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What to do if your MacBook Pro has been exposed to beer?

palaspock -  
 crabe -
Hello,
On Wednesday, I was with a friend and his beer accidentally fell and spilled (not all of it, we reacted in time) on the keyboard of my MacBook Pro Retina (the latest one).
At the moment, I didn't really know what to do, and neither did he, so I wiped off the beer that was still on it with paper towels and tissues.
Unfortunately, for the beer that got inside, I didn't know how to proceed.
So here I am three days later with all the keys on the top stuck and therefore nearly unusable (unless I force them). The trackpad is also creaking. The beer has dried and blocked my keyboard.
However, I tried again today to start my Mac, and it works perfectly. Like before! Apparently, the system has not been affected.
I would like to know if it is possible to clean the inside (even though I understand that disassembling and reassembling this MacBook is quite a headache) or if the keyboard is really ruined, how to repair it? I would like to know how much such a repair would cost.
Thank you in advance to anyone who can help me.
Best regards,

Palaspock

3 answers

  1.
    _Ritchi_ Posted messages 21130 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   6 136
     
    Hello,

    The keyboard doesn't change by itself: it's actually the top case (aluminum upper block + keys + trackpad) that needs to be replaced as indicated by the iFixIt website: MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2013 Upper Case Replacement.
    As you can see, it's quite complex/delicate to do and such a part is relatively expensive (example).

    The best thing to do is to get a quote from an authorized Apple repairer and don't hope to claim the warranty since there are liquid sensors under the keyboard that turn pink/red as soon as liquid touches them.

    Ritchi
    4
    1. palaspock
       
      Thank you for this information.
      I tried my keys again and they all work, there's just a sticky resistance. You just need to press harder. Nevertheless, I will still have it repaired.
      As for the warranty, I wasn't under any illusions, I suspected it would be at my expense.
      Also, I have a 15" model, so I imagine the repair is more expensive.
      My father thought that by buying a special foam we could inject it under the keys to remove the beer, is that a good idea? And if so, what foam would be effective?

      Thanks again for your advice.
      0
    2. _Ritchi_ Posted messages 21130 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   6 136
       
      For the 15", see here. Note that a keyboard is available for around a hundred euros.
      As for the padding, I think your Mac has had enough to drink with your friend's ;-)
      0
    3. palaspock
       
      Thank you for the link!
      Otherwise, yes, the foam has already been quite a lot xD
      So, using any kind of product to disinfect the inside isn't a good idea then?
      0
    4. _Ritchi_ Posted messages 21130 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   6 136
       
      In my humble opinion, putting a product back into the non-dismantled Mac should only make things worse, especially if it is aqueous (water + electricity = not cool).
      However, once the keyboard is disassembled (check the iFixIt doc for the 15" to see if you feel up to disassembling it), and if you do, why not rinse the keyboard with demineralized water to avoid leaving any residue once dried.
      0
    5. palaspock
       
      Alright, thank you for your advice.
      Indeed, it seemed illogical to me to add more liquid to the keyboard.
      Otherwise, after seeing all the disassembly steps, I prefer to have it done by a professional who knows what they're doing.
      As for the idea of demineralized water, I've seen that somewhere before; I should check it out. If I can just clean the keyboard and not replace it, that would be great.
      Thank you very much!
      0
  2. WariiX69 Posted messages 36 Status Member 3
     
    Ask for the opinion of an expert in specialized stores for Mac repairs such as DocteurIT, which is very good, or simply go to the Apple Store in your city or Andromac and ask for their advice. As for the keyboard, I saw some time ago that it was relatively possible to repair it.
    2
    1. palaspock
       
      First of all, thank you for your reply!
      Then I actually intended to ask for advice from a repairman, but I feared that he wouldn't do this kind of repair. And I don't want to fix it myself to avoid breaking it. Otherwise, when you say "relatively possible," does it mean that it's feasible or that it's rather unfeasible?
      0
  3. crabe
     
    I had the same problem, it was coffee. The keys worked for two weeks and then everything froze and the computer shut down. Impossible to turn it back on. Estimate from Apple 1165 euros without warranty... I had to buy another one.
    1