I am a little adventurous, and I couldn't afford to repair this.
Apple has outrageously expensive repair estimates, because of a number of piecing schedules. They charge a bit of labor, but if it is a tier level replacement, that is several related items, it’s a flat fee. Ultimately it comes down to it’s more expensive to rebuild a laptop than buy a new one. It's nice that they offer to do it, as many companies don't repair anything, not even their own equipment. They send it to a sub-contractor. So it's a littel like going to a dealer for repare work, it's going to cost more.
It’s going to be really expensive no mater what. With Apple, they use new parts, and the cost is a flat fee. So if it takes the tech 5 hours instead of 1, it doesn’t mater to you. The only way it starts to cost more is when other components need to be replaced that are not included with in a tier.
Independents will likely be less expensive. They may use used or refurbished parts (Apple uses Apple refurbished parts). Where you can get screwed is in the hours cost. If the person is a PC technician and has never taken apart an Apple, a one hour estimate could turn out to be 2 or three hours short. That’s nothing if they charge 20 bucks an hour, but at an average of 90-120 $ U.S. per hour, that can really hurt.
If you are adventurous, and you think your logic board is fried you could replace it yourself, (also the keyboard.), head over to
I Fix It, formerly PB Fix It and looks for parts, and more importantly
directions. You can find parts less expensive else ware, but you may not get a guarantee that they work.
Another option is to wash away the contamination, and hope that he short is caused by the reminants of the liquid. This may damage your computer, but it already sounds like it has issues.
To do this you will need,
A big cheep bottle or two of 70% isopropyl alcohol.
DI (de-ionized or distilled water)
A few bottles of 95-99% Isopropyl alcohol. (You might have to ask your pharmacists for this. You will never find greater than 99% pure.)
A plastic tray that is just a little larger than the logic board, or what ever the largest board you’re going to clean is. You might want more than one, so you can progressively, or alternately soak in water (the universal solvent) and alcohol.
Q-tips (go for quality, the mordent holding the cotton on the cheap plastic ones dissolves)
A small squirt bottle or two.
What I would do is this.
Print the instructions for taking apart your computer.
Place the screws in a water color tray or in ice cube trays for easy retrieval.
Remove the keyboard and let it soak. (You may need to replace this, if it took the brunt of the alcohol.)
Remove parts and first clean in the less expensive parts by squirting DI water on them. Then rinse or soak for a short time with %70 percent isopropyl alcohol, If you find built up syrup or oxide, use the Q-tips with the 95-99% Isopropyl alcohol. Many mettle oxides can be removed with isopropyl alcohol.
Then D.I. water, and repeat until it looks clean. Your final rinse should be with 95-97% pure isopropyl alcohol, 99% if you can get it.
Let the parts dry. Put the whole thing back together.
Note, you can’t clean the HD this way. If you soak it, it will no-longer function!
I have revived computers that were soaking in rusty water this way. But there is no guarantee that it will work.
It is a lot of work, so it’s up to you.
[EDIT-removed-pardon]
Post Script: Was it a good wine? A red?
