CF-51 not working

Hi all.

I've recently won (at a very good price) a CF-51 Core 2 duo which has had a little wash in Orange Juice (kids eh!!). Bought this as project to see if I can rebuild - If I can I have a better spec laptop for general use and can then use my CF-28 for what I bought it for in the car all the time.

Anyone got any pointers as to where any damage might have occured as I have never had one of these apart. Is it most likely that Memory etc will need to be cleaned and reseated or is the MB prone to damage in this scenario.

Haven't got it yet but was hoping to get an idea before it arrives as to where to start looking rather than just tearing it down and starting from scratch.

Cheers
Andy

 

OJ is one of those pernicious materials that just plain plays h*ll with electronics; not only is it conductive so it causes damage by short circuit immediately if the unit is on, it is also corrosive AND sticky to maximize long-term damage.

You're going to need to do some detective work on this one; disassemble it COMPLETELY - remove motherboard & daughterboards, disassemble LCD panel & inverter board, then get set up with a good bright light and magnifying glass and inspect EVERY SQUARE INCH of that thing for OJ residue. If you're lucky, it just created a bridge/short in the backlight inverter or power supply section, or maybe one of the power buttons or keyboard and cleaning off the residue will bring it back online.

If you're not lucky, it may have caused a short bad enough to actually DAMAGE electronic components, or may have corroded connectors or even eaten through traces on a PCB. These are ALL things you'll need to search for, both before and after cleaning residue.

If you have huge areas of a PCB with lots of residue, you'll need to first remove any back-up battery that may be installed, then wash the entire board with hot water and toothbrushes/short bristle paintbrushes to get rid of the residue. Then, once you're SURE you've gotten rid of all residue, (get this before hand) rinse the entire board a couple times with distilled water (NOT Purified Water or Spring Water or Drinking Water or any of that cr@p) to wash away any possible mineral residue carried with the tap water. Distilled water is cheap; about 89c a gallon and it's cheap insurance for this kind of work.

Next, blow the board dry thoroughly with compressed air; if you have a good, large compressor with an inline air dryer this can be all you need to do. If you have ANY DOUBT WHATSOEVER that the board is ABSOLUTELY DRY, then I recommend placing it on a towel on the dash of your car in the sun for an afternoon, or if you have a shoe rack for your dryer, run it on med heat for a couple hours, or just let it sit on your bench for a couple days.

Laptops have several weak points for liquid intrusion you want to pay special attention to:

1st - INVERTER BOARD. High voltage, close proximity to ground plane. In the best of conditions, it's a disaster waiting to happen - which very often DOES.

Next - ANY switch or buttons, ESPECIALLY keyboard, lid switch and power/volume/reset buttons. They're placed so they're convenient, so they're also convenient to collect liquid. A material like OJ can create a bridge across the power switch or reset button, making the PC think it's being pressed continuously. Very often it will ignore such input, meaning it never turns on or it stays locked in reset mode. These things are best tested with a VOM if you know how to use one.

Next - Connectors, external & internal. USB, Serial, KB, Mouse, docking station, etc connectors can ALL play havoc with the operation of a laptop if bridged with conductive material; as can internal connectors at cables, bridge connectors between boards and ESPECIALLY PCMCIA & Multi-Bay slots. Take extra care inspecting these areas.

Good luck, and GOOD HUNTING!

mnem
OJ was a childhood hero of mine. *SIGH* What a world we've made...

 

Mnem.

Thanks for a really detailed reply. I'm banking on it costing a few bucks to get running again - maybe even a new MB but I'll do as you say and strip it down completely and see where the nasty stuff has gone. I'm hoping that a Toughbook maybe less prone to it getting everywhere than say my work HP Laptop but then it's not a CF-28 so I am sure it will have done something.

Still it cost me next to nothing really so even if I have to get a used MB and a couple of other parts, hopefully I can rescue a real nice Laptop out of it for not a lot of money.

I've never even looked inside a Laptop after it's been washed in OJ, never let sugary drinks anywhere near my Computers.

Thanks for the help and yes I remember when OJ was a hero - still the world has gone down the pan since then.

Cheers
Andy

 

Glad to be of help.

mnem
Answers - 50c
Correct Answers - Somewhat more.
Dumb looks - Still free!

 

I'll post up some pictures and my findings when I get it apart (when it arrives that is)

Cheers
Andy

 

Well I got it apart, will post up some pictures tomorrow. It really took a bath in the stuff but on initial look it hasn't got any major damage - mind you I haven't cleaned it. I was quite surprised in that it came apart really easily - actually easier than my CF-28. Pretty much everything is coated in dried on residue so it's going to need a really good wash but I am hopeful. Mind you if it's too bad I'll just have a look out for some spares - maybe a spare MoBo. Luckilly the screen is pretty clean so I don't think anything got behind there so It's just the MoBo and the keyboard that look like there is a possibility they maybe FUBAR but will keep my fingers crossed. I'm hoping that these things are built so well that some of the other parts - battery, hard drive, CD etc may have escaped damage apart from external connectors getting sticky.

Here's hoping.

Cheers
Andy

 

If you come to the point where you need a new mobo, I have a core duo parts 51 I will sell. I can sell it as complete as you want (with/without optical, battery, lcd and case). Just let me know if interested.

 

Thanks, might well take you up on that, going to be cleaning it up over the next few days and will be able to see whats not useable and what is salvageable.

Cheers
Andy

 

Well I got it apart. Pretty much eveything coated (didn't come out well in photos though). However the MoBo and the the On/Off button board are both toast. Luckily the screen escaped but the OJ got right down to underneath the hard drive and in almost every connector.

Silver Trooper. How much do you want for the MoBo or even the whoel thing and how much to ship to the UK. Could I pay you on PayPal as well.

you can drop me a PM if that works best.

Cheers
Andy

 

The Dwagon is awfully specific... We sure are lucky to have him!

Thanks mnem!