Touchpad button problems with R52

[cptjeff]

Okay, recently I spilled a little tea on the touchpad of my R52. I got most of it off quickly, but as a result the left trackpoint button stopped working along with both touchpad buttons. Everything else works, including the touchpad itself.

Anyway, my warranty is up, and I was wondering if anyone has a way to fix this on the cheap. If I replace the hardware, is that likely to solve it, or can I try some software tricks to try and get it to work again first?

Any help you can give is appreciated.

[BeeJayEmm]

Hello and welcome to the forum!
Sorry to hear about your mishap. After the spill, did you take your ThinkPad apart to make sure no tea got deeper into it? If not, I strongly urge you to either do so yourself or take it to a competent service person. Motherboard components are universally allergic to liquids, especially if they contain sugar, honey or milk, and the problems they cause don't always show up right away. To get inside, you would need to remove the AC adapter, battery, keyboard, keyboard bezel and touchpad, at least. If you don't already have it, the Hardware Maintenance Manual will help you. You may need to clean components with denatured alcohol or distilled water and dry thoroughly, with the machine disassembled, for at least a couple of days. If that doesn't solve the issue, you may need a replacement keyboard and/or touchpad. I don't believe any software "tricks" will help. Good luck!

[cptjeff]

Hello and welcome to the forum!
Sorry to hear about your mishap. After the spill, did you take your ThinkPad apart to make sure no tea got deeper into it? If not, I strongly urge you to either do so yourself or take it to a competent service person. Motherboard components are universally allergic to liquids, especially if they contain sugar, honey or milk, and the problems they cause don't always show up right away. To get inside, you would need to remove the AC adapter, battery, keyboard, keyboard bezel and touchpad, at least. If you don't already have it, the Hardware Maintenance Manual will help you. You may need to clean components with denatured alcohol or distilled water and dry thoroughly, with the machine disassembled, for at least a couple of days. If that doesn't solve the issue, you may need a replacement keyboard and/or touchpad. I don't believe any software "tricks" will help. Good luck!

Not right after the mishap, but I did later, and it's still working fine, I just need to use a real mouse instead of the built in parts.

I don't have the option of going without my computer for a few days, but I could remove the touchpad for cleaning and see how that goes. I'll give the denatured alcohol a shot, thanks.