Couldn't find solid/non-contradictory advice on this in previous threads, tl:dr version at the bottom.
Putting this in general Q&A because at least the isopropyl alcohol related stuff shouldn't be too specific, but let me know if it would be okay/worthwhile to copy it to the Galaxy S3 subforum (even just the frankensteining part). Thanks.
Okay, my mother dropped her Galaxy S3 4G (International Version) into salt water. The screen or phone turned off immediately, but the battery was left in for half an hour before she got it home. I didn't know it was salt water til later so I ran a vacuum over the outside (safe distance for static) and put it in a bag of dessicant packets and rice for 24 hours and then powered it on – I didn't realise until I plugged it into my computer that it had actually turned on, but the screen and speaker weren't working (bottom buttons may work but I can't be sure – on turning the phone on they light up for a split second but don't seem to at any other time, not sure whether or not touching them was working and am not powering the phone up again til I've got the buildup off).
I managed to make a backup of data using kies before opening the phone up and noticing the white buildup that indicates salt water, which she then confirmed. Really my fault for not asking in the first place.
Interestingly, the water indicator in the battery compartment hasn't tripped, but obviously the white buildup means there's no way its getting warranty replacement. There's a huge payment left on the phone, and I would like to try and salvage it – I've got experience working with electronics (albeit not in this state), and if I can get the right information it will probably be cheaper than out of warranty repair. I've tried using a bit of contact cleaner on the connectors and managed to get a lot of the white buildup off the screen connector, but it hasn't helped.
From some reading, I've learnt that 90%+ isopropyl alcohol can help deal with the buildup, so I'll head out to get some high-purity stuff from an electronics store over the weekend, however as most functions seem to be working fine except the screen, I don’t know if soaking the mobo is going to do anything, and most of the screen's PCB is inaccessible (the glass, screen, and screen pcb are glued together on the S3 and part of the PCB is covered), so it's difficult to get to with swabs etc.
Does anyone know for certain whether or not the screen section, which has what I assume is thermal compound, can be soaked in isopropyl alcohol without doing irreparable damage? I have seen entire phones soaked, but the SGS3's screen is attached with glue. If the thermal compound is damaged by this, is it replaceable and if so will regular computer stuff work or do I need something in particular?
Failing this (as it's entirely possible stuff has arced or whatever), I am willing to attempt replacing the screen if I can find a suitable donor, however it's not easy to find 4g versions for parts with intact screens and I don't think we're going to pay out the $170 or thereabouts for a new one any time soon (only way that would happen is if I knew it would work and took the phone for myself, giving her my SGS2).
Will the screen section from an Australian non-4G work, and will it being from a different carrier (unlike the US we don't have carrier specific models) cause problems if I use the 4G mobo? Again, I'd prefer answers from people that know for certain, as even buying phones to Frankenstein the thing back to life isn't cheap.
I assume the speaker is the same thus swappable, right? If not, can it be soaked (I assume not but again seen entire phones soaked).
tl;dr: Intl 4G SGS3 dropped in salt water. Dried, screen and touch aren't working, but phone connects/charges and backup made. White buildup on PCB, so warranty replacement out of the question, want to attempt to salvage or failing that, Frankenstein it together.
1) Can the screen section be soaked in isopropyl alcohol without irreparable damage?
2) Will this damage the thermal paste, if so what do I replace it with? Would scraping it off carefully be possible/work?
3) Will an AU SGS3 non-4G screen assembly from a different carrier (no varied models here) work in it?
4) The speaker is swappable between the two, right?
Would prefer answers from people who know for certain/from experience, if you're not certain please explain your logic (don't want to take unnecessary risks).
Sorry if that sounds pushy, a little bit stressed about this as there are a couple of potential donors on ebay that are ending in the next day or so. Thanks in advance!
Related
Hello to all.
Recently a wet spot appeared on my Qtek2020. At first it was around 0.5 cm2, but it slowly grew to about half of the screen. I say appeared, beacuse I haven't spilled anything on the device.
Since my Qtek is still under warranty I haven't tried to disassemble it or anything but I did leave it to dry in a warm dry place. Now, the wetspot has disappeared but the marks (aroud the wetspot) are still visible and more importantly the device doesn't recognize "taps" in some parts of the screen (mostly on the place of on-screen keyboard which renders the phone pretty much useless, or at least very frustrating to use).
I reckon that the moisture was between the touch-recognizeing foil and the LCD screen. I think that this could happen due to condesation of water when I came from a cold and wet place (outisde) to a warm and dry environment (inside).
Our local Qtek service provider says that they I definatley spilled something on my PDA and they refuse to cover it under warranty. Of course paying 165 EUR for something I didn't do seems quite expensive.
Can anyone recommend anything that I could do? Thanks.
Sadly, this is the way it is done..
Do you have insurranse?
If not offered by your telcom, maybe a travellers insuranse perhaps?
I don't know the normal policies and standards of your country, but this MIGHT be covered by insuranse..
I have just had an XDA II handed back to me with almost the whole screen marked in this way.
Does anyone know of a supplier of damp proofing or rugged units. We use the XDA quite extensively, mainly outdoors.
Has anyone replaced any parts of the chassis on their Sensation yet?
I just ordered this part but am not yet sure how difficult it will be to fit:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250954550434&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:1123
The reason is that I have some small dents on the metal surrounding the screen (screen and digitiser are absolutely intact).
I can see lots of videos about digitisers being replaced but hopefully I won't have to pull out any cables or remove any tape.
I know I have to remove the battery, sim, sdcard and the other back chassis (6 torxx) that seems easy enough, just gets a little fuzzy after that.
Anyone done it?
The mutiple usage of the heat gun has kind of put me off doing this for now!
I will look into it if I ever someone crack my digitiser.
Order cancelled.
Electronic Punk said:
The mutiple usage of the heat gun has kind of put me off doing this for now!
I will look into it if I ever someone crack my digitiser.
Order cancelled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
be glad because it's a lot of work also you need to have all the right double tapes otherwise LCD will seat higher and ...... DON'T DO IT
Sent from my HTC Sensation using Tapatalk
in my country, Indonesia, just come up to the PDA store or other official HTC store (since not much store sell HTC in here), pick your chasing and let them do the rest..
Yeah it arrived (even though I cancelled so they gave me a full refund) so will keep i for when something really breaks I guess.
If I just had to take a few screws out and/or fiddle with some clips I would be happy. But I am not going to use a heatgun or anything like that risk getting dust between the screen and digitiser at this stage.
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!
So I've had an Xperia Z3 Compact for some time now. Not long after I got it I managed to break the original back (sheer absolute carelessness.) I've since had a long line of third party backs. Unfortunately, my biggest problem is that even the ones claiming to be tempered extra strong glass still seem to break 100x more easily than the screen (still doesn't have even so much as a scratch.) Obviously no one here can do anything about that. (Though someday I'd like to figure out if I can come up with some sort of plastic solution. Then I could even use a more permanent and better sealing glue than official screen/back replacement glue because presumably it wouldn't break and have to be replaced every so often.) One problem I am having that maybe can be addressed here is that they keep coming loose.
I believe I'm doing it right. First I shut down the phone first (since there's so much heat involved I want to stress it as little as possible in the process.) Next I put the back with the glue up and use a heat gun on the low setting for quite a while on it to get the glue as malleable as possible. Then I line it up and put it in quickly and apply a fair bit of weight (I'm afraid to put too much and break something in the process, but I've tried to give it a fair bit of weight) and leave it for hours (actually, typically I just leave it overnight.) Half the time it works great for a fair little while and half the time it only lasts a short while, but always I find the back coming loose eventually. (I do not bend or pry at my phone a lot or anything like that.) I would add here that while I keep my phone in my pocket all the time, I keep it in a case I've modified to help protect it where I even put a metal plate on one side to help keep it pretty flat (the last thing in the world I want is any damage to my screen, so yeah, I go a bit above and beyond...) This should keep it from flexing very much in that pocket and it should remain fairly flat as far as I know more or less all of the time.
One thing I've been wondering: it's very difficult to keep the whole thing heated thoroughly. Also, it's easy to overheat one area (while underheating another for example) as I managed to warp the material over the camera lens (next time I'll pop that out first and put that back in only just before putting the back on.) So I had a bit of a thought: why not use an oven? This could warm it much more evenly potentially, getting the heat in deeper and more consistently than I can do with a heat gun. Well, presumably it must work because why wouldn't it? But it does beg a few questions. Most importantly, what temperature would I even use? For an oven it would obviously be something relatively low. For example, might it be something about like ~100C/~200F? More? Less? I honestly don't know and this is my main question here. Would a toaster oven be too focused (eg with the heating elements too close to the glass)? Because it would really be best if I could use it instead of a full sized one. Has anyone ever done this before? I only ever found people using heat guns in googling around. But something isn't going right and I have to assume it's the consistency because nothing else even makes sense.
PS. Has anyone ever 3D printed a back or anything? If I ever do try to go plastic I'll probably have to cut something the hardest possible way with very little precision which is no small part of why I keep putting off even trying it. This thing will never be back to the full waterproof rating it originally had, but I do at least want it to be safe if I have to make an emergency call in the rain or something. (Well, that and finding the right plastic since it needs to be flexible and not brittle but tough enough to resist bumps without smashing into the battery or something if anything pokes it.) Getting sick of glass...
Hello,
I am looking for the best place to send my Note 20 Ultra to get the data recovered after receiving liquid damage and suffering corrosion.
Background:
A few days ago my Note 20 Ultra had a large amount of water enter the inside of the phone. The glue holding the back glass onto the front had come undone and allowed water to get into the interior of the phone. After letting the phone dry off the phone initially went into a boot loop only reaching the Android Recovery screen, later after that the screen became inoperable only showing a snowy static.
I attempted to take the phone to BestBuy, but as soon as I mentioned liquid damage, they wouldn't touch it. I then took it to Ubreakifixit. they removed the motherboard and connected it to a separate screen and power source, they said that due to the corrosion they were getting an overheating error and were unable to back anything up.
The overheating oddly seems encouraging because that tells me that if it were placed in the freezer or had a heatsink attached to it, it could stay cool long enough to get the data off of it. I understand that corrosion can be irreversible, however I have read accounts of people using 91% alcohol, ultrasonic cleaners, or even resoldering certain parts to get it working again.
What place will do whatever is necessary to try to get the data back (if it can be gotten back)?
Would shipping it back to Samsung be the best bet?
Thanks!
I used 190 proof grain alcohol on my note 10 plus to clean it out once. I soaked the motherboard and lightly cleaned it with a q tip. It worked pretty well. Your mileage may vary but at this point it's worth a shot.