Spilled coffee over my laptop, what should I do?

Peter_257

Prominent
Jul 5, 2017
2
0
510
I spilled coffee over my laptop, I immediately turned it off and unplugged everything. I tried to clean it, after that I removed the "removable parts" like the ram, HDD... It's a Lenovo IdeaPad 510 and I'm not sure what to do now, I can't really take it apart to clean the inside. It's been 6hours, should I try to turn it on or wait a little longer? Or should I take it to a laptop service station?
I read that even if it's working ,the sugar in the coffee will cause corrotion so doing nothing is not the best long-term option, if I take it to a laptop service station and they clean it up, will it "live longer"? Thanks.
 
Solution


Being a former Dell warranty on-site service technician, I know about coffee and laptops. This is not the first...

aquielisunari

Distinguished


Take it to a service shop. Make sure that their work is guaranteed. Well we can clean it for $50. It shorts out a week later. Their fault or? The motherboard most likely has some coffee on it. It can also get into connection such as the one for the ribbon cable coming from the power adapter to the motherboard turning it off or on unexpectely or from the board to the keyboard rendering it useless or problematic.
 

13thmonkey

Distinguished
Jan 10, 2006
797
3
19,210
is the 510 'vented' my old x1 (2012) has a solid base to the keyboard and this guides liquid to vents that pass through the body to the underside? I'm half recalling the that 4XX's had that too, but I could be wrong.
 

dark_lord69

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2006
740
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19,010


Being a former Dell warranty on-site service technician, I know about coffee and laptops. This is not the first time this has happened. You are right about the sugars breaking down the components. Take the laptop to a service shop and get it cleaned. A proper shop has a special liquid they can spray directly on components to clean them without damaging them. And yes, the service shop is the best long term option... and personally I wouldn't turn on the laptop until it's been opened and cleaned or let dry for a few days.
 
Solution

Peter_257

Prominent
Jul 5, 2017
2
0
510

Can it cause any further problem if I try turning the laptop on a day after the "incident" to check what if the laptop/keyboard/touchpad is working?
 

aquielisunari

Distinguished


Absolutely yes. The coffee can still be liquid. The residue left behind will still be sticky and can cause issues including rendering the laptop useless. Let it dry for another week or so and that will probably be a recipe for mildew.

Anyway you approach this other than a full cleaning is dangerous.