T61: Seems to Have Survivied Soda Spill

Last night, I spilled 4 to 6 ounces of soda on top and into my my new T61, accidentally. It's only a couple of weeks old. Grrr.

I quickly unplugged the machine, pulled out the battery and then laid out a bed of paper towels to clean the spill. Once the table was clean, I laid out another bed of paper towels so that I'd have a place to work.

I pulled out the thumb rest and the keyboard (well, up to a certain point... I wasn't sure if the keyboard ribbon could be safely removed, so I left it there). There were a few drops of soda on the inside, but mostly on the roll cage. There was one drop of soda on a RAM card, one on the heat sink and another on top of the hard drive. I dabbed them off.

I left the laptop to drive overnight with a fan aimed right at it. Ten hours of drying beneath a fan seemed to have worked. I'm using it right now.

But, I'm left with an annoyingly sticky keyboard. Any suggestions on how to clean this thing? It feels like I'm typing on a piece of peanut brittle.

So yeah, congrats, Thinkpad 6465-01U!

Thinkpad T61: Helping the Clumsy Seem Debonair since 2007

 

Oops, the thread title says, "Survivied". I should've really named this thread "Epic Laptop Failure with a Twist (of Lime)"

 

Take out the keyboard and put gently wash it in lukewarm water.

 

wash it in or wash it with?

I would also remove the keyboard completely and start with a 1/2 distilled water and 1/2 vinegar solution on a damp cloth, testing one key first to ensure the keyboard letters do not come off

 

Do I tug on the black, foam thing at the motherboard end of the orange, keyboard ribbon? It doesn't have a little pull tab like the ribbon that connects the trackpad to the motherboard.

 

Don't just pull it out, the sockets for ribbon cables always have a small latch that must be released first. Usually this will be at the motherboard end of the cable.

 

I just reopened it and decided to not pull it out. If there's a latch, I don't see it. Hmm. It's odd because in the user manual it seems like a simple tug would release it.

In lieu of cleaning the keyboard with water and whatnot, I used Pledge Multi Surface wipes along the bottom of the keyboard and between the keys as well as I could. It feels better now.

I ought to just replace the keyboard.

In the ThinkPad® T61 and T61p (15.4-inch widescreen) Hardware Maintenance Manual, I see (ALPS), (Chicony) and (NMB) for P/N. Which one ought I use?

Sorry about these very basic questions. It's just that I'm new to Thinkpads.

Thanks a million, everyone. <):')

 

Just put in the type and serial number here: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/s...=/partslookup/partsLookup.vm&sitestyle=lenovo

Once you get the FRU # of your keyboard, look it up on Google and you'll know which one it is.

 

Oh, nice ! Thanks !

 

By the way, Arkit3kt, I used your XP clean installion guide a few days ago and it helped a lot. Thanks, again <):')

 

If you have warranty/thinkpad protection you can try to call them and explain the situation to get a keyboard via warranty.

 

Oh yeah, I tried. The service rep told me that spills aren't covered and that it would cost $575 to have it serviced.

 

Wow, thats harsh. Just do a simple clean and wash it with water or some mix of vinegar or likewise, it should do the job. Be sure that it is off before you do so!

 

Yeah. She was quick to mention that it was wholly my fault. It's true, but I figured I'd get a few tips instead of a quick jump to the price. When asked for a suggestion, she'd say that there were none other than returning it to Lenovo to be serviced.

I really want to clean out the keyboard more thoroughly, but I can figure out how to detach it from the motherboard. Booo.

 

I'm glad it helped. And sorry to hear about your spill.

Are you individually snapping off each key to clean your keyboard? Just squeeze your fingertip under the top of a key and pull up, it should snap off. The G and H keys you have to pull from the bottom. All you have to do is press in to snap it back in. I did this to the mushy keys on my keyboard it made them tactile again.

Here's a video to remove your keyboard: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-63912

Here it is to install: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-63913

And if they don't play, here are instructions: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-62800

Good luck minusbaby.

 

There is another tact in keyboard replacement. Just order a new one. I believe they are relatively inexpensive. Picks a parts number of the type of keyboard that you want.

 

^ Ditto that! Keyboards from Spare Parts are around $30 new and you should be able to pick which one you want (NMB, Alps, Chicony).

 

He's still got the problem of removing the old keyboard.

If you can get the keyboard off to replace it, might as well wash the old one.

 

Thanks again, Arkit3kt. You're a legend.

UltraCow, I just found this one
http://www.sparepartswarehouse.com/IBM-Lenovo,Laptop,Part,42T3209.aspx

It's listed as 42T3209. At the Lenovo site ( here), it's listed as 42T3109. Would you happen to know if a 42T3209 will fit a T61 (6465-01U)?

 

Lol that is true.

 

Next time I open the laptop, I'll take a photo of the connector and post it here.<):')

 

The connector is a pressure connector, it has no tabs. Removal of the keyboard is very easy. It's about five screws on the bottom and they are marked as to their function.

 

Oh, I've managed to open it up. I had to dry some areas in there after the spill. I've just been wary about yanking on the connector mostly because it doesn't have a tab like the track pad's connector, and, because I bite my fingernails, I haven't got much prying power. <):'p

So, ought I just go on and pull upwards until it pops off? The video makes it look like a simple pluck.

 

It's actually very easy to disconnect the ribbon. There's a pull tab there, but it's probably a little stuck under the roll cage's lip right next to the connector (the tab is facing toward the palm rest, roughly). Just be gentle when you pull it, but don't worry too much as it's meant to be removed although it may not feel like it when you first touch it.

As for the keyboard, you can get a new one (your choice of the three brands) from IBM Spare Parts for around $30 plus shipping and any applicable taxes. Just look up the part number for the brand you want out of the three, then call Lenovo's main number (1-866-96-THINK) and select the option for needing to order replacement parts. It'll forward you straight to their parts dept and then just give them the part #, make sure you confirm the item description, and then just take care of shipping/payment details. The fastest shipping option they have takes about 1-2 days (their quoted estimate) but I always get them the day after they ship the part.

Hope this helps!

 

Spills aren't covered for Thinkpad Protection or do you mean they are not covered obviously under manufacturer's warranty

 

how to remove the keyboard:

there are no tabs. it's a pressure plug.

1. take out the battery
2. remove the 5 screws under the TP
3. remove the palmrest. Just pull straight up firmly from the tab on the ribbon. This will be the same way to remove the keyboard.
4. remove the keyboard.
5. as far as the ribbon goes, IIRC, there's a small ribbon-tab to the bottom right. Just pull firmly up from there and it should pop right off.

there's also a video of how to do all this somewhere on the Lenovo site, but I cannot find it. Someone else on here will hopefully post it.

 

Thanks again, everybody, for all of the help and suggestions. I didn't notice that there is a little pull tab on the motherboard side of the keyboard ribbon (as mentioned by ultracow). I removed the keyboard and ran it under water for a few seconds. I used a few drops of a mild dishwashing liquid. After that, I blew it dry using a vacuum cleaner with a pinpoint attachment. I let it dry for about three hours.

It felt a lot better afterwards; almost like new. But, after a few hours of use, the stickiness returned. I'm guessing that the heat from the computer sort of caramelized the remaining sugar from the soda.

I took the keyboard out again. I'm considering using 91% alcohol. I'd saturate a cotton ball and wipe the top- and bottom-sides of the keyboard. Would that be too harsh a solution? My reasoning behind it is that the alcohol will dissolve the sugar and the alcohol will dry relatively quickly. My concern is the corrosive quality of the alcohol on the rubber gaskets beneath each key.

Thanks again. This forum is wonderful. <):')

 

I think you should be ok, as long as it doesn't soak in there. Kudos to getting the keyboard out btw!

 

nice! glad to hear of another confirmed incident of spill resistance

 

Btw it should actually cover spills if you have Thinkpad protection, here's the quote from the website.

"ThinkPad Protection Services and warranty service upgrades help protect your product purchase in case of accidental damages, such as drops or falls, liquid spills and LCD damage. Include a warranty service upgrade with your protection service and gain peace of mind by proactively avoiding potential costly repairs down the road."

 

yea, but for that you have to send out your system, they have to fix it, and send it back. This is somethign that is not feasible if you are on a business trip or it is exams time. The main point is to protect the computer so your notebook can start when needed (ie: meeting)

this way, at least you are covered from the very beginning.