Apple Macbook Pro 17" A1229 Keyboard is not working after spill - - repairable w/ new keyboard?

bcliles91

Honorable
Jul 30, 2012
19
0
10,510
Hey guys, I have a Apple Macbook Pro 17" from late 2007 (A1229). It is running an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4 GB of RAM and has a 250GB HDD. I know the MBP isn't the newest or nicest model out but I would like to keep using the unit if possible b/c it does not seem like it is entirely ruined. Being that I am a broke college student I would like some of your input on what to expect with liquid damage. Last week my friend spilled beer on the laptop and I immediately flipped it over, tried to dry it off, and turned the unit off. -_______-

Nonetheless, the machine boots up fine, seems to work well in OSX, the LED indicator still flashes, the speakers/sound works, the contents on my hard drive are still there, the touch-pad works, BUT the KEYBOARD does NOT. A few rows on the keyboard worked for a day and then it just started to go downhill from there. Now the back-light on the keyboard doesn't work and keyboard is basically ruined. I have had to use the virtual keyboard to use the laptop and now some of the keys are sticking (not literally) but the operating system thinks so...

I know I will need to at least replace the keyboard. Do you guys think that will fix my problems? Will the back-light work with the new keyboard that I buy? Are some things faulty on my logic board? Am I wasting my time putting money into the unit?

I know this is another annoying liquid damage thread but I would really appreciate your input guys!! Thank you in advance!!
 
The backlight would probably have to be replaced, yes.

You can replace the keyboard and it'll work just fine, but that being said, you aren't going to be doing it yourself: macbook pros are pretty much THE worst designed and hardest to repair computers ever made. You'll be needing to take it to a certified tech, or pay through the nose to have the genius bar try to sell you a new one. The trouble is that to get to the keyboard, you need to take pretty much everything out, and nothing is protected quite well enough, so it's easy to break something.
 

bcliles91

Honorable
Jul 30, 2012
19
0
10,510
I think I could handle the installation of the new keyboard because I have taken them apart before. Do you guys think that my logic board has been damaged at all? Are there any type of diagnostic tools that I could use to test everything?