Liquid Damage --- Can I fix myself?

[Diablevert]

Hello --

I have a G4 Powerbook, 15 inch, that my mom accidentally knocked a full glass of Coke onto. I immediately yanked the plug, flipped it over, took the battery out, and tried to drain as much liquid out as I could. It's been drying for a few days now. I have not attempted to turn it on since the accident. The computer was on at the time.

Liquid damage is voids the warrenty, so my Apple Care's no good to me. I took it in to the store to see what they'd say anyway; they said they could send it out for me, but best case scenario in that instance was that it would cost me several hundred dollars for the repair, and worst case the Apple techs would judge it totalled and not worth fixing (it's about 3 years old), and charge me $100 bucks for the shipping and diagnosis. They gave me some names of local Apple Service Providers.

My problem is this: I'm finishing up grad school and looking for a job at the moment, and I do not much cash to spare. I've called around to the local techs, and I've heard quotes of about $50 to take in in and have a look just to see whether it's fixable.

From what I can tell from researching on the web, the best bet to salvage the machine is to take it apart and clean the coke off the components with distilled water, otherwise they'll inevitably corrode, and might well short the thing out the first time I try to turn it on.

I figure having a technician spend several hours taking the thing apart and rinsing it off might cost me several hundred bucks, and as it still might not work after that, I'm not sure I'm willing to spend the money --- it might be better just to save up for a new machine and get the data transferred when I've got one.

So my question is, is it worth trying to take it apart and clean it myself? I'm not trained as a technician. But the warrenty is void at this point anyway, so it doesn't seem like I have much to lose. The spill was pretty major --- the keys, now dry, are quite sticky to the touch --- and I have the sinking feeling that if I just turn it on without cleaning it it'll be fried. Is taking the thing apart and putting it back together so complicated it ought not to be attempted without training? Where could I find documentation of what the inside ought to look like? If I open it up, would it be obvious if, say, the motherboard needed replacing? And what are the chances of wrecking the hard drive if I attempt this? Above all things, I'd at least like to keep the data if I can.

Thanks for any help or info you can provide.

Cheers,
C.

P.S. I should note that this is not the Powebook with the tabbed keyboard for easy removal. This is the one with the fiddly illuminated keys.

[simbalala]

You can try, nothing to lose. You'll probably have to buy a new keyboard though unless you can rinse it really well. Don't be afraid to get circuit boards wet, they'll dry out just fine. If you're lucky and you were quick enough most of the Coke stayed in the keyboard.

Have a look at http://ifixit.com for take-apart instructions and parts.

Edit: The hard drive is almost certainly OK, you can always buy an external housing and put it in there.

I'd not be afraid to use tap water and dishwashing liquid to wash things then rinse with distilled water. I've been through and worked in electronics factories and you'd by surprised at the washing that is sometimes used.

[eric2006]

The frying of circuits happens when it has power, so if it was spilled on but had a battery in it or was connected to power, it may already be toast.

[simbalala]

Originally Posted by eric2006

The frying of circuits happens when it has power, so if it was spilled on but had a battery in it or was connected to power, it may already be toast.

I doubt it. Most of the damage will be to the keyboard. The voltages in the machine are not so high that liquids will cause a lot of short circuiting.

[Satcomer]

This will take a while so be patient. Turn the Mac upside down and leave it that way for 2 weeks to let all the moisture dry out. Then try to start it up. Hopefully the sugar in the cola didn't make a cross connection on the circuit board.

Letting it dry for a couple of weeks has helped numerous liquid spills on laptops according to some techs I know. They say the real trick is letting dry for at least two weeks before putting any power to it.

[Giaguara]

Coke is worse than e.g. tea or (sugarless) coffee.
It will be worth trying - depending on how valuable the contents and your time are. Nothing to lose.