absolute worst case scenario...spill on keyboard

hey everyone

i have a 13 in mbp, bought this last summer. i unfortunately spilled a little bit of soda on it this evening, and while i worked hard to clean it and get under the keys, i couldn't get to every nook and cranny. this spacebar is particularly bad, filling a little too "sticky" and not making the smooth click sounds i'm used to hearing on the keyboard. That smooth typing sound is in general a little off, but the keys seem to be working just fine with the exception of the keyboard. i mean, i'm writing this message with it after all. but the more i use the spacebar the worse it feels.....

what can i do about this? can i take it the apple store? what will they do to fix it/replace it? costs? can my warranty cover it?

i'd appreciate any insight/tips!

understand that i did see the sticky, but this was a much lighter spill in relation to the kind of scarier situations they're describing. my computer is working fine, and it was a light spill (quick catch) that just splattered on parts of the keyboard but were prominent around the space bar.

and now my trackpad is having a similar sensation to the spacebar...

man, i really hope i can figure out a cheap solution to this...

First: Please read the "sticky" post at the head of the forum (posted by our moderator) regarding "spills".

Spills are NOT covered by your warranty. All cost of repair would have to be paid by you. Also, and this is important: Damage from spills do not always show up right away. Spillage on the keyboard is serious because it not only damages the keyboard mechanism, but also leaks down below on to the main board.

Regards.

And fluid + electronics = death quite often alas.

If I were you I'd take the keys off as necessary, and throughly clean with damp and dry Q-Tips. If it's just a little soda sticky that's causing the problem, that ought to take care of it.

hey all, thought id revive this topic with some updates...

in response to chscag and harrby2448, i'm well aware. no one ever intends to spill soda or any liquid on a computer, and yes, it's bound to cause some damage. the question i'm now asking is what, if anything, can i do to salvage my computer?

i've just returned from a week long vacation and found the computer to be in a similar state...sticky space and command keys. i'm also noticing, however, that the computer is generally acting a tad slower than i've usually experienced...who knows where this could lead.

are there any third party services that, for some fair fee, fix the issue? what can i do to make this computer as it was before the spill?

if there is nothing i can do to fix it, what options are there in the way of selling it/trading it in/something to that extent to get a new computer?

i'm jsut looking for solutions...

Do you feel comfortable opening up your MBP? If you're capable, take it apart and clean under the keyboard as best you can - and hope for the best. The thing to do when a spill occurs is to immediately shut the machine down and remove the battery. Wipe away what ever spillage you can and let the machine dry out for several days before opening it up.

The problem with soda is that it contains sugar and basically is also corrosive in nature. If you can clean it off (you may be unable to get at it all) to where it doesn't cause long term damage, you might be alright.

Taking the machine apart is another problem. Not easy to do. Go to this web site and look up the model of your MBP and find the step by step take apart instructions for it. iFixit: Apple Mac, MacBook, iPod, and iPhone Repair Parts

Regards.

Just pop the keys off the keyboard and clean underneath, if it wasn't a bad spill it should be okay! But you need to get it out for the reasons that chscag said above .