MacBook Air Mid 2013. Limited liquid damage.

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MacBook Air Mid 2013
10.9.5
1.3 GHz
4GB
128GB SSD

Bought May 2014. Still under warranty until May 2015

Hello Apple community. Just looking for some advice regarding liquid damage to my Mba.

About a week ago my friend opened a can of drink near my laptop and a tiny amount, a quarter of a teaspoon, shot up in the air and landed right on top of the power and backspace keys. No other liquid landed anywhere near, or on the laptop.

I shut down immediately, wiped the keys and left it off for 72 hours.

Apart from initially not recognising the power key or turning on, it did eventually boot up and has been working properly with no notable side effects except the keys in question are sticking. They are recognising input but the sticking down is worrying me that eventually my power key and backspace key will fail, rendering my laptop un-useable. I had a flickering screen for the first hour but that has stopped now. All updated and running smooth.

I have helped others before with liquid damage on iOS devices and Apple hardware so I know that this will void my warranty and that Apple have “ways of telling” so I can’t take it in to Apple even though it’s still under warranty. Right?

So, if I can’t take it to Apple. Is there anything else I can do? I used to take apart and fix the old white MB’s but these new MBs’s seem pretty much locked down.

Can I open it up and fix it/clean the keys and whatever is under it? iFixit looks above my pay grade.

Will Apple even entertain looking at it?

Will the current symptoms of a sticking power key eventually be the downfall of my laptop? There is obviously some residue so will this damage what is underneath the hood?

I’ve had Apple hardware for years but never used AppleCare. Would ringing them and explaining this pull any weight? I guess no. They're big boys now.

Should I just leave it and hope it grows into old age with a dodgy power button. A bit like me. Ha. I can put up with sticking keys but is the laptop on borrowed time unless I get it looked at?

Why couldn’t it have been the bloody tilde ~ key?

Any thoughts please?
 
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My thought is look very closely at the three stickied topics in this forum. Particularly the first one.
 
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My thought is look very closely at the three stickied topics in this forum. Particularly the first one.

Yes, I read those thoroughly before posting but thanks for the one liner. You should do weddings.

I was particularly looking for specific answers to the questions in my post.

Thanks for your time anyway.
 

bobtomay

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Your Mac's Specs
15" MBP '06 2.33 C2D 4GB 10.7; 13" MBA '14 1.8 i7 8GB 10.11; 21" iMac '13 2.9 i5 8GB 10.11; 6S
MacBook Air Mid 2013
snip... so I can’t take it in to Apple even though it’s still under warranty. Right?

Wrong. Voiding your warranty in no way prevents you from taking it to Apple.

Is there anything else I can do? I used to take apart and fix the old white MB’s but these new MBs’s seem pretty much locked down.

Then you should know how to pop the keys off, clean and put them back on. If not, there are several youtube vids you could find.

Can I open it up and fix it/clean the keys and whatever is under it?

Don't know, can you? ;)

Will Apple even entertain looking at it?

Depends on if the genius you happen to see is in a partying mood or not.

Will the current symptoms of a sticking power key eventually be the downfall of my laptop?

There is obviously some residue so will this damage what is underneath the hood?

I can put up with sticking keys but is the laptop on borrowed time unless I get it looked at?

You're pretty good at coming up with different ways to ask the same question.
But, seriously, no one here knows whether the liquid stopped at the keyboard or managed to find it's way below the keyboard.

I’ve had Apple hardware for years but never used AppleCare. Would ringing them and explaining this pull any weight? I guess no. They're big boys now.

Your guess is likely correct.

Should I just leave it and hope it grows into old age with a dodgy power button. A bit like me. Ha.

Like me too. It's really up to you. I would at least try popping the keys off and do a little bit of cleaning.

Why couldn’t it have been the bloody tilde ~ key?

Because no one uses the bloody tilde key.

Any thoughts please?

Married? Have a good excuse to go out and get a new one...
Don't have to tell your spouse the only thing wrong is a couple sticky keys.
 

pigoo3

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Why couldn’t it have been the bloody tilde ~ key?

Any thoughts please?

As bobtomay mentioned…you can pop off the backspace key to clean under it. I've done this before with a damp Q-Tip/ear swap with very good success.:)

As far as the power button. This is a lot more complex to access…and given the complexity…I don't think that it is worth it. If you "sleep" your computer often…the power button doesn't need to be used too frequently.

Why couldn’t it have been the bloody tilde ~ key?

You should look at things more positively…and feel very very lucky.:) The liquid spill could just as easily landed somewhere MUCH more sensitive…frying the logic board. And instead of cleaning a couple keys…you could be new computer shopping!

- Nick
 

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