Liquid damage to new Macbook

Hi, two days ago I was sitting on the couch with my new (6 mos old) Macbook; dual core 2.4ghz (early 2008 white plastic Macbook). My preschooler ran into the room and didn't quite get stopped in time; as he bumped into the couch, OJ dumped into the laptop. It went dead. (My computer, not my son.)

I pulled the battery and shook a few drops of liquid out of the keyboard. I then packed the family into the car and headed to Apple store. They said in all likelihood the logic board short circuited and needs to be replaced. For a flat rate of $755 they would send it in to be refurbished.

I left the store discuraged. When I got home I set the machine on end next to a fan and hoped it would dry out. The next morning I attempted to boot and the drive spun and it woke up as if coming out of sleep. The track pad did not work, but I did see a desktop for a moment before the screen went black.

Add another night of dry time and an external trackball. I boot again, the machine comes out of sleep and appears to be working. (I see a real desktop this time and the cursor moves.) I attempt to restart, hoping the system would reset itself. It won't power back up again. (the battery still has a charge, PRAM and PMU fixes attempted.)

Although there is obviously something wrong, I am hoping I do not need a new logic board. What avenues of recovery should I pursue?

Thanks!

-NP

Unfortunately, orange juice is sugary and sticks to everything it comes in contact with. Spills are fast and liquid will flow very quickly though the keyboard on to the logic board which sits below. It's possible that a momentary short happened causing some damage. It's probably best to send it on in and have it repaired. Apple will charge a premium rate for repairs, however, there are other avenues...

These fellows are an authorized Apple repair service center, are reasonable, and offer a fast turn around. Give them a look see and decide:

iPhone & iPod Repairs, MacBook (Pro) & Desktop Repairs | PSP Repairs

Regards.

chscag, thanks for your reply. I have visited the site you've recommended and may just have to rely on their expertise. However, I've been futzing and seem to have identified some consistent unusual behavior.

4/5 battery lights are lit.
Machine will not boot from battery
Machine will boot when plugged in although indicator on charger does not light
Battery displays with an X through when it is plugged in or not
Fans run constantly.

Any tips appreciated.

I'm running Leopard OSX 10.5.4. Is there a diagnostic tool which will scan the system for faulty components?

Thanks!

-NP

**EDIT**

Have been working with this, we're at the point where the battery will not charge, but all other issues have been resolved.

Well the first thing you should have done was immidetly removed your battery from the macbook. Then open the screen and tilt it upside down with a fan full blast on the laptop, and leave it there for ATLEAST a week.

Looks like you tried to turn it on to early. Sometimes with electronics if you spill liquid on them, the best thing to do is drain them of ANY liquid. Then try to turn it on. Sorry that had to happen to you.

None of the above methods address the amount of sugar in orange juice.

In the very end the laptop will need to be taken apart and cleaned out and most likely the MB will need replacing along with some moving parts that will get gummed up with the OJ.

Spilling any liquid in your laptop is not good and most of the time will require more than removing the battery and blowing on it with a fan!

In the event of a spill assuming the computer is still on, turn it off immediately. Then, what you do is remove the battery.

Then take the entire computer apart down to the component level (make sure to go slow, and track and label every screw and part), and clean it with isopropyl alcohol (the kind from the electronics store not rubbing alcohol.

Dry everything off, then reassemble the laptop piece by piece.

Turn it on and see what you have. It sounds like the logic board is shot, so there is some work that will need to be done.

After the incident I immediately flipped over the laptop and only a few drops dripped out. There was obviously enough liquid to disrupt things, but I did not know how extensive the damage was. I set it next to a fan set on low and let it dry overnight. I would check in from time to time (which is not a real good idea) and the machine was basically completely doa for a day then I got it to start up, but it would cycle in and out of sleep mode. Unusable, but it seemed to indicate the logic board was at least functional on some level.

I found a disassembly manual online and headed out for a set of mini screwdrivers, distilled water, and a can of compressed air. It took a lot of unscrewing, but I did open the case and peek under the keyboard. The plan was to look for orange juice residue and blow or wash the infected area clean. I don't really know what I'm looking at, but everything looked OK. I stopped short of removing the board. But did put things back together again and pop the sticky keys from the keyboard to clean them.

I was then able to startup, although the machine acted wonky. The fans ran constantly and the battery icon provided a black x. However, at least it would boot. I rest the PRAM and PMU and that helped a lot; although the battery will still not take a charge at least it is functional.

I called Applecare and they thought the battery was damaged. They will send a replacement. We'll see how things go. I'll post an update when I can. Thanks.

-NP

PS: In the midst of my woes I want to add that I have an amazing track record with Apple products. I bought got my first, a //c new and have only ever had one PC. I have since owned a dozen MACs and only had ONLY ONE OTHER PROBLEM. (An 333mHz iMac harddrive crashed and would not boot. The IT guy at work restored everything; I didn't even need to replace the drive.)

A laptop which shorts out when OJ is applied is not faulty equipment. Apple has remarkable 25-year track record with me!

Wow, nice of them to replace your battery with the spill. I'm amazed they didn't write off the whole thing given the incident.

Hey cwa107, the folks at Apple have been very good to me.

Unfortunately, the new battery is not taking a charge, either. Anybody have any insight into what my next step should be?

Thanks!

-NP

NonProfit said:

Hey cwa107, the folks at Apple have been very good to me.

Unfortunately, the new battery is not taking a charge, either. Anybody have any insight into what my next step should be?

Thanks!

-NP

Click to expand...

If it does not work you will need to send it into Apple Care and see what they say.

im jealous that you have actually had nice apple people! what apple store is this? mine in Carlsbad, CA has HORRIBLE EMPLOYEESSS I HATE THEM!!