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    spilled water on my laptop

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by cyclone93, Jan 16, 2012.

  1. cyclone93

    cyclone93 Notebook Enthusiast

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    hey guys i spilled water on my laptop 2 days ago, so i turned it off and removed the battery straight away and wiped off as much water as i could, and left it to dry facing down. i am having problems with speaker not working and also headphone jack is not working and when i mute and unmute the speakers they make a pop sound. whats wrong with my laptop?
     
    cyclone93, Jan 16, 2012
    #1
  2. dave-p

    dave-p Notebook Deity

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    Audio circuit maybe damaged, you sure it 100 % dry

    I would consider opening up the laptop and let it dry more
     
    dave-p, Jan 16, 2012
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  3. cyclone93

    cyclone93 Notebook Enthusiast

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    not sure if its 100% dry, but if it fully dries will it be ok?
     
    cyclone93, Jan 16, 2012
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  4. VPR5703

    VPR5703 Notebook Consultant

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    Possibly. If possible, disassemble the laptop following the service manual and scrub the audio board with IPA Alcohol and a nylon brush (toothbrush will work.) Don't scrub any mechanical parts (HDD, CD/DVD/BD-RW, Speakers) with the alcohol, you'll get into more trouble then it's worth. Just the circuit boards that are malfunctioning. After that, let it dry or use compressed air to dry it off and reassemble the laptop.
     
    VPR5703, Jan 16, 2012
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  5. Darkstone

    Darkstone Notebook Consultant

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    Disassemble your notebook, and throw it into a bucket of rice. The rice absorbs all the water ;)
     
    Darkstone, Jan 16, 2012
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  6. cyclone93

    cyclone93 Notebook Enthusiast

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    im not willing to risk taking apart my £1000 laptop while studying at uni, but thanks for the suggestion, although any other less risky suggestions are welcome
     
    cyclone93, Jan 16, 2012
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  7. VPR5703

    VPR5703 Notebook Consultant

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    At this point, if the water wasn't purified and distilled, it is going to have contaminants in it that will start to corrode the board. If you've got any dirt or dust in the keyboard (like everyone does,) the water will carry those down as well. When it dries, it's going to leave a layer of junk on the circuit board that will slowly but surely eat the solder and fiberglass layers away, permanently damaging the boards. I'm not trying to scare you, but I see this every day. The sooner you get that junk off of the system boards, the better off you will be. I know you don't want to take it apart, but no other method is going to get at least MOST of the junk out of your computer.
     
    VPR5703, Jan 17, 2012
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  8. super-twisted

    super-twisted Notebook Consultant

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    If you are dead set against taking it apart, you could try sealing it in a large zip-lock bag with a few sachets of silica gel and leaving it somewhere warm. Photographers often do this with cameras that have taken on moisture whilst shooting with reasonable results.
     
    super-twisted, Jan 17, 2012
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  9. dave-p

    dave-p Notebook Deity

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    Agreed.

    And if your not comfortable doing this, then take it to a Computer Tech and get it looked at / Cleaned
     
    dave-p, Jan 17, 2012
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  10. cyclone93

    cyclone93 Notebook Enthusiast

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    if i have to take it apart, what do i need to clean it? and is there a guide to take it apart safely?
     
    cyclone93, Jan 17, 2012
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  11. Panduhsaur

    Panduhsaur Notebook Consultant

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    There's plenty of guides. and you can get isopropyl from the pharmacy. Just ask for it. (atleast I can but I'm in the states) also think of it this way.
    1) your warrenty is gone now because of accidental damage
    and 2) you are left with a dead machine and it won't do anything unless you try to save it now.

    Sorry to sound a bit negative but I'm just trying to give you that little push towards taking apart your laptop its not that bad once you're doing it. Just remember where each screws go.

    Also a good place for guides aside from the instruction manual from dell, is youtube there's alot of helpful videos.
     
    Panduhsaur, Jan 19, 2012
    #11