Backlit keyboard almost working: Coke accident aftermath

Accident (or clumsiness) stroke a few days ago. I was cleaning my desk and removed a few half-empty Coke-bottles when suddenly I dropped one and – bam - the brown, sugared liquid was inside my poor Macbook (late 2008). It’s hard to tell exactly how much went in, I saw only a few drops on the keyboard. At the time I didn’t think much about it, but just calmly went for paper and wiped it.

A few hours later I the keys began to stick from the sugar, and using a helpful movie on Youtube, I removed the keys to clean up – with considerable success, I might add.

However yet hours later, as the night fell, I realized that something was wrong with the backlit keyboard. I don’t know how to best explain it.



Some of the keys are much more illuminated than others. Basically the keys 5, 6, 7, 8, T, Y, G, H, B, (almost a perfect upside-down triangle in the center of the keyboard) have the normal luminosity while all the other keys are really dimmed. Above is an image that, despite difficulties with photographing it in a representative manner.

What I do not understand is why the other keys light up at all? Is there anyone who knows how the light sources are arranged on the Macbook. And, if so, could it be Coke that is dimming the diods? Could the light that I’m seeing be only spill from the working diods?

I realize that my mistake might well cost me money when replacing whatever it is that is broken, obviously out-of-warranty. But I still wanted to hear if there was someone here who have a DIY solution.

Long time listener - first time caller,

/ Jonathan

 

Yes, I know. I probably should have waited longer. But, I was still lucky, the only thing that was affected was the backlight. I've been in contact with an Apple repair center and it turns out that replacing the keyboard isn't all that expensive after all.

Still, I'm curious how the light is distributed under the keyboard. Anybody knows?

/ Jonathan