I stupidly spilled coffee on my Thinkpad 430. Dried it all off, opened everything I could, let it air dry, wiped it, cleaned it, etc. Did a test boot and started up fine so decided to put back together.
To put the keyboard back on requires two long screws placed from the bottom of the computer, right near the RAM slots. I stupidly screwed the first keyboard screw into the wrong hole - supposed to be a black plastic hole near edge, I did a metal one near middle. It fit fine until the last few mm got resistance. Stopped after the resistance seemed too much. Turned it over and looked under the keyboard - the screw had come right up into the RAM module that sits under the keyboard and lifted it (socket seems intact, can press it back in and clip it). I lifted the black tape on the mobo and freaked out thinking I'd just bored a hole through my motherboard! But no there appears to be a screw hole going through the mobo there (I have no idea what for). And again I only hit resistance the last few mm. However the RAM module now has a nice round depression in the PCB going right through some traces. When I backed out the screw, reinstalled RAM, turn on, lights go on for 1 second, power light stays on, nothing else happens, can power it off.
So I'm PRETTY sure I just ruined the RAM module (tried putting it in the bottom side slot too [even though you're only supposed to use under-keyboard slot for 1-DIMM config]) and exact same thing happens.
Is this how the thinkpad t430 acts when the ram is bad? I didn't try pulling it out entirely to see if it does the same thing.
Or is this how it acts when one has screwed up the motherboard? (maybe there was other circuitry below that I did bore through..). Has anyone made this mistake before? What the HECK is that middle screw hole for? Did I ruin my motherboard after saving my computer from a coffee disaster?
I've ordered a new ram module, should be here in a few days...guess I'll know then.
To put the keyboard back on requires two long screws placed from the bottom of the computer, right near the RAM slots. I stupidly screwed the first keyboard screw into the wrong hole - supposed to be a black plastic hole near edge, I did a metal one near middle. It fit fine until the last few mm got resistance. Stopped after the resistance seemed too much. Turned it over and looked under the keyboard - the screw had come right up into the RAM module that sits under the keyboard and lifted it (socket seems intact, can press it back in and clip it). I lifted the black tape on the mobo and freaked out thinking I'd just bored a hole through my motherboard! But no there appears to be a screw hole going through the mobo there (I have no idea what for). And again I only hit resistance the last few mm. However the RAM module now has a nice round depression in the PCB going right through some traces. When I backed out the screw, reinstalled RAM, turn on, lights go on for 1 second, power light stays on, nothing else happens, can power it off.
So I'm PRETTY sure I just ruined the RAM module (tried putting it in the bottom side slot too [even though you're only supposed to use under-keyboard slot for 1-DIMM config]) and exact same thing happens.
Is this how the thinkpad t430 acts when the ram is bad? I didn't try pulling it out entirely to see if it does the same thing.
Or is this how it acts when one has screwed up the motherboard? (maybe there was other circuitry below that I did bore through..). Has anyone made this mistake before? What the HECK is that middle screw hole for? Did I ruin my motherboard after saving my computer from a coffee disaster?
I've ordered a new ram module, should be here in a few days...guess I'll know then.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram