A600 keyboard problems - any tips?

[Shatterhand]

Yesterday my A600 keyboard stopped working. Most of the keys weren't working anymore.

Today I tried the "cut the tip of the ribbon connector" mod to see if it would work.

It.. almost worked. After I did it, I plugged the ribbon again, the bottom of the keyboard and enter wasn't working. I unplugged and plugged it again, and then most of the keyboard wasn't working. Unplugged and plugged, all keyboard was working but the space bar (even enter was working). Unplugged and plugged again (Always with the computer turned off), and most keys were working but enter wasn't (a few letter also weren't).

I find this to be really weird. Why the hell a different set of keys work everytime I unplug/plug the ribbon cable again?

I don't want to cut the ribbon anymore, does anyone have any other tip for me? I've heard about trying to apply liquid silver on the contacts, but I have no idea where to buy it (asked friends around here who are into electronics and they said the same: no idea where to buy it)

[amiman99]

I have broken my A600 keyboard too by pulling it out without pulling the tab out first, which caused scarring on the contacts.
The way I fixed it was to cut the ribbon, scrape off the top coat and insert in the connector plug. So far it works, but I know that it will fail again when I try to pull it out one more time.
I did try to use conductive glue, but it did not work well, the traces are too close to each other.

[Shatterhand]

I didn't pull the ribbon without pulling the tab , though I am pretty sure this has happened with this machine before. I was just using it normaly, I opened it to get my CD card (without removing the ribbon), then when I closed it again, keyboard not working.

I was thinking about trying to apply some colorless nail polish mixed with graphite dust on the tip of the rib, I read it works wonders for membranes like this.

When you say, "scrape off the top coat" you mean remove the green plastic stuff from the cable? I don't think I'll be able to do it without damaging the inside of the cable. (I just cut the cable)

[Shatterhand]

Oh, I see, close to the tip the cable, there's a "greener" kind of cover on the cable... you say I should try to remove this?

[supaduper]

There is another way but it has to be done carefully
pull back the protective covering till it gets to where the contact lines go thin(no more !)
and with sharp scissors cut it off,now you will most probably have removed some of the contacts doing this at the start of where the covering was lifted from (I DiD).
Now here one deep breath, you must cut and remove the bad section to where you peeled the covering from.
Next here is the fun part doing this will have left a film over the contact lines so instead of scraping it off and ruining it more, do this.
with the amiga off make sure the keyboard clamp is in the clamped position I.E fully down then get the end of the strip you have cut and push it in and out of the clamp whilst closed 5 to 10 times ,by doing this you are removing a small amout of material each time to get to the contacts surfaces.
Now after each 5th pass of pushing in and out turn the Amiga on and try every key.
I found I had to do this about 20 in and outs on my A600, but every key is now working
Good Luck