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Ore MacBook A1342 Water Damage

I also have water damage on my MacBook. I purchased a logic board from you. Upon further reading I wonder if it also might be the keyboard. IFixit sells a complete upper case but it is $180. Do advise trying to replace the keyboard in my existing case since I will have nearly disassembled the machine anyway. Keyboard prices look to be about $20 on eBay.

Comments

  • I did the power pad test and it turns on but shuts down halfway through the boot.

  • Hi! Thanks for the post.

    So just to be clear on the power-on-pad test -- you disconnected the keyboard cable, jumped the board, and it powered on, but then it shuts off halfway through booting? Are you able to power it on with the power button when the keyboard cable (and therefore power button) is connected?

    If you can power on with the power button, that gives some evidence of a working keyboard. If you can't power on with the power button, but you disconnect the keyboard cable and are able to power it on via jumping the pads, that is almost 100% certainty that you have a bad keyboard.

    If you are able to power on with the power button, but then the computer shuts off halfway through booting, this can also be a bad keyboard/power button (they are the same component). A1342s often have a "stuck power button"...it's not literally a stuck power button, but it's an electrical issue that causes the power button to act as if it's being pressed, shutting off the machine. The way to troubleshoot this is put the new board in and see if it exhibits the same behavior.

    A1342 keyboards are not meant to be replaced and you should not do that. They are literally sealed in with plastic, and even if you do take a sharp knife and cut out the keyboard and replace it, there is nothing to hold the new one in...it takes forever, it's a miserable experience, and you are going to end up with a computer you're not happy with, because the keys will sink down when you type. It's just not a replaceable keyboard in the same way that Pros are.

    If you end up needing a working topcase/keyboard, let me know, and I can sell you one for $40 or so. You can also buy whole dead A1342s on eBay for the same amount, which would get you a lot of spare parts. Of course, there's no guarantee that the keyboard you buy in a scrap machine would be good either, so it's somewhat of a gamble.

    Thanks,

    John

  • That clears it up for me.. I will try replacing the logic board. If that doesn't work I may buy a newer macbook from their refurbished store. I am just very happy with the MacOS experience.

  • I followed ifixit guides and replaced upper case with logic board and all is working like new. Thank you.

  • AWESOME!!!! So glad to hear this story had a happy ending. :-)

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