Mac Air Screen goes bust :(

L

lvite

macrumors newbie
Spilled on coffee on AIR :(
Computer works but screen is almost 95% dark, I can see it all with a flashlight...


What do I need to put light back into the Air?
Does anyone know how to replace bulb?screen?where to look?what to do?

Thanks a lot for advise...

L.v
 
Keeping it off for starters, sealing it in a bag with dried rice for 48 hours sucks out the moisture. But since you are viewing it NOW, Apple Care ;).
 
I don't think that you can replace just the LED backlight. AppleCare.
I think that water damage is a flat rate repair, or at least it used to be.
 
I'm an Apple tech.
NO SUCH THING AS FLAT RATE LIQUID DAMAGE REPAIR. Its called you just voided your warranty,
A flat rate repair is retail cost for your laptop....lol

If you take it to an apple store and show it to them EVEN after you try there are liquid sensors inside the laptop that only a tech can get to. If they see any liquid sensor tripped you have just 100% void your entire apple care or one your limited warranty.

DO NOT PUT IT IN RICE. As much you as see idiots doing this you are already TOO FAR GONE to try and get any sugar from the coffee off your logic board.

You obviously blown multiple capacitors that control the voltage to the backlight.

With a MBA there really isn't anything you can do besides buy a new one.

A new logic board, which is what you will need, parts and labor is about $450-800.00 depending on the model/ ram configuration.

Then you will need a new top case , parts and labor your looking at $150-300.00 depending on size and age of the MBA.

New SSD (With MBA liquid spill apple will require you replace the SSD blade drive because it is technically part of the Logic board, but you would be charges separately. They will not warranty a new Logic board with an old SSD with a known liquid spill.
And if it is an early MBA with a HHD with a ZIFF adapter, it should be fine if you can boot the machine with no issue.

Last, a new battery, once again Apple will not warranty a new battery if the system has been victim on a liquid spill.
This is not true for most models, but always in a Macbook Air.

You might as well sell that on ebay , and let some self proclaimed wizard let him self think he can fix it, so just sell it.

Then buy a new one. Thats pretty much all you can do.
 
1eyedwilli3 said:
I'm an Apple tech.
NO SUCH THING AS FLAT RATE LIQUID DAMAGE REPAIR. Its called you just voided your warranty,
A flat rate repair is retail cost for your laptop....lol

If you take it to an apple store and show it to them EVEN after you try there are liquid sensors inside the laptop that only a tech can get to. If they see any liquid sensor tripped you have just 100% void your entire apple care or one your limited warranty.

DO NOT PUT IT IN RICE. As much you as see idiots doing this you are already TOO FAR GONE to try and get any sugar from the coffee off your logic board.

You obviously blown multiple capacitors that control the voltage to the backlight.

With a MBA there really isn't anything you can do besides buy a new one.

A new logic board, which is what you will need, parts and labor is about $450-800.00 depending on the model/ ram configuration.

Then you will need a new top case , parts and labor your looking at $150-300.00 depending on size and age of the MBA.

New SSD (With MBA liquid spill apple will require you replace the SSD blade drive because it is technically part of the Logic board, but you would be charges separately. They will not warranty a new Logic board with an old SSD with a known liquid spill.
And if it is an early MBA with a HHD with a ZIFF adapter, it should be fine if you can boot the machine with no issue.

Last, a new battery, once again Apple will not warranty a new battery if the system has been victim on a liquid spill.
This is not true for most models, but always in a Macbook Air.

You might as well sell that on ebay , and let some self proclaimed wizard let him self think he can fix it, so just sell it.

Then buy a new one. Thats pretty much all you can do.
Click to expand...

Didn't know the backlight was part of the logic borad :eek:
 
you can try your luck @ the genius bar but they will most likely just give you a (very expensive) estimate of their repair.

if you are lucky, it is just the inverter board (relatively cheap repair). and .maybe. the lcd as well, if it is splotchy. find a good mac repair shop in your area.

if you do end up selling on ebay, you should be able to get a good bit for it - don't post a low buy it now. either run it on auction or start it with a too high buy it now and adjust as you see fit. there is a huge market for damaged macs, get your money.
 
I say take it to Apple Care, don't mention the spillage and try your luck.

Yeah there are moisture sensors inside but you might not have triggered them, usually these will change when the hardware has been submersed in water (i pod down the toilet)

The worst that can happen is they say no.

Then your next step would be E bay as spares.

I type this whilst drinking a coffee over my air... I'm so on the edge.
 
I can only imagine the language you used when the coffee hit your mba !

In my experience when something like liquid ingression happens even when you attempt to repair the device it sometimes has failures down the line as a result.

I agree with the suggestion to sell it as a breaker, or let it go to apple heaven, and purchase a new one.

Lets hope you used time machine or a similar programme to back up your hard drive.

Learning curve.

Liquids + MBA = sad times.

Take care.
 
Apple Tech Guy - You are making your company look bad with the way you 'speak' to customers on the forums..

'it's called you just voided your warranty'

You should really either take some lessons in customer service, tact, proper writing - or alternately avoid discussing the fact you work for Apple as you represent them with everything you write, and frankly - you sound like the IT guy on Saturday Night Live... 'moooooove'

To the OP, sorry this happened. I'd suggest contacting Apple. Be honest about what happened, there are liquid damage sensors (though there are ways around that were you to be 'shady' and they aren't exactly hard to get to).
 
1eyedwilli3 said:
I'm an Apple tech.
NO SUCH THING AS FLAT RATE LIQUID DAMAGE REPAIR. Its called you just voided your warranty,
A flat rate repair is retail cost for your laptop....lol

If you take it to an apple store and show it to them EVEN after you try there are liquid sensors inside the laptop that only a tech can get to. If they see any liquid sensor tripped you have just 100% void your entire apple care or one your limited warranty.

DO NOT PUT IT IN RICE. As much you as see idiots doing this you are already TOO FAR GONE to try and get any sugar from the coffee off your logic board.

You obviously blown multiple capacitors that control the voltage to the backlight.

With a MBA there really isn't anything you can do besides buy a new one.

A new logic board, which is what you will need, parts and labor is about $450-800.00 depending on the model/ ram configuration.

Then you will need a new top case , parts and labor your looking at $150-300.00 depending on size and age of the MBA.

New SSD (With MBA liquid spill apple will require you replace the SSD blade drive because it is technically part of the Logic board, but you would be charges separately. They will not warranty a new Logic board with an old SSD with a known liquid spill.
And if it is an early MBA with a HHD with a ZIFF adapter, it should be fine if you can boot the machine with no issue.

Last, a new battery, once again Apple will not warranty a new battery if the system has been victim on a liquid spill.
This is not true for most models, but always in a Macbook Air.

You might as well sell that on ebay , and let some self proclaimed wizard let him self think he can fix it, so just sell it.

Then buy a new one. Thats pretty much all you can do.
Click to expand...

Are you an Apple tech? I was under the impression that they made a point of not hiring douchebags.
 
Sorry for your predicament. As much as I like Apple, I do wish that they had an accidental damage policy. Sure, it would cost a lot, but it would be a lot less than a new laptop.

But, as a poster already noted, liquid damage is almost irreparable; most likely, even after repair, something will go wrong. For this reason, I have a Moshi keyboard protector. With it on, it's not impossible to get liquid into my air, but it's pretty hard.
 
Last edited:
rhinosrcool said:
Sorry for your predicament. As much as I like Apple, I do wish that they had an accidental damage policy. Sure, it would cost a lot, but it would be a lot less than a new laptop.

But, as a poster already noted, liquid damage is almost irreparable; most likely, even after repair, something will go wrong. For this reason, I have a Moshi keyboard protector. With it on, it's not impossible to get liquid into my air, but it's pretty hard.
Click to expand...

accidental damage policy!? mac owners are perfect i tell you, perfect! we do not need accidental damage policies >=o!
 
lvite said:
Spilled on coffee on AIR :(
Computer works but screen is almost 95% dark, I can see it all with a flashlight...


What do I need to put light back into the Air?
Does anyone know how to replace bulb?screen?where to look?what to do?

Thanks a lot for advise...

L.v
Click to expand...

Apple Care doesn't cover accidents. And spilled coffee is easy to detect.

*I* would try opening the whole thing up, cleaning with a mixture of distilled water and isopropanol and a ESD brush, followed by hairdrying. If the backlight is gone, then that means that *most* of the computer still works.

Is it a post 2009 MBA - in that case the backlight is LED, and probably not high-voltage CCFL?
 
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