Water Damage(d?) MBP 2019 Base Model

[paprikababushka2020]

Hello all,

Two weeks ago I spilled a tall cup of water on my MBP(19)--the water mostly splashed onto the trackpad, and I immediately powered off and let it dry for 48hrs in the "tent" position.

After 48hrs, I tried turning on my laptop, but the screen only cycled the apple logo. I immediately shut it off again; thinking it was done for good, I took it into a local authorized repair center.

Upon inspection + ~14 days later, I got a call from the shop saying that there wasnt any water damage--whew! But the repair guy did state that my trackpad did not have haptic feedback anymore. It would cost ~$500 to R&R, and since i mostly use a mouse I passed.

It's been 24hrs since I picked up my laptop, and I immediately noticed that the trackpad doesnt "click" anymore (no issues other than that). However, when I started to use my laptop this morning, the haptic feedback seems to have magically sorted itself out.

Is it possible that the hardware is back to normal after drying out? Or should I take precautionary measures and replace the unit with one from iFixit?
In addition, what measures can I take to prevent possible future corrosion to the components inside? (i.e. "deep cleaning" / isopropyl alcohol)


First time / post on the forum, any help and feedback would be appreciated
Thanks!

 

[giv-as-a-ciggy-kent]

yes it's possible.you might want to hammer the cpu/gpu to get the thermals up to get rid of any remaining moisture. I'd just leave it as-is until or if it stops working again, don't pre-emptively replace.

 

[paprikababushka2020]

yes it's possible.you might want to hammer the cpu/gpu to get the thermals up to get rid of any remaining moisture. I'd just leave it as-is until or if it stops working again, don't pre-emptively replace.

thanks! should i leave the laptop plugged in or drain the battery completely? I received the laptop @ 3% and I currently have the charger plugged in.

 

[giv-as-a-ciggy-kent]

I think since its been like 20 days since the incident it should be OK. If their inspection didn't reveal any damage you might have gotten lucky. Just use the laptop normally. In my case I had a water damaged laptop that worked fine for a long time until it suddenly didn't. Just be aware the machine can go bad at any time, or it might not. in other words, backup all your data regularly.

look up Rossmann's videos on youtube, he talks a lot about liquid damage. If corrosion has started yes it would be best to clean it off with ipa, but if they are halfway competent they would have spotted it.

no matter what, computers are a consumable device, so don't live in fear. If you have to replace it early, it is what it is.

 

[paprikababushka2020]

I think since its been like 20 days since the incident it should be OK. If their inspection didn't reveal any damage you might have gotten lucky. Just use the laptop normally. In my case I had a water damaged laptop that worked fine for a long time until it suddenly didn't. Just be aware the machine can go bad at any time, or it might not. in other words, backup all your data regularly.

look up Rossmann's videos on youtube, he talks a lot about liquid damage. If corrosion has started yes it would be best to clean it off with ipa, but if they are halfway competent they would have spotted it.

no matter what, computers are a consumable device, so don't live in fear. If you have to replace it early, it is what it is.

^thanks, thats a good way to put it!

 

[ilikewhey]

this happened to my mbp 13 couple years ago. took the same precaution as you did, computer came up but the screen didn't light up. tried again 2 weeks later and suddenly everything is back to normal. only part damaged was the area where i spilled the water, the backlit keys was dimmed. i still use it to this day as a tv box essentially.

 

[paprikababushka2020]

this happened to my mbp 13 couple years ago. took the same precaution as you did, computer came up but the screen didn't light up. tried again 2 weeks later and suddenly everything is back to normal. only part damaged was the area where i spilled the water, the backlit keys was dimmed. i still use it to this day as a tv box essentially.

wow i cant believe the same thing happened to you too! thanks for sharing your experience--fingers crossed and hoping that mine lasts as long as yours

 

[ilikewhey]

wow i cant believe the same thing happened to you too! thanks for sharing your experience--fingers crossed and hoping that mine lasts as long as yours

i had it since 2009, my mom now uses it to watch her streaming services. only problem is the speakers are popped but she uses external anyway.

 

[Natzoo]

To be on the safe side, just back it up with an external drive. All devices will fail so its good practice. The same thing happened to my 2015 15", spilled a glass of water on the keyboard about a year ago and no damage so far.

 

[paprikababushka2020]

Welp, the trackpad finally died on me today im looking at replacement parts on ebay as iFixit does not have the parts for the A2159 model.

Does anyone know if the r&r process is the same / similar as the 2016-2019 instructions listed on iFixit? Id imagine the only difference is the two thunderbolt jacks, not much hardware changes around the trackpad area.
i am also comfortable doing diy repairs & going under the hood and have the necessary tools from doing iphone repairs in the past.

MacBook Pro 13" (A1706, A1708, A1989, A2159) Trackpad

Replace a scratched or malfunctioning trackpad compatible with a model A1706, A1708, A1989, or A2159 MacBook Pro 13" with Retina Display.

www.ifixit.com

^link to the non-compatible replacement part / instructions

 

[Codeline]

Glad its working ? a close call.