Acer 7740 completely dead

dallascaley

Honorable
Nov 30, 2013
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0
10,510
So my wife spilled an entire cup of coffee on my Acer 7740 6656 laptop about 2 months ago. When it happened it stopped working and later that day i tried to get it to turn on but nothing. Since it is a backup machine for us we put it aside and let it dry out. That was about 2-3 months ago. I just tried it again and it still will not turn on. I don't even get a light or anything on it so i am suspecting that something in the main power circuit has been blown, like a rectifier or perhaps a fuse if there is one.

What I am wondering is if anyone out there has had a similar problem and what they may have done to fix it. Keep in mind i am not a complete novice at fixing/building electronics I have successfully replaced laptop screens/keyboards and other internal components and have built several electronic devices successfully (guitar stomp boxes) so i have the ability to actually remove/replace soldered in components if necessary.
 
Sounds like complete disassembly is in order here, there should be videos on YouTube for guidance if needed. In a case like this, there is no substitution for visual inspection and checking of components where coffee may have reached. Hopefully something will be obviously awry but if needed, you can post some high-def pics here (post to photobucket or...) and embed or link and we can attempt to help
 
G

Guest

Guest
Sounds like your first step is remove all power sources, push the power button long enough to discharge caps (~20 seconds) and do a wash in distilled water to get rid of any salt that could cause corrosion problems.

You might be able to find a motherboard blueprint. Here is a service manual http://www.manualslib.com/manual/232595/Acer-Aspire-7740.html

Try poking around that site or on google if it's not in that manual.

You've got electronics experience then I'm sure you know what comes next. If you have a voltage source, might want to test the LEDs and make sure they still work. Then I'd plug in the A/C adapter and make sure the four power pins have voltage where they plug into the mobo.

Here's the sad hard truth though: Coffee is one of the most electrically conductive drinks you can get, just below Gatorade. The power supply adapter brings in 19 volts, which is more than enough to fry a lot of the more delicate transistors.