Water spill, mouse is dead. PLEASE HELP

Question

Water spill, mouse is dead. PLEASE HELP

What’s going on?
I recently spilled water on my iBook G4, I shut it down right away, took the battery & keyboard off. Only a very small amount of water got through the keyboard & there was a small amount in the battery compartment. I dried it all & used canned air on the key board. I let it sit for about 5 hours, seemed dry. I put it back together & started it up, everything came on as it should but the mouse is not working. I took the battery & keyboard back out to let sit more. Any ideas of what I can do? Should I tear it down more & look for water? Any & all heap is greatly appreciated.

Message was edited by: LegalizeFreedom

iBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Jan 26, 2010 3:05 PM

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Answer 1

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Jan 26, 2010 5:10 PM in response to LegalizeFreedom

LegalizeFreedom

Welcome to Apple Discussions.

Leave it to air dry out for several days. Using canned air can force moisture and/or dirt into places you don't want it. Avoid using canned air or a blow drier. Open the computer up and lay it fact down on a towel, or partly open and leave it hinge side up, to dry out by itself. Be patient.

I put it back together & started it up, everything came on as it should but the mouse is not working.

Do you mean an external mouse or the trackpad?

😉 cornelius

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Answer 2

Jan 26, 2010 5:47 PM in response to cornelius

Hello,
I will do that tonight.

I meant the trackpad. I plugged in a external mouse & it worked. All I'm thinking right now is that it could have been a lot worse. If I got away with a broken mouse only, I'm a lucky man. Thank you for your input.

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Answer 3

spudnuty

Level 5

7,128 points

Jan 26, 2010 6:21 PM in response to LegalizeFreedom

LF,
To add to Cornelius' post, please keep all power off for a very long time. Especially leave the battery out since even if the iBook is off w/ the battery in there there is power running around in there ( soft start circuit ). Moisture and electricity can corrode the very tiny traces on the logic bord in a very short time.

Only a very small amount of water got through the keyboard & there was a small amount in the battery compartment.

Hmm if the water went through the keyboard and got into the battery compartment that wouldn't be a small amount. However it wouldn't take much. There are chips in there with only 1/10 mm clearance from the logic board to the bottom of the chip. So the water can wick under there and be there for a very very long time. These chips can have hundreds of contacts to the board.
The keyboard itself has a very tiny clearance from the upper contactor membrane to the lower one. I believe the traces on those membranes are electro deposited silver and are easily damaged.
Richard

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