Spilled Coffee On Macbook Air -Help!!

[lucha54]

The computer has been hanging out upside down since yesterday but we believe all hope is lost... I didn't turn it off soon enough and now it's not turning on. MacBook Air parts are all fused together so you can't just replace one broken part anyway.

Is there anyone that was planning to sell a used one or interested in selling me theirs if they were in the market for a new one?

Anyone know how much they cost new here? Or I could go for a used one to save a bit but I'm concerned about any previous problems not being disclosed.

Luckily we have some friends coming from abroad all within the next few weeks if all else fails... but from Chile or Qatar I'm not sure it will be that much cheaper than getting one here.

Please let me know if you have any info!!!

Lucha

 

[EdRooney]

You did it wrong Lucha. you're sposed to spill wine on it.

Good luck!

 

[thorsten]

Chile is definitely cheaper than here. If I remember correctly, the entry model of the Macbook Air was around 1000-1100 US$, here you'll most likely pay 50% more.

 

[Bricky]

It's not thaaaaaat difficult to open a macbook air - if it was me I'd certainly give it a try before buying a new one. If the spill was just on the keyboard then there's probably no permanent damage.

The difficultly is those damned special screws it has. Two options I've known to work:
- If you can find a flathead that is *just the right width* - it just fits in the screw head: not too narrow that it turns without the screw, and of course not too wide that it doesn't fit. If you get a file you can trim down a screwdriver that's a little too wide.
- Failing that, if you get a hunk of plastic (usually the back of a bic biro), heat it slightly over a gas flame, then, just at the point where it's melting, push it hard over the screw head and allow it cool that way - you'll get a perfectly fitting screwdriver which will do the job

Of course you can buy the correct screwdriver also (googling tells me it's called a pentalobe screwdriver), but where's the fun in that?

Once you have the bottom off, the rest is much easier. Disconnect the battery and work your way up to the keyboard. Clean the keyboard once you get there, let it all dry out, and you should be good to go

 

[Girino]

Of course you can buy the correct screwdriver also (googling tells me it's called a pentalobe screwdriver), but where's the fun in that?

I did everything with a Torx screwdriver. I don't know what size you need, as I have a small set (I used it to disassemble old Nokia phones back when I had them).
I don't know where you can buy them here, they are strictly electronic tools, so I don't think the average ferreteria carries them.

However, if you are not practical of computer, don't try to disassemble it yourself. Static is killer and anyway you need to know how to remove stains from circuits.

 

[PhilipDT]

Don't turn it on. Put it in a bag and cover it with rice.

 

[Alicia karr]

So sorry!
Did you try Josh MacDaddy if he's in town?

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Wouldn't Uruguay or even Brazil be cheaper?

 

[Montauk_Project]

Don't turn it on. Put it in a bag and cover it with rice.

please explain how that would help.

 

[sleslie23]

please explain how that would help.

The rice functions as a dehumidifier that sucks the water out of the drowned electronic device. It's far from a sure thing, but it's a common last resort.