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**capngeo** · 11-03-2011, 05:12

I made a major goof and dumped a coffee with cream and sugar in my MacBook Pro! Dabbed 99% of it up, swabbed out the cd drive slot.

Now 2 days later, I have a few keys sticking a bit.... Can I take it apart and flush the keyboard with distilled water then alcohol?

gonesail · 11-03-2011, 06:20

toss it and buy 3 or 4 dells for the price you paid for the mac

**capngeo** · 11-03-2011, 06:26

Not the sort of help I was looking for.

Factor · 11-03-2011, 06:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by gonesail

toss it and buy 3 or 4 dells for the price you paid for the mac

And why would you do that

TaoJones · 11-03-2011, 07:04

I had almost the identical experience with my MacBook, except it was chai, not coffee. At the time, the computer was two+ years old, but I had purchased the extended warranty when I bought it in April '08. I made an appointment at the Apple Store where I made the purchase, primarily to buy a new battery, as the one that came with it was "swollen" and becoming unreliable.

The Genius who helped me when I went in took the computer into the back and was gone a few minutes. When she returned, the computer was sporting a new battery and the keys were no longer sticking. She had opened it up, cleaned it (it's the sugar that causes the sticking) and reassembled it.

When she brought it back out, she showed me how to get into the inside to clean it myself without doing any damage, showed me where it was and how to clean the dust out of the ventilation system that had caused the over-heating that ruined the battery, told me my extended warranty covered the replacement battery and cleaning, and told me thanks for coming in. Total time in-store: 20 minutes; total cost: $0.

Ask me if I like Apple.

(Oh, BTW, I had the most expensive Dell tower computer you could get before I made the switch to the MacBook.

)

TaoJones

nitpik · 11-03-2011, 07:12

Why would anyone with a functioning brain trade in a Mac for a Dell? (Well, maybe if you gave me 10 Dells, then I could flog them on E-Bay and buy a brand new Mac!)

re: the OP - the keyboard should be easy enough to clean - not so sure about the disc drive.

**capngeo** · 11-03-2011, 07:13

Great idea! Never thought of actually not fixing it myself. Unfortunately the nearest Apple Store is 60+ miles away :-(

I wonder if the Geek Squad Guys at Best Buy would fix it up... I can't remember if I bought the extra service plan... I'll check that out

Intentional Drifter · 11-03-2011, 07:56

I suggest that you make an appointment at the nearest Apple store. You can do it on line. The only downside to the Apple stores is that they are not always where you are.

I've had similar experiences with them as Tao. In '07 I bought a Mac mini for the boat and ran it off a slick little 12 volt power supply for it. Unfortunately, the precision board interconnects on the mini couldn't take the bouncing around and would come loose, leading to problems. When I took it in to an Apple store and explained what was happening and where I had it, the Genius told he recommended trading it for a Mac book. In the meantime, Apple had upgraded the machines, so he couldn't trade it even, but made me a deal for a considerably more powerful Mac book for $100 plus my old mini. Easy decision.

About a year after that, the screen on the Mac book started going. I made an appointment at a different store and filled in the box in the form as to the symptoms. When I showed up (they already had the serial number), the Genius immediately told me, before even looking at the machine, they already knew the problem. They had a bad run of screens. "Can you leave it with us and come back in about an hour and a half?" Sure. 90 minutes later, a new screen. Cost: $0.

I don't know that you would the same level of competence or service from BB. But, if you make an appointment with Apple, I'll bet you will use less total time, even with the drive to get there, and have a much better likelihood of a good outcome.

ID

Dogfish · 11-03-2011, 08:14

Or . . .

MacBook Pro Repair - iFixit

But only if you enjoy, and are good at, taking delicate electronic things apart and putting them together again.

**capngeo** · 11-03-2011, 10:46

Got an appt at the Apple store at 11:45 tomorrow! CRAP! Now I have to buy an iPad 2 while I'm there!

easterly38 · 11-03-2011, 13:06

If you can remove the keypad, you're in business. My Mac guy that takes care of us said you need to turn the computer off, remove the battery, then try to start and shutdown the computer a few more times to make sure there is no residual charge. Then remove the keypad and start wiping it down and cleaning with a damp cloth. Once cleaned, make sure it is bone-dry before re-assembling. Either allow it to air dry a few days or use a hair dryer on low, then allow to dry some more just for safety's sake. Don't get the dryer so close as to melt or otherwise damage any parts.