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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > PowerBook Aluminium Corrosion

PowerBook Aluminium Corrosion
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M.A.S.
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May 18, 2005, 12:12 PM
 
My 17" Rev A has developed almost a line of corrosion just to the right of the trackpad!

At first i thought it was dirt, but on closer inspection (with a magnifying glass) it looks like chips in paint. (and yes i realise they are not painted) I've heard that sweat can cause this but on mine these 'chips' are in a line to the right of the trackpad going to the edge and about 1-cm from the front edge. Now to me it looks like the lid has caused this, as the lip of the lid is the same distance from the edge as the marks.

Just wondered if anyone else has/had this problem and as it's still covered under warranty (through the shop i bought it from) do you think this would be covered?
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roadracr
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May 18, 2005, 09:43 PM
 
Originally Posted by M.A.S.
My 17" Rev A has developed almost a line of corrosion just to the right of the trackpad!

At first i thought it was dirt, but on closer inspection (with a magnifying glass) it looks like chips in paint. (and yes i realise they are not painted) I've heard that sweat can cause this but on mine these 'chips' are in a line to the right of the trackpad going to the edge and about 1-cm from the front edge. Now to me it looks like the lid has caused this, as the lip of the lid is the same distance from the edge as the marks.

Just wondered if anyone else has/had this problem and as it's still covered under warranty (through the shop i bought it from) do you think this would be covered?
Aluminum is naturally subject to corrosion, so I don't think you have a warranty issue here. There are other threads devoted to this subject and I came up with one solution which you can view here.

This has been working for me for over a month now.

Roadracr
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ericssonboi
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May 18, 2005, 09:52 PM
 
I have the wristrug and it works.. feels nice too..
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M.A.S.  (op)
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May 19, 2005, 06:52 PM
 
I don't think it's my hands.

It's in a line parallel to the edge (in a kind of stop start manner for 10cm) and looks to be caused by the edge of the screen when the lid is closed. This is the only place it's occurring?
� 17" PowerBook �
     
himself
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May 19, 2005, 08:54 PM
 
Does the lid touch the laptop body when closed? It may be moisture residue from your hands (or who knows where) that accumulates at the edge of the screen bezel when you close the lid. It doesn't take much to start the corrosion process, and over a long enough period of time it will start to become noticeable (like it is right now).
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bimmerphile
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May 19, 2005, 11:42 PM
 
Aluminum is relatively inert and won't "corrode" as you would think like rust on its own. Something on your hands likely caused it, repetitive exposure to sweat, etc.
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M.A.S.  (op)
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May 20, 2005, 08:27 AM
 
No The lid and body don't meet, but there is a small gap so when I move it they do meet.

It may be sweat from my hands, but not directly because as I've said it is in a line, the same distance from the edge as the screen is from the edge of the lid. The main reason im asking is because my PB is still under warranty and i want it FIXED!

Also I've started to notice (on start-up with the blank screen) that the back light it stronger along the bottom edge, and occasionally when the display goes from the "welcome to Macintosh" screen to the desktop it goes black and a mess of colours flashes on screen which looks 'organic' if you know what i mean rather than something being displayed by the system.

Time dig out that warranty i feel!
� 17" PowerBook �
     
TailsToo
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May 20, 2005, 09:21 AM
 
Do you have pictures?
     
M.A.S.  (op)
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May 21, 2005, 07:09 PM
 
I don't have my camera with me right now, but i'll post some later today or tomorrow.
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vcutag
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May 22, 2005, 01:11 AM
 
Originally Posted by TailsToo
Do you have pictures?
I have a similar problem, here's a link to what mine looks like currently.

http://www.shadesofblack.org/lj/blackspots.jpg

(The larger blurry spots are from dust on the sensor of my camera at a small aperturee, ignore them... but the sharper black spots are the corrosion.)
     
crazeazn
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May 22, 2005, 01:28 AM
 
u know i turn off my computer every couple of days and clean it down with a warm hot rag (with not too much water) and ud be suprised how much gunk shows up
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ender2002
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May 22, 2005, 01:28 AM
 
where are those cool japanese stickon pads? thats a good preventative
     
xfesty
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May 23, 2005, 12:40 PM
 
i have this too, i'll post pics soon.
     
xfesty
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May 23, 2005, 12:51 PM
 
not quite as clear as the other photo above, but you can at least see:

http://www.computeraddictions.com.au/albook.jpg

i've always assumed it's because my wrist is there; maybe related to sweat or something? anybody know of any touch up paint we could use?
     
bimmerphile
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May 23, 2005, 08:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by xfesty
not quite as clear as the other photo above, but you can at least see:

http://www.computeraddictions.com.au/albook.jpg

i've always assumed it's because my wrist is there; maybe related to sweat or something? anybody know of any touch up paint we could use?
Those are actual physical chips in the Aluminum. Unlike the TiBooks, there's no paint on these suckers.
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vcutag
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May 23, 2005, 08:50 PM
 
Originally Posted by xfesty
not quite as clear as the other photo above, but you can at least see:

http://www.computeraddictions.com.au/albook.jpg

i've always assumed it's because my wrist is there; maybe related to sweat or something? anybody know of any touch up paint we could use?
That's actual pitting of the material, there's nothing to do but replace it or cover it up. I went ahead and ordered the aforementioned Japanese pads (Wrist Rugs), mainly because my skin gets irritated easily by rubbing on the aluminum surface (I think I might have a very mild allergic reaction to it), and because I want to put some padding between the lid (which I think is causing the line of pitting) and the body when the laptop's closed. I use a keyboard cover, but that only covers the keyboard.
     
teknopimp
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May 23, 2005, 10:22 PM
 
i use pda screen protectors (clear plastic stick ons).

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TailsToo
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May 23, 2005, 11:11 PM
 
How long does it take for these to show up? My AL is still looking just about new after 3 months of use.
     
Stratus Fear
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May 24, 2005, 01:11 AM
 
Originally Posted by TailsToo
How long does it take for these to show up? My AL is still looking just about new after 3 months of use.
I've had my PB for about two and a half months and I already have small pits in an area on the right to the side of the trackpad.
     
ericssonboi
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May 24, 2005, 01:24 AM
 
Man that sucks.. what conditions do you use it in? Is it usually really moist in that area (near a body of water or near a window) ?? I'd hate to see my PB have that..
I've went through 3 different PB and havn't had a problem..
I always make sure my hands are clean before i use my PB though..
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amazing
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May 24, 2005, 01:56 AM
 
Anybody's who's had an aluminum pressure cooker or aluminum pots and pans knows that aluminum does corrode. Presto, little pits all over the place. All it takes is the right acidity and the right salts. Just like your sweat. Given how summer temps are coming up and how sweat is the order of the day, corrosion is a given even if you clean it regularly (it'll just take a little bit longer.)

I'm going with the pda screen protectors, because they'll still allow for some heat dissipation and they can be easily replaced. Regular cleaning is good, too.
     
urrl78
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May 24, 2005, 03:38 PM
 
Here' a quick solution:

http://www.vixinc.com/

If you get the pads in "grey" you can hopefully cover the corrosion. The pads come in "clear" also.
     
bimmerphile
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May 24, 2005, 06:23 PM
 
hint hint: take off your watch
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teknopimp
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May 24, 2005, 10:04 PM
 
Originally Posted by bimmerphile
hint hint: take off your watch
read up: it's corrosion, not erosion.

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bimmerphile
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May 24, 2005, 11:53 PM
 
Originally Posted by teknopimp
read up: it's corrosion, not erosion.
read up at my earlier replies
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