Pepsi in laptop keyboard....

[rockyridgefarm]

Ok, the boss's brand new $2000 Sony Vaio has had a pepsi episode... If it were a desktop pc, I'd throw the keyboard away...

Anybody have any luck cleaning a notebook keyboard?

 

[DaveNay]

I have had the (unfortunate) experience of taking a laptop apart. Luckily it was just to see what was inside an old broken one. My opinion would be to take it to an authorized service center, and have them clean it. There are many many many small and fragile parts inside a laptop, and they are very easy to damage.

Dave

P.S. Is this "The Boss" who authorizes your paycheck, or "The Boss" woman who cooks your dinner and approves your tool purchases? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[jwstewar]

What I did with my Toshiba was did a search on the Internet. Found a place that sold the keyboards pretty reasonable and replaced it. Don't ask me where, I don't remember it was about 2 years ago. But I do remember the keyboard only cost about $40. A lot cheaper than a new laptop.

If you are adventuresome something else you could do, would be to take just the keyboard out and wash it in the sink. Let it dry for 3 or 4 days and put it back in. What is the worst that can happen? The keyboard doesn't work anymore and you have to buy a new one? You are already there. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif BTW, I have done this with desktop keyboards with a pretty good success rate.

 

[GerardC]

Sounds like you got yourself in a pretty sticky situation /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif! Sorry, couldn't resist.

I agree with taking it to a service center. Let those who know take care of it. G

 

[cowboydoc]

You can replace just the keyboard part? I spilled water on one of mine at the office and have just been using an external keyboard since. When I called IBM to have it fixed it they quoted me $500.

 

[Bird]

In early 1993, I bought a new IBM desktop computer and had it less than a month before I knocked over a glass of wine into the keyboard. Since I'd never seen the inside of one before, I took it apart (100 plus tiny springs went every direction in the motorhome, but I finally found all of them), cleaned it and put it back together. It didn't work. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif So I called IBM and a very nice person there just laughed about it and told me not to do that anymore, and sent a new keyboard at no cost. However, before the new keyboard arrived, I took the old one apart again and moved a couple of springs and put it back together again and it worked. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[DannyD]

The computer I am working on right now is just back from the shop, Toshiba. If the computer is still working at all, feel very lucky. Liquid on a mother board is 99% of the time a great excuse to get a new computer.

Consider yourself lucky if only the keyboard is bad

 

[JDgreen227]

This topic reminds me of the episode of "Judge Judy" that was on tv about two weeks ago, a girl student admitted she accidentally spilled beer on a fellow student's laptop computer in the college dorm they both resided in. Although the PC was obviously repairable, the kind judge awarded the guy $1700 for the purpose of buying a replacement computer.

I'm much more careful around our two laptops after seeing that program !!

 

[PineRidge]

Wow a $1700.00 beer, I wonder if it was imported. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[jwstewar]

Yep, at least it was on my Toshiba. I took part of the case off around the keyboard. Didn't have to remove the screen or anything. Took a couple of screws out and the keyboard lifted right up. Unplugged a ribbon type cable and out it came. I think it took all of 10 minutes and most of that was just looking to see what I was missing because I couldn't believe it was that easy. I actually did this twice after my kids spilled pop/juice in mine. After cleaning I was still having a problem with one character, so I decided to just order another a new keyboard. Figured I was out of luck or would have to go back to Toshiba and pay big $. Like I said earlier, found it on the net for $40. Unfortunately I had the same problem with the same key. Later had to do a reinstall of Windows and that solved the problem. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif So I have a replacement keyboard for my laptop. Though now it is time for a new laptop. The AMD K6-2 333 isn't cutting it anymore.

I just found this on Google:

IBM Thinkpad Keyboards

Another:
More IBM Thinkpad Keyboards

I know nothing about these places, but at least it is a start.


Wow, now that I found it, I think this is where I got mine from a couple of years ago:
LaptopsforLess

If I remember right, took 3 or 4 days to get it, wow prices have really gone up since I bought mine. That is really unusual in the computer world.