I have a 2011 MacBook Air that worked fine yesterday, but today it would not turn on at all. Before going any further, I want to disclose that about 4 months ago a cup of water was spilled on the keyboard. I wiped off the water and submerged the MBA for 3 days in a giant bag of silica gel cat litter to dry out as much of the water as possible. This has worked wonders for me with phones before, so I figured, why not give it a shot. After 3 days, I turned on the computer and it worked without a single issue. This happened about 4 months ago, and in that time the MBA has worked without any issue.
Today I followed a few different troubleshooting scenarios, including an SMC and PRAM reset, disconnecting all periphery, and connecting/disconnecting two different MagSafes. Initially when I tried to plug in my MagSafe, no light came on, but later a green light came on for a period, and then I unplugged it for a while, and then it turned orange the next time I plugged it in. Now when I plug it in the MagSafe led is orange. I am not an expert in these matters, so after following all the troubleshooting that I could find, I gave up and went to the Apple Store. The Mac genius tried some reset commands, and then took the MBA into the back and opened it up to diagnose it further. In his words, he could not see anything irregular so it was probably the logic board that was dead. After explaining to him that a few months ago some water spilled on it, he said that water damage was the most likely culprit. I know that it is easy and a likely option to point to water damage, but wouldn't he have seen a water damage indicator when he opened the computer? I am always of the opinion that as soon as you mention water damage, a technician stops considering alternatives and tries to gently tell you to buy a new device.
Is it not strange that the computer has worked for months and now it will not turn on? Is it worth while to take the MBA to a water damage repair specialist that is advertised on Ebay or somewhere else? I see one Ebay listing for $250 with some attractive guarantees. I do not have the proper tool to open the MBA, but I would be willing to buy one if it is a plausible option to repair the matter on my own. I know that the Apple repair for water damage is about $750, and I might be able to find another used MBA for a little less, but I am trying to find out if there are any other options before I make an investment.
I know this is a long explanation, but from what I see on these forums, it is easier to help someone who provides a full account of the problem. I am happy to provide any other information if it could help someone address my situation. Thanks for taking the time to read my post and if you have any thoughts I would greatly appreciate your suggestions.
1. What could have caused the MBA to not turn on all of the sudden?
2. Could it be the MagSafe Board? Is that difficult to repair?
3. Is it worth while to repair the MBA or should I give up?
4. Has anyone else had this problem? How did you solve it?
Today I followed a few different troubleshooting scenarios, including an SMC and PRAM reset, disconnecting all periphery, and connecting/disconnecting two different MagSafes. Initially when I tried to plug in my MagSafe, no light came on, but later a green light came on for a period, and then I unplugged it for a while, and then it turned orange the next time I plugged it in. Now when I plug it in the MagSafe led is orange. I am not an expert in these matters, so after following all the troubleshooting that I could find, I gave up and went to the Apple Store. The Mac genius tried some reset commands, and then took the MBA into the back and opened it up to diagnose it further. In his words, he could not see anything irregular so it was probably the logic board that was dead. After explaining to him that a few months ago some water spilled on it, he said that water damage was the most likely culprit. I know that it is easy and a likely option to point to water damage, but wouldn't he have seen a water damage indicator when he opened the computer? I am always of the opinion that as soon as you mention water damage, a technician stops considering alternatives and tries to gently tell you to buy a new device.
Is it not strange that the computer has worked for months and now it will not turn on? Is it worth while to take the MBA to a water damage repair specialist that is advertised on Ebay or somewhere else? I see one Ebay listing for $250 with some attractive guarantees. I do not have the proper tool to open the MBA, but I would be willing to buy one if it is a plausible option to repair the matter on my own. I know that the Apple repair for water damage is about $750, and I might be able to find another used MBA for a little less, but I am trying to find out if there are any other options before I make an investment.
I know this is a long explanation, but from what I see on these forums, it is easier to help someone who provides a full account of the problem. I am happy to provide any other information if it could help someone address my situation. Thanks for taking the time to read my post and if you have any thoughts I would greatly appreciate your suggestions.
1. What could have caused the MBA to not turn on all of the sudden?
2. Could it be the MagSafe Board? Is that difficult to repair?
3. Is it worth while to repair the MBA or should I give up?
4. Has anyone else had this problem? How did you solve it?
Last edited: