MacBook Pro still works after water damage

Question

MacBook Pro still works after water damage

About a year ago I spilled water on my MacBook Pro. I did everything right, shut it down, dried up visible water, turned it over so water wouldn't go further in. I waited a while before I tried to turn it on again, and to my amazement, I heard the startup sound. But the screen stayed black. I plugged in an external screen and voila! my desktop popped up! So what I'm trying to say is that my MacBook still works, I just need to keep it plugged into an external screen. I guess what I'm asking is can anybody help me figure out the problem? I gave in to friends' advice, (knowing it wouldn't work), and replaced the screen to no avail. I'm guessing it has to be a fried circuit board or something. Can that be replaced? I recently installed OS X Yosemite Beta and everything is running smoothly. It's a MacBook Pro 13-inch, Mid 2010. Sorry if this was too long, or maybe not enough information? It's my first time on here. If you need more information just ask. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2010), Other OS

Posted on Oct 7, 2014 6:02 PM

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Answer 1

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

Oct 7, 2014 11:26 PM in response to Cris' Bizness

OK that's mostly good news.

So run through the following diagnostic:

You have tried to toggle the brightness keys? F1 & F2?

Try resetting SMC:

Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

Reset PRAM:

OS X Mountain Lion: Reset your computer’s PRAM

Now look at this take apart:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Mid+2010+LCD+Replacemen t/4311

So you will do everything in steps 1 through 3. Then skip ahead to step 8 where you'll pull the LVDS display connector. Carefully step through those 3 pictures at the top of step 8.

NOTE!! iFixIt shows you just pulling that cable out w/ the tab. It might be that there is a locking bar on that connector. You can see it in the second picture on step 8. It's that rectangular thing on the end of the cable. Make ABSOLUTELY sure that that locking bar is lifted off the connector body (gold rectangle on the logic board) . Don't force it or you'll rip that connector off the logic board.

Examine that connector with very high magnification. See any corrosion? It would be white or green. If yes clean those connectors. I use a sharpened Japanese toothpick or a very finely sharpened hardwood sliver. No metal points, pins etc. unless you're extremely careful. Don't damage that connector.

Sometimes just pulling and reattaching that connector a number of times will clean the contacts enough so that they'll work.

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Answer 2

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

Oct 7, 2014 8:43 PM in response to Cris' Bizness

Well my standard response to any liquid on/in a laptop is to immediately shut it down and pull the battery connector. Then you need to open it up (Newer models would have required that to unplug the battery.) and evaluate how much water got onto the logic board.

If the amount is tiny, you can blow any found water with dry compressed air and then dry with a hair dryer. This can take hours.

If the amount is large, also blow with compressed air and dry in a special drying oven. That can take days.

If the liquid is something other than water the logic board has to come out and the entire board rinsed/soaked in deionized water.

Then the blowing and the oven.

It would seem in your case something went wrong with either the video cable or the backlight cable. Use a flashlight to look carefully at the display while it's running.

See anything?

Yes, backlight problem. Either cable, inverter or hmm I'd have to look.

No, video cable problem. The graphics chip seems ok since it will drive an external display.

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Answer 3

Oct 7, 2014 9:22 PM in response to spudnuty

Thank you so much for the quick response! It is definitely a backlight problem. I did what you said, shined the flashlight at it, and I can see the desktop. Now the next thing is, if you don't mind, can I fix this my self? Or do I need to take it to a specialist? I am a bit tech savvy, I'm not a newb or anything. But is this a problem that only Apple or a computer specialist can repair? Again thanks so much, now I finally can sleep knowing what's wrong with my MacBook.

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