11/23/2025
I recently had the satisfaction of saving a customer device from liquid damage. A device the manufacturer would have refused to service and the warranty wouldn't have covered.
The customer contacted me stating they had a MacBook Pro that was liquid damaged. They had spilled soda on it and it stopped working. After some time (likely after the liquid dried) the machine started working again and they used it for another week before it stopped working completely.
I offered to take a look at it but also wanted to set the expectation that it was going to be difficult to save, if possible. What many people don't understand about liquid damage, especially from something like soda or juice that contains sugars, is that corrosion continues even after the liquid is dry and components can continue to become damaged. On top of that Apple doesn't sell their components and I don't currently have any donor boards. So if any of the components needs replaced, the only option I could present the customer is to buy another MacBook.
My first task was to identify what specific MacBook I had. There were stickers covering the designation printed on the bottom of the case, so I decided to move on to a visual inspection of the damage as I could find ways to identify the machine based on the internal components. I opened the case to inspect the interior of the case and the components to see how they looked to the eye before getting them under a microscope for closer inspection. There were definite visible signs of corrosion inside the case and the board had some visible debris, but the real assessment had to be done under a microscope. So after tearing the machine down and removing the logic board, I began inspecting components on the board and reviewing schematics for Apple Macbooks to determine that I had a 2021 M1 MacBook Pro.
After diagnosing the situation I attempted to clean the logic board with 99% alcohol to see if that could remove the corrosion. When that didn't work I gave it an ultrasonic bath with Branson EC. If that didn't work I was going to have to start pricing MacBooks because I don't have any donor boards and I can't buy Apple components. After cleaning the rest of the components like the trackpad, I applied some fresh thermal paste to the silicon and reassembled the device.
I plugged in the USB-C power adapter and waited.
Success! The Apple logo appeared and then the login screen for the customer profile! I had managed to restore a liquid damaged laptop!
The best part was seeing the customer's excitement when I told them I saved their laptop. I'm in the business of saving computers rather than throwing them away and I saved the customer from spending $900 on a replacement laptop.
If you ever experience liquid damage on a device, power it down immediately and get it to a professional. Time is our greatest resource and the longer the device is exposed the less likely we can save it.
