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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > How bad is the corrosion on this logic board and is it terminal?

How bad is the corrosion on this logic board and is it terminal?
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Join Date: May 2007
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Jun 11, 2007, 05:04 AM
 
Hi, I've attached an image of the Logic Board from a Powerbook 3400C which has some corrosion on it. This PB was working for a week after coming out of non-commision.

It suddenly displayed an alert re: low or no reserve battery power - quitting in 5 secs. The battery holds little if any charge and it was connected to the mains at the time. The charger unit only feels mildly warmish after being left on overnight. I've also reset the PB numerous times as per Apples website.

In the initial attempts to reboot there was some scratchy whiny noises just after the chime but nothing other than that.




I can't revive it and was wondering if this corrosion would be the cause and if it was worth the effort at all.

Thanks.

Mart.
     
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
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Jun 11, 2007, 08:36 AM
 
That doesn't look like corrosion. It looks more like mold or fungus. Either way, the way to clean it up is to use the highest purity isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol you can find and a short-bristled brush. Drop a few drops of alcohol on the spot, scrub it carefully with the brush, then rinse it off with more alcohol. Continue until the discoloration is gone, then rinse a few more times (toward the left side of the computer). This may not fix the computer. It's possible that there is more gunk on the other side of the logic board. But at least you'll have cleande up this part, and I think things should be a lot better.

By the way, that looks like the result of something organic (soda, wine, etc.) being just slightly dripped through the keyboard. This kind of thing happens, but it's almost always curable.
Glenn -----
OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Kanga  (op)
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Jun 11, 2007, 09:01 PM
 
Thanks very much ghporter for the reply!

Yeah, I thought mould/fungus myself initially. I will try your advice and hope for the best. All I've ever done to date is install RAM so I'm looking forward to this. The heads up about possibility of spillage via keyboard is a good one too!

Is there a way to test the PRAM battery to exclude it from the troubleshooting link? I'd also like to test the recharging unit but these Macs and their parts are so scarce around my neck of the woods . . .
     
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Join Date: Apr 2001
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Jun 12, 2007, 06:35 AM
 
I always use a multimeter to test batteries, but that will only tell you if it has any charge, not whether it performs under load. Sorry.
Glenn -----
OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
   
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