Coffee Spill/Need help reassembling M11x

So I spilled a large dunkin donuts ice coffee on the m11x, I immediately cut the power and flipped it over. I then used my best guesses and got it apart. Cleaned each component and put it back together and got it back on.

My problems are as follows, 2/3 the keyboard no longer lights up. I had taken pics to try and remember where the screws went but forgot to account for the length diff. of each one so during putting it back together I know I have some things wrong and worst yet. I have three screws that clearly belong in there sitting on my desk. Also the fan now is loud, though I think that from either the screws being too tight or from whatever lubricant getting screwed up when I dunked in isopropyl alcohol.

I've seen some threads here with tear downs but I need something with incredible detail, if possible. So I can figure out where each individual screw goes.

I have the original m11x, thanks for any help you guys can give me in advance!

 

Alienware M11x Teardown **READ SAFETY PRECAUTIONS PRIOR TO REPLACING PARTS** (Official Video) - YouTube

 

It's really sad that I didn't try youtube... Thank you!

 

It's also really sad that you turned it back on, which could have caused permanent damage.

When you spill something on electronics you completely take it apart, dry it out, clean it up, and leave it to dry completely (preferably covered in rice to soak up any remaining moisture) for 1-2 WEEKS.

Sugar drying near any contact points on the motherboard can instantly short-circuit it, i would have left the entire PC in parts sitting in a bucket of raw rice for at least a full week before i even took them out to look at the damage, let alone reassembling and turning it on.

 

Ouch, wish I had known that well I pretty thoroughly cleaned each component with alcohol and then dried everything with a can of compressed air and a hair drier. Though that's no replacement for the 1-2 weeks you're recommending. As of right now my only three problems are:

1 of the screws from the palm rest hole by the hardrive wouldn't fit. I may have stripped the hole using larger screw putting it back together or used the screw meant for it in a spot it fit. I ensured I had all the appropriate screws in the most important spots.

The keyboard no longer illuminates on the right 2/3 which is fine because it still works and I can always get a replacement later.

Lastly the fan now makes a fairly conspicuous whirring when it's on but as I mentioned before could I of reduces whatever lubricant it had when I submerged the mobo in isopropyl alcohol? Would a small application of wd40 fix that i wonder.

 

From memory when I took at look at the fan it is not serviceable. At least not easily. Its also possible that the compressed air damaged it when drying.

I'll disagree with the "weeks" part on MB cleaning. If it were dunked in water and just set on the counter it WOULD take a long time but if you have cleaned and dried it then likely overnight would be sufficient if trying to be safe.

When I do this sort of thing (becoming a habit?) with car remotes, laptop, or other electrical bits the cleaner evaporates really fast. The small stuff I assemble right away.