Damaged MacBook Pro (Small spillage)

[mrbrowne]

Hi folks,
I was recently told by my sister that she spilled a small bit of water on her MacBook Pro.
Once she informed me of it I told her to turn it off immediately, unplug it and tip it upside down to help salvage any damage done by it.

A few days later we tested to see if it would boot up, the charger was plugged in and the green light shows that the laptop is receiving the charge. Also, when turned on, you can hear the MacBook Pros boot up sound and also the keyboard lights up.

This issue seems to be with the display, there is nothing coming up on the screen whatsoever. I opened the bottom of the MacBook and it looks like there is a black mark on the LVDS connector where the display is connected. Could this be the problem as it may have shorted?

Any help or information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys.

 

[lclev]

Well, I am sure you know that water and electronics do not mix. Unfortunately, the damage might not be limited to the screen.

Can you attach an external monitor to it to see if it will work?

Lisa

 

[chscag]

I opened the bottom of the MacBook and it looks like there is a black mark on the LVDS connector where the display is connected. Could this be the problem as it may have shorted?

Most likely a short as the black mark is a good indication of an electronic surge of current. Do as Lisa has suggested and see if an external monitor or TV attached to the machine will show a display on the screen.

 

[mrbrowne]

I currently have no way of testing it yet. I'm still waiting for the Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter to arrive in the post.

 

[mrbrowne]

Would it help if I provided images of the LVDS connector?
Hopefully the adapter arrives soon so I can test it on an external display

 

[chscag]

You can provide us with an image if you so desire, but a black or blackened area very likely indicates overheating due to a current surge from the short.

 

[mrbrowne]

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=22097&stc=1&d=1428371085

 

[RadDave]

Hello - boy that is a LOT of copper corrosion on those pins and appears more chronic - has there been more than one episode of liquid spill to this laptop - just wondering?

I've resized your image below and also found a 'new' LVDS cable connection on Amazon HERE for comparison. Now you can go to iFixit for DIY repair manuals but I suspect there is likely more extensive damage - you did not provide the model of the MBPro nor any warranty/Apple Care information - but if out of warranty, then likely an expensive repair, if even possible? I hope she has her important data on a backup although recovery might be possible by removing the drive? You likely need to obtain a 'professional' assessment and a repair estimate.

I'm sure that others will re-chime in to offer their advice but that pic you posted looks pretty 'ugly' to me - sorry. Dave
.

 

[pm-r]

Ouch!! That sure looks like a lot more than a small bit of water damage, and there's no way in **** that any electrons are going to conduct themselves over a lot of those contact connectors in the shape they're in.

They look like they might be passed any type of contact cleaning as well, but might be worth a try. It can't hurt much as they're almost kaput anyway.

 

[chscag]

No amount of cleaning is going to help since it also looks like the contact traces are damaged from corrosion. Are you sure she only spilled water on it once, and how long ago did the spill occur? That kind of corrosion does not happen overnight.

 

[lclev]

I agree with what the rest have said. That corrosion did not occur recently. That looks like it happened a while back. That greenish "stuff" - corrosion - takes time to develop. Replacing it might work but once again it is hard to tell how much damage the water did overall.

Attaching an external monitor is still worth trying as it may give you an indication as to how bad the damage is and whether it is worth fixing the corroded connector.

Lisa

 

[harryb2448]

And there is no such thing as 'a small spill'. They can all be fatal period.