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Laptop powers itself off unexpectedly -

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7 replies

by gmichaels

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I have a compaq presario laptop that had some apple juice spilled on it. The spill went un-noticed so the juice had time to ooz its way into the innards of the laptop. It took some time to unstick the battery from its compartment and clean it to thepoint where it would boot. There are also some stuck keys. Now the laptop is powering itself off. I have read that the powering off could be a heat related issue and there is a built in sensor to force a shutdown when a temperature threshold is hit.Perhaps the apple juice is contributing to the heat problem and/or raising the temperature past the threshhold. In any case I need to open it up and try to clean out all the apple juice I can find inside. I have neve gone inside a laptop to this degree. Can it be easily disassebled and cleaned inside? Also I tried to pry off the sticky keys to clean under and around them. However they were not popping off easily. So rather than force it, I just tried to clean around the keys. It helped but is not as good as removing the keys. Is there some trick to getting the keys off a laptop?

7 replies

by thechas

I suspect that the juice has created one or more new circuits inside the laptop.
It could either change the way the temperature sensor itself works, or create a new shutdown circuit.

Most laptops are a pain to disassemble. You are likely going to need to fully disassemble the unit to get everything clean.
Start be removing ALL removable items.
Have lots of open space, and perhaps take pictures at key points to make sure you can get everything back together.

I do want to check how you plan to clean the circuitry.

Make sure you have a static safe work area, and are wearing a wrist strap at all times.

For safe cleaning of electronics, you need either de-ionized water, or an electronics grade spray cleaner.

Tap water and 'normal' household cleaners WILL make the situation worse.

Hold each assembly to be cleaned such that the cleaner flows away from any connectors as it drips off.

Depending on the cleaner, and how dried the juice is, you may need to use a brush to loosen some deposits.

I recommend cleaners from either Tech Spray, or Chemtronics. These can be found at electronics supply shops, or on-line.

Chas

by timwalsh

Couple of obvious things Chas didn't mention (because he thought they would be obvious??). Disassembling a laptop like this is sure to void your warranty (if you have any left). And of course warranties don't include user abuse (such as spilling any items into the laptop that didn't originally come with it. If you still have significant warranty time left, you might consider having an authorized Compaq repair facility clean it (to maintain the warranty). Don't expect it to be cheap.

If you choose to attempt to clean it yourself, be very sure of your technical skills before starting. Working on the innards of a laptop is nothing like working inside a desktop case.

Good luck.

by csmith

The Apple juice either got down into the fan bearings, or it has dried in a location that is collecting so much dust that the airflow is seriously impeded.
The cheapest way to clean this is to go to the supermarket and buy several gallons of distilled water. (The type used for steam irons)
Its cheap, less than a buck a gallon.
Use liberally.
Soaking components for less than eight hours is usually OK. (Remember to rinse again after any soaks.)
Make sure the laptop is dry internally before you turn it on.
The COMPAQ exploded technical drawings, and service are online.
You will need them, working on laptops is hard.
Regards, Chris

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