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Spilled coffee on best Mac I’ve ever owned

Young Turk

Young Turk

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 9, 2002
499
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I thought it was a little expensive when I ordered it, but when I unpacked it and started using it, I could see why.

In December 2018, I ordered a current model 2018 Touchbar MacBook Pro 13” i5/256gb from the Apple refurb store. Took 3-4 days to arrive at the Apple Store at La Cantera, San Antonio.

Picked it up, and what an incredible machine. Fast, sleek, and with the latest gen 3 butterfly keyboard, an absolute joy to use.

This all came to an end on Thursday February 21, when I inexplicably dropped a cup of coffee on the keyboard and screen in my hotel lobby. Fried. machine.

At least I had my new iPad Pro 11” with keyboard and Smart Cover for my work and travels the rest of the week. I had no choice but to order the exact same Mac again from the refurb store.

Thoughts?
 
Apple should be able to offer a flat rate repair for ~$755* plus Tax. That will replace every damaged component, the result of which will reinstate your original Apple warranty.

AppleCare+ is always a worthy investment.

*Edit: Saw it was a 13" and not a 15" Updated the pricing.
 
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I did the same with my 2018 Macbook Pro. I had AppleCare Plus so it was a flat repair cost. I think it was like $199.
 
Young Turk said:
I thought it was a little expensive when I ordered it, but when I unpacked it and started using it, I could see why.

In December 2018, I ordered a current model 2018 Touchbar MacBook Pro 13” i5/256gb from the Apple refurb store. Took 3-4 days to arrive at the Apple Store at La Cantera, San Antonio.

Picked it up, and what an incredible machine. Fast, sleek, and with the latest gen 3 butterfly keyboard, an absolute joy to use.

This all came to an end on Thursday February 21, when I inexplicably dropped a cup of coffee on the keyboard and screen in my hotel lobby. Fried. machine.

At least I had my new iPad Pro 11” with keyboard and Smart Cover for my work and travels the rest of the week. I had no choice but to order the exact same Mac again from the refurb store.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Not gonna lie, my heart sank a bit when I read the title. If you don’t have AC+, it’s definitely an expensive repair. I don’t have it on my replacement 15” yet either, but I’m definitely going to add it in the first 60 days.

And yeah, as mentioned above, it’s just too risky to have anything close to the machine. A lot of coffee shops here have communal booths and such and people will join you. I’ve found that a lot of people don’t even give it a second consideration to having coffee, tea, beer, whatever sitting right next to their machines. Accidents happen, and they can be extremely expensive.

Edit: also if you want to pay that flat rate repair of 7xx, Apple can (and usually will) extend the 14 day return of that refurb to 30 days while you wait for yours to come back. I’d highly recommend that route and save yourself at least some cash.
 
Bummers man, sorry to hear about it. As mentioned, check your credit card, you may have accidental damage coverage
 
I use an external keyboard/mouse when at home or office and did once spill soup on a keyboard but I just replaced the keyboard. It's a lot harder at a coffee shop though.

I carry two MacBook Pros with me these days though as it's nice to have a backup handy.
 
pshufd said:
I use an external keyboard/mouse when at home or office and did once spill soup on a keyboard but I just replaced the keyboard. It's a lot harder at a coffee shop though.

I carry two MacBook Pros with me these days though as it's nice to have a backup handy.
Click to expand...

I always travel with two notebooks, if the primary failed it would be tough to manage with the far more portable secondary.

As you said it's not always to completely control all circumstances, therefore wise to be prepared for unforseen events.

Q-6
 
vemac575 said:
The only thing I'm upset about, is that it was coffee. When the heck is someone going to spill soda, lemonade, apple juice, WATER...... CMON!
Click to expand...

Soda was my “life lesson” about beverages near my computer. I knocked the better part of a 32oz soda into the keyboard. That had to be a couple decades ago. I learned my lesson.

My wife’s sister knocked a glass of wine into her laptop the same day she received it as a birthday gift from her husband. She was enjoying an after birthday dinner glass of wine while using her new computer and hit the glass with her hand. Like my wife she is a “hand talker,” which is probably a bad combo along with a laptop and beverage.

You don’t hear much about, apple juice, lemonade or water, but a whey protein beverage may have been one of the more unique ones I have seen posted here :)
 
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SDColorado said:
You don’t hear much about, apple juice, lemonade or water, but a whey protein beverage may have been one of the more unique ones I have seen posted here :)
Click to expand...

The problem with whey protein drinks/powders, is that it crystallizes and hardens like cement, and it’s extremely difficult to clean or remove almost from any surface. There was one other thread were a member spilled a protein drink on their keyboard, basically it renders everything useless. That’s one of the last types of substances you would want to spill on a keyboard or electronic device.
 
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You can also buy laptop insurance, it's a thing. This is especially useful for folks (not me my story sticking to it) who waited too long before investigating AppleCare+, because for Apple that 90-days-after-purchase deadline is completely non-negotiable. I got mine from Worth Avenue Group. It was about $100 less than AC+, covers more types of loss, with cheaper deductibles. However, I have to file a claim and work with a claims adjuster. I don't get the ability to just drop it off at the Apple Store.

But it was an option I didn't know I had until I started lurking around here.
 
you know that mbp can be repaired!
[doublepost=1551014791][/doublepost]just remove the back cover, let the liquid dry, clean everything inside with rubbing alcohol and start up.
if the macbook does not power up with the powerbutton, there are 2 pin on the logic board that can power on by placing a screwdriver on these for 3-4 second until the chime or fan starts.
 
I drink coffee all the time while using my MBP. Use a YETI mug with a cap, and keep it off to the side and sip on it while I beat out words. It's the only way I can write: drugged up on caffeine. But...I do always keep a wary thought on the mug and its placement near my computer. Hopefully, if I ever do knock it over, it will be a harmless accident away from the computer.
[doublepost=1551016984][/doublepost]
phunigai said:
you know that mbp can be repaired!
[doublepost=1551014791][/doublepost]just remove the back cover, let the liquid dry, clean everything inside with rubbing alcohol and start up.
if the macbook does not power up with the powerbutton, there are 2 pin on the logic board that can power on by placing a screwdriver on these for 3-4 second until the chime or fan starts.
Click to expand...
I agree with this. Get some contact cleaner and open the computer up, and go to work soaking and cleaning the motherboard with the contact cleaner. The thing just might come back to life. Contact cleaner is $5 a can. Totally worth giving it a try.
 
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Queen6 said:
I always travel with two notebooks, if the primary failed it would be tough to manage with the far more portable secondary.

As you said it's not always to completely control all circumstances, therefore wise to be prepared for unforseen events.

Q-6
Click to expand...

Mine are 2014 and 2015 15 inch MBPs and they are both similarly configured with the same software and work stuff. If I'm strictly working, then I only need one. If I want to work and keep track of the market, then I can use two. If I need a lot of battery available, then I use one and then switch to the other when the battery gets low.

I get a good workout hauling them around too.

Preparation > disappointment.
 
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"Thoughts?"

NEXT TIME... be more careful with the coffee.

(cue up scratchy police car radio)
"that is all...."
 
I've carried a cup of coffee across my MBA and now MBP daily for almost 4 years now. Stories like this make me wonder if I shouldn't be doing something different. Before I had a MBA I had a Dell laptop that I did the same for 7? years. Then again, my coffee is black. Almost every PC repair I've done in my past life where coffee was involved, it was sticky and extremely harmful to the computer it hit, even if the keyboard had drain channels.

I'm worried that if I change my behavior, I'll spill my coffee. :(
 
Last edited:
Check your home contents insurance too, since it may cover a laptop away from home. But most of all, if you have never paid for any Apple Care, extended warranties or special insurance policies, use all the money you saved to cover the cost of the replacement and don't worry about it again.
 
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