Clamshell Keyboard

[twconstantine]

Hi! I got my first iBook Clamshell, the special edition one. It’s in decent shape and boots up. The issue is there is a diagonal Colum of keys that don’t work. 8, I, K and , I took the keyboard out and saw what seems to be the ghost of some liquid on the back of the metal housing on the keyboard.
Is there anyway to fix it? I can’t find a replacement so I may be out of luck.
Thanks in advance.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Membrane keyboards are extremely difficult to repair, if possible at all. I'd recommend just waiting for a keyboard to show up, I'm sure you'll be able to find one eventually.

 

[luRaichu]

Disassemble the keyboard if possible without damage. Separate the rubber membrane from the back PCB. Use cotton swabs & Isopropyl alcohol to clean the conductive traces and membrane.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

If there's evidence of a liquid, the tracks in question are likely broken and not just dirty.

 

[twconstantine]

Thank you all! I think I’ll try and fix it and keep my eye out for a replacement. It’s not useable as it is now.

 

[dan.dem]

You know, until you fixed the internal you can use an external USB keyboard. For such occasions I am keeping a tangerine Ur-iMac-type and a hockey-puck mouse for my tangerine Ur-iBook. Later models should work too, probably with the exception of some function keys. But there is some Apple "enabler" software for this. USB power is sufficient for the two peripherals.
I have not taken apart an iBook keyboard, only the mentioned Ur-iMac-type. This was not difficult. I rinsed the several layers of sheet material to get rid of minor stains, but I had no corroded traces. It may be difficult or even impossible to access these sheets on an iBook keyboard, at least impossible without further damage (like with the recent Mac keyboards).

So a spare keyboard is the best solution. You need to look up (iFixit) if the earlier transparent key-style is compatible with the later opaque ones (Firewire iBooks). The connector cable may be different (I have a vague memory of this). So you may need one from your era.
The key caps are easily swappable (at least within one "era"). You may want to do so, since some secondary function labels on the keys are color coded to the case colour of the iBook. (This is at least true for the earlier transparent keys.) So you don't need to wait until a "graphite" grey keyboard shows up for selling.

(I am writing this on my tangerine iBook from the previous millennium, late 1999 model. It is tethered to an 2016 iPhone via a 2009 MacBook Pro using the original Airport Card while the MacBook uses Bluetooth tethering to the iPhone .)

 

[twconstantine]

Thank you for the suggestion. I managed to find a good working keyboard and was able to swap it over.

 

[dan.dem]

Fine! That's the easiest/only way to go.
I keep a broken keyboard just for the key caps and scissor parts, in case I am damaging my keys again during a cleaning attempt, as done before. Fun fact: I wrote most of my university thesis with a broken key, held together only with a piece of tape attached to the two neighboring keys. But it worked reasonably well. Only one and a half years later I learned how to fix the key cheaply with old parts.

I think the scissor mechanism is the very first generation of the now reintroduced Apple scissor mechanism for keyboards. Only that it feels better when touch typing. I especially appreciate the concave key caps giving you feedback about the correct position of your fingers on the key board.
Enjoy your iBook! Chances are it will last long. They are the most durable of all Apple Laptops by far.