Water Damaged Laptop and broken switch?

danielgent · 10-23-2009, 02:17 AM

A friend of mine spilt a pint of water over his girlfriend's laptop. I took it to pieces and left it on his floor (on cardboard) for about a week drying out. Put it back together, it turned on and everything worked fine. Then in typical sods law as soon as I got home he gave me a call saying it wouldn't turn on. I took another look at it yesterday, taking the power button thing off (the plastic bit above the keyboard) and checking the cables were attached properly. It turned on the first time, then didn't turn on again.

Its a HP Pavillion DV6000 (I hate HP laptops anyway, not least for the fact that they have the famous Nvidia GPU fault but also because they're so fiddly!), and the power button connects to the motherboard with the fiddliest tiniest ribbon cable ever seen. Is it likely that this ribbon cable could have been damaged by me plugging it in and out? I was thinking that what could have happened is, as the water was spilt on the laptop while it was open (and broke several keys on the keyboard) maybe it got into the power switch and broke that. Its a component made by Hannstar I think is easily replaceable. Is there anyway on a laptop I can make it boot? Like by shorting two pins as you can do on a PC?

Thanks for your help,
Dan Gent

**speedster123** · 10-23-2009, 04:42 AM

I dont believe so.

Harleh · 10-23-2009, 04:53 AM

Sounds pretty much exactly the same problem as I have (except I split alcohol on mine haha). My laptop (HP DV5) now easily over heats and I have it suspended. When it does overheated basically it become a battle to get it to turn on again. For some reason, blowing in the back of the laptop (the main air extraction point and maybe afew others). I find blowing in there THEN plugging the external power cable it causes the charging light to turn on at the front of the laptop and then it will boot. Sounds crazy I know but its the only way i can get my laptop going once turned off now haha.

danielgent · 10-23-2009, 08:51 AM

To speedster123
from another forum I've been told that its the cable attaching the power button to the motherboard thats very fragile and possibly cracked. Anyone experience of this kind of stuff? Shame I can't just jump pins but thats laptops for you!

To Harleh,
Did you ever disassemble your laptop? and check the fans are still working ok? maybe the bearings are all sticky ;^) Is it pure alcohol we're talking here? in which case that would evaporate! Or part alcohol then water and sugar, in which case, its amazing you got it working!

danielgent · 10-27-2009, 05:34 AM

To follow up
I can get a replacement switch and cable for
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HP-DV6000-DV65...item2303836ebd
£25

I replaced the ribbon cable with a spare one from an Acer Aspire touchpad (same cable but much shorter). It turned on first time and I turned the laptop off holding the power button down for a few seconds, but then DID NOT WORK AGAIN! I unplugged and reconnected it a few times, again one time it turned on once (and then off) but didn't work again!

I was thinking that what could have happened is, as the water was spilt on the laptop while it was open (and broke several keys on the keyboard) maybe it got into the power switch and broke that. But I think its strange that it turns on once (and the power button works again to turn it off) but then doesn't work again. Could it be a faulty mobo or some sort of thermal switch where it turns on once but then something overheats? Really puzzled here!

Thanks for the help,
Dan Gent

10-23-2009, 02:17 AM	#1 (permalink)
danielgent Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 20 OS: Ubuntu	Water Damaged Laptop and broken switch? A friend of mine spilt a pint of water over his girlfriend's laptop. I took it to pieces and left it on his floor (on cardboard) for about a week drying out. Put it back together, it turned on and everything worked fine. Then in typical sods law as soon as I got home he gave me a call saying it wouldn't turn on. I took another look at it yesterday, taking the power button thing off (the plastic bit above the keyboard) and checking the cables were attached properly. It turned on the first time, then didn't turn on again. Its a HP Pavillion DV6000 (I hate HP laptops anyway, not least for the fact that they have the famous Nvidia GPU fault but also because they're so fiddly!), and the power button connects to the motherboard with the fiddliest tiniest ribbon cable ever seen. Is it likely that this ribbon cable could have been damaged by me plugging it in and out? I was thinking that what could have happened is, as the water was spilt on the laptop while it was open (and broke several keys on the keyboard) maybe it got into the power switch and broke that. Its a component made by Hannstar I think is easily replaceable. Is there anyway on a laptop I can make it boot? Like by shorting two pins as you can do on a PC? Thanks for your help, Dan Gent

10-23-2009, 04:42 AM	#2 (permalink)
speedster123 Mentor Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: United States-New York-Long Island Posts: 5,223 OS: xp pro SP3	Re: Water Damaged Laptop and broken switch? I dont believe so. __________________

10-23-2009, 04:53 AM	#3 (permalink)
Harleh Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 4 OS: XP, Vista	Re: Water Damaged Laptop and broken switch? Sounds pretty much exactly the same problem as I have (except I split alcohol on mine haha). My laptop (HP DV5) now easily over heats and I have it suspended. When it does overheated basically it become a battle to get it to turn on again. For some reason, blowing in the back of the laptop (the main air extraction point and maybe afew others). I find blowing in there THEN plugging the external power cable it causes the charging light to turn on at the front of the laptop and then it will boot. Sounds crazy I know but its the only way i can get my laptop going once turned off now haha.

10-23-2009, 08:51 AM	#4 (permalink)
danielgent Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 20 OS: Ubuntu	Re: Water Damaged Laptop and broken switch? To speedster123 from another forum I've been told that its the cable attaching the power button to the motherboard thats very fragile and possibly cracked. Anyone experience of this kind of stuff? Shame I can't just jump pins but thats laptops for you! To Harleh, Did you ever disassemble your laptop? and check the fans are still working ok? maybe the bearings are all sticky ;^) Is it pure alcohol we're talking here? in which case that would evaporate! Or part alcohol then water and sugar, in which case, its amazing you got it working!

10-27-2009, 05:34 AM	#5 (permalink)
danielgent Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 20 OS: Ubuntu	Re: Water Damaged Laptop and broken switch? To follow up I can get a replacement switch and cable for http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HP-DV6000-DV65...item2303836ebd £25 I replaced the ribbon cable with a spare one from an Acer Aspire touchpad (same cable but much shorter). It turned on first time and I turned the laptop off holding the power button down for a few seconds, but then DID NOT WORK AGAIN! I unplugged and reconnected it a few times, again one time it turned on once (and then off) but didn't work again! I was thinking that what could have happened is, as the water was spilt on the laptop while it was open (and broke several keys on the keyboard) maybe it got into the power switch and broke that. But I think its strange that it turns on once (and the power button works again to turn it off) but then doesn't work again. Could it be a faulty mobo or some sort of thermal switch where it turns on once but then something overheats? Really puzzled here! Thanks for the help, Dan Gent