothing. If I contact apple and say I spilled something on top of the computer (even if there was no damage from it), will they void my apple care warranty? I would go with it to the apple store just for the peace of mind, but don't want to void my warranty...
caffeine and macbook dont mix pls help
Gotta save my stuff.
