Spilled... chocolate milk on air. Won't work..

[Squirrelflight]

Sigh. I'm an idiot! I destroyed a macbook air that wasn't even mine. The only good thing is my mother has another laptop given this very same air had an issue a year ago and wouldn't turn on for a month.

I usually use my own laptop but I came downstairs with a glass of chocolate milk and stupidly spilled just a little on the top right of the air. The air shut down at once. I cleaned the spill. Turned it back on. It worked perfectly.

The next morning, it wouldn't turn on.

I made some more attempts that awarded me with some staticy crackling sounds. The lights on the keyboard sometimes light up. I got it to go back on but the screen was black - if you looked very closely you could see the screen.

I think it's gone for good. I want to have some hope... wasn't me last time but the air got so water damage, just a little bit last year and as I said after a month of not turning on... it turned on. So maybe life will come back to her? Maybe not.

It sucks. We got it in 2013 and getting it repaired would be way to expensive, like might as well get another...

Anyone else ever got there's water damaged and it wouldn't work until like a month later?

Also to clarify, as of right now when I turn it on, the fans run, the keyboard lights up, you can hear the noise when you make the volume go up. But the screen is dark black you can only very dimly see some of the screen.

 

[Audit13]

If you can see the image by shining a light through the apple logo, it could be a blown backlight fuse if you are fortunate.

If it's not the backlight fuse, the lcd cable and corresponding connector on the motherboard may have some shorted pins which can be repaired by a competent board level repair person but it may not be cheap.

I bought a very cheap, mint looking, liquid damaged early 2015 Macbook Air. It was the lvds cable and motherboard connector that were damaged, along with some other blown fuses and capacitors on the logic board. Wasn't a cheap repair but worth it because the person that repaired it has repaired several computers for me in the past. The cost of repairs was less than a third of the cost of a new unit.

 

[Squirrelflight]

I can see the apple logo when I use a flashlight. It doesn't always turn on when you press power but often it does. I hear the chime. The fans run loud. The screen is black. But when you shine a flashlight at the logo, you see something on the screen, you see that it's on.

I wonder how much it would cost to fix a backlight fuse.

 

[Audit13]

Are the fans quiet when the machine first boots and then becomes very loud? If yes, this is an indication that the temperature sensors have manufunctioned and/or there is a problem with the trackpad.

Does the trackpad work? If yes, that's a good sign because the cost of a new trackpad is around $80.

When you attach the magsafe charger, does the lcd light up bright green or bright amber? If yes, this is a good sign that the power circuit is probably okay.

Unfortunately, peplacing just the backlight fuse is not going to fix the problem with the loud fans.

 

[Squirrelflight]

The fans aren't being loud anymore.

It turns on whenever I hit power now and I can see the screen when I put a flashlight to the back or hold it on a tilt, I can hear and see the higher volume symbol. The keyboard lights up. It can be charged.

I have a macbook air a1466 from 2013. If it's a backlight fuse problem I wonder how much it would cost to get it fixed? I might go to best buy (not apple store near me) and see if they can give me an estimate.

It might not be worth it though. Earlier, a little after the spill the macbook made some horrible crackling noises sounded. It could have been the backlight or maybe it's more damaged but then it can be turned on. The trackpad I can tell even works because I was able to click things of course I can't really see anything, the screen is so dim.

 

[chscag]

I might go to best buy (not apple store near me) and see if they can give me an estimate.

If you want your MacBook Air repaired right, stay away from Best Buy. They'll probably send it out anyway since they do not work on board level repairs. Get an estimate from Apple. Estimates are free as long as you have it done at an Apple Store genius bar.

 

[Squirrelflight]

That's a good point sigh I just can't get to an apple store. I don't drive, we don't have one in our city so Best Buy is kind of the best option for me. I might have to check tomorrow because I don't even know if it they could give me an estimate right there or if it would cost anything to send it off to find out.

 

[Audit13]

Apple stores do not do board level repairs, they only replace in order to provide a 90 day warranty, at least in Canada. If it's a backlight fuse issue, the Apple store will recommended replacing the logic board and magsafe i/o board.

Apple may offer to repair the unit via mail-in for a flat fee for an out-of-warranty repair. You could try contacting support via telephone or online.

The old backlight fuse needs to be de-soldered and the new replacement must be re-soldered into place.

 

[Squirrelflight]

Thanks for your answers! I live in Canada too (the nearest apple store is in Toronto and I don't drive and there's not one in my city) In that case maybe the best thing would be to try another computer store that does repairs just to see what they can offer since Best Buy would send it to apple. Thank you!

 

[Audit13]

Which city are you in?

 

[Squirrelflight]

Update! I took it too Canada Computers. 49 dollars for the diagnostic. They're sending it off to their company. In a week they said they'd call and give me a quote and if I don't want to pay it they'll send it back for free. I probably won't end up paying if to much.

I showed them how the laptop turns on, keyboard is lit, you can see the screen is extremely dim.

It's a Macbook Air A1466. It's a Mid-2012 Macbook Air.

I don't really know much about computer parts. I'm not sure if it'll be as simple as fixing the backlight fuse or if they'll have to replace the screen or if it'll be a logic mother board issue. I just figured it was worth knowing how much a repair would cost because if by some chance it's only like 200 or a little more that wouldn't be bad at all. I might even consider 400. But anything more probably not, it's an older Air so I don't want to spend half the price of a new one.

I'll update later! I don't have much hope haha even though it is turning on I heard some scary crackling noises earlier a little after it got chocolate milk spilled on it so who knows what I did to it.

 

[Audit13]

Personally, I am not sure who they use as their repair company but Canada computers are not Mac specialists.

Macrepaircanada.com is excellent. I have used them for three liquid damaged Macbook Airs that I thought were beyond repair. I used them n to replace a capacitor on a 15" 2010 MBP and gpu replacement on a 15" late 2011 MBP. I am not affiliated with the company, I am only a customer.

 

[akidd]

Update! I took it too Canada Computers. 49 dollars for the diagnostic. They're sending it off to their company. In a week they said they'd call and give me a quote and if I don't want to pay it they'll send it back for free. I probably won't end up paying if to much.

I showed them how the laptop turns on, keyboard is lit, you can see the screen is extremely dim.

It's a Macbook Air A1466. It's a Mid-2012 Macbook Air.

I don't really know much about computer parts. I'm not sure if it'll be as simple as fixing the backlight fuse or if they'll have to replace the screen or if it'll be a logic mother board issue. I just figured it was worth knowing how much a repair would cost because if by some chance it's only like 200 or a little more that wouldn't be bad at all. I might even consider 400. But anything more probably not, it's an older Air so I don't want to spend half the price of a new one.

I'll update later! I don't have much hope haha even though it is turning on I heard some scary crackling noises earlier a little after it got chocolate milk spilled on it so who knows what I did to it.

And the verdict was?

 

[Audit13]

I'm also curious to hear what CC had to say.

I attached a picture of the repair to my MBA's LVDS cable and connector. The picture shows only 1 tiny copper cable when there are, in fact, two tiny copper cables soldered between the connected to logic board.

There were some other capacitors and/or resistors replaced too.

 

[Beachguy]

Damn. If ONLY it had been vanilla milk, whole milk, or strawberry milk, the air would have increased its performance, and the memory would have doubled.

But CHOCOLATE... whoa, that is tough. The important thing was that you were able to immediately turn it on so the chocolate could work its way in.

(Okay, been there before. I was lucky, the milk didn't get inside my MBP and I still use it.)

 

[madrich]

Thanks for reminding all of us to keep all drinks away from our computer treasures.

 

[Squirrelflight]

Okay so here's the verdict. They said she's doomed basically.

So I got a call and they told me they couldn't fix it. When I came to pick it up they showed me a picture of the inside of it when they opened it. Chocolate milk was everywhere, like damn. You could see it inside everywhere. They said it was completely destroyed.

I was surprised they had sent it right back and not given me a repair cost because it sounded like they'd need to replace the entire motherboard or whatever it's called (LOL I know nothing about comps) but they said it wouldn't be economical to repair... like it'd be more than what it cost which I guess is why they didn't give me a quote but just sent it right back (Canada Computers sends it off to their repair people)

So yeah. Well I still have my macbook pro!

Sigh, yeah never drink around laptops. I've been beating myself up over this, I've been so careful with my 2010 Macbook Pro which works amazing but I got a little cocky, starting to drink around the laptops. The chocolate milk spill happened as it was a carton, so I was pouring the chocolate milk into the glass by the laptop but being a carton, some of the milk spilled out and into the computer. And I was an idiot and turned on laptop on after it shut off after the spill. It worked fine for awhile until the morning so I probably did even more damage by turning it on.

Never make my mistake you guys! Don't be cocky with drinks! You'll never think it'll happen to you until it does. I deserve all the 'what were you thinking' comments because damn was I stupid.

I was able to get them to give me the hardrive though. Stuff was backed up on another comp but I figured I'd take the harddrive before recycling it.

Sorry Macbook Air. I will gladly let this be a lesson to others. Don't **** up like me! It's not worth it drink your drink FAR away!!

Chocolate milk is gonna be a trigger for me for awhile lmao. Whenever I see chocolate milk I flashback to what happened. I bought some for myself and it was so good but I was like triggering myself thinking this is WHAT RUINED A MACBOOK AIR!!! Will I ever look at chocolate milk the same I do not know... (I have to laugh at my stupidity, I've cried over it and been beating myself up with guilt but it is what it is! Never drink around electronics especially 1,000 + electronics)

 

[elf69]

Indeed.

my 2012 MacBook Air has a keyboard cover.
used 24/7 on it, ok it not fool proof but small drips/spills should stay out with the cover.

but yes I try not drink around my Macs except my iMac as it only a plug in keyboard so not as worried.

we all do silly things around computers every now and then.
accidents will happen so do not beat urself up too much though.

 

[Audit13]

Which model Air is it exactly? If it's a mid-2013 and newer, the SSD could be worth a lot of money if it's working.

 

[Bart Kela]

The OP mentioned the model and date in post #11.

 

[Audit13]

OP's says "got it in 2013" which means it could be a 2012 or mid-2013? The 2012 and mid-2013 use different connectors for the SSD. The SSDs in the mid-2013 are very hard to come by for a good price.