So I spilled some coffee on the 2015 MBP...

[NowhereOutThere]

A couple weeks ago, after literally going a decade of using Mac notebooks and coffee together in harmony, the inevitable happened: I spilled a small amount of coffee on the right side of my keyboard. It couldn't have been more than a tablespoon of coffee, and I quickly dried it off. I was in a lecture and couldn't do anything dramatic to my notebook, but I was pleasantly surprised that my Mac continued to work without issue.

So far, so good, no issues with operation since then. The only issue is the keyboard backlight is dimmed where I spilled the coffee, which is annoying.

So, a couple of questions for you guys:

1. Is my computer a ticking time bomb, and may eventually shut down for good? I figure that, if my logic board was fried, it would have made itself apparent by now.

2. If I took my MBP to Apple and inquired about replacing the keyboard, I understand that would require a new top case. But would they be willing to replace it, given that it was accidental damage?

 

[newellj]

This is a serious question: do you drink your coffee black, or was there milk and/or sugar in there? If it was just coffee, I think you can probably assume there will be no further issues. If there was milk and/or sugar in the coffee, I think it's fair to guess that over time crap and crud (those are technical terms) will find their way to the sugars and adhere.

Pretty sure Apple would have no problem replacing the top end of the laptop - for a considerable fee, most likely.

 

[NowhereOutThere]

This is a serious question: do you drink your coffee black, or was there milk and/or sugar in there? If it was just coffee, I think you can probably assume there will be no further issues. If there was milk and/or sugar in the coffee, I think it's fair to guess that over time crap and crud (those are technical terms) will find their way to the sugars and adhere.

Pretty sure Apple would have no problem replacing the top end of the laptop - for a considerable fee, most likely.

Black as my soul (so, black with no sugar or milk).

In the past, Apple had replaced parts in my old computer (2013 rMBP) for a $300 flat fee, replacing anything that was damaged if they found it. I'm just unsure if they would do such a thing knowing there was accidental damage.

 

[newellj]

I'd be tempted to forget it unless the differential backlighting bothers you. YMMV! You could possibly (but maybe not absolutely) get an answer by calling or chatting with Apple support.

 

[NowhereOutThere]

Solid advice, thanks!

 

[newellj]

Here's another thought; not sure whether this will be a dead end. You might check for an iFixit teardown of your computer and see how far into the machine you can get without really tearing the thing apart. On a 2015, I think the answer is "not very." But if you could get far enough into the machine to visually examine the spill area you might be able to form a better opinion on what's up, and maybe clean some of the spill. OTOH you might fry something important with a static electricity discharge, so proceed at your own risk.

 

[canuckRus]

A couple weeks ago, after literally going a decade of using Mac notebooks and coffee together in harmony, the inevitable happened: I spilled a small amount of coffee on the right side of my keyboard. It couldn't have been more than a tablespoon of coffee, and I quickly dried it off. I was in a lecture and couldn't do anything dramatic to my notebook, but I was pleasantly surprised that my Mac continued to work without issue.

So far, so good, no issues with operation since then. The only issue is the keyboard backlight is dimmed where I spilled the coffee, which is annoying.

So, a couple of questions for you guys:

1. Is my computer a ticking time bomb, and may eventually shut down for good? I figure that, if my logic board was fried, it would have made itself apparent by now.

2. If I took my MBP to Apple and inquired about replacing the keyboard, I understand that would require a new top case. But would they be willing to replace it, given that it was accidental damage?

No freebie covering “accidental” damage after the first 90 days of ownership by anyone.