2016 MBP Touch Bar Diagnostic/Repair

[plentyoftimeto69]

Okay, so I recently acquired a 2016 13" MBP A1706 that has seen some water damage. The whole computer actually works after drying out save for a couple of bright pixels in the display and of course the touch bar. The touch bar lights up and displays information from apps properly, but it doesn't respond to touch at all. I'm 99% sure it's cooked from getting wet, but I wanted to do my due diligence before jumping into a nightmare of a hardware repair.

I've reset the PRAM and SMC. I think. The PRAM reset didn't give me the Apple chime or logo. Did they change that in the 2016 model? Also I'm not sure how to tell if the SMC reset took as the USB-C connector doesn't have a light like my older MagSafe MBA. I followed these directions:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/How+to...+NVRAM+on+a+MacBook+Pro+Touch+Bar+2018/113258

The SMC/PRAM reset did not correct the problem, so I wiped the drive flat and reinstalled macOS from the online recovery. Still no response on the Touch Bar.

I ran the online diagnostics, and they don't report any hardware errors. Is there any further diagnosis I can do?

And, let's be honest, can someone recommend a good quality replacement Touch Bar and a site to buy it from cause that thing is cooked. Thanks in advance!

 

[Webster's Mac]

Okay, so I recently acquired a 2016 13" MBP A1706 that has seen some water damage. The whole computer actually works after drying out save for a couple of bright pixels in the display and of course the touch bar. The touch bar lights up and displays information from apps properly, but it doesn't respond to touch at all. I'm 99% sure it's cooked from getting wet, but I wanted to do my due diligence before jumping into a nightmare of a hardware repair.

I've reset the PRAM and SMC. I think. The PRAM reset didn't give me the Apple chime or logo. Did they change that in the 2016 model? Also I'm not sure how to tell if the SMC reset took as the USB-C connector doesn't have a light like my older MagSafe MBA. I followed these directions:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/How+to...+NVRAM+on+a+MacBook+Pro+Touch+Bar+2018/113258

The SMC/PRAM reset did not correct the problem, so I wiped the drive flat and reinstalled macOS from the online recovery. Still no response on the Touch Bar.

I ran the online diagnostics, and they don't report any hardware errors. Is there any further diagnosis I can do?

And, let's be honest, can someone recommend a good quality replacement Touch Bar and a site to buy it from cause that thing is cooked. Thanks in advance!

You could try cleaning the logic board and any boards around the Touch Bar with rubbing alcohol (91% or higher) to see if cleaning corrosion helps. You need to do this anyway as the corrosion will only get worse and the machine will be a ticking time bomb (could fail tomorrow, in a few weeks, or in a year or two)

 

[plentyoftimeto69]

You could try cleaning the logic board and any boards around the Touch Bar with rubbing alcohol (91% or higher) to see if cleaning corrosion helps. You need to do this anyway as the corrosion will only get worse and the machine will be a ticking time bomb (could fail tomorrow, in a few weeks, or in a year or two)

That's what I was thinking too. The problem is that in order to get to that Touch Bar connector you seemingly have to remove the mainboard. If I dig that deep I might as well replace it.