So I spilled some liquid...need advice

[Martron]

So I spilled a cocktail on my macbook (I was sober) and let it dry out for a few days. Suprisingly it works (after 3 days of drying) but only on the power cord, it doesn't work on battery power at all even tho it says its fully charged.

I called applecare right after it happened saying i spilled cause i thought they may help. Dell fixed my laptop a few years ago for hte same issue and i have a friend who spilled milk on his macbook and got it fixed.

So I guess I have two questions. 1. What's wrong with it? 2. Will applecare keep a record of what I told them ( the guy said we don't cover it and recommended I let it dry out) or can I bring it in and say "stopped working?" If not how much do you think it will cost to get the battery fixed and perhaps the inside cleaned (I imagine it may be sticky cause it wasn't just water but its working, so i dunno).

Got any advice??

[Apple Ink]

So I spilled a cocktail on my macbook (I was sober) and let it dry out for a few days. Suprisingly it works (after 3 days of drying) but only on the power cord, it doesn't work on battery power at all even tho it says its fully charged.

I called applecare right after it happened saying i spilled cause i thought they may help. Dell fixed my laptop a few years ago for hte same issue and i have a friend who spilled milk on his macbook and got it fixed.

So I guess I have two questions. 1. What's wrong with it? 2. Will applecare keep a record of what I told them ( the guy said we don't cover it and recommended I let it dry out) or can I bring it in and say "stopped working?" If not how much do you think it will cost to get the battery fixed and perhaps the inside cleaned (I imagine it may be sticky cause it wasn't just water but its working, so i dunno).

Got any advice??

Firstly... you're very lucky to have it working! In most cases the Logic Board gets fried! The battery has short circuited!
No, Apple doesnt keep a record but they'll definitely know what happened!

P.S.: How clumsy can you be? I mean once bitten twice shy?:confused:

[Martron]

haha i know i know. Well do you think it's worth bringing in to apple? would i just need a new battery or what?

[Apple Ink]

No... it definitely isnt worth unless you have a store nearby and lots of free time:p

You will need to purchase a new battery! Try ebay and you might get it for cheap!

[Martron]

well there is a store nearby and I don't mind heading over and waiting. The battery says it has full power when I press the button and the computer says its fully charged. Would getting a new battery definitely do the trick, or could it be a problem inside the computer? Maybe apple wouldnt notice? If they do, would they clean my comp for me or maybe I can do that myself? get rid of all the sticky stuff. But would they notice I opened it?

I just want to avoid voiding my warrant needlessly. If I bring in the comp and they notice water..they notice it. But if they notice I opened it, then that would be stupid cause you never know if maybe they wouldnt have noticed liquid. I read that the battery issue could be a power management thing and you can reset it or something but apple calls it a "last resort." I don't want to get a new battery and then realize the problem is not the battery, but the computer.

[.:R2theT]

well there is a store nearby and I don't mind heading over and waiting. The battery says it has full power when I press the button and the computer says its fully charged. Would getting a new battery definitely do the trick, or could it be a problem inside the computer? Maybe apple wouldnt notice? If they do, would they clean my comp for me or maybe I can do that myself? get rid of all the sticky stuff. But would they notice I opened it?

I just want to avoid voiding my warrant needlessly. If I bring in the comp and they notice water..they notice it. But if they notice I opened it, then that would be stupid cause you never know if maybe they wouldnt have noticed liquid. I read that the battery issue could be a power management thing and you can reset it or something but apple calls it a "last resort." I don't want to get a new battery and then realize the problem is not the battery, but the computer.

How about you try to live your life with a little integrity?

How's this for a plan?

1. You go to Apple store and tell employee what happened.
2. They look at it and fix the issues(new battery, circuitry, what-have-you).
3. You pay them for their expertise, service and parts.

Why do people come on internet forums looking for ways to lie and steal? I see this as a most disgusting trend. You were clumsy...take your lumps!

[alphaod]

I just want to avoid voiding my warrant needlessly. If I bring in the comp and they notice water..they notice it. But if they notice I opened it, then that would be stupid cause you never know if maybe they wouldnt have noticed liquid. I read that the battery issue could be a power management thing and you can reset it or something but apple calls it a "last resort." I don't want to get a new battery and then realize the problem is not the battery, but the computer.

They will open up the computer take a million pictures of the water damage and then tell you, you're warrany is voided.

[eidrunner247]

They will open up the computer take a million pictures of the water damage and then tell you, you're warrany is voided.

And then they might charge you for telling you that, that is, if you had to send it in for a diagnostic. Get a new battery and maybe sell it on ebay - full disclosure of course, but maybe get it replaced. It would suck to have it die right in the middle of something important.

[Apple Ink]

How about you try to live your life with a little integrity?

How's this for a plan?

1. You go to Apple store and tell employee what happened.
2. They look at it and fix the issues(new battery, circuitry, what-have-you).
3. You pay them for their expertise, service and parts.

Why do people come on internet forums looking for ways to lie and steal? I see this as a most disgusting trend. You were clumsy...take your lumps!

Never do this or they will for sure void your warranty! And, Batteries cannot be opened and repaired/salvaged in a 'store'! They are a high tech piece of gadgetry and have numerous corroding chemicals inside at anodes and cathodes!

[.:R2theT]

Never do this or they will for sure void your warranty!

Sure, go ahead and lie. Steal if it suits you. People suck. And people complain about Apple going for high margins on their hardware.

[Apple Ink]

Sure, go ahead and lie. Steal if it suits you. People suck. And people complain about Apple going for high margins on their hardware.

Who is stealing what?:confused:

If you read properly perhaps then you might notice I've told the guy to head out to an Apple store and purchase a NEW Battery or buy it from ebay! Where is stealing in this now... would please some one care to explain what R2 is trying to say?

[.:R2theT]

Who is stealing what?:confused:

If you read properly perhaps then you might notice I've told the guy to head out to an Apple store and purchase a NEW Battery or buy it from ebay! Where is stealing in this now... would please some one care to explain what R2 is trying to say?

Read back to the guys first post and subsequent posts.

"Will Applecare keep a record of what I told them or can I bring it in and say "stopped working"?"

Basically the whole point of this thread is what should I do guys? I spilt on my MacBook and I don't want to pay for the damage I caused. Should I get a new battery even though it might now be just the battery or should I take it into the Apple store and play dumb instead of just owning up to what has happened?

AppleStoreGuy: "So there appears to be some sticky liquid remnants all over the inside of your MacBook sir."

Martron: Really?!? That is quite surprising to me AppleStoreGuy. Is that covered under AppleCare?

Try rereading this thread. It's not what you have advised, it is what he is asking!

[Apple Ink]

Read back to the guys first post and subsequent posts.

"Will Applecare keep a record of what I told them or can I bring it in and say "stopped working"?"

Basically the whole point of this thread is what should I do guys? I spilt on my MacBook and I don't want to pay for the damage I caused. Should I get a new battery even though it might now be just the battery or should I take it into the Apple store and play dumb instead of just owning up to what has happened?

AppleStoreGuy: "So there appears to be some sticky liquid remnants all over the inside of your MacBook sir."

Martron: Really?!? That is quite surprising to me AppleStoreGuy. Is that covered under AppleCare?

Try rereading this thread. It's not what you have advised, it is what he is asking!

As long as he doesnt steal something from the Apple store to replace his MB, I dont consider it stealing! His MB is damaged but working for now.. he's not asking Apple to replace his MB for him! Even when the machine stops working, it'll be his choice to take it to Apple or get it repaired from some where else. In both the cases he'll have to bear the cost since Apple will know what has happened whether he tells them or not!

Where is he stealing?

And the batteries are'nt cheap! So even if his moral compass is pointing 'north-northeast' in the end he'll have to pay! No stealing!

[Rorymac]

I was away at a friends house when another friend acidentally kicked a jug of water over my stuff on the floor in the corner of the room. My recently bought macbook was amongst my stuff and got soaked, the water poured out and i spent the next few hours with towels and hair dryers trying to resurrect it with no luck. about a week later i tried again, no luck, it wont even turn on, the batery indecator shows 4 lights when i press it underneith. As i was registering for this forum i tried again with the lead in and nothing happened so i shut the lid then it suddenly sprung into life. Every thing was working apart from the power lead had a very dim light and the battery sign in the top right corner of the screen had a cross through it and said no power source. I thought maybe i had gotten lucky so i tried to restart it to see if it wasnt a one off fluke. It didnt turn back on.

Is it doomed? or is there hope?

:(

[Martron]

if it's been over a week....doesn't sound too hopeful. the best thing to do is take out the batter and unplug it immediately, then let it dry for a few days. thats what i did and now its working, just not on battery power.

And for the reason I started this is not to "decieve" Apple but I mean when it costs 900 bucks to replace a logic board but costs 950 to get a refurbished macbook, its kinda ridiculous. Of course I'll go for the new one but shouldnt I be able to get a part or two fixed in my used macbook for like half the price than buy another "used" one that has been completely fixed and cleaned like new??? That would be the only reason I would lie. And like I said before, if they know what happened, they know. I'll continue to support apple, I just think that their out of pocket repairs are ridiculous when you can get a low end BRAND NEW macbook for less than most repairs they quote on the same computer.

[techound1]

That's apple's general tack - give an expensive repair estimate and hope for a sale.

I would recommend looking for an independent apple repair shop. I've done several spill repairs and the two things most often affected are the keyboard/trackpad assembly and the connector that runs from the board to the battery. It's a DIY/warranty-voiding repair but it can be as little as $40.

[Rorymac]

if i diy it wont it void the warrenty? if i just say it stopped working can they find out that its water damage if its all evaporated?

[Martron]

if i diy it wont it void the warrenty? if i just say it stopped working can they find out that its water damage if its all evaporated?

I'm going to bring mine into apple and getting the damage assessed. I'm hoping that the battery just shorted and its not an internal problem. If you bring it in and they notice its water they won't take it away from you, they'll just give you an estimate and give it back. If you do that...you can go ahead and do a diy fix if you feel the need. You'll already know they won't fix it. If you bring it in adn they don't realize and fix it, then you won't need diy. My advice is just bring it in and see what they say.

[alphaod]

And for the reason I started this is not to "decieve" Apple but I mean when it costs 900 bucks to replace a logic board but costs 950 to get a refurbished macbook, its kinda ridiculous.

They are flat rates--the same for all computers.

And yes go have them look at it; they have spare batteries to see if that's the issue.

[spenc247]

3 days ago i spilt 12oz of Mountain Dew on my MACBOOK and as soon as i did that i turned it off and wiped it off, and held it under a fan for two days, and sometime would try turning it on than turning it back off, and it would turn on, but not the screen,...i recently have taken the battery out and have taken a blow-dryer to it and it is currently sitting in a TEEPEE stand with a fan blowing on it...(i havent tried turning it on for awhile) i kno its most likely water damage, but if anybody knows more about this please please let me know what I can do now

[eman]

3 days ago i spilt 12oz of Mountain Dew on my MACBOOK and as soon as i did that i turned it off and wiped it off, and held it under a fan for two days, and sometime would try turning it on than turning it back off, and it would turn on, but not the screen,...i recently have taken the battery out and have taken a blow-dryer to it and it is currently sitting in a TEEPEE stand with a fan blowing on it...(i havent tried turning it on for awhile) i kno its most likely water damage, but if anybody knows more about this please please let me know what I can do now
You should have removed the battery and magsafe right away.
Anyway, don't tun it back on. Remove the logic board and clean the residue off the logic board, let dry over night and re-install. Then pray it works.

[nc7r]

No, Apple doesnt keep a record but they'll definitely know what happened!


Yes they do..

[Apple Ink]

3 days ago i spilt 12oz of Mountain Dew on my MACBOOK and as soon as i did that i turned it off and wiped it off, and held it under a fan for two days, and sometime would try turning it on than turning it back off, and it would turn on, but not the screen,...i recently have taken the battery out and have taken a blow-dryer to it and it is currently sitting in a TEEPEE stand with a fan blowing on it...(i havent tried turning it on for awhile) i kno its most likely water damage, but if anybody knows more about this please please let me know what I can do now

Get it repaired from a reliable Mac repair shop! And how can you be so sure that the mac's working fine? I mean do you have some solid proof that the PCB is working afterall? If its working then somethings wrong with the screen!

Besides MDew is sweet so just 'drying off' isnt going to help! You must remove try to clean the insides!


Yes they do..

Thanks for the correction! Another reason you avoid Apple in these situationS!

[kam760]

Im in a similar situation as you, except i didn't actually spill anything on it, yet they accuse me of and hence want £495 to fix the problem (battery not recognised). For all those who say im lying that i didnt spill any, the fact that i have OCD and cant even use my macbook (black) without washing my hands for 5 minutes to prevent marks (let alone eating and drinking near i), kind of proves my innocence.
I'd jsut be honest with a Genius member, and hope that they are nice enough to fix it :). If not try another store or at another time and hope you meet someone nice.
And for all those calling him/her an idiot, have some respect. He paid for his goods and has a right to complain, and it is not like he/she PURPOSELY spilled liquid.

[mkelly]

How about you try to live your life with a little integrity?

How's this for a plan?

1. You go to Apple store and tell employee what happened.
2. They look at it and fix the issues(new battery, circuitry, what-have-you).
3. You pay them for their expertise, service and parts.

Why do people come on internet forums looking for ways to lie and steal? I see this as a most disgusting trend. You were clumsy...take your lumps!

Amen!

My girlfriend's laptop had a coffee spilled on it, and now the keyboard and trackpad work intermittently. We took it to the local Apple store (we have AppleCare) and when they asked us if there was any liquid spills, we said yes.

Our warranty will not be voided - in fact, they said they'd cover the labour under warranty. They also said that they'd do their best to cover parts as well, but we may have to pay for those depending on the exact problem.

The Genius really seemed to appreciate our honesty, and tried his best to accommodate us. We'll see what the final bill comes to, but honestly - the spill was our fault. Not charging us for labour, not voiding our warranty, and possibly covering the parts too? That's more than acceptable.

[mkelly]

We'll see what the final bill comes to, but honestly - the spill was our fault. Not charging us for labour, not voiding our warranty, and possibly covering the parts too? That's more than acceptable.

Update:

We dropped the notebook off yesterday and were told that it would take up to 3 business days ... Apple called this afternoon, almost 24 hours after we dropped it off, to say that the repair has been done and we can pick up the notebook anytime. Total cost: $84, labour covered under warranty.

[SuperCompu2]

Update:

We dropped the notebook off yesterday and were told that it would take up to 3 business days ... Apple called this afternoon, almost 24 hours after we dropped it off, to say that the repair has been done and we can pick up the notebook anytime. Total cost: $84, labour covered under warranty.

Thats incredible. Stories like this make me realize why I like apple so much!

[hogfaninga]

Update:

We dropped the notebook off yesterday and were told that it would take up to 3 business days ... Apple called this afternoon, almost 24 hours after we dropped it off, to say that the repair has been done and we can pick up the notebook anytime. Total cost: $84, labour covered under warranty.

You got really lucky because that is the exception and not the rule. As we all know, Apple doesn't cover accidental damages (I wish we could pay extra for that coverage through Apple--I know 3rd party warranty companies do). Count your blessings because I know a few people who had their warranties voided and it basically cost more to get their Macs replaced than to buy a new one.

[taylorwilsdon]

The only thing wrong with this is that Apple doesn't offer a drop/spill warranty. Every other company does... If my old Thinkpad got ran over by a car and dumped in a lake they would fix it for free, and come to my house to do it.

I love my new Macbook, but I don't trust Apple's support at all. Its on my homeowners insurance for that reason.

[JBazz]

Do yourself a favor and get a keyboard protector. You can pick them up on the cheap and they will save you a lot of heart ache on spills. Plus keep your keys clean and working.

http://www.chinasuperdeals.com/product_info.php?products_id=179

[Draddy]

btw for anyone who found this thread in a search: I'm pretty positive one of the new features of the new Al Macbook is that it now has moisture sensors much like the iphone. just FYI.

[mlts22]

It definitely does, the ifixit site showed multiple stickers placed where if they are red, or they are not present, Apple might consider the laptop damaged and charge for the repairs.

I really wish Apple had insurance with AppleCare. Heck, most PC makers have this as an option, where it doesn't matter what is done to the laptop (unless its deliberate), they will fix it.

[colourclassic]

Sure, go ahead and lie. Steal if it suits you. People suck. And people complain about Apple going for high margins on their hardware.

Rich get richer, poor, poorer.

[mkelly]

You got really lucky because that is the exception and not the rule.

Want to talk about luck? Here's a further update:

We went to pickup the laptop this afternoon, and Apple waived the $84 fee entirely. Apparently they found a small amount of coffee residue in the keyboard tray but it hadn't made its way to the logic board ... so they replaced the keyboard tray for us. When they tried to process the payment, they had some kind of trouble with their system, and they ended up waiving the charge altogether.

So, I have nothing but good things to say about the service at the Pacific Centre Apple Store in Vancouver BC!

[The Samurai]

Well done, good to hear positive stories an all.

:D