MacBook liquid damage repair, from the board up.
Coffee, water, wine or soda across the keyboard. What you do in the first few minutes matters, and what happens on the board in the days after matters even more.
- 2–5 days typical
- No fix, no fee
- 90-day warranty
- Free insured mail-in shipping
Signs you need this repair
Sound familiar? The diagnosis is always free.
- The Mac shut off during or right after a spill
- It won’t turn on since the spill
- Sticky, dead or repeating keys
- Trackpad clicking on its own or not responding
- Lines on the screen, or a dark display
- Fans running at full speed for no reason
- Works, then shuts off at random
What to do in the first few minutes
- Shut it down right away. If it doesn’t respond, hold the power button for about 10 seconds.
- Unplug the charger and every accessory.
- Open the lid wide and turn the Mac upside down in a tent shape so liquid drains away from the board. Blot what you can with a towel.
- Don’t turn it on to check if it still works. Liquid plus power is what causes most of the damage.
- Skip the rice and the hair dryer. Rice doesn’t reach inside, and heat can push liquid deeper and leave residue behind.
- Book a repair as soon as you can.
Why a spill keeps doing damage after it dries
A MacBook is never fully off while the battery is connected. Some circuits on the logic board stay powered all the time. When liquid bridges those circuits, it starts corrosion, which eats away at component pins and board traces. It continues as long as moisture and power are both present, and the residue it leaves behind can keep causing trouble even after the liquid seems dry.
What you spilled matters. Plain water is the least harmful. Coffee with sugar or milk, soda, juice and wine leave sticky, conductive residue that corrodes faster. Salt water is especially aggressive. A Mac that seems fine the day after a spill can fail days or weeks later.
How we repair a liquid-damaged MacBook
- We open the Mac and disconnect the battery to stop any further corrosion.
- The logic board comes out and is inspected under a microscope, front and back, for corrosion and residue.
- The board is cleaned, including an ultrasonic bath where suitable, to remove residue from under chips where a brush can’t reach.
- We measure the power rails, find components that failed or shorted, and replace them by microsoldering: capacitors, power chips, connectors, backlight and charging parts.
- The keyboard, trackpad, display connectors and other parts are checked. Any that are damaged beyond cleaning are quoted for replacement.
- Once it runs, the Mac is tested under load, on battery and on charge, before it goes back.
Can a liquid-damaged MacBook be saved?
Often, yes, especially when it was shut down quickly and sent in soon after. After the diagnosis there are usually three outcomes. The Mac can be fully repaired. Or the board can be brought back far enough to recover your files, but a full repair isn’t worth the cost. Or the damage is too severe and we say so honestly.
Liquid damage isn’t covered by the standard manufacturer warranty, and the usual official fix is a new logic board. On Macs with storage soldered to the board, which is every Apple silicon Mac and every Mac with a T2 chip, a new board means your files are gone. Repairing the original board is the way to keep them. See logic board repair and MacBook data recovery.
What affects the price
Liquid damage starts with a free check, because every spill is different. The price depends on how many components failed, what was spilled and how long the Mac was on afterward, and whether parts like the keyboard, trackpad, display or battery also need replacing. You get a firm price before any work, and nothing happens until you approve it.
Before you ship it
Leave it off and unplugged, and don’t charge it, even to back up. It doesn’t need to be fully dry before you send it. Tell us what was spilled, roughly when, and whether the Mac was on at the time. That helps us know where to look first. We may ask for a login only to test the Mac once it works.
Mail it in from anywhere in the US
No repair store near you? Book online and we'll email a free, prepaid, insured shipping label. We diagnose it within 24h of arrival, repair it once you approve the price, and ship it back insured. How mail-in works.
Questions
My MacBook still works after the spill. Should I still get it checked?
Yes. Corrosion can take days or weeks to cause a failure, and by then it has usually spread. A board cleaning soon after the spill is much cheaper than a repair after the board fails.
Will AppleCare+ cover a spill?
AppleCare+ includes accidental damage coverage with a service fee, so check your coverage first. The usual official repair for liquid is a new logic board, which erases the data on Macs with soldered storage. If your files matter and aren’t backed up, ask us about board repair.
How soon after a spill should I send it?
As soon as you can. There’s no exact deadline, but every day the board sits with residue on it gives corrosion more time to spread. Macs cleaned within days of a spill generally need less work than ones that sat for weeks.
Will you need to replace my keyboard after a spill?
Not always. Some keyboards recover after cleaning, especially after plain water. Sugary or sticky drinks often leave keys permanently stiff, and then the keyboard or top case is replaced. We test it after the board work and quote only if it’s needed.
Can I dry it with a fan or put it in the sun?
A gentle fan at room temperature does no harm, but drying alone doesn’t remove residue or stop corrosion. Avoid direct heat and sun, and don’t power it on to test.
More MacBook repairs
Something else not quite right?
Screen replacement
Cracked, lines, dark or flickering display
Battery
Service battery warning, short battery life
Keyboard & top case
Sticky, repeating or dead keys
Won't turn on / logic board
Diagnosed free. You see the price before any work.
Won't charge (USB-C / MagSafe)
Port or charging circuit faults
Trackpad
Won't click, unresponsive or swollen battery pushing it up
Repair guides
Try this first.
Does your MacBook need a new battery?
How to check your MacBook's battery, when to replace it, and what affects the cost.
Spilled something on your MacBook? Do this now.
The first few minutes matter most. Here's exactly what to do, and what to avoid.
MacBook won't turn on? Try these fixes first.
No lights, no fans, nothing? Rule out power and the display, then learn when it's the logic board.
Broken today? Start your repair in two minutes.
Three quick questions: your model, what's wrong, and how you'll get it to us. See your price, then book a nearby store or mail it in.