[SOLVED] Think I burnt mobo/ram

[Rodri903]

Hello, I accidentally spilt vaping e liquid over my desktop, somehow it leaked into the laptop. An hp omen, I cleaned the desk without knowing this and continued using the laptop.

I switched it off and when I tried to switch on again didn't work couldn't get post bios, after a few restarts it made into windows worked fine for 2 hours, then I started it again and after 5 mins a loud beep starts, screen fades to black with color lazers and it reboots.

I am getting a 3.2 led signal pre bios which means problem with ram, I have opened it and the sticks were wet with the liquid (propelinglycol mostly) I have cleaned it thoroughly and the sticks look good, one of the dimm ram bays looks burnt (significantly darker than the other one) I don't know if it's burnt or rust is not completely black just darker cleaned them with a small brush.

The response of the computer without any ram stick plugged is the same as if I use both of them or just one so I think it simply doesn't read the memory.
I can't access bios with f10 or windows +B command which is weird.
Any useful advice or I should simply bin this computer? I'd be sad because I need it on holydays and it's just 2 yrs old being quite expensive :s

Thank you in advance

 

[gn842a]

I usually hit electronics with a hair dryer if I have spilled something on them. This is one of the defects of laptops, all the hardware is right there where you can foul it up. The venerable desktop, you spill all over the keyboard, twenty bucks gets you a new one.

You might get a positive result with new RAM but maybe not.

 

[Ralston18]

Can you provide a couple of photographs?

Take the photographs and post accordingly.

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2173703/post-images-tomshardware-guide.html

Overall, my thought that the vaping liquid (propylene glycol) was conductive and caused a short. And if the inside of a RAM slot is burned/shorted then the computer is likely done for.

 

[gn842a]

Can you provide a couple of photographs?

Take the photographs and post accordingly.

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2173703/post-images-tomshardware-guide.html

Overall, my thought that the vaping liquid (propylene glycol) was conductive and caused a short. And if the inside of a RAM slot is burned/shorted then the computer is likely done for.

I thought about that but what I got on the net was that prop glycol was non conductive or very poorly conductive.

But there is something just as bad: the thermal shock on hot components could cause something ceramic to fracture, even if it doesn't short out.

Greg N

 

[Ralston18]

Water content %?

Prop glycol may not necessarily be conductive but who knows about what all else may be mixed in....

Did not think about thermal shock per se but if something did fracture as a result of sudden cooling I would expect that that would be noticed or otherwise observable.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Id tear it apart and try to dry it out.

 

[Rodri903]

Can you provide a couple of photographs?

Take the photographs and post accordingly.

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2173703/post-images-tomshardware-guide.html

Overall, my thought that the vaping liquid (propylene glycol) was conductive and caused a short. And if the inside of a RAM slot is burned/shorted then the computer is likely done for.

Hello and sorry for the delay I attach photos of the bays and the modules sorry I can't seem to embed them from cell phone, there's some evident burnt/rust the liquid is PG and vegetal glycerin both non conductive but they absorb water moist, the doubt is if the damage was big enough to cause a shortcut and make the mobo unusable.

https://imgur.com/a/ASdjRsF

View: https://imgur.com/a/ASdjRsF

https://imgur.com/a/Oe1umMI

View: https://m.imgur.com/a/Oe1umMI

Yesterday I switched on the computer and had a cmos error from the bios, pressed enter to reboot with default settings and it booted with the same 3.2 error, a small ray of hope it looks like it's battling but most likely the damage is big enough the system won't be reliable anymore.

Thanks for answers

 

[Ralston18]

In the photograph showing the two memory modules it appears that there is some brownish goo on the upper end of the left side module.

You might try cleaning off the goo using rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab. Use alcohol sparingly and in a well ventilated area with no flames or smoking. Also no power and on a static free surface.

Srub/wipe gently going from the green PCB board, across the contacts, and off of the board. One way only - paralleling the "teeth".

Try that one area first and if the goo cleans off, then continue. Let dry long enough for any residual alcohol to evaporate before reinstalling the memory modules.

And, if in doubt, hold off. Other ideas and suggestions may be posted. I have no problem with that.