Macbook Pro M1 A2338 13"

[Orux]

Hi all,

I’m new to the forum and could use a bit of help. My name is Tom and I have a problem 😅

I bought a MacBook Pro M1 and also got a second one for spare parts. The seller told me it had a small water spill. After opening it, I found four spots with corrosion on the board.

One of those spots has damaged components — I’m not sure if they’re capacitors or other SMD parts. I’ve already cleaned the whole board with isopropanol, which made the other areas look fine. But could those damaged caps be the reason why the MacBook won’t power on?

My thinking is: it’s worth trying to replace them. If it still doesn’t power on afterward, then it’s likely shorted or something else is damaged anyway. I’ve also read that a MacBook may refuse to start if just one part is dead. For example, I saw a video where someone disconnected the touchpad, keyboard, and other components, and then it powered on — so they knew the issue was with that specific part.

So my question is: how would you guys approach this?

I know I can send it to a repair shop, but they usually charge huge amounts — sometimes more than what I could pay for a working used MacBook M1, or even a complete replacement logic board with Touch ID from eBay that would work right away.

Thanks in advance!

I Added also some Photos.

Greetings Tom from Austria!

[mon2]

Are these pics of the board before or after cleaning? Suggest to post the after cleaning pics. None of the green pond scum should be on the board if cleaned up with IPA (alcohol) with cotton swab.

[Orux]

These photos are from before cleaning. After cleaning, there’s no visible corrosion left, and even the green residue is completely gone. The only things remaining are the damaged components 😄

I can’t see the condition of the Touch Bar, keyboard, or trackpad from these photos, but inside, I don’t see anything else. Would it make sense to fully disassemble the MacBook and clean each component separately? The only problem is, I’m not sure how to properly clean the keyboard.

I also do not know who the Seller spilled the Water or if it was Water. But it is not Sticky so i think Water is possible but it can not be that much because i do not see any other corrosion at Speakers or Battery. Only those few spots on the Board. So Maybe the Keybard has got something from the Water because it has to get inside.