Soda spilled on the keyboard. Urgh.....

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ThinkPadNewbie · #1 Post by **ThinkPadNewbie** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 1:43 pm

I got soda (lemonade) spilled on the keyboard. I wiped it off and it was okay. But, later on I found a few keys were really really sticky. I have to press really hard to type, including the space bar. Shoot...

Anybody can tell me what I can do to clean the keyboard up thoroughly? I would really appreciate it your help. Thanks a lot!

atlacatl · #2 Post by **atlacatl** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 2:05 pm

If you don't have the accidental IBM warranty, just plain buy a new keyboard - I don't believe they are that expesive...

Sorry to hear about your spill...

PS. I doubt rinsing the keyboard with water would fix it - I'm not electrical engineer, so I coudn't tell if water damages electronic circuits - Some say (around here) that it doesn't - I'd play it on the caution side, and not trhough water in there...Of course, you'd remove the keybaord before rising...

#3 Post by **jdhurst** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 2:25 pm

This is one of those "Nothing venture, nothing gained" situations. Assuming, as you say, soda only got on the keyboard and nothing else, then consider removing the keyboard (really easy), and then gently washing it with very clean or distilled water. I think you will have to flow the water over the keys to get underneath and rinse it all thoroughly. Allow to dry thoroughly. Then reinstall and test.

If it fails to work, you may have to buy a new keyboard. It may be best to do that, and clean up the old one as a spare.

... JDHurst

awolfe63 · #4 Post by **awolfe63** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 2:46 pm

Since the soda has sugar - you want to dissolve it. Use water between 120-160 degrees F. and use lots of it - then let it dry thouroughly - I would suggest a good 48 hours.

You did get the part about removing the keyboard from the computer first - right....

ThinkPadNewbie · #5 Post by **ThinkPadNewbie** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 3:08 pm

Thank you so much for your replies. I will try to uninstall it, rinse it, dry it and reinstall it.

As for the accidental warranty, how can I check out if I have one? (I got this computer in this July and it comes with three-year warranty.)

Leon · #6 Post by **Leon** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 3:17 pm

if you didn't ask for it separately, you probably don't have it. However, you can input your serial number on the IBM site to check for sure (or call them).

awolfe63 · #7 Post by **awolfe63** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 3:54 pm

BTW - keyboard removal instructions are at:

http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.ws ... MIGR-46464

Matt · #8 Post by **Matt** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 10:40 pm

And if it's still under warranty, just call IBM and tell em a key stopped working or something. They don't have you send defective keyboards back, they just send you a new one.

Not that I'd ever do such a thing!

atlacatl · #9 Post by **atlacatl** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 12:09 am

FYI, I had a key go bad on me and I did get a new keybaoard. However, IBM got me to sent the old one back...

matyst · #10 Post by **matyst** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:28 am

I had to send mine back too.

Nabeel · #11 Post by **Nabeel** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:13 pm

I didnt' have to send mine back
They sent me the wrong language version at first.
I didn't have to send that one back either.

T41mbi · #12 Post by **T41mbi** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 3:14 am

just call IBM and say that the key letters on your keyboard are wipping off and your finding it difficult to see what letters are what... they will send you a new keyboard for free

#13 Post by **BillMorrow** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:52 am

last resort, call and fib about the keyboard..

why abuse ibm when you screwed up..

lesson of life:
don't spill stuff on expensive electronics, esp. thinkpads..

you can wash under each key by removing the keytop very carefully and use a q-tip with alcohol, soap and H2o to clean the mechanism..

i would only lie about the keyboard as a last desperate measure..

kchung · #14 Post by **kchung** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 12:01 pm

As a PC Desktop tech where working on thinkpads is "my life", did you make sure that none of the soda got inside the unit? I've had cases where the employee insisted that none got inside. I had one system that we thought was okay and it turned out just a tiny bit of water got into the hard drive area and some how got into that metal shield that covers the the controller board and shorted it.

So I recommend you take off the keyboard, take the ultrabay device out and remove the hard drive. Examine everything closely and if you see any moisture or stains, tread very carefully.

In fact, I would go so far as to recommend that you go ahead and remove the 4 philips screws that hold the shield on to the hard drive and MAKE sure that no liquid is there.

-Kevin

Soda spilled on the keyboard. Urgh.....

Soda spilled on the keyboard. Urgh.....

Many thanks!

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