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Dead power button - Can it be fixed with a new keyboard?

I have a late MBP 2011. There was a little bit of water spill on my keyboard. As a result, my power button is dead but all my other keys are fine. Because my power button is dead, I just put my computer on sleep mode because I can't turn it back on if it's shut down. But, if I really need to power it up, I have to open the bottom case, unplug the battery, and plug it back in again to get it to power up again.


Now, I am thinking of repairing my keyboard myself by buying a keyboard from somewhere and installing it. But, I was wondering... why that fix the problem? Because I am not sure if 1) the power button on the keyboard is dead or 2) (I am not sure if this might could be an actual problem ) could it have fried a piece of the logic board that controls the power switch. Is there a way to find out?


If the problem is 2) a piece of the logic board is fried, does this mean even if I replace the keyboard with a new one, I still can't fix the power button?


Thanks

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.0.x)

Posted on Mar 26, 2015 4:30 PM

Reply
16 replies

Mar 28, 2015 11:19 AM in response to spudnuty

Mine is the 15 inch. My logic board actually failed on my in 2013 but Apple agreed to fix it for free after arguing with them.


I took my MBP to the Apple Store a few days ago. They said my logic board is fine after doing some diagnostics and the quote I got to fix the upper case indicates no liquid damage. But, I doubt they actually opened up my computer to check.


User uploaded file

Mar 26, 2015 5:30 PM in response to FatPiggyCanada

"There was a little bit of water spill on my keyboard"

So if you're very lucky the power button is the only part of the keyboard involved. In this situation you'd expect to see other keys start to fail.

Here's a pic of the power button attached to the dual membrane that works the keyboard from a 2011 MBP:

User uploaded file

See the tiny deposited silver traces that carry the signal through the keyboard.


"Now, I am thinking of repairing my keyboard myself by buying a keyboard from somewhere and installing it."

Last one I bought off eBay was $29. Make sure you're buying new. I put a used one in mine and it failed in a few weeks.

" But, I was wondering... why that fix the problem?"

Because the power button is part of the keyboard assembly.

It's unlikely but there is a remote possibility that the keyboard connector got corroded but that would be nearly impossible for just the power trace to be involved w/o involving some other keys. BTW that connector is very difficult to deal with and the clamping socket is very delicate.

"buying a keyboard from somewhere and installing it. "

Ok, firstly you'll have to take the computer completely apart until you just have the display and the top case.

Check iFix it for instructions.

Once you're down to that level you'll have to carefully remove the keyboard backlight membrane. Then remove the 80 or so tiny screws holding in the keyboard. This is what they look like:

User uploaded file

I think they're at least Phillips #000 maybe #0000!

Mar 26, 2015 10:16 PM in response to spudnuty

Thanks for the response and the pictures.


All the other keys are perfectly fine. The water spill happened a little more than a month ago, so I doubt the other keys will suddenly go bad. With that being said, are you saying it is quite certain that only the power button membrane is dead, and a new keyboard is all that is needed to fix this problem? And, most likely the keyboard connector is fine?

Mar 26, 2015 10:48 PM in response to FatPiggyCanada

So it is possible to start the computer w/out the power button because there are power pads on the logic board.

http://www.insidemylaptop.com/turn-on-macbook-pro-laptop-without-power-button-lo cating-power-on-pads/

Try those pads but be very careful to only short those two pads and nothing else.

If it starts that will tell us something.

So swapping the keyboard is very difficult, tedious and fraught w/ pitfalls. Especially that connector to the logic board. It might be possible to use those power pads as an alternate startup path. It would require near micro soldering and tiny, insulated wires leading to the broken power button leads. Dunno if that's possible those leads are very tiny on that membrane and a heavy hand would vaporize the membrane.

A lot of the computer would still have to come apart.


Apples repair for this is to replace the entire top case.

Mar 26, 2015 11:07 PM in response to FatPiggyCanada

"so I doubt the other keys will suddenly go bad. "

Here's a picture of my keyboard membrane from an early 2011 MBP that had a water spill in early 2013. I purchased it cheaply two months after and managed to resurrect the logic board. The keys "sdfghjk" stopped working in late 2013. I used it w/ a BlueTooth keyboard until mid 2014 when I finally replaced the keyboard.

Here's the damage that eventually killed those keys:

User uploaded file

"With that being said, are you saying it is quite certain that only the power button membrane is dead, "

Quite certain, but never guaranteed w/o more testing.

Mar 27, 2015 2:40 PM in response to spudnuty

I was able to power-up the computer by shorting the power pads.


Is the installation of the keyboard difficult because it's tedious and requires a lot of work, or is it difficult because of the potential for a lot of problems to occur? I haven't repaired Macs before but I used to do a little bit of repairing (no soldering though) on my old Dell laptop.


Is there any tests I need to do or should I buy the keyboard?

Mar 27, 2015 3:23 PM in response to FatPiggyCanada

"I was able to power-up the computer by shorting the power pads."

OK, great news. So most likely, given the water spill and it starts from the power pads it's ok just the power button is open (trace corroded and opened up).

So replacing the keyboard should fix your problem.


"Is the installation of the keyboard difficult because it's tedious and requires a lot of work,"

This is true. Since it's a unibody you enter through the bottom and remove everything up to the top case.

Apple will just replace the top case.

Like here in iFixIt:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Late+2011+Upper+Case+Re placement/7665

Top case is $189 here. Just doing the top case is a lot easier.

So I guess we don't know the size of your machine.

"or is it difficult because of the potential for a lot of problems to occur? "

If you're doing just the keyboard then it's the connector to the logic board and all those tiny screws. Also the keyboard backlight is put in w/ an adhesive and that has to be carefully removed. In both cases the major stumbling block can be that connector to the logic board.

"I haven't repaired Macs before but I used to do a little bit of repairing..on my old Dell laptop."

Well Macs are a lot more rewarding to work on!

Mar 27, 2015 5:16 PM in response to FatPiggyCanada

"If I mess up with the adhesive on the keyboard backlight, can that be fixed easily?"

No, because you'd tear it or stick it to itself and that would be a mess. You'll get a chance to get familiar w/ the procedure since you'll be pulling your old one out.

"Top case is $100 more"

I think it's more like $150!

The main danger is that connector. I can walk you through that if you like.

I'm off to a concert so I'll check back later.

Mar 28, 2015 12:18 AM in response to FatPiggyCanada

"Is the backlight adhesive in Step 20 in this tutorial?"

No, that's removing the flex that powers the backlight.

I'll see if I can find it.

Here's a guy trying to do it. He's not especially careful or neat:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcUHva6pw6A

He tears the right side at 1:46 when he's taking it out.

This guy's better:

http://www.insidemylaptop.com/replacing-keyboard-on-macbook-pro-13-inch-late-201 1-laptop/

So backlight is steps 23 - 26.

"And which step is the keyboard connector?"

Step 17. I'll search for more info on how to connect it. Mostly take careful note on how it connected and when you take it apart how deep the flex goes into the connector. I did a post a while back I'll see if I can find it.

"until I actually get the keyboard."

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/macbook-pro-2011-keyboard


So is yours a 13 or 15"?

If the latter are you aware of this?

Apple Recall:

https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

Of course if any of the liquid sensors went off that would void your eligibility for the recall.

Mar 28, 2015 11:56 AM in response to FatPiggyCanada

"They said my logic board is fine after doing some diagnostics"

The test they run is called the ASD. There might be a special video stress test to verify the video problem in this recall. The last time this happened ~ 7 - 8 years ago a Mac Tech friend and I ran a looped ASD on my clients laptop for 4 hours before it finally kicked out an error code. I gave that code to my client and she took to the Apple Store in Chicago and got her logic board replaced for free.

So keep an eye on your logic board while the recall is still in effect for the least hint of the symptoms outlined.

"the quote I got to fix the upper case indicates no liquid damage."

How much?

"But, I doubt they actually opened up my computer to check."

Right, the indicators war quite deep in the MBP:

http://appleinsider.com/articles/08/10/15/inside_the_new_macbooks_lsi_battery_hd _and_ram.html


"Can I just replace my current keyboard with a new one and use my current backlight?"

Yes, can you find a tutorial on that?

Here's the pics of the keyboard flex insertion method:

User uploaded fileUser uploaded file

User uploaded file

Note the depth of insertion both here and when you take your logic board out.

Dead power button - Can it be fixed with a new keyboard?

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