The Official "I spilled liquid in my MacBook, what do I do now?" Thread

corrosion

chscag said:

You probably should have let it dry out longer than you did, but apparently you got lucky and everything is working. Keep a sharp eye out on it though because water damage can show up weeks or months later. That can happen because of corrosion.

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What can I do to prevent/address corrosion? I just spilled on my computer a couple of weeks ago (didn't follow any precautions, but it was fine - it didn't turn off either). But today I spilled, again - I'm really clumsy as you can see, and the screen flickered and went black. I made sure it was off, and tipped out as much water as I could, and now it's laying face down on some towels to dry.

kelenj said:

But today I spilled, again -

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If you're being serious. I don't think you need to worry about corrosion. The 2nd liquid spill in only a couple weeks…has probably pretty effectively "killed" the computer.

- Nick

Spilled Water

Water was spilled on my MacBook. It was on, but closed. When I picked it up and opened it, it was off. Once I started unscrewing the back to get the battery out, it turned on and the screen was flickering as I was working quickly to unscrew the back. I was holding the power button at the same time, but it would not turn off. I finally got the battery out and also removed the hard drive. The laptop is now open and upside down to dry out.

I know no one can say with any certainty either way, but I'm assuming the fact that it turned on and was acting up is not good at all and leaves little hope it will work again.

lisap said:

I know no one can say with any certainty either way, but I'm assuming the fact that it turned on and was acting up is not good at all and leaves little hope it will work again.

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Computers & liquid spills can be a "Pandora's Box" of outcomes. There's really no way with certainly to predict the outcome. You just have to want & see.

But if statistics can be a predictor of the outcome (which with statistics it certainly can be). The most likely outcome (based on statistics & experiences of users here)…is that a computer that has had liquid spilled on it does not have a very good chance of operating normally 100% after the spill (without some sort of repairs taking place)

I would say (rough statistics) of folks posting on Mac-Forums with computer liquid spills. Probably over 90% of folks in this situation will need some sort of minor or major repairs to make their computer operate 100% again.

And in many cases...this requires a replacement logic board. Which is usually too expensive to be worth the investment.

- Nick

I spilled some water over my MacBook a month or two ago. At first it seemed to still work fine, but after a day it would not start up again. Brought it to my local Mac fixer (if thats the right term) and i must say they did a splendid job. It works fine again, apparantely they use a regular hairdryer to dry it, which seems rather primitive, but very effective.

Damage may not be permanent

Here's my water on a mac story. I have a MacBook Pro (late 2011). In September 2014 I spilled about 1/2 cup of water onto my keyboard, picked it up, turned it over to let it drain, then headed to the Mac store. They opened it up and told me a repair would be nearly as much as a new one. The first few hours it wouldn't show a screen (graphics affected), then it did. However, my left shift key was damaged and stuck in the shift position so that everything was in CAPS. Also, the start-up shortcut to get to safe mode is to press shift as it boots up so I could only boot into safe mode. And it wouldn't read my password because I could only type in all caps. After much research and learning that this problem is way too common, I changed my password to something all-caps, I turned off the safe boot option, and I installed Karabiner to remap the control key to shift. These workarounds allowed me to continue using my injured macbook until I could figure out which new one to buy.

Well, I'm stoked to share that after 7 months of limping along, the shift key has dried out enough so that it is no longer stuck on shift and my mac works perfectly again!!! So before you go out and buy a new one, consider using workarounds, purchasing a wireless keyboard, and being patient. You never know what might happen. I sure didn't expect this.

Spilled water on my MacBook Pro

Hi Guys,

I just want to write this testimonial about what happened to my MacBook Pro 3 days ago. While I was eating dinner at the table while surfing the net, I accidentally knocked my tall glass with water straight to my laptop. Water was spilled on the side where the charger is. I don't really know the extent of spillage but all I know is that there was really water on that side of the keyboard. I immediately unplugged the charger because I was also charging that time and wiped the keys with wash cloth. The laptop was initially ok and was still on but after several seconds the screen went black. I panicked and I immediately turned it off and turned my laptop upside down in the hopes of draining the remaining water that spilled. I then searched for forums from my phone on what to do in cases like this and came upon this forum. Upon reading the posts, I thought I did a good job by turning it off immediately. But here's the thing. When I was about to flip it over to wipe the keys again, I accidentally pressed on the power button. I saw the apple logo at the back of the screen lit up and heard the usual sound when you turn on the mac. I was happy but a second later, I saw the apple logo flicker and when I checked the screen, it was blank. There was nothing on the screen. I was really disheartened and tried to turn it on a couple of times. But all I get is the sound when you turn on the laptop but the screen is totally blank. My heart started racing and I didn't know what to do. My wife and I discussed things and decided to immerse the laptop in rice, just as what we have read in the forums. We kept it there for approximately 3 days. We then prayed and prayed and prayed. I was really broken hearted. After all, it was not an easy peasy purchase. We haven't even finished paying for the laptop because we enrolled it for 6 months in installment payments. I was already searching the net for Apple Service shops near us just to get ready if that dreadful thing happens. But I just surrendered everything to God for I know He is the God of everything. I was tempted to try to open it several times but fear always kicked in. After 3 days, we decided to test the laptop. I came from night duty so I was sleeping when my wife tried to turn it on. She prayed fervently first. When she pressed the power button, VOILA my laptop sprung back to life :Blushing: She tested all the keys, it was all working. She tried to charge it, it was charging. She woke me up and blurted out the good news. I was really happy Truly, He is the God of everything! May this testimonial give hope and inspiration to all of you who are in the same situation as I was, 3 days back. To God be all the glory!

Water spill

Hi, just a bit of plain water spilled on my keyboard. Everything seems fine so far, but I've heard it may take time to see affects. How do I know for sure, that my macbook survived? I immediately wiped it and flipped it upside down. I'm getting quite paranoid cause I have a top spec Macbook Pro Retina 15. Please help

harizidlan said:

How do I know for sure, that my macbook survived? (

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You don't. As long as it works it works And when it doesn't it doesn't.

Just go with the flow.

- Nick

Hello,
So about three months ago I ended up spilling a large thing of hot tea onto my macbook air. I did everything you would typically do for water damage (hold it upside, take it off power, put it in rice, etc.). The only thing I could not do is get it open, it took me a hour to get 2 screws out with the help of some friends . So I called the apple store and made an appointment to see if they would just open it for me, and I got an appointment three days later. So I took the laptop there and the person who helped me told me that it was full of liquid and they could not give it back to me opened because I will get electrocuted and then sue them. Fast forward to three months later and I've left it in rice since the apple appointment. Today I got bored and decided to try and open it. I got it open and everything is dry, but it still won't turn on. I'm assuming I'm completely screwed, but I like to think there is a little bit of hope because I've only had the laptop five months prior to the spill. This might be a super dumb question, but if I try to plug it in will it catch on fire or electrocute me? Once again, a super dumb question, but it's just my luck for something like that to happen and I rather be safe than sorry.
Thanks! :Blushing:

You can try to turn it on but I doubt it will work. Tea is a very bad liquid to spill on any electronic device because it contains Tannic Acid which is very corrosive. Save your $ for a new MacBook Air and keep all liquids and food away from it.

At work I've seen no end of liquid damaged MacBook's, MacBook Pro's and Macbook Air's, some literally full of liquid, others with areas of green and blue growths on the logic board. I also see them half full of rice that gained access through the rear ventilation slot, it never works, the damage has already been done. There are no high voltages within your MacBook Air. The real reason the Apple tech wouldn't give you your MacBook Air back to you with the base removed was for a safety issue relating to the battery. To provide the largest capacity in the smallest package and to minimise weight there is no protective covers over the individual battery cells. If the soft skin of a charged battery is punctured shorting it it can produced a huge amount of energy and fire, that's why the base is held on with security screws. If it was awash with liquid and 3 months have passed the battery would have discharged long ago. From your description of what happened it's most unlikely it will ever power on again without spending far more on a repair than it's worth. Did you have it covered under your household contents accident insurance?

ncfish said:

Hello,
So about three months ago I ended up spilling a large thing of hot tea onto my macbook air.

Today I got bored and decided to try and open it. I got it open and everything is dry, but it still won't turn on. I'm assuming I'm completely screwed, but I like to think there is a little bit of hope because I've only had the laptop five months prior to the spill.

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Have you taken the time to read all 19 pages of this thread?? There are many many situations just like yours in the thread.

The damage to your computer happened in MILLISECONDS after the liquid touched the computer. That's faster then you can blink your eye. Letting the computer sit for 3 months…and hoping…is not going to make a difference. You could let this computer sit for 20 years…and it isn't going to make a difference.

The computer was "fried" milliseconds after the liquid was spilled. And the fact that it was a "large thing of hot tea" basically guaranteed that outcome. Sorry!

- Nick

And thanks for the PTSD; I remember that moment well. Enough to make sure it will NEVER happen again.

I have learned the hard way to ALWAYS keep my drink on a separate table from the MB. I sometimes have a bottle of water, with a lid on, but even then I back away before drinking from it.
A small inconvenience, yes, but less of an inconvenience than replacing the Macbook.

Also, never run with scissors, and never take the Macbook in the pool, scuba diving, or in the bathtub. And NEVER remove that tag on the mattress (under penalty of law) because they will come get you....
=)
(reposting, I don't think this posted the first time)

Macbook Pro Spill and Battery not detected.

Hey all,

Just like everyone else here I had a spill on my Macbook Pro (mid-2014 model). I took all the protective measures to get the water out but after 24hrs I couldn't wait longer to try and turn it on. It turns out that it does power on but only when plugged into the charger.

The battery on the top right of the screen shows an X and says that the battery is not detected.

I realize the damage is done so, whats the bad news? and what's the best way to go about this?

Thank you,

happymonday said:

Hey all,

Just like everyone else here I had a spill on my Macbook Pro (mid-2014 model). I took all the protective measures to get the water out but after 24hrs I couldn't wait longer to try and turn it on. It turns out that it does power on but only when plugged into the charger.

The battery on the top right of the screen shows an X and says that the battery is not detected.

I realize the damage is done so, whats the bad news? and what's the best way to go about this?

Thank you,

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Is that a MacBook Pro with Retina display, or the standard model? If the former, nothing to do but to take it to an Apple Store or an authorized Apple Service Provider and get a quote. Retina models are, in essence, disposable machines and can't readily be serviced.

If it's a standard model, my next move would be to open the bottom panel, remove the battery and check the connector for evidence of moisture or corrosion. Do note that you will need a tri-wing bit to do this and they are not readily available. If you have a specialized computer shop in the area, they may be able to point you in the right direction.

cwa107 said:

Is that a MacBook Pro with Retina display, or the standard model? If the former, nothing to do but to take it to an Apple Store or an authorized Apple Service Provider and get a quote. Retina models are, in essence, disposable machines and can't readily be serviced.

If it's a standard model, my next move would be to open the bottom panel, remove the battery and check the connector for evidence of moisture or corrosion. Do note that you will need a tri-wing bit to do this and they are not readily available. If you have a specialized computer shop in the area, they may be able to point you in the right direction.

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Thanks for responding so promptly, it is a retina display model. Would it be possible that a battery replacement would be the fix? Or is it likely that the damage is more extensive than that? I have my appointment with apple on Wednesday.

happymonday said:

Thanks for responding so promptly, it is a retina display model. Would it be possible that a battery replacement would be the fix? Or is it likely that the damage is more extensive than that? I have my appointment with apple on Wednesday.

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To be honest with you, the outcome of liquid damage is unpredictable. Yes, replacing the battery is a possible fix, but the likelihood is impossible to gauge.

cwa107 said:

To be honest with you, the outcome of liquid damage is unpredictable. Yes, replacing the battery is a possible fix, but the likelihood is impossible to gauge.

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I can imagine, this is very frustrating. This will be my first time dealing with Apple, what should I expect at my visit? Will they be able to pinpoint the damage on the spot? Thanks...