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

[awwjayzin]

Spilled cleanser (Clorox) on my MBA. I was taking out a wipe and I didn't notice liquid was leaking. At first, I thought it was only a few drops that landed on the metal portion, so I quickly grabbed a towel to pat it down. The trackpad was acting weird so I picked it up and about a tablespoon of more liquid fell from the laptop. Laptop shut down immediately and it's not turning on (only tried pressing the power button, haven't plugged it in). Flipped it upside down and let it dry in front of a fan for about 2 hours. Now it's in a bag of rice.

So frustrating and sad. =[

I set up an appointment at an Apple Store for tomorrow. Should I let it dry more before taking it to an Apple Store and hope I survived a fatal mistake or should I just go regardless? I'm guessing the fact that it's under a year old and under warranty makes no difference with this sort of accident. =p

I want to open it up myself but I don't have the tools to do so. There's definitely some liquid inside. When I flipped it over, there was some liquid leaking out (very little) at the corner of the MBA.

 

[chscag]

If you don't have the tools or know how to take your MBP apart, then your best bet is to take it to your local Apple store and let them diagnose it for you. However, you need to be aware that spills are not covered by Apple's warranty. And, I suspect they will tell you that your logic board will have to be replaced. But let's hope everything is OK. Let us know.

 

[awwjayzin]

If you don't have the tools or know how to take your MBP apart, then your best bet is to take it to your local Apple store and let them diagnose it for you. However, you need to be aware that spills are not covered by Apple's warranty. And, I suspect they will tell you that your logic board will have to be replaced. But let's hope everything is OK. Let us know.

I was told it would cost $755 (flat rate) to repair the logic board. Is there any reliable 3rd party places that offer a cheaper rate? Wanna make the best financial decision before sending this bad buddy in. =p

 

[cj2600]

I want to open it up myself but I don't have the tools to do so. There's definitely some liquid inside. When I flipped it over, there was some liquid leaking out (very little) at the corner of the MBA.

You don't need any special tools to open up a MacBook Pro laptop.
A small Phillips screwdriver would be enough to get inside the laptop and take a closer look at the motherboard.
Take a look at this guide: Fixing MacBook Pro after liquid spill.
Could be helpful. Good luck!

 

[Mac1994]

I spilled around 500 ml of water straight on to my Macbook Air. Like a complete waterfall right over it. I have a keyboard, screen and even touchpad protector installed. However, some of the water managed to flow into the cooling vent at the hinge area.

It immediately shut down (after about 2 seconds). I instantly turned it upside down to drain as much water off the laptop as I could. I desperately tried to switch it on after 30 minutes, but it didn't start.

At this point I came to this forum among others and saw that generally the people that waited between 4 to 6 days for it to dry got it to work perfectly.

But if you think about it logically, why not just open it up (if you're not under warranty) and dry it out. So thats what I did. Interestingly, what seemed like a little bit of water managed to get itself into the depths of the laptop, probably because of the fan but also the capillary like effect in laptops. So I dismantled it to the very core (apart from the stereo speakers) and dried it all out. It was just water, but if you have a sugary drink, I'd clean off the components with pure ethanol to prevent future corrosion.

I put it all back together and it worked perfectly, apart from the battery which had been damaged by the short circuit caused by the water - which I later repaired although it needs to be serviced now... :/ Luckily, all my protective measures seemed to have prevented extensive damage.

Basically, if you drop liquid on your laptop - especially if it shuts down after (this is particularly stressful) don't panic. There is more than a 50% chance that there was a short circuit through a component that can take it, and also, it could be something less expensive than the motherboard. Just open it up, clean it all out and you'll be fine.

 

[pigoo3]

At this point I came to this forum among others and saw that generally the people that waited between 4 to 6 days for it to dry got it to work perfectly.

But if you think about it logically, why not just open it up (if you're not under warranty) and dry it out. So thats what I did. Interestingly, what seemed like a little bit of water managed to get itself into the depths of the laptop, probably because of the fan but also the capillary like effect in laptops. So I dismantled it to the very core (apart from the stereo speakers) and dried it all out. It was just water, but if you have a sugary drink, I'd clean off the components with pure ethanol to prevent future corrosion.

I put it all back together and it worked perfectly, apart from the battery which had been damaged by the short circuit caused by the water - which I later repaired although it needs to be serviced now... :/ Luckily, all my protective measures seemed to have prevented extensive damage.

Basically, if you drop liquid on your laptop - especially if it shuts down after (this is particularly stressful) don't panic. There is more than a 50% chance that there was a short circuit through a component that can take it, and also, it could be something less expensive than the motherboard. Just open it up, clean it all out and you'll be fine.

Sorry but I must disagree. Far fewer than 50% of the folks who have posted their "spilled liquid on their laptop" experiences in this thread have been able to get their computer working again.

In fact...I would say that fewer than 5% have had a happy ending...and this may actually be generous. It may be more like 1-2%.

Why do you think that Apple refuses to do warranty work on liquid spilled laptops? Because the vast majority of them need replacement logic boards (which is expensive)! If 50% of the liquid spilled laptops were as easy to "resurrect" as you say...Apple would have been doing it long ago!

- Nick

 

[Mac1994]

Sorry but I must disagree. Far fewer than 50% of the folks who have posted their "spilled liquid on their laptop" experiences in this thread have been able to get their computer working again.

In fact...I would say that fewer than 5% have had a happy ending...and this may actually be generous. It may be more like 1-2%.

Why do you think that Apple refuses to do warranty work on liquid spilled laptops? Because the vast majority of them need replacement logic boards (which is expensive)! If 50% of the liquid spilled laptops were as easy to "resurrect" as you say...Apple would have been doing it long ago!

- Nick

Perhaps its because liquid damage that goes straight through the keyboard is more likely to short the logic board rather than something like the battery. But I honestly think that people damage their laptops when they continue to use it after a liquid spill. Thats when more delicate components begin to 'fry'. I didn't really have much choice because my battery shorted.

But when I opened it up, the logic board was moderately wet, and so was the solid state drive etc. Liquid damage is almost instant, and most people damage their laptops by thinking that rice will save it and then re-starting it when there is water deep in the components. Its not easy to open a laptop dry it all out and put it back together, so I don't see why Apple would be doing it because of a consumer mistake. Its not their fault. A lot of Macs could be saved by opening them up and cleaning them out before powering them on again or continuing use. All of the components in my mac were soaked on the inside, but here I am using it after cleaning it out. Maybe the fact that the battery instantly shut off saved the other components. I actually think this is the best case scenario. Also, buying a keyboard protector and not having liquid near a laptop is a good way to avoid a disaster.

 

[pigoo3]

...not having liquid near a laptop is a good way to avoid a disaster.

This is what we advise all the time. If the liquid spill never occurs...then there is no heartache!

- Nick

 

[dadnjesse]

I spilled a full cup of coffee on my macbook pro took it to apple today they are charging me a flat rate of 1240 dollars to repair it. The computer was 2500 new . Does this seem reasonable?

 

[chscag]

That's a lot of money for repairs. How old is the MacBook Pro and which model is it? I have no idea what Apple is replacing for that cost but it will likely involve a new logic board and maybe some other parts + labor.

Turned out to be an expensive cup of coffee wasn't it?

 

[dadnjesse]

Its only about a year old 15 in with retana display core i7 will cost 2500 to replace, just hope it gets fixed right.

 

[harryb2448]

Well the repairs will be warranted. May have been better to sell for parts and purchase a new MBP. Any chance householder's insurance will cover it?

 

[dadnjesse]

Ive done the home insurance thing before and they cancelled me had the damdest time getting insurance after that. You know they will get you back.

 

[iDontExist]

Macbook pro unibody mid 2012 model i7


So a couple days ago I spilled a TINY bit of milk onto the lower left portion of my keyboard. I immediately turned it off & flipped it over into the upside down "V" position to let everything "drain" ...After that I let it sit beside a fan for about 12 hours, blow dried it on low for a little while, then continued to let it sit under the fan for another 12 hours. I turned my macbook on yesterday & everything seemed to be working fine. My warranty runs out in 2 days. I talked to a certified apple tech store they said they could see if i could get a replacement logic board but i would have to pay for their express service which is $75 ..+ diagnostic fee + labor & its no guarantee they can get a new logic board. Is it worth it?

Should I just wait & pay for a certified tech to clean my logic board to prevent corrosion with some denatured alcohol & fix my fan?

me being & DIY person(well thinking) I turned it off & opened up the bottom case to check the logic board, nothing on the backside.(will this void my warranty?) I ended up unlatching one of the fans from the logic board. also while looking underneath keys, i somehow messed up my shift key & it wont fully latch back on. im heading to the apple store tomorrow & they said they would replace the key as long as they dont find water damage.(likely?)

 

[chscag]

It appears that your DIY has caused some other minor problems. I would let Apple go ahead and do repairs as necessary. Throw yourself on their mercy... You never know, you may just get away spending less. Anyway, you don't want to leave your MacBook Pro in that condition knowing that maybe trouble will show up in the future. (regarding the spill)

 

[iDontExist]

It appears that your DIY has caused some other minor problems. I would let Apple go ahead and do repairs as necessary. Throw yourself on their mercy... You never know, you may just get away spending less. Anyway, you don't want to leave your MacBook Pro in that condition knowing that maybe trouble will show up in the future. (regarding the spill)

I opened the back case, Is it anyway of them knowing i opened it?
Is it anyway i can get them to open it & realize the fan isn't connected to the logic board & get them to replace it without them knowing it went through a minor spill? Like tell them my fans don't seem to be running properly or something?

 

[dadnjesse]

got mine back from apple today, $1240 The hard drive was saved thank god, receipt says replaced audio board liquid indicator tripped, i/o board liquid indicator tripped, logic board indicator tripped, airport card, indicator tripped, battery, indicator tripped, speaker, indicator tripped, cable flex I/O, indicator tripped, plus a new clamshell case. It sounds like there are liquid indicators on all parts.

 

[pigoo3]

My warranty runs out in 2 days. I talked to a certified apple tech store they said they could see if i could get a replacement logic board but i would have to pay for their express service which is $75 ..+ diagnostic fee + labor & its no guarantee they can get a new logic board. Is it worth it?

Applecare/warranty doesn't cover liquid spills. There are also liquid spill indicators inside the laptop...so no "fooling" Apple either.

I believe all of this has been covered multiple times in this thread.

- Nick

 

[iDontExist]

It appears that your DIY has caused some other minor problems. I would let Apple go ahead and do repairs as necessary. Throw yourself on their mercy... You never know, you may just get away spending less. Anyway, you don't want to leave your MacBook Pro in that condition knowing that maybe trouble will show up in the future. (regarding the spill)

When i take it in tomorrow im just getting a shift key replaced & Alt key. Since i disconnected my fan from the logic board should i infer that my computer is running hotter lately?(hoping they'll open it up & see that its disconnected & solder)

Applecare/warranty doesn't cover liquid spills. There are also liquid spill indicators inside the laptop...so no "fooling" Apple either.

I believe all of this has been covered multiple times in this thread.

- Nick

Yes, indeed it has. I told the women that but she still inferred that she wanted to check the sensors & see if i can get a new board, the spill was very minuscule tbh, i Just don't want the sugar from the milk to corrode anything later.

 

[walfredo]

beer in keyboard

ok, my turn to ask for advice.....

I spilled 1/4 of an IPA onto my macbook pro keyboard. Let it sit overnight. Next day, I booted it up, and all was great. Except for 4 keys, including the enter key.

when I type "6", I get "\p"

when I type "y", I get "Y"

and about three other very oddly-behaving keys.

Can I open the computer, and clean these keys and get a fix? or is this a short in the board or keyboard electronics that cannot be fixed?

I want to say the motherboard is just fine, because when I use a USB external keyboard, the computer works PERFECT.

thanks for the advice.

to open and try and clean or to not open and try to clean. that is the question.