Spilled coffee question

I bought a new MacBook 12" this weekend. I have a case for it and the keyboard cover is coming today.

Wouldn't you know, coffee spilled on the keyboard and speaker grill this afternoon at work. The notebook kept working, but I shut it down quickly, since I have read that it is the best option for liquid spills -- to leave the machine off for 24-48 hours before running it.

My questions:

1. Is this likely to cause any damage, short-term or long-term, even if it runs now?

2. Also, since MacBooks now have a keyboard warranty for four years from date of purchase, would a spill be likely to invalidate it in a year or two if there were keyboard problems?

I have purchase damage coverage for new purchases (still would be short of what I paid). However, there is no visible damage and it is running okay, or at least was immediately afterwards, so I am not sure how to claim damage.

Darn.

Any informed advice is welcome.

 

Shutting it off doesn't matter, battery is internal and is still providing power to the board. The real solution would be to remove the battery immediately, but of course apple has sealed this off.

1. Hard to know from now, best option would be to immediately disassembled, remove battery, clean/soak the board with 99% isopropyl alcohol to remove contamination

2. Everything is immediately invalidated under standard warranty, apple care doesn't cover anything if they find any sign of an "accident". Example: I had a ding on my MBP case, they declined my video card repair under their recall problem because of a DENT.

3. Applecare + will cover accidents, you pay a higher deductible though, or whatever third party warranty you have may have different policy.

 

1. Cannot disassemble.
2. Sounds like it ruins the 4 year warranty.
3. Credit card purchase protection not AppleCare. But if it works right now, how can one claim damage?

 

check with your cc company if your card covers accidents. If not, you're at lady luck's mercy. Computer may continue to work fine, but it may also develop problems down the road. regardless, apple will not help you, as soon as they open the computer and find the liquid damage indicators (and staining from coffee), they will likely charged you 800$ to repair a 1000$ computer. Rotten luck mate, be careful with liquids. I don't eat or drink near computers.

 

If you don't disassemble and clean the board you will end up with corrosion which will cause you issues 1-2 years from now. You are best off sending it to a good repair shop to clean it up - that will be a lot cheaper than Apple.

 

https://www.rossmanngroup.com/

 

If sent off for a repair, it would likely invalidate the warranty for the whole computer, including the display. If I just wait and it runs for two years, I might just figure I was lucky and upgrade at that point.

In the meantime, the CC company does cover accidents — but it is unclear how they will cover this, since at least when I shut it off, the computer was working. I have filed a claim. Despite cleaning off the keyboard and speaker grill area — I can still smell the coffee (it was coffee plus 1/2 and 1/2, not sugar). I am positive the liquid went into the keys and the speaker area.

 

It doesn't matter, apple will invalidate any and all warranty as soon as they open it up and see the coffee stains. that's just how they work, doesn't matter if your problem is unrelated to the coffee or not, the moment they see it, they will void the entire machine as accidental damage and they'll find a way to tie it to your coffee spill.

CC company typically will have you ship your computer to apple, get a damage estimate, and pay off the repair cost minus your deductible or cut you a check for the amount of the repair cost.

 

Louis Rossmann is one of my favorite YouTubers. His humor, foul mouth and sarcasm are top notch.