People love to work on their computers or laptop while sipping coffee or their favourite beverage. What if it spills down on the device you are using? Spillage of liquid on your MacBook Pro may cause serious damage to it. It’s not just the keyboard that would get affected but the battery, trackpad, display, logic board, microphone, camera, input ports/slots, speakers etc are some other parts that are at high risk. However, it the seriousness of the risk to the other parts totally depends on the quantity of the liquid spillage. The MacBook Pro repair prices might be high if the device is not under warranty or any kind of insurance.
The MacBook Pro liquid damage is not that easy to repair. Sometimes a few drops of water can cause major issues demanding lots of expertise and tools to fix it. “Remember, there are many components in modern MacBooks that can be damaged by any liquid spill. So if someone advises you to dry or clean it with alcohol, please do not try it yourself.”
Here are a few tips you can follow to save some money on the MacBook Pro repair prices for the damage caused by liquid spill;
1. Shut it Down Immediately
To avoid any serious damage due to sudden spillage of water while using your MacBook Pro, the very first thing you need to do is shut it down. Quickly press the power button for five seconds or more until it turns off. Once the power is off, avoid touching the button again otherwise it might get started again. Do not think about any unsaved data or documents. Your MacBook and the data inside will be safe as soon as you turn the power off.
2. Power Button Not Working? Try ALTERNATES
If you are not able to shut down the MacBook Pro by pressing the power button, it clearly means that the keyboard is already damaged and stopped taking any commands. Don’t worry. You still have other options to shut it down the Mac.
Quickly grab some tissues/napkins to absorb the liquid on the surface of Mac’s keyboard, touchpad and screen. After wiping it out quickly close the lid so that the hardware-level sleep sensor gets activated effectively. The logic board will cut off the power to CPU, screen SSD Drive and other supporting circuits as soon as it receives the sleep sensor signal.
The MacBook Pro will enter in shallow sleep mode where all the memory chips will be receiving the power. Keeping the lid closed for a while will make the MacBook enter into deep sleep mode and the logic board will stop providing the power to the memory chips. Do not open the lid again or it will power up the Mac and that might cause more harm.
3. Remove the Charger Quickly
Unplugging the charger will turn off the logic board’s charging circuit. However, the power to the CPU and other components still remains on through internal battery until you shut down the Mac. Unplug the charger safely from the main socket too as it’s not safe to keep the charger connected after the water spillage. It might be safe to touch the MacBook but avoid touching the charger. You might get an electric shock.
4. Remove the Battery & Any Other Connected Peripherals
Any USB or other peripheral connected to the MacBook Pro must be removed quickly without wasting any time. Turn over the Mac to remove the battery. To open the case cover, you can use a pentagon or a Phillip screwdriver as per the screw design. Remove the battery connector from the logic board, you can use your fingernail or a plastic stick.
Note: Do not use a metal screwdriver to remove battery connector or it might short circuit the battery or it will send a 12V battery power directly to the System Management Controller (SMC) causing serious damage to it.
5. Block the Water From Dripping Into the Vent Holes
The vents holes that are positioned between the screen and keyboard are designed to transfer the heat out of the logic board. It’s very important to protect the logic board to minimise the damage. You can use a towel to absorb the remaining water over the keyboard, touchpad or screen. Do not wipe instead you can gently press or tap with a dry towel.
6. Draining the Excessive Water
For this, you can place your MacBook at the edge of a table by opening the lid at an angle of 90 degrees. Place it with the screen facing down to the table and keyboard hanging over the edge.
There’s one more method, placing the MacBook in tent-like position. But it’s not appropriate for the MacBook with retina display. Apple has introduced the retina display in the MacBook Pro models after 2013 to make the screens little thin, light and maximise the viewable section. And for this, the bulky aluminium frame and protective glass have been removed. These new retina displays are not water-resistant.
7. Reach the Experts For Repair As Soon As Possible
Try reaching out to the technicians that are well experienced and professional. Do check the review and rating of the repair shop before you approach them. If the damage is major, the repair might be a bit expensive. But following the above tips before you call the experts for help will definitely save you a few bucks on MacBook Pro repair prices.