| Author |
Spilt soda in my computer
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| clb828 2004-12-01, 3:31 pm |
| I spilt soda into my computer (Sotec) that I got for Christmas about 2 years ago I think it was. This happened a while ago, toward the beginning of school. Everything runs fine accept that the keyboard is defective, most people tell me that I got off lucky. But although my dad works at Honeywell and has great skill in computers, he hasn't tried to fix my computer yet. I decided to mess around with it today and I don't have any slight clue as what to do. I am also pretty good with computers (although you may not think so, considering I spilt soda in mine) and I don't know if I can do this myself but I think that with your help, maybe my dad can? On the keyboard, some of the keys work but alot of them if you press say the u key, on the screen it shows up as u7 and if you press 8 it shows up as 89, and 9 as 89 also. So, I can't get into my password proteted ID since I have XP. I tried taking the keys off and cleaning it but that didn't work too well, but you never know I didn't try very hard. Does anybody have any solutions to this problem? Also, when I plug the AC Adapter in you have to push it in and hold it in very hard to actually make it work. (This happened quite some time before the soda got in it)How could I fix this or how could it have happened? | |
| curiousgeorge 2004-12-01, 3:38 pm |
| Just buy a new keyboard for $10 - 15 at the local computer store.
As far as your AC adapter...
AC adapter for what? | |
| clb828 2004-12-01, 3:45 pm |
| Wow that relieves me... I just hope that it will work and that my dad will be up to fixing it.
Sorry, I meant whatever its called that you plug into for power. I'm not very good with technical terms. | |
| yanqui 2004-12-01, 5:39 pm |
| I have taken the keys off my keyboard and cleaned under them. I also have one book that says that you can run the keyboard through the dishwasher with no soap, and that you can use the sink sprayer on it. Just let it dry really well before you plug it back in.
AND!!! Make sure the computer is turned off before you disconnect the keyboard!!!!!
Keyboards and mice are about the cheapest things you buy for the unit, but I still don't replace anything I can fix, especially if the "fix" is a good cleaning. | |
| yanqui 2004-12-01, 5:42 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by clb828
Wow that relieves me... I just hope that it will work and that my dad will be up to fixing it.
Besides the keyboard, what needs "fixing?"
quote:
Sorry, I meant whatever its called that you plug into for power. I'm not very good with technical terms.
I get that in some of the outlets in my house--it's probably not so much the plug as the outlet. | |
| clb828 2004-12-01, 6:15 pm |
| I'm thinking of getting a replacement keyboard depending on the cost of it, but if I can't I'll try the cleaning option.
The outlet has nothing to do with why the adapter doesn't work. I have plugged my notebook into many outlets of my house and it happens everywhere. My dad thinks that it could just be the cable itself, if not he said he would check out the jack on it.
Thanks for your help. | |
| yanqui 2004-12-01, 6:21 pm |
| keep us posted as to how it works out. | |
| clb828 2004-12-01, 8:06 pm |
| I will, my dad is thinking of sending it in as for 2 of the jacks are both broken (that I didn't do, and it should be covered under warranty) and maybe they'll just replace the whole thing if they think it's the motherboard. He says if that doesn't work and they discover the soda inside of it that we'll see how much it'll cost to get it replaced and go from there. I'm hoping this happens because then I can stop asking for a new computer for christmas. | |
| curiousgeorge 2004-12-06, 12:58 pm |
| Are you talking about a desktop or a laptop?
I thought you meant a desktop keyboard.
If it's a laptop, you're screwed. Although I've taken laptops apart and replaced keyboards and laptop screens, it's very hard to know what parts you can be rough with and which ones are delicate.
You're at the mercy of the manufacturer at this point. Guaranteed they won't replace anything under warranty if they see the spilled soda in the computer.
Sorry for the bad news. | |
| clb828 2004-12-06, 5:37 pm |
| Oh... yea my dad said that they probably wouldn't cover it under warranty considering there's soda split in it. He's really afraid to take the computer apart (even though hes like... made computers before) So, hes thinking of just sending the computer in for some parts that were covered under the warranty, and maybe they'll just replace the computer or something because they think its the motherboard. I don't know what he's talking about. If that doesn't work, we're probably just going to pay the $ to get it fixed. | |
| yanqui 2004-12-06, 5:43 pm |
| I don't even think it could be repaired, if there's sticky syrupy soda inside of it. Have you ever seen a motherboard? Can you imagine what it would take to clean that up? Even if it would be possible to guarantee that you could get it all out of there, it would be so not worth the effort of doing it, the price of a new mobo notwithstanding.
I hate to say it, but it looks like you learned a very pricey lesson. | |
| clb828 2004-12-06, 8:22 pm |
| No... I haven't seen a motherboard. And we wouldn't be the ones cleaning it up so... yea. It didnt get on much, the computer runs fine, its just some of the keys that are screwed up. I e-mailed sotec but there was "mail delivery failure", but we're probably going to call them soon. | |
| ImaCheezit 2004-12-10, 12:51 pm |
| Yeah, just throw your keyboard in the dishwasher, I've done it before with no ill effects, and go buy a motherboard if your warranty is up, takes a whole 15 minute of work to put a new one in, then you don't have to pay the outrageous fees. | |
| yanqui 2004-12-10, 1:00 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by ImaCheezit
Yeah, just throw your keyboard in the dishwasher, I've done it before with no ill effects, and go buy a motherboard if your warranty is up, takes a whole 15 minute of work to put a new one in, then you don't have to pay the outrageous fees.
The problem with that solution, though, is that I think we've established that this is a laptop. Thus, throwing the keyboard in the dishwasher is NOT a wise idea unless you're very adventurous and very wealthy.
You might try this, though, take a q-tip and moisten the tip with alcohol--moisten, not drench. And I mean rubbing alcohol, not JIm Beam. And if it's dripping, it's too wet. Just barely moisten it, and with the laptop turned OFF and UNPLUGGED, run that moistened q-tip between the 8 and 9 keys; it may loosen up that syrup that's sticking them.
It's worth a try on something that's otherwise on its way to the shop. | |
| yanqui 2004-12-10, 1:05 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by clb828
No... I haven't seen a motherboard.
go to google and type in "motherboard" and you'll see why you never want soda spilled on one. | |
| TheShadow 2004-12-10, 8:45 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by yanqui
It's worth a try on something that's otherwise on its way to the shop.
Remember keyboards on laptops are removable and attach to the system normally with a mylar ribbon cable. Open a pc keyboard and the cheap ones attach the same way internally. The shop just has someone that knows how to remove the keyboard for a rinse down or a replacement to get him running and they will rinse down the old one to use as a spare.  | |
| Joelacrane 2004-12-16, 1:09 pm |
| try plugging an external keyboard into it. If it works fine, then you will know that it is only your keyboard that is bad. If it doesn't seem to work better though, you'll know that it is the motherboard that is bad.
most parts in laptops are replacible unless it is a very very old and obscure model.
I feel your pain! I left my Compaq Armada 4220T sitting on my bed idle one day, only to come back an hour later to find it completely dead! Ended up selling it on ebay... never could figure out what was wrong with it | |
| fwuffydragon 2004-12-29, 12:37 pm |
| Well I'm not "really" a tecchie but I have prised both desktop and laptop keys off (GENTLY!) and put them in the washbasin and scrubbed them with a toothbrush and dried them off and put them back on again, with no ill effects.
Just make sure they're completely dried off AND that you put them back IN THE RIGHT PLACES ... that's always a dead giveaway!
The airing cupboard is always a good place to put them - in an open-topped box so you don't lose them!
Once you've got all the keys off you could do the q-tip thing on the whole of the keyboard base, which may be more effective.
Good luck! | |
| corndog 2005-01-04, 11:46 pm |
| at work i have used alchohol to clean motherboards. not just a little bit, i mean drenched. the alchohol bottles i use are about 10 fl oz and ive used the entire amount to clean a mb. remove the cpu and make sure you use canned air to dry the mb thoroughly. do NOT use alchohol with water in it like what you may find at the grocery store otherwise youre likely to corrode your mb. an acid brush with the bristles cut back is great for scrubbing but im sure a toothbrush would work fine. |
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