Please help with dead MacBook Pro

[Uzair S]

Hi all.

I am really in need of some assistance with a restoration project I am working on. I bought a dead 15" MBP (Late 2013) from eBay in the hopes of restoring it. I knew the laptop would not boot, as per the description on eBay.

I tested it when it arrived. The MagSafe light would initially go green, then orange. When taking the bottom case off, the right fan would turn on for 1 second, then off, which would repeat a few times (only when the charger was in). When the battery was unplugged, it would still not turn on. Nothing would work at all; holding the power button, power cycle, SMC reset, recovery mode, safe boot etc.

Upon further examination, the logic board was obviously liquid damaged and I used rubbing alcohol to clean it with a soft bristle toothbrush. This did not work.

This morning, I tried again to clean the logic board and bough a multimeter to test the board. When testing the resistance, DC voltage and in diode mode, I wasn't really able to interpret the readings, which were mostly 0. Then, when the MagSafe was plugged into the logic board (not put back into the MBP), there was no longer any light. I cleaned the DC in connector on the logic board. The MagSafe would then light up orange, but this then turned off.

Despite watching numerous videos on YouTube, I am clueless as to what the issue could be. I am not currently comfortable with schematics, flux and soldering as I simply have no idea what the issue is. There is still corrosion on the logic board which is not coming off.

I would really appreciate some assistance please. This is my first restoration project and I'm devastated that I haven't made any progress whatsoever. The only number on the logic board I can see is 820-3332-A.

Thanks.

 

[magbarn]

I tried this before trying to repair a friend's MBP, it allowed to turn it on but I can never boot from it so he just sold the screen on ebay but good luck!

"Take logic board out and use toothbrush, a $1 baking tray from corner store deli, and 99% alcohol from the pharmacy. 91% will do if they don't have 99%. Put enough alcohol to soak the logic board. Brush GENTLY in circles. GENTLY.
Then put it in an oven at 220f for a few hours.
THIS IS NOT TO REFLOW SOLDER!!!!! That is a myth and fixes nothing. We are just trying to remove all remaining remnants of water. Alcohol displaces water and is a good cleaning agent, so immersing the board in alcohol to do the brush cleaning is important.
After the cleaning, into the oven for a few hours. Preferably an oven you never plan on cooking in again. Then try to turn it on after letting it cool off for fifteen minutes or so.
Obviously remove CPU heatsink and thermal paste before doing this so you don't get a bunch of thermal paste under the other components. Dry napkin is fine for this."

The above is what I found searching google before and of course no warranties are implied... lol

Honestly, it's never worth it to try to repair a liquid damaged computer especially soda/salt water. It's a lost cause. That MBP is probably only good for spare parts at this point unless you can find another logic board for cheap and that's providing the battery isn't cooked and the connectors aren't corroded...

 

[Uzair S]

The rubbing alcohol I used was 70%, but I doubt that is the reason it hasn't worked?

 

[magbarn]

The rubbing alcohol I used was 70%, but I doubt that is the reason it hasn't worked?

That has close to 30% water, not helpful

 

[KWorks]

Have a similar A1398, went dead when Covid-19 started. First, I thought that was the cause, on finer inspection turned out that one of the 5V power rails went kaput. Unfortunately, most parts are imports and difficult to get them at the moment.

More of a waiting game...