spilled coffee on keyboard of new mac air - is it toast?

Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014

A co-worker spilled coffee on my keyboard (douche), saw the screen flicker and go out and I shut it down immediately. I let it dry out for several days and started it back up. Screen is all black with no change, but I can see the charger cord light up, the keyboard light up and it sounds like it's running (on) and not hurting. It's 3 months old with 3y apple care. I am assuming applecare won't touch an idiotic mistake on the part of the owner's douche co-worker. Any suggestions? 

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 1
    hmmhmm Posts: 3,405member

    There will obviously be some amount of permanent damage if everything occurred as you described. Even if it did turn on again and seemed to behave normally, it would require internal cleaning using something non-conductive like isopropyl, probably 90-100% concentration due to the acidic nature of coffee. You have to be careful with the stuff though. I suspect to get it working as it was pre-spill would require some new internal components. It may be a keyboard and logic board. Apple's repair quotes can vary considerably, so I suggest taking it in there. If Applecare is void, you can cancel it for a partial prorated refund. It's typically the prorated date range minus a smaller fixed amount. I know that isn't encouraging, but I mention it in case you have to mitigate a loss. 

     

    Edit: another question would be whether your credit card company insures you against damage during the first 90-180 days or if you have any insurance that would cover it.

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