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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Smussi on Sat, 17 November 2012, 12:25:37

Title: Help with 2 damaged keys, mechanical keyboard.
Post by: Smussi on Sat, 17 November 2012, 12:25:37
Hi, I have a steelseries 6gv2. About 5 months old and heavily used.
Recently I have noticed that some keys. The "p" and right arrow key, im suspecting a few more.
When I press them ~65% of the time it registers as 2 clicks, sometimes 3. Happens more often when I doubble klick it and when I press it slowly.
I think it can be related to a glass of beer one dude spilled over it.
Anyone knows what may have caused this, also what may fix it?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Help with 2 damaged keys, mechanical keyboard.
Post by: MissMurd3r84 on Sat, 17 November 2012, 12:31:50
Spilt beer on it may have caused it.
Title: Re: Help with 2 damaged keys, mechanical keyboard.
Post by: rowdy on Sat, 17 November 2012, 15:26:28
Welcome to Geekhack!

Sorry that your first post is about a sick keyboard.

Most fluids spilled into a mechanical keyboard will affect the switches.  Many people have suggested rinsing the keyboard with various liquids, but the only way to be sure is to replace the switches.

Unfortunately the switches are plate-mounted, so you will need to desolder them in order to replace them.
Title: Re: Help with 2 damaged keys, mechanical keyboard.
Post by: Smussi on Sat, 17 November 2012, 18:27:14
Yeah, the beer was pretty obvious.
Dang, will probably have to try the liquids. This will be a pain. Or fun, who knows. Thanks anyways. :D
Title: Re: Help with 2 damaged keys, mechanical keyboard.
Post by: mickd on Sat, 17 November 2012, 18:31:15
If you do try to rinse out the switches, make sure you give it plenty of time to dry. Wouldn't want to plug in a keyboard that appeared to be dry, but was still wet inside!

Good luck!
Title: Re: Help with 2 damaged keys, mechanical keyboard.
Post by: Smussi on Fri, 30 November 2012, 12:04:08
Hi again! Im bumping this thread since i now have a solder pen and have removed the cover of my keyboard. I tried to desold the switch but it wont come lose no matter how much force I apply. I have only managed to damage the plastic. There must be a better way. Anyone here in the know who wanna share how to make the switches come off?
Title: Re: Help with 2 damaged keys, mechanical keyboard.
Post by: SrsBsns on Mon, 03 December 2012, 20:53:17
Strange to see that someone else had the SAME problem I had (different keys though)
To the best of my knowledge there was never any liquid spilled on mine, and the keys that were acting up were not next to each other.
It happened to me around the 6 or 7 month range as well.

I contacted SteelSeries and they RMA'd it without much hassle and sent me a new one.

Hope you're able to get it fixed! I'm in the process of finding some how-to's on cleaning mine, since I just spilled soda on it.
Title: Re: Help with 2 damaged keys, mechanical keyboard.
Post by: rowdy on Mon, 03 December 2012, 22:06:45
^ Welcome to Geekhack to you too!

Sorry that your first post also repotrs a problem.

Soda spilt into a mechanical keyboard tends to gum up the switches.  Apart from replacing the switch, anything else is a half measure at best.
Title: Re: Help with 2 damaged keys, mechanical keyboard.
Post by: SrsBsns on Tue, 04 December 2012, 21:12:09
After the keyboard dried over night there were several keys that were a bit sticky, the P was the worst of them all, even thought it was the farthest from the spill  :eek:
But good news! I shot some water into the switches that were giving me problems and so far it seemed to free them up, just letting it dry now, hopefully with good news in a couple days!

Hope you were able to fix yours Smussi
Title: Re: Help with 2 damaged keys, mechanical keyboard.
Post by: Lanx on Wed, 05 December 2012, 06:06:10
de-solder? force? you don't "push out" a keyswitch, your iron isn't getting hot enough or your not sucking out enough solder, if this is your first time soldering/desoldering look up some youtubes or even some videos on here and see what it's supposed to look like.
Title: Re: Help with 2 damaged keys, mechanical keyboard.
Post by: TwistedMentat on Wed, 05 December 2012, 06:26:14
The quintessential mechanical keyboard guide has some info about properly cleaning your keyboard (http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/mechanical-keyboard-guide#post_6025354) to make sure you get all the gunk out while avoiding damage.  Scroll down a bit past the keycaps section to see the cleaning guide.