Possible to pop off keys from 2016 15" MBP?

[thebitguru]

Hi,

Unfortunately, I recently spilled coffee on my two-month old MacBook Pro I got lucky and acted quickly to turn it off and got to cleaning/drying out the liquid right away. Fortunately, everything works except that some keys are a little sticky still after 2-3 weeks of use.

I talked to the local Apple Store and a local Apple-authorized repair shop and they both said that they can't clean the keyboard in any way and would instead need to do a water damage repair which runs about $1,200.

I am thinking that eventually, corrosion will become an issue and at that time, I can get the water damage repair done if it is still worth it at that time. Until then, I would like to at least try cleaning the keyboard myself if it's possible. Obviously, I can't expect to have any warranty going forward so I am OK taking a calculated chance.

The Apple store and the authorized rep said that the keys on the 2016 MBP are quite delicate and can't be removed easily. So, I wanted to ask the folks on this forum, has anyone had any experience removing the keys on this keyboard? Can they be safely removed and can the contacts underneath them be safely cleaned?

Thanks!

 

[Sanpete]

There are several Youtube videos about it, but most seem pretty casual in their approach. And a couple people here have broken keys trying it. There's some advice here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-clicking-sound.2022399/page-31#post-24498048

 

[thebitguru]

Thanks for the quick response and sharing that link, Sanpete! I was able to take off the "P" problem key and took a peek underneath it. In addition to info in the thread that you shared, I used this video as a guide.

Even though there wasn't much to clean, after taking the key off, I played around with the mechanism a little and used air duster as a random attempt. It seems to be behaving a little better. Let's see if it stays this way. Thanks, again!

Here are a few pictures if others are curious...

 

[bartvk]

Just another possible route... Did you pay that MacBook Pro with a creditcard by any chance? Perhaps it has a purchase insurance which covers incidental damage?

 

[thebitguru]

Thanks for the idea, bartvk! Unfortunately, my card does not cover this specific type of repair even though they provide extended warranty service. I have had American Express in the past, which would have covered this Lesson learned.

 

[bartvk]

In that case, I'd get it repaired elsewhere, and not continue using the device. Louis Rossman regularly posts on Youtube explaining how to repair MacBooks. Apparently it's possible to mail in your device:
https://www.rossmanngroup.com/

I have the feeling that continuing to use the laptop would shorten its lifespan dramatically.

 

[thebitguru]

Ah, Louis Rossman I have seen their videos on YouTube before. Very interesting. I will give them a call tomorrow and see what they recommend. Thanks for all your insights!
[doublepost=1492373108][/doublepost]OK, I was a little impatient and ended up calling the number on their website. I think Louis actually picked up my phone The conclusion was that at this point it's a 50/50 chance of basically anything happening and not much can be done at this point to improve that.

So, I guess I will be diligent about backups and will plan on getting it repaired once bad things start happening.