Shoutout to the guy who brought in a waterlogged 2018 MacBook Pro from Lake Tahoe

Everyone in the shop said it was a lost cause and to just tell him to buy a new one... but I spent a solid week cleaning every connector with 99% isopropyl and a soft brush. It actually booted on the third try. Does anyone else think we give up on liquid damage too fast sometimes?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy_murphy163mo ago

That's amazing you got it working, but using 99% alcohol might actually be a problem. It evaporates too fast to properly push out the water. A lot of repair techs swear by 91% because it works slower and gives the cleaning action more time. The extra water content in the lower grade helps with that. Have you ever tried switching to 91% for a really soaked board?

the_willow26d ago

Yeah I actually gotta disagree on that one. That extra water in 91% is still water, so you're just adding more moisture to a board that already has too much of it. If I'm trying to dry something out fast, I want the 99% to get in there and get out quick before any more corrosion can start.

tessa8683mo ago

Oh wow, that actually explains why my last water-damaged keyboard fix felt rushed.