Today at school, I put my MacBook Pro in my backpack with my water bottle. The water spilled and got all over one side of my Mac. It was pooled up in my case too. It took my about held an hour to get home and put it in a bag with some packets that draw out moisture. Any suggestions? I am only thirteen and my computer was really expensive and I am really scared. HELP
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Help (spilled water on my MBP)
- Thread starter slbeckler
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
DONT under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES turn it on for at least ONE WEEK, if not longer. Turning it on sooner than that will probably lead to corrosion, which will kill the computer completely. If you can, open it up and disconnect the battery (depending on the model it usually isn't difficult). I know it's really difficult, but you've got to resist the urge to see if it will come on because doing so will likely ruin it. If you need a computer in the next week, sorry, but you've got to use an alternative (usually they have them in the library).
Also, putting it in a sealed box of rice would help a lot. Taking it completely apart and making sure all moisture is gone would be a good step, but if you do not feel comfortable taking apart your computer I would not recommend it.
Mmm... might be too late now. Open the top and hold the power button down for 4 seconds until it powers off. Hopefully you can do this before it wakes up completely. You might be able to wedge the display up enough to get to the button and have the computer think it is asleep.
Edit: if you can locate the sleep magnet location you could probably get a small magnet and hold it where the sensor is to make the mac think it is still asleep. Then turn it off..
Apart from this I would get it professionally inspected. Tell your parents... hard, but it's gonna have to happen. If you don't have the tools I can't help you more, sorry. I guess if you can get it shut off leave it open and have the liquid try to drain out as best you can.
Unfortunately repair will probably be a new logic board unless it is in really good condition. Apple will probably quote around $1000 for repair if I remember right. Homeowners insurance might cover it if you have it, search around here for info on that. Sorry for your loss.
Just out of curiosity, why do you have a brand new rMBP at such a young age?
I have a new computer because my old one died. It was a windows and it got a lethal virus.
Cool! (Well, not about the virus, they suck). If you still have the windows you should be able to get a new hard drive and reinstall windows and it might work again (just a thought). Maybe even formatting the old drive will work...
As for the mac, it's worth a check into other repair services than apple, you might be able to snag a better deal than apples $1000 or so quote (if it ends up not working at all). However beware of places that have a really low fee (like $50 or $100) as they will probably end up charging more for repairs. Read the fine print...
What was the water bottle brand? You could earn some $$$ accusing that brand for conspiracy against Apple... You could have earned more if it were diet coke...
Idk if they got rid of this but I'm pretty sure they did; is the light pulsing on and off?
Depending on where the water bottle hit, it's possible that if it's screwed the logic board, then that's the worst, but once mine just screwed the keyboard
Depending on where the water bottle hit, it's possible that if it's screwed the logic board, then that's the worst, but once mine just screwed the keyboard
Tell your parents what happened. I'm assuming that they purchased the Mac for you, since you're 13 and it cost upwards of $1500. They will be in a much better position to know if the credit card they used for the purchase, or if their home owners insurance, will be of help in getting it repaired. Not telling them will only delay them not finding out for a few days, which isn't worth it. Trust me on that one.
Apple will quote between $780 and $1,260 for the repair, depending on if it's a 13" or 15" MacBook Pro. This will be for a Tier 4 depot repair, which includes replacement of all damaged/affected components inside the Mac. This is the only approved repair available to bring the Mac back into warranty. Third party AASPs (Apple Authorized Service Providers) are supposed to stick to this same policy, so they will likely have the same option but at a slightly higher cost.
Hopefully things work out as best as possible for you considering the circumstances.
Apple will quote between $780 and $1,260 for the repair, depending on if it's a 13" or 15" MacBook Pro. This will be for a Tier 4 depot repair, which includes replacement of all damaged/affected components inside the Mac. This is the only approved repair available to bring the Mac back into warranty. Third party AASPs (Apple Authorized Service Providers) are supposed to stick to this same policy, so they will likely have the same option but at a slightly higher cost.
Hopefully things work out as best as possible for you considering the circumstances.
+1, there is a small chance of everything working but a couple parts. Especially if the light is pulsing and the computer did not shut itself down. Another good sign is if the magsafe turns orange and charges the battery, but I would not recommend trying that until you know everything is dried out.
A 13-year old with a £1400 Macbook, lawd
Tell your parents, and next time please dont even dream of carrying liquids in the same bag as such an expensive machine.
Tell your parents, and next time please dont even dream of carrying liquids in the same bag as such an expensive machine.
Listen to this poster. It once took my 1st rev unibody MBP over a month to recover from my son spilling pretty much an entire cup into the case. I removed the battery as quickly as I could and it honestly did take nearly 5 weeks to dry. Granted, I didn't do anything proactive to force drying it, I simply put it on a shelf and testing it after weeks 2,3,4 - had my finger on the "buy" button on a new MBP in week 5, then said "I'll try the old one, one more time tomorrow" - Bingo, it worked, and is still in use today a year and 1/2 later.
Find an alternative computer, NEVER do that again, and chock this up to a valuable learning experience.
Good Luck.
My daughter is 12 and there is NO way she's getting a Retina MacBook Pro anytime soon. She has a cruddy netbook, which I hate, but I'm sure she's not ready for something better. Sorry to say, this post only confirms that.
To the OP, tell your parents and hopefully they have accidental damage coverage on their CC.
Really though, you're gonna buy a $1500+ Mac for a 13 year old and not buy some kind of accidental damage warranty? They must be rich.
To the OP, tell your parents and hopefully they have accidental damage coverage on their CC.
Really though, you're gonna buy a $1500+ Mac for a 13 year old and not buy some kind of accidental damage warranty? They must be rich.