T42 HW damage

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079waldo · #1 Post by **079waldo** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:49 am

I recently spilled Kool-aid under my T42. It ran like a wave against the side where the USB ports are and also under it. I picked it up, dried it off. I am able to start my computer but after several minutes it reboots, either 100% or the screen turns to black with different colors on it. sometimes it reboots and just hangs. I have seen a Blue Screen shortly which refers to ATIxxxx or something similar.

I decided to take my T42 apart and try and see if any Kool-aid was inside. Found only small traces of it so I cleaned them up. Again, same problem.

I then decidd to see if I could make a backup. Attached my external USB harddrive and was able to make a backup. The backup ran over 1-1/2 hours without rebooting. So, looks like when I attach something to the USB that requires power, my computer doesn't reboot. --> Strange!

Does anyone have an idea as to where to proceed next to try and find out where the problem lies. It appears that it doesn't overheat when a USB decide larger than a memory stick is attached. I checked the cooling fan and it works fine.

Any idea would be helpful because to have Lenovo look at it is equivalent to buying a new cheap notebook and I like my T42. It's awesome.

Waldo

#2 Post by **jdhurst** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:33 am

Kool-Aid contains lots of sugar and that is really bad news. You may be screwed, but someone vastly more knowledgeable than myself might have an answer.

I do know this: For a circuit board outside of any machine with sugar on the circuit board, the best attempt would be to wash it (carefully) with water (and a wee bit of detergent), rinse very well, and then allow to fully air dry. I have successfully washed electronic boards before.

Whether you could do this by dissassembling your T4x, I do not know - never tried it.
... JDH

#3 Post by **richk** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:26 pm

No detergent. Do this ASAP. Take the board out. Remove CPU and memory. Flush with warm distilled water a couple of times. Flush with denatured alcohol. Let it dry overnight. Turn your oven on to its lowest setting (80C or 175F?) Bake 30 minutes. Let it cool. Pray to whatever or whoever you choose.

#4 Post by **jdhurst** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:38 pm

Thanks richk,

The point of a wee (tiny) amount of detergent is that it is a wetting agent. And it needs to be rinsed off, which I pointed out.

However, I respect your advice. So to the OP, if you are going to use just water, then rinse *very* well, because boards get dusty with some grime, and the dust and grime holds the sugar. If you know what you are doing and work exceedingly carefully, you can vacuum first, and then use a small brush while rinsing.
... JDH

079waldo · #5 Post by **079waldo** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:27 am

Hey guys,

Thanks for the quick replies.

As they say "No risk, no fun" !

I had the system board out already, cleaned what kool-aid I could find.

What interests me is why the machine works if I attach an external USB harddrive.

Any clues?

#6 Post by **jdhurst** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:49 am

079waldo wrote:<snip>
What interests me is why the machine works if I attach an external USB harddrive. Any clues?

Probably something along the lines of a false circuit made by the sugar, dust and grime that potentially took out another circuit, with a bypass caused by connecting the USB harddrive.

I mean, who knows? But, it does not take much to make a wrong electrical path creating a false circuit.
... JDH

#7 Post by **richk** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:48 pm

I meant to comment on the detergent. I am not an expert and have not done a study, but this is what I think. Detergent lowers the surface tension of water, which is why it will get into little places better than water. (wetting agent) However, it is really hard to get rid of, because the liquid used for rinsing (water or alcohol) won't get into all the places where the detergent got. The detergent leaves a residue, which interferes with contacts. If you spill a water based liquid (soda, kool aid, coffee), you only need to clean out places that the water-based contaminant got to. As far as why it works differently with USB item attached, when you short out circuits on a board, it becomes flakey. (That's a technical term

)

079waldo · #8 Post by **079waldo** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 9:07 am

Thank you everyone for your comments.

It worked !

Rinsed with hot/warm water.
Rinsed with Alcohol.
Baked in oven at 50 degrees (C) for 30 minutes.

Works like a dream !

sjthinkpader · #9 Post by **sjthinkpader** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:06 am

richk wrote:I meant to comment on the detergent. I am not an expert and have not done a study, but this is what I think. Detergent lowers the surface tension of water, which is why it will get into little places better than water. ...

Detergent in electronics is called saponifier. They are used to clean circuit boards but must be dried. I would use alcohol or other spray cleaner.

An A21m with coffee spill was cleaned with alcohol and still working today.

T42 HW damage

T42 HW damage

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