Blackwidow key sticky

HoBoJo

United States26 Posts

December 27 2011 19:41 GMT

Hey guys. I have a new RazerBlackwidow mechanical keyboard and ive been having a few problems with it. I spilled some dr pepper on it a few days ago and it stopped working. I cleaned it out with compressed air and stuck it in a bag of rice. couple hours later it works again. now the next day, a couple of the keys are having a problem where they are reaaaallyy slow to pop back up again and theyre harder to hit down. i was wondering if anyone could tell me how to disassemble a switch for this keyboard because the problem is inside the switch. because i took the keycap off.
Thanks,

HoBoJo

Great news! The keys are mostly unsticky due to the rubbing alcohol!
I just used a syringe to inject the alcohol into the switches of the keys that were sticky, let it dry for a little... and it works!... might have to do it 1 or 2 more times just to get to fully unsticky but I can play starcraft again! Thanks to all that responded. <3's to you all.

MODS: may close this thread now problem solved =).

Zealotdriver

United States1557 Posts

December 27 2011 19:44 GMT

Tech support forum.

Just take the keyboard chassis apart, wash it with water, let it dry for a few days.

Excludos

Norway8254 Posts

December 27 2011 19:44 GMT

unlike other mechanical keyboards, the switches on the Blackwidow can't be disassembled in any way that lets you easily assemble them. The only way is to break them open and somehow weld them together again. Its unfortunate

MannerKiss

United States2398 Posts

December 27 2011 19:47 GMT

Not an expert on this but when i'm too scared to pop the keys off because it may be difficult to put them back on, i'd try to use a wet q-tip around the bottom side to clean the soda off.

eXigent.

Canada2419 Posts

December 27 2011 19:56 GMT

TBH I think you might be screwed. I don't think there is a way to disassemble the switches on a blackwidow keyboard

Bulkers

Poland509 Posts

December 27 2011 19:57 GMT

If switches are damaged then its bad news, razer wont accept your return... that might be the most expensive dr pepper in your life... you can try @Zelotdriver advice and pray it work

Swilvan

113 Posts

December 27 2011 19:58 GMT

try using maybe some alcohol to clean it? I think that doesn't fuck up your electronics, at least, saved my g15 from sticky death.

HoBoJo

United States26 Posts

December 27 2011 19:59 GMT

Could a mod please move this to the tech support forum?... i didnt know there was one.

Dekoth

United States527 Posts

December 27 2011 20:04 GMT

Stop watching porn with your nice kb in front of you..

jk

Seriously though, Rubbing Alcohol. It is non conductive and eliminates soda residue like no tomorrow. You will still want to let it fully dry, but that will clean out mechanical switches or really anything electronic. I salvaged my wifes computer when she dumped a coke into the top and it ran through the top usb and all down the motherboard with it.

FlyingToilet

United States840 Posts

December 27 2011 20:06 GMT

#10

When i was surfing through amazon's reviews looking for a good keyboard for sc2, i stuck with the marauder. I would have bought a black widow keyboard but the reviews made it seem it wasn't worthwhile.

I like the feel of my keyboard compared to mechanical keys anyway, besides all the reviews i read about he blackwidow mentioned faulty engineering for button layout and that some of the middle buttons would stick. Besides i guess i got the money to replace my keyboards more than i should anyways...

MuATaran

Canada231 Posts

December 27 2011 20:08 GMT

#11

What I did when my keyboard was sticky was I took the caps off the key that is sticky, then used a water dropper to put 1-2 drops ontop of the swtch. Then you press the switch down 20-30 times untill it is not sticky any more and you blow the air out with compressed air. Rince and repeat.

darkscream

Canada2310 Posts

December 27 2011 20:08 GMT

#12

I keep two sets of keyboards. One awesome blackwidow, and one shit one that I can spill dr pepper on and its no biggie.

I suggest you do the same, keep a backup for when you want to enjoy risky behaviour at your computer, like cans of soda >_>

pungk

Romania61 Posts

December 27 2011 20:11 GMT

#13

keyboard + washing machine + 1 week to dry = effective:D jk

you could try some cotton with rubbing alcohol and let it dry really well... spilled coke on my keyboards alot of times and when the keys get sticky i just use some rubbing alcohol on qtips if i dont feel like removing the keys.

IamSneaky

Germany21 Posts

December 27 2011 20:16 GMT

#14

In advance sorry for my bad grammar and my limited range of vocabulary ^^

This also happened to me and this is what I did (it is working fine again and i havent had any problems what so ever)

I took it apart
+ Show Spoiler +

5 screws at the back, opened it, pulled away the 2 plastic parts of the body so that you just have the "mainboard" with the cherry blue switches on

washed everything under the shower
+ Show Spoiler +

if you want you can use distilled water and just lay it in a basin full of it, make sure to push the switches like you are typing because the sticky liquid (in your case dr.pepper) is in the switches and you need to wash it out

dried it
+ Show Spoiler +

first i shook the remaining water out, put it on the side so that the rest can run out, after an hour i started drying it with a hairdrier for 10 minutes at the lowest level and then i put it on the heating on not max level for 4 hours, you can also use your oven but make sure to set it on maximum of 20 degrees (I didnt test it but it should have the same result as the heating)

put it together
+ Show Spoiler +

well just put everything together after it is dry

im gonna make a guide how to do this with explenation in the tech forum with at least one picture once I get better in English or have more time to check spelling and stuff

I hope i helped you to get it working again
thanks for reading and have a great day everyone ^^

MisterD

Germany1338 Posts

December 27 2011 20:22 GMT

#15

well you could always say "it was already wet and still works, so i could make it wet again and chances are it will work again", then take a bucket of water (which dissolves the gluey stuff and doesn't become sticky itself) and then just do the same drying-routine again. Chances are, of course, that you're going to kill it with that. But it might just as well fix the problem without you having to take it apart. If you are desperate enough to do this, make sure to make the wet time as short as possible.

I do agree though, that taking it apart is certainly the better way to go. Maybe you have a friend who has some experience with that?

Phayze

Canada2029 Posts

December 27 2011 20:55 GMT

#16

Easiest way would have been to find a bag (grocery bag etc), put the keyboard in it, pour in like 100ml of isopropyl rubbing alcohol, seal the bag, and shake the bag vigorously while pressing the effected keys from outside the bag. The isopropyl alcohol is electronics safe and will dissolve soda and sugar. You then dry the keyboard as much as possible (shaking the keyboard, or spin it to allow the centrifugal force to remove as much as the soda filled alcohol as possible (as if there is rubbing alcohol with pop, the alcohol will evaporate and the soda will still be there; this is why you press the buttons to move as much of it as possible into the alcohol and outside the switch mechanism) dry the keyboard over night (as rubbing alcohol will turn to vapor easily). This will mean you do not have to take it apart. I personally spilled something into my blackwidow, i took it apart, but have recently used this method to fix my razer mice. It might take two "doses" if you do not remove enough of the soda on the first wash. I'm not sure what the alcohol will do to the rubber glue that holds the feet down, perhaps remove the feet and glue before hand, as in all likelihood the alcohol will dissolve the glue also.

If you are using water, you must use distilled water. There are many many other elements in ordinary tap water and this is why water is so bad for electronics. The other elements within the water is what makes it so conductive. There is really no other way to clean inside the switch mechanism as they are soldered onto the keyboard.

Boblhead

United States2577 Posts

December 27 2011 21:05 GMT

#17

On December 28 2011 05:55 Phayze wrote:
Easiest way would have been to find a bag (grocery bag etc), put the keyboard in it, pour in like 100ml of isopropyl rubbing alcohol, seal the bag, and shake the bag vigorously while pressing the effected keys from outside the bag. The isopropyl alcohol is electronics safe and will dissolve soda and sugar. You then dry the keyboard as much as possible (shaking the keyboard, or spin it to allow the centrifugal force to remove as much as the soda filled alcohol as possible (as if there is rubbing alcohol with pop, the alcohol will evaporate and the soda will still be there; this is why you press the buttons to move as much of it as possible into the alcohol and outside the switch mechanism) dry the keyboard over night (as rubbing alcohol will turn to vapor easily). This will mean you do not have to take it apart. I personally spilled something into my blackwidow, i took it apart, but have recently used this method to fix my razer mice. It might take two "doses" if you do not remove enough of the soda on the first wash. I'm not sure what the alcohol will do to the rubber glue that holds the feet down, perhaps remove the feet and glue before hand, as in all likelihood the alcohol will dissolve the glue also.

If you are using water, you must use distilled water. There are many many other elements in ordinary tap water and this is why water is so bad for electronics. The other elements within the water is what makes it so conductive. There is really no other way to clean inside the switch mechanism as they are soldered onto the keyboard.

are teh blackwidows keys padprinted? if so say bb to your key lettering! I would take keycaps off then do that seeing you can still pretty the switch down.

Phayze

Canada2029 Posts

December 27 2011 21:07 GMT

#18

Boblhead brings up a good point, you should remove the keycaps. Just be warned, it's kind of a bitch to get used to replacing the keycaps that use the stabilizers (shifts, enter, etc). Once removed, put in those keys first. It will be really frustrating to put them back if you put them in last. Feeling my black widow keycaps, i dont think they are painted over but theres really no harm in being cautious.

If you want, use a cotton swab or similar object to dab a key you dont really care about with isopropyl alcohol (like a side thats not normally visible), this will tell you whether or not it will dissolve the paint, if there is painting.

Kaitlin

United States2958 Posts

December 27 2011 22:24 GMT

#19

If you can't get it fixed, then depending on what key it is, perhaps you could take advantage of the program-ability of the keyboard and adjust your hotkeys to get around it. For example, if my 'A' key didn't work, it wouldn't affect my SC2 play, as I don't use it for my layout.

HoBoJo

United States26 Posts

December 28 2011 06:02 GMT

#20

I think it was the Spilling of the Dr. Pepper not the Fault of Razer Engineers =P

HoBoJo

United States26 Posts

December 30 2011 00:42 GMT

#21

Great news! The keys are mostly unsticky due to the rubbing alcohol!
I just used a syringe to inject the alcohol into the switches of the keys that were sticky, let it dry for a little... and it works!... might have to do it 1 or 2 more times just to get to fully unsticky but I can play starcraft again! Thanks to all that responded. <3's to you all.

MODS: may close this thread now problem solved =).

caradoc

Canada3022 Posts

December 14 2012 01:45 GMT

#22

Well, I spilled honey water all over my Black Widow. The keys on the entire left half of the keyboard were sticking, slow to come up, not clicking. I removed all of the keycaps and attempted to use a syringe to drip 99% isopropyl alcohol while hitting the keys-- this freed them somewhat, but wasn't sufficient, and they'd return to sticking after 45minutes or so. (Honey is probably the single worst thing you could ever spill on your keyboard). I said to hell with it, put my keyboard in a giant ziplock bag, filled it with distilled water, sealed it, then hit every single key probably 50 times or so, let it sit a few minutes in the water, hit the keys a few more times for good measure, and took it out.

It's draining now. So far the click and normal motion of the keys seems to have returned to more or less normal. Hopefully the keyboard works after it all dries out. I'll repost here or edit this post when I try to plug it in again.

caradoc

Canada3022 Posts

January 08 2013 23:47 GMT

#23

And it's good! keyboard works 100%.
Me and my BlackWidow: 1
Honey Water: 0

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