EliteMacTechs

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Liquid Damaged Mac Logic Board Repaired with Cleaning

Mac Liquid Damaged Board

Liquid damaged logic board from MacBook Pro

This MacBook Pro logic board sustained some liquid damage. Unfortunately the liquid went all the way through the keyboard and got on the top of the board as well as the bottom. You can see in the pictures the corrosion that is present on this board.

Rice and wait

While the “put in rice” trick does have some very basic merit (it helps dry the device), it should not be the course of action unless you are unable to reach a repair shop. The best course of action is to get the computer to a repair shop that offers professional cleanings on logic boards as quickly as possible. The sooner you get the computer’s logic board removed and cleaned if needed, the better your chance of having the logic board work.

A shop that advertises liquid damage cleaning (like ours) will likely have a ultrasonic cleaner that is used to clean all the corrosion and liquid from the logic board. Ultrasonic cleaners clean every bit of the surface of the board and even help get liquid out from spaces under chips. After a professional cleaning it is important to let the logic board dry completely before testing. This is why our liquid damage cleaning usually takes almost 24 hours.

Mac Liquid Damaged Board

Testing after cleaning

Once the logic board has been dried and cleaned it needs to be tested. For the logic board pictured above, the cleaning is all that was necessary to get the computer back up and running. If the cleaning is not enough to get the liquid damaged Mac back up and running, we have logic board level repair options as well as replacement options available.

Other Liquid Damaged Parts

Often times when the liquid comes into contact with the keyboard it will short over time. Sometimes the keyboard will seem to work perfectly for a time, but after a few days, weeks, or months you may find that a key or two will stop working. Usually the keys that stop working from liquid damage are all in a diagonal row.

Another common issue after liquid damage is the trackpad failing. Usually trackpads will stop working completely, or not track properly (stutter, select things on there own, move the mouse on there own, etc). When a trackpad fails it can usually be replaced without a lot of difficulty. Some models (like the retina MacBook Pro) have the trackpad covered by the battery which has a very strong adhesive holding it down, but it is possible to replace just the trackpad even on those models.

It is very common for the battery to not work properly if liquid comes into contact with the connector or PCB portion of the battery. If we see residue from corrosion on the battery, we recommend replacement as the chance of having a faulty battery are very high at that point.
Mac Liquid Damaged Board

Starting the liquid damage service for your Mac

The first step to getting your Mac repaired is to have a free diagnosis completed on your liquid damaged Mac. We offer a free diagnosis that is completed within 24 hours at our Studio City location in Los Angeles. Learn more about our liquid damage repair services. We even have our liquid damage repair services available nationwide through our mail-in repair program. Just add the liquid damage diagnosis to your cart and checkout to send your computer in for diagnosis.

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MacBook Trackpad Moves On Its Own

Replacement MacBook Pro Trackpad

Failing trackpads can be one of the more mystifying hardware problems on MacBooks. The cursor seems to have a mind of it’s own, clicking things without your input, highlighting text without you even touching the computer, and generally not behaving the way you expect it to. When you are able to move the cursor, it moves in a jerky, jittery crawl across the screen. You might find that plugging an external mouse into your laptop’s USB port helps. You might also find that the weird random clicks and movements seem to infect the USB mouse as well. The failing trackpad sends random signals to your computer, even while you’re using an external mouse. We’ve even seen a failing trackpad delete important files off the desktop. It almost seems like the computer is haunted! Fortunately, you don’t need an exorcist, just a little trip to your local Mac repair shop for a trackpad replacement.

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Black Screen on MacBook Air–Logic Board Issue

Completely dark screen on MacBook Air

Have you turned on your MacBook Air computer and found that the screen was completely black or very dim? Maybe a flashlight held behind the screen shows a faint image of your desktop, and you can hear the computer boot up, everything appears to work just fine–except the screen is dark. This is usually caused by a malfunctioning backlight. We see this issue a lot in our shop. People often come in asking for a LCD or display replacement, thinking the problem is with the screen. In fact, on the MacBook Air models, when the backlight goes out it is almost always a problem with the logic board.

On the 13 inch MacBook Air pictured, we examined the logic board and found liquid damage and corrosion. The screen itself was actually in good working condition, but the logic board needed to be repaired. You can see the telltale green residue in the pictures below:

Corrosion on Logic Board near LVDS Cable

Green colored corrosion on MacBook Air logic board

In a situation like this there are two options for repair:
1. Repair the logic board itself so it is working again, or
2. Replace the damaged logic board with a working logic board.

Due to the high quality of our repairs, the repair option is the one I usually recommend. Our repairs make your board better than a replacement board that has likely had work done at the Apple refurbishing factories. The board repair option is also usually cheaper. Sometimes the repair isn’t cheaper by a lot, but it usually enough to make it worth it.

Board level repairs are time consuming and difficult. They also require us to test the board extensively to make sure we got absolutely everything repaired on the board before giving it back to the client. Therefore, board repairs are generally completed in about 5-7 days after approval.

Sometimes the damage to a logic board is too great to repair. In cases where the board is not repairable, we do not charge any fee for the failed attempt.

Our logic board repair services are available at our Studio City location and also available with our mail-in service. Check out our the logic board repair page for more information.

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Spilled Water on MacBook Air A1465

Here’s an example of liquid damage where the Mac owner did everything right after someone spilled water on her computer. As we talked about before, Rice Isn’t The Answer, the key to saving your laptop after it gets wet is to act quickly. The computer was in our hands within hours of the accidental splashing. Water had spilled on the right side of the keyboard, and the computer shut down immediately. We opened the case and saw the liquid damage evidence below.

Just to recap what to do when your laptop comes into contact with liquid.
1. Unplug it from power and shut down the computer immediately.
2. Try to allow the liquid to exit the way it came in… so if it spilled over the keyboard, open the computer completely and set the keyboard face down on a towel with the display hanging off the edge of the counter. If the liquid entered through the back on the bottom, tilt the computer up so it can stream out the back of the computer the way it came in.
3. If possible unplug the internal battery. This is a very important step, so if you don’t have the tools with you, try to find a repair shop that is open that will at least disconnect the battery right away.
4. Drop it off at a reputable shop for it to be disassembled and checked for how far the liquid got into the computer. If the liquid reached the logic board, be sure to get it ultrasonically cleaned before testing the computer again.

In this case (as you can see), there are fresh droplets of water all over the inside of the 11 inch MacBook Air (model A1465). There are also some dried white marks from residue and the beginnings of corrosion. The first step since the liquid reached the logic board is to take the board out of the computer completely and ultrasonically clean the logic board.

After the logic board was cleaned and everything was completely dry, we began testing different parts of the laptop. Luckily, only the battery was damaged from the moisture. The logic board tested good after cleaning as did the display, wifi card (which we also cleaned), solid state drive, etc. All we had to do was replace the battery and it ran properly again.

The cleaning process generally takes a day as we make sure the board is completely dry before testing. If the board does not test good after cleaning, we recommend our logic board repair service. Our board repair service has a 90% success rate with liquid damaged boards… and we only charge if we are successful!

Macbook Air with drop of water on battery

Inside of MacBook Air with water droplets

LVDS connector on macbook air with visible water

Do you have a liquid damaged Mac that you need help with? We offer liquid damage repair including logic board level repair at our shop in Studio City as well as Nationwide through our Mail-in service.

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Liquid Damage–Why Rice Isn’t the Answer

Many Mac owners know the feeling: you just spilled something–water, tea, coffee, soda, or even wine–on your beloved computer, and now you’re panicking, hoping for the best, and searching for ways to fix it. Maybe your laptop won’t turn on, maybe your keyboard is not working, or your trackpad is malfunctioning, not to mention the annoyance of sticky, coffee-coated keys.

There are a lot of folk remedies online for drying out a laptop. Some people will tell you to use a hair dryer on it, to turn your MacBook upside down and let the water run out, or even to cover the laptop in a big bag of rice. Most of these will just make the problem worse. There’s no type of rice that is absorbent enough to pull moisture out from the inside of a laptop. Plus, you end up with crunchy little rice grains under your keys, in the vents of your computer, and clogging up your ports! There’s a better way to dry out a wet laptop: turn it off and take it to your friendly local repair shop for a proper cleaning and diagnosis. We’ve seen it all and know what to do.

Water, in all its forms, is the enemy of electronics. Liquid damage can cause almost any type of problem with a computer, even months after the spill. Below, you can see an example of corrosion from liquid damage on a logic board. The green spots are from where water has reacted with the metal. There’s also a good amount of dust in there. Depending on where exactly the water lands inside the computer it could cause any number of symptoms. We are able to clean this corrosion off of the insides of your computer and determine if further repairs are needed. Sometimes the cleaning itself is enough to get the Mac back up and running. Sometimes the liquid has caused a short in the keyboard or power supply. Either way, it’s best to get all the residue cleaned up so it doesn’t corrode further. We can tell you how much the computer will cost to fix, and if it’s worth going through with repairs or getting a new computer. We can also recover your valuable data for you.

Green corrosion on logic board

Corrosion visible along top of logic board

In a perfect world, no one would ever accidentally spill on a MacBook, but until then, we’re here to help with our liquid damage repair services.

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EliteMacTechs

409 Ashmun St
Unit 214
Sault Sainte Marie 49783
Phone: (818) 914-2529
Email: info@elitemactechs.com

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