Newcastle Brown Ale on a T23

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Buptink · #1 Post by **Buptink** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 1:44 pm

Hi folks - I spilled about 3 ounces of brown ale on my T23. I shut it down, unplugged it, took out the battery, turned it over and aimed a hair dryer at it on low for a few minutes. It wouldn't start up. So I left it outside in the sun for a few days and now it starts up but won't stay on. It seemed to be doing okay until I touched the trackpoint. It turned itself off. It starts back up nicely but when I touch the keyboard or trackpoint it turns off. It has a beep code but the code isn't in the manual. Two quick beeps followed by one long beep. I assume I need to deep clean the keyboard. I have never taken a laptop apart before and the manual http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc ... 2p9631.pdf seems a bit vague although I believe I can follow it. I'm wondering if I should concentrate on the keyboard or if I should learn to take it completely apart? Thank you for your help.

Website · #2 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 4:18 pm

I would try removing the keyboard and see if there is any residue that might be causing problems. Since it wasn't just water, there is most likely some residue there. Touching the keyboard might be enough pressure to cause the residue to short something out. (picture crystallized sugar filling the gaps)

Buptink · #3 Post by **Buptink** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 4:32 pm

Hi and thank you for your advice. Do I clean off the residue with q-tips dipped in rubbing alcohol? I'm a bit nervous about taking it apart but I'm ready. Do you think that manual is the best one to follow? I would like a more detailed one. The machine is working but the mouse arrow keeps moving by itself in a perfectly straight diagonal line from NE to SW. I tried an external mouse and it does the same thing. I'll wait until I have time this weekend to open it up.

Buptink · #4 Post by **Buptink** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 2:04 pm

It was great fun to learn about the inside of my T23. I took out the hard drive and the dvd player, etc. Now I have the keyboard free. My question is, what's the best thing to do now? Soak it overnight in distilled water? I read somewhere that people actually put their keyboards in the dishwasher for a cycle without soap. How long do you think I need to let it dry? Thank you in advance for your advice.

sjthinkpader · #5 Post by **sjthinkpader** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 4:42 pm

Remove the motherboard from the housing and clean it thoroughly.

Soap and water should be good it you dry it fairly quickly. The word for soap in the electronic world is saponifier. Last time this happened I used spray contact cleaner. Rubbing alcohol can be used also. Then dry it under the sun.

Buptink · #6 Post by **Buptink** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 5:23 pm

Thank you for your help. I looked at the manual's directions for removing the motherboard and that job is a lot bigger than removing the keyboard. I can see the motherboard and it looks perfect. I can't see any dried brown ale residue which was easy to see on the keys and my desk. There was even some dust on the motherboard. Are you thinking I need to clean the motherboard because of the startup beeps? It starts up and runs fine until I touch the keyboard. Thanks again for your advice.

#7 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 6:00 pm

What a terrible waste of that Newcastle Brown Ale!

#8 Post by **Harryc** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 6:07 pm

Yeah, if it was Guinness nobody would have cared ...

#9 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 7:25 pm

Yeah, Harry, RUN for your life!
If that had been American Bud, they would have accused the cat to pee on that laptop!

Buptink · #10 Post by **Buptink** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 7:31 pm

Haha! Well, it was only a couple three ounces. You know I got this cool T23 from you, RealBlackStuff.

We have two of them and I suppose it was time for me to learn how to fix them.

I'm going to wait and see if the distilled water soak of the keyboard might get it running nice again before I attempt the busy and bold task of removing the motherboard. I've got it drying on top of this CRT monitor now, nice and toasty.

Anybody ever heard of two quick beeps followed by a long beep on startup? Good day, folks.

#11 Post by **Harryc** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 7:38 pm

RealBlackStuff wrote:If that had been American Bud, they would have accused the cat to pee on that laptop!

That I agree with. Always hated Bud...more like camel pee than cat though

.

#12 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 6:02 am

You mean the 2647-9SU?
Try the keyboard from your other T23, before you take things apart any further.
Also take a VERY close look (with a magnifier) at the keyboard connector on the mobo.
Blow it out with compressed air, if you have that.

Check these beep-codes: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 46018.html

Buptink · #13 Post by **Buptink** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 6:26 am

Yes sir, it's the 2647-9SU.

I let the keyboard continue drying on top of this computer monitor all night. This morning I reinstalled the keyboard and the T23 won't start up. No lights, no beeps, nothing at all. When I took the keyboard out I could still start up the computer. Now I put the keyboard back in and nothing works at all. Maybe I should just put it in the goodwill bin. I didn't lose any data - I'm completely on the cloud now (with external drive backup).

Is it possible to leave the keyboard off and try starting up the T23?

Thank you for the great suggestion of putting in the keyboard of our other T23. It will take me a while to convince my wife that I won't damage her T23.

Thanks for your help - I really appreciate it. I'm nervous about taking the motherboard out but I'll do it if I have to. It's a great laptop.

Buptink · #14 Post by **Buptink** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:56 pm

The T23 is completely kaput. It's strange that it would start when the keyboard was wet but now that the keyboard is clean and dry it won't start up. Does anyone here do laptop repair? I don't have the equipment or the freedom from children to fix this myself. I am this close to taking out the hard drive and throwing the T23 in the trash and never buying a laptop again. They're just too fragile.

#15 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 5:18 pm

Did you try the wife's keyboard?
I find it hard to believe that this T23 dies that easily!

Buptink · #16 Post by **Buptink** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:23 pm

No, I haven't tried her keyboard. I have to admit, I'm paranoid about breaking her laptop. She's a teacher and she primarily uses her laptop or her school computer for grades, etc. Now that it's Sunday night I probably won't have time to try the switch until Friday unless toddler naps magically synchronize at some point during the week. I sure miss my lappy, but I'm sure it can be resurrected.

Buptink · #17 Post by **Buptink** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:28 pm

Today I pressed the power button and it started right up. Then it began beeping and it took me to the set date/time page. Once I filled it in it then loaded up Windows. I opened Firefox and my usual pages opened up. Then it began beeping continuously. I was able to surf the net all the while it was beeping. So I turned it off and it won't restart. I took the RAM sticks out and shot compressed air at the sockets and replaced them. There is no brown ale residue anywhere. It still won't start but I wouldn't be surprised if it starts tomorrow. Any ideas about continuous beeping? I can't find anything about it online. Thank you for your advice.

#18 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:38 pm

You do have some ale-leftovers in one (or more) of the keys. It is permanently stuck and causes the beeping.
Probably a cursor-key.
You should really try the other KB, takes only a few minutes to swap them, and it won't do any damage to either of them (or the T23)!
Set date/time indicates a bad/loose/missing/drunk CMOS battery.

Buptink · #19 Post by **Buptink** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:01 pm

Victory! You called it, RealBlackStuff! I made the switch and my T23 started right up without beeping, without a hitch.

When I put my wife's T23 back together and started it up it said, 'No operating system found' and that caused some consternation but I took out her hard drive and reseated it and now it's running fine. I also learned a better way to seat that little CMOS battery - I bent the wires so the plug was pointing slightly upwards and then I pushed it in with a long screwdriver. I don't think I was seating that battery very well before today.

So I'll need to buy a new KB? I'll try taking the keys off and cleaning underneath but they all feel nice and springy so I guess the brown ale is in between the keys and the metal back? No way to get in there I suppose.

Thanks so much for urging me to make that KB switch. It's such a relief knowing that I still have my lappy.

#20 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:10 pm

Keyboards are about $15.- on eBay. They are all the same between T20/T21/T22/T23.
Look for P/N 02K5517, they are the better ones, made in Thailand.
And the powerbutton plate can be swapped.
Or check the Market forum.

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