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Just for the record, I'm not sure if this will consistently work but I thought it good to put this on record for anyone else who is at wits end with a water damaged cellphone. I dropped my phone in a river and it stopped working (Touch Pro 2). Well, actually it went in well I was swimming and forgot it was in my pocket.
I let it dry off with a hair dryer, but it was still squirrelly with the input. It would repeat certain characters. Also it would not charge from USB. It was basically unusable so I figured I would try soaking the main board in Isopropyl Alcohol (perhaps remove whatever it is that is shorting out the mainboard). I let the mainboard (without the screen) soak overnight in a sealed tupperware container (so the Alcohol wouldn't evaporate). Then I took it out to let all the Alcohol evaporate. Put it all back together a few hours ago and, violla, it works perfectly. No repeated inputs, no other problems.
Wow, That was lucky, Congrats
Congrats......
I posted about this last year about water infiltration incidents. It generally goes as follows:
If you drop your phone into water, fruit punch,toilet, etc. First thing to do---
1. Remove battery immediately
2. Open up as much as possible daub dry excess water
3. Submerged in Alcohol (200 proof drinking alcohol is best), Isopropyl or denatured works almost as good. leave 1-2 hours (the alcohol binds to the H20 and prevents the H2O from corroding the metal or electronics)
4. Dry with hair dryer
5. Put in desiccant (enough to submerge) or rice, or millet etc. and leave over night
Hair dry to blow any excess dust.... reassemble and you are done. If it did get water damage that renders the phone unusable then, use white out and white out the water strip back to white and go for replacement.
This method I have used for treating flooding on my underwater cameras for 20+ years and I have been successful 98% of time
Once again, congrats
Very interesting. I've also heard of putting in the fridge as it draws out all moisture?
Sent from Odin on my HTC desire
just fix a water damaged phone by changing the battery
it was a black berry phone soaked in water
Always wondered about that.
Thanks for the tips! I will keep it in mind, though the best way that's working for me right now is paying attention
Nice one, i shall try this on my damaged nokia =D
I can relate. I once jumped in the mediterranean with my phone in my pocket.
The SE k750i was a good phone...
First time I hear about this
what?! that's pretty awesome bro.
Lucky try rice.
That's fascinating. Could've used that info about 6 months ago when I managed to drop my phone into a toilet. Luckily it was unused.
It is nice with some tricks. Ill hope it work for me too xD
This is awesome.. Believe it or not a few years back my GF knocked over a class of water into my open pc.. and yeah it died.. Did a similar method here on the mobo and it worked.. for a while
Shot for the tip, I will keep it in mind
definately adding this to my bag of tricks of fixing electronic devices people bring to me to be fixed.
isopropyl is used for inject printers as well...
I always heard to take the battery out immediately. Rince the phone real good in DISTILLED WATER. Shake out as much water as you can, then put it in the oven on about 150-200 degrees for a couple of hours to dry it out.
I dropped my Nokia 6133 in a puddle of muddy water. Did the above and it worked for another year until I upgraded to a newer phone.
How does this method work for salt water? Dropped my Razor in the ocean a few years ago. Not a good day.
Yes, I said razor! I used to love that phone!
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AHTFNEM
This is the one I bought, for a reference. I'm just curious if anyone else has done it and what problems they ran into. I'm no stranger to electronics, so I'm not afraid to take it apart, I'm just worried that I'm going to end up doing something wrong.
For example, the glass and digitizer are fused together, right?
And do you go around the front or the sides with the heat gun? 750w or 1300w?
Here's a good DIY video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_70-W9JjVjg&feature=youtube_gdata_player
A hair dryer should suffice so I don't think you need such a powerful heat gun.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
wrathofnero said:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AHTFNEM
This is the one I bought, for a reference. I'm just curious if anyone else has done it and what problems they ran into. I'm no stranger to electronics, so I'm not afraid to take it apart, I'm just worried that I'm going to end up doing something wrong.
For example, the glass and digitizer are fused together, right?
And do you go around the front or the sides with the heat gun? 750w or 1300w?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I posted this thread a few days ago after replacing the digitizer myself. The video referred to by another member was for a phone, and personally I doubt a hairdryer would suffice for the job 'cause cell phones usually use light double-sided tape to hold the almost weightless glass. The tape on the Tab 2, on the other hand, is quite strong. You can use sheer force except there's no gap at the edge, front or back, and you might damage the LCD display in the process. I used a dryer for a few minutes and it did nothing to loosen the adhesive. Good luck.
That is an awesome tutorial. You're right about it giving confidence, as well as answering many of the questions I had. I guess I'm more concerned now over just various tips and tricks.
Is there any fine science to lining it up? How easily can it be fingerprinted and what would you use? Also, I've heard of WD-40 to remove the glue left over. What should I use if this one doesn't include any adhesive?
As you can see, I'm clearly a worrier. Got it honest.
wrathofnero said:
That is an awesome tutorial. You're right about it giving confidence, as well as answering many of the questions I had. I guess I'm more concerned now over just various tips and tricks.
Is there any fine science to lining it up? How easily can it be fingerprinted and what would you use? Also, I've heard of WD-40 to remove the glue left over. What should I use if this one doesn't include any adhesive?
As you can see, I'm clearly a worrier. Got it honest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lining it up is a no-brainer since the glass fits snugly into the frame. The lcd is a non-issue since it is separated from the touchscreen. As far as finger prints,I use a 50/50 white vinegar/water solution. Be sure to wipe it off with a microfiber cloth while it's still wet. For left-over glue,I use either Goo-gone and 91% alcohol afterwards, or acetone. WD40 is fine though I am not sure it would not leave any residue after drying out. In case the new one has no adhesive, the better choice would be the outdoor double-sided tape for 5 lbs at Home Depot, or failing that, loctite outdoor epoxy though this one could get messy.
I thought I would make a quick post to provide some encouragement for those who may water damaged phones. Took mine swimming the other day. Phone fell out of my pocket and drifted down to the deepest end of the pool 8+'. Fortunately I discovered the phone before I got out of the pool.
I ran down to the hardware store and bought a bag of powder dehydration powder used for drawing humidity out of the air. I combined this powder with a bag of white rice in an airtight container (may seem like overkill but this worked much better then the typical prescribed method).
Any how, I removed the battery, took the screws out of the inner housing assembly popped the assembly without completely disassembling. I then wrapped the phone in a couple of coffee filters to prevent any of the powder from entering the phone.
I put the filter wrapped phone in the powder over night, sealed the container and left overnight. When I awoke I had a completely dry phone.
When I attempted to reboot the phone, the phone booted, but the touch screen didn't work.
After watching a video on Youtube (disassembly guide) I completely disassembled the phone. Working with 99% Iso alcohol and some small brushes, I completely cleaned the interior of the phone assembly including the main board, all connectors (paying very close attention to the pin assemblies). I found quite a bit of white corrosion inside the pin assemblies for the connectors and on much of the components. I assume this was residual chlorine from the pool water. After thoroughly cleaning all components, board etc. I carefully reassembled the phone per the instructions in the video.
Once the phone was buttoned up and recharged, I rebooted the phone. The phone booted right up. Everything worked perfectly, with the exception of the camera (wouldn't focus right). I disassembled the in housing again and took the camera out again. After inspecting, I realized I hadn't cleaned the interior of the plastic cover that protects the camera. After booting again, camera worked perfectly.
I would highly encourage anyone who mistakenly immerses their phone in water to at minimum use the powder and rice mixture w/partial disassembly. This worked exceptionally well compared to simply removing the battery and placing in rice.
If your patient and willing to follow directions, I found the thorough disassembly and cleaning process to be quite informative and rewarding, and I got a working phone out of the deal.
Don't recommend getting your phone wet, but if you do, take the initiative and try this yourself. Feel free to msg me if you have any questions
Good to hear that home solutions is still a viable way to fix electronic problems.
How long was it in the water for? I would have figured there was no way that phone would come back to life. Good to know.
Makes no difference if it was 10 seconds or 10 minutes. It doesn't get "wetter" being in longer.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
mine got wet 9 months ago and the op's steps that they took were similar to what I did and I can confirm that you can save your phone. My phone even got plugged in to the charger before i realized it was wet. Thanks op for posting this to help others out.
Hall, that cant be entirely true. Granted, either way is bad, but you can have more corrosion build up if it sat longer. Will 10 minutes do that much corrosion? still doubtful, but still can effect the phone differently. Also, depending on the case, it could take a little longer to access deeper in to the phone.
Sent from my MIUI powered S3 thanks to StrumerJohn and using Tapatalk 4. Respect My Authoritah!
BurningDog said:
How long was it in the water for? I would have figured there was no way that phone would come back to life. Good to know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the late reply. Phone was about 9' deep for about 10 minutes. It was completely water logged. Funny thing was screen was still operational when I pulled from the water. I immediately pulled battery to prevent shorting.
I tend to think the amount of corrosion is relevant to the depth of water invasion and the amount of chemical or other component in the water. Mine was full of white corrosion. Under a magnifying glass I could see it everywhere. Any place i found it, I scrubbed with a fine brush and alcohol, specifically around the pins in the connectors. Be careful not to bend any though.
As far as components, they seem to be very well sealed. Nothing got into the camera, gyro etc. Speaker and phone jack both needed quite a bit of work, but eventually came clean.
Wouldn't suggest opening a phone for no reason, but it is actually quite interesting to see how small and well designed the components are, as well as to see how and where they are installed, gives one a much better understanding of how these things work.
Should I ever drop a phone in water again, I will certainly feel much more confident about my ability to revive it. Not good for the phone but certainly not a death certificate either. With a thorough cleaning your phone should work just fine again.
Edit: so I read the OP. Excellent job, with the exception of the rice. Leave it out next time. It's time to end the rice myth!
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For the love of God people, stop putting your wet phones in rice. I work at a repair shop and have worked on more water damaged phones than I can remember. Also, I come from a fobby Asian family and have carried(20+ lb bags)/washed/steamed/eaten a lot of rice.
First, rice doesn't just absorb moisture. If it's submerged in it, it will. It doesn't just pull it out of the air.
Second, when you put something wet in a container, or anywhere without good airflow it takes significantly longer for the water to evaporate. Take some wet clothes and put them in a bag. Even an open bag. See how long it takes compared to something like line drying.
Half the time someone leaves their phone in a rice filled container, the phone still has water in it 3-7 days later. The other half the water is gone, but it has accelerated damage from corrosion/rust.
Best thing to do with a water damaged android phone: take out the battery. Put it anywhere with a comfortable ambient temp and airflow, leaving the battery cover off. Leave it as long as you feel comfortable. Install new battery and back up your stuff.
At this point, you may need to clean everything with rubbing alcohol. If you don't feel comfortable doing that yourself, bring it to someone.
Sorry to rant but I'm just so sick of opening up wet phones and having people tell me "but I read it on the internet!"
Spread the word.
rockingondrums said:
Sorry to rant but I'm just so sick of opening up wet phones and having people tell me "but I read it on the internet!"
Spread the word.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything on the internet is true though. Which is why I will now let everyone know. You all owe me money. Depending on your yearly net income.
20k and below. $10
50 - 70k $20
70 - 90k $50
90k and up $100.
You may pay me via PayPal.
This is on the internet. This is true. Good day!
Sent from my MIUI powered S3 thanks to StrumerJohn and using Tapatalk 4. Respect My Authoritah!
After owning the Gear S2 Classic for a little over a week, I noticed yesterday that the bezel is now a lot easier to rotate then it used to. I am concerned that something is wrong or wearing out prematurely. I kinda liked the amount of resistance it had before. It is still functioning but the rotation clicks are less noticeable and it takes almost not effort to rotate the bezel, making it feel cheap compared to how it was initially. I am still under the 15 days return policies at Best Buy. I was wondering if anyone has noticed this kind of changes over time? For example I think I needed to grasp with two fingers to rotate before and now I can do it with just one.
I have the opposite problem. After owning the Gear S2 3G for several months, the bezel gets sticky after turning it a few times, like I'm tightening a screw. If I continue turning the bezel or reverse the direction, it becomes loose again. I put a few drops of 3-in-1 oil in the gap between the bezel and the watch, and it helped the problem. However, after a week it started feeling sticky again.
Dont you make it worser by putting oil in there? Dust can get everywhere. Dust and oil isnt really a good mixture.
Oxizee said:
Dont you make it worser by putting oil in there? Dust can get everywhere. Dust and oil isnt really a good mixture.
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Click to collapse
Not really. 3-in-1 oil is made to lubricate moving parts and clean tools/guns. The bezel turns nicely after applying a few drops of 3-in-1 oil, but it doesn't stay that way for more than a few weeks.
Another poster pointed out the Gear S2 is water resistant to level IP68. I tried cleaning it with warm water and some dish washing liquid, but I got the same result as using the 3-in-1 oil. I guess I just need to clean the watch every few weeks.
Zagzagel said:
Not really. 3-in-1 oil is made to lubricate moving parts and clean tools/guns. The bezel turns nicely after applying a few drops of 3-in-1 oil, but it doesn't stay that way for more than a few weeks.
Another poster pointed out the Gear S2 is water resistant to level IP68. I tried cleaning it with warm water and some dish washing liquid, but I got the same result as using the 3-in-1 oil. I guess I just need to clean the watch every few weeks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was me
Given that we don't know anything about the materials or construction of the seals, I wouldn't put anything other than water -- which the watch it expressly designed to tolerate. 3-in-1 is great for lubricating metal bearings like door hinges; I wouldn't introduce it (or any other lubricant/solvent) into a mechanism sealed against water intrusion, where there will be rubber/silicone parts that might not tolerate the oil.
dwallersv said:
That was me
Given that we don't know anything about the materials or construction of the seals, I wouldn't put anything other than water -- which the watch it expressly designed to tolerate. 3-in-1 is great for lubricating metal bearings like door hinges; I wouldn't introduce it (or any other lubricant/solvent) into a mechanism sealed against water intrusion, where there will be rubber/silicone parts that might not tolerate the oil.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. If the waterproof seals are made of rubber or plastic, a silicone oil should be used instead of petroleum. However, I'm just going to follow your advice and use soap and water when it gets sticky.
Zagzagel said:
Good point. If the waterproof seals are made of rubber or plastic, a silicone oil should be used instead of petroleum. However, I'm just going to follow your advice and use soap and water when it gets sticky.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't even use any soap either unless necessary. While soap is far less risky than an oil, if water will do the trick alone that's the best answer.
Incrementalism, my friend Use a little soap only if necessary...
The bezel on my S2 gets harder and harder to turn over time with just my thumb (or one finger) on one side, eventually getting to the point where I have to grasp it with two fingers to turn without my finger slipping on it.
This is because it gets dirty. Over time, sweat, dust, dead skin, general grime in the air, etc., works its way under the bezel.
The good news is, IP68. You can wash it. I was hesitant about this at first, because water resistance ratings are not as rigorous as we'd like to think. Further, there are issues of static water intrusion (sitting under water) vs. dynamic forced intrusion (a spray of water hitting the object).
Anyway, I've thoroughly cleaned the bezel mechanical interface several times since I got the watch without any issues. Just took the leather straps off, put the watch under running water, and gently worked the dial around, back and forth, over and over until it was moving very easily and smoothly 360.
Dry it off really well, and the dial movement is like new. Boots back up and works without issue.