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shockaaa
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Will replacing the logic board alone help cure liquid damaged parts?

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I recently got a liquid damaged macbook pro 13 unibody a1278 at a very cheap price. I've never been a mac user ever in my life and purely a pc user. But I always like to fix electronic things and bought it because it was really really cheap thinking I could fix it myself.

I'm guessing the damage is about 1-2 months old. Not sure what kind of liquid damaged it. Upon receiving it from the looks of it. I cannot see any type of liquid residue on the surface itself and is in mint condition. I opened up the macbook to check the logic board. I can see that there's white residue(didn't smell like juice/coffee..so I'm guessing its water) along circuit connections and it doesn't look like it has gone into other areas(superdrive, HDD, battery) of the macbook. So I've inquired and visited one local repair services. One guy is apple certified and other is not.

They said:

1. 80% of the logic board can be recovered but no guarantees. $100-150

2. Replace the logic board. $500-800

My questions:

1. If I purchase the A1278 logic board from ifixit.com and replace it... will it alone help this problem to restart the macbook?

2. Can I take out the HDD and put it in my dell laptop to see if the HDD still works?

3. Will I have to replace the RAM and processor because of liquid damage?

Edited by

iRobot

so I took it to a apple certified repair shop. $45 = detailed outline of what needs to done or changed to get the MBP running. If someone from ifixit can have a DIY for fixing water damaged that would be awesome!

shockaaa,

Ok..so I couldn't wait.. so I took out the HDD..connected it externally thru a usb hdd enclosure. Windows 7 installed the driver but I can't see the disk on My Computer or access it.

shockaaa,

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rj713
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To answer in order

1. It should but it can't be guaranteed as there could be hidden damage to other parts

2. Probably but your Dell wouldn't be able to read the hard drive without formatting it

3. Questionable on the ram--the processor is part of the logic board.

One area you did not mention is the keyboard and they frequently have problems after a spill. If it were me I'd go for it but its not my money at risk. Whatever you decide I wish you good luck. Ralph

Thanks Ralph... the mac looks fairly new ...I actually got this for $55! Now.. the HDD if I do take it out and format it..it works fine can I put it back into the MacBook and reinstall osx? The keyboard doesn't seem to have any liquid residue either..but its actually the only logical place for any liquid to enter from the top that is. Another question...why is the type of liquid important in liquid damages? ex: is water damage better than juices/coffee damage?

shockaaa,

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rdklinc
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Hi! Before you go to the expense of a logic board, definitely try replacement RAM. Often the memory itself gets water damaged, and simply replacing it brings the computer back to life. I've had many a water damaged MacBook sold to me for $100, only to find that replacing the RAM brought it back to life. That's not always the case, of course, but it happens enough that testing the memory is just about the first thing I do when faced with a "dead" MacBook. Try a single module of known-good RAM, and try it first in one slot with the second slot empty, and then if that doesn't work, try the reverse...this technique lets you know if one or the other slot is damaged.

The RAM brand is hynix. Has 2 1GB sticks and doesn't seem to have any white residue or corrosion on the stick itself.

shockaaa,

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11team
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well, there is no guarantee that replacing the mainboard will fix the machine.

As the board is most likely stuffed, I would wash it down (water and a toothbrush) to remove any residue.

As for the machine at present - what does it do - did you try to swith it on?

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shockaaa
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yea I tried to switch it on, nothing with and without the power cord.

Shockaa, when replying to someones answer, use a comment so we can know whose answer you are referring to. If what you have to say is an update to your question, either leave a comment on your initial question or edit your question. This makes it easier for everyone to follow your answer. Thanks.

Nat Welch,

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machead3
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Here's some things you could try before replacing the logic board.

Good Luck,

N.

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peter
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Was 11Team serious! water and a toothbrush? jesus i hope you didnt do that! lol, you should have put an electrical spray cleaner on the board which you then clean and on its own its removes any and all spillage from electrical equipment, when i get spillage the first thing i dont do is try and switch it on, i clean all components then leave it over night and sometimes that does is and i dont need to replace a single part! but thats not all the time, only once have i had to replace the logic board.

hope you got it working

Edited by

peter

I use those cleansers too, but if you someone doesn't have this stuff - IPA could also be used. i always use paintbrushes for the smaller parts/connectors and i revived many devices in the past 10 years

markus weiher,

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William Cerniuk
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The hard part with these buggers is to get the logic board out without damaging connectors.

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