Found a weird fix for a laptop that wouldn't boot after a coffee spill

Cleaned the board with isopropyl, but it was still dead until I gently flexed the motherboard near the power rail while hitting the button. Has anyone else had a board with a hidden crack that only shows up under pressure?

3 comments

3 Comments

lee_butler1mo ago

Did you try throwing the board in the oven for a reflow after you found the crack? I've seen that trick work wonders on hidden trace breaks.

ruby_murphy3mo ago

My buddy's PS5 did that exact same flex-to-fix thing.

hunt.taylor3mo ago

Remember what ruby_murphy said about the PS5? That makes total sense. I've seen this on old game consoles too, where a cracked solder joint under a big chip only makes contact when you twist the board a little. It's a real pain to find. You might have a similar hairline crack in a trace on your laptop board, and flexing it just barely closes the gap for a second. Ever think about trying to reflow that whole area with a heat gun?