Water damage! - AT&T Samsung Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshootin

Hi all..
Saturday(8/3/13) morning I was out by my pool with my five year old daughter and her friend that spent the night making sure they were "ok". I hadn't planned on going swimming but after a while I got bored and hot and decided I was going in. I was wearing my "gym shorts" and didn't mind if they got wet and typically do Not put my phone in the pocket of these shorts except for this particular morning I did have it in there for whatever reason and needless to say my phone was in the pool for over 5 minutes before I noticed. DAMNIT!!! I am really depressed over this as I had tons of photos/emails/texts/passwords/other info stored on it. Basically that phone had been an essential part of my life since I had it and had everything set up JUST the way I want it. I put it in rice as soon as I could but with very little hope. I left it in the rice for over 24 hours before trying to put it back together and of course, No power! =( I figured the warranty was voided so I took it apart to see if I could see visible damage. I didn't notice anything but a little dirt, put it back together and tried it again. It did not come on, But I noticed after a few seconds about the middle of the screen and middle of back started getting warm to the touch. Doesn't this mean power is coming from Somewhere? Is there Any hope here? Thanks for Any information and for reading. Sorry this is so long but I had to tell the story to "someone" and I feel too stupid to tell anyone in real life.

If it still has the ability to use power, the screen may be the only thing damaged, assuming all the chipsets are fine.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4

Most people keep it in rice longer than 24 hours. Sometimes several days is necessary. You could also try pulling it apart and submerging the parts in as near pure isopropyl alcohol as you can find. Then, hit it with a blow dryer for a while. Isopropyl evaporates at a much higher rate than water, it displaces any water that might be there, and it does not corrode parts. Then, put it back in the rice for a day or so to make sure all of the moisture is gone. Of course, it might already be to late, but it might be worth trying.

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Rule of thumb is 3 days in rice. The obove comment is also viable. I personally have had success with using an oven at 200f for about 4 hours, but you have to disassemble the entire device.
It seems that you screwed the pooch by trying to turn it on after 24 hours.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

Thanks all for the info. I took the phone apart, cleaned each piece with 91% alcohol + toothbrush, then put it back in rice (sealed) until this afternoon. I have just taken the parts out and put the phone back together. I plugged it in nothing. I put the battery in, pushed power and still nothing.(I didn't really expect anything just small smidgen of hope). When I put battery in and push power button and leave it a few seconds though, it starts getting pretty warm to the right of the rear camera. The battery is not warm at all, does this mean battery is fried? And if there is heat being generated should I still have any hope? It seems if it was totally "dead" no heat would be generated?

It means that it is getting power, but something fried...
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium

K, thanks for info! Guess I will try a different battery. Wish I had a friend with an S4, sadly most of my friends(even my wife) are all part of the apple sheep.

I doubt the battery is the culprit... It can't hurt to try though...
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium

Kilhd said:
K, thanks for info! Guess I will try a different battery. Wish I had a friend with an S4, sadly most of my friends(even my wife) are all part of the apple sheep.
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I doubt its your battery man. If the phone is heating up, it could only do that if it was drawing power. The heat also means ur CPU has to be working too, i think your screen is shot.

I think you're probably right about screen. I guess I should give up but I just got a new 2-yr contract when I bought the phone (on release day). I really just want to get all my photos(including ones of my now 9 month old, most of her pics were on there). I've never done anything like this to a phone so never bothered to get insurance or anything. Bet I will now!

You could have the screen replaced. Might be a bit pricey, but it's better than spending anywhere from 400 to 650 for a whole new device.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium

I dropped my phone off at a cell phone repair shop. They called today and said "water damage repair was unsucessful" is there still a chance replacing lcd screen may work?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using xda app-developers app

Something could have fried when it was dropped into the water. It could be anything from the battery to the motherboard or even the daughterboard. Also insurance wont help. It doesn't cover water damage. You could try a new battery because it could be just that. You should also let it in rice for a few days. Take it apart as much as you feel comfortable with and put it baggy of rice
Sent from my SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

Related

[Q] dropped vibrant into the toilet...

i was at a bar i didn't even want to be at in a small town in colorado.
at first i just stared at it for 10 seconds thinking "at this point i should just leave it there because the damage is done"
then all of a sudden it started goign crazy with lights and "samsung vibrant" flashing everywhere on the screen, so i decided to dive in and save it. then i violently washed it with hotwater under the sink and only after washing my hands did i finally open it and take out the battery (at this point, the screen shown brightly with "samsung vibrant).
3 hours later, hoping it had dried completely, i put the battery in and again it came to life with the samsung vibrant text. i quickly took the battery out.
i jsut tried it again and it wont turn on at all. is it over?
maeglutz said:
3 hours later, hoping it had dried completely, i put the battery in and again it came to life with the samsung vibrant text. i quickly took the battery out.
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You shouldn't have done that, the phone was still wet. When you did that you fried your phone. If you would have put your phone in a bag of rice or let it dry out for a few days then it might have been ok. Hope you have insurance.
Yeah, I always heard that half the time, if you power it off and let it dry, and make sure it's dry before trying to power it on again, you can luck out.
omg omg omg!!
when you responded, my heart dropped and then i ran over to see if it would start again one more time (i plugged it into the charger) and i pressed the on button and it showed it was charging. i'm goign to leave it alone now in a bag of rice like you said. but i dont know if i can wait 3 days.... i never learn my lesson
Hahaha I dropped a phone in the toilet once. Good luck
i know i'm getting ahead of myself, but just SAY that if i finally do get it to power on, but nothing shows up except a "samsung vibrant" screen, is there a way to reinstall the OS?
My son left his ipod nano in his pants pocket. It got washed. I dried it and did the rice thing for 2-3 days (can't remember how many). Charged it up. Just like new.
The moral of the story? If you can't wait 3 days to see if it has been salvaged, you don't deserve a new phone...
Droidicus said:
My son left his ipod nano in his pants pocket. It got washed. I dried it and did the rice thing for 2-3 days (can't remember how many). Charged it up. Just like new.
The moral of the story? If you can't wait 3 days to see if it has been salvaged, you don't deserve a new phone...
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Click to collapse
ugh. fine. i'll wait. but i dont know what i'l do with myself in the meantime.
maeglutz said:
i know i'm getting ahead of myself, but just SAY that if i finally do get it to power on, but nothing shows up except a "samsung vibrant" screen, is there a way to reinstall the OS?
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Uh, dude, it would not be a software problem... If it doesn't boot up its a hardware problem.
Just make sure its sitting nicely covered in the dry rice....wait...you did use dry rice right? Not cooked rice??? lol kidding...
Droidicus said:
Uh, dude, it would not be a software problem... If it doesn't boot up its a hardware problem.
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if you read my question, i asked what i could do if it DID power up but only with a generic screen
I wouldn't even bother trying... It's fried man...
nearblack said:
I wouldn't even bother trying... It's fried man...
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we'll see. the green charging light gives me hope. i will definitely not pay full price for a new one. this was $99 through costco-- which is what a phone should cost.
Don't over cook the rice. Stir-fry it with some egg, carrots, scallions, peas, and barbecued pork. Everything should be okay.
maeglutz said:
we'll see. the green charging light gives me hope. i will definitely not pay full price for a new one. this was $99 through costco-- which is what a phone should cost.
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This is why the data is so expensive in America. The companies need to get back the money they lost on the phone.
The phone might be fried since you didn't wait to turn it off. I've read the bag of rice will work. Next time wait until you phone is dry and just reroute you calls with Google Voice. I'd still try the rice too.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Did you say after you took it out the the toilet you then washed it under hot water? Seriously? You thought "oh, its wet, I shall now soak it some more?"
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Arghh..kill this nasty thread...lol
Sent from my Samsung Vibrant using XDA App
To clarify a little... when you drop the phone in water, the FIRST thing you do is take out the battery and sim card. Then you let it dry COMPLETLY, this takes days, not hours. Like said above, rice does good, you put it in a zip lock, take out the air and seal it.. leave for AT LEAST 3 days so the rice can absorb the moisture, THEN you try to turn it on for the first time. If you try turning it on when there is moisture you will fry the phone, water conducts electricity and brings power where there is not supposed to be and burns circuits, so by putting the battery and attempt to turn it on prematurely, you are killing it causing short circuits internally.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
make sure you throw the rice away after you're done or better yet, feed it to some iphone fanboy
dq13 said:
To clarify a little... when you drop the phone in water, the FIRST thing you do is take out the battery and sim card. Then you let it dry COMPLETLY, this takes days, not hours. Like said above, rice does good, you put it in a zip lock, take out the air and seal it.. leave for AT LEAST 3 days so the rice can absorb the moisture, THEN you try to turn it on for the first time. If you try turning it on when there is moisture you will fry the phone, water conducts electricity and brings power where there is not supposed to be and burns circuits, so by putting the battery and attempt to turn it on prematurely, you are killing it causing short circuits internally.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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+1 and ty , I just read through this post and wondered when someone would point out the OP already turned it on to "check" it after being in the water.
Time to order a replacement, even if it does for some magical reason power on that phone is going to be issue city.

Samsung FTW

So I do a lot of reading on this forum but rarely post.
Last night, my phone fell out of my hands while I was sitting outside the hottub and went right into it. It was like how something falls to the bottom of the ocean in a movie. I got it out right away dried it off, took out the battery and sd card and looked at it.
It seemed that no water got into the system at all. The phone works just as it did when before the dive. The only thing that is touchy is the charger now, but oh well.
Samsung ftw
My friend dropped his Incredible in tea. He thought the same thing, but now, the phone reboots itself when it gets warm at all, and if it gets cold, the touchscreen becomes unresponsive. It was stupid to turn it back on. You should have immediately stuck it in dry rice and never turned it on, as that can prevent damage from happening.
Yeah, regardless of manufacturer/model, never turn a dunked phone on until you're 100% sure it's as dry as you can possibly get it.
Pull the battery and SD card, then shove the whole mess into a bag of white rice for AT LEAST 24 hours, more if you can. The longer it sits in the rice with no power, the more likely it is to survive the dunking.
Nah dehumidifier is better lol
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk
Anyone know of any cell phone shops that have a wet phone recovery service?
I would place the phone inside a small pressure vessel and pull a deep vacuum for 15-20 mins (or until I archived 1000µm). Then break the vacuum with dry nitrogen. Repeat 3x's.
This is the method for pulling moisture out of refrigeration systems and it does work well.
I would think a small phone shop could easily get $50 a pop to save someones phone.
Hope yours stays happy! good luck
Hair dryer.
Sent from my CM7 SCH-i500
dw77x said:
Anyone know of any cell phone shops that have a wet phone recovery service?
I would place the phone inside a small pressure vessel and pull a deep vacuum for 15-20 mins (or until I archived 1000µm). Then break the vacuum with dry nitrogen. Repeat 3x's.
This is the method for pulling moisture out of refrigeration systems and it does work well.
I would think a small phone shop could easily get $50 a pop to save someones phone.
Hope yours stays happy! good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would worry about the screen in a vacuum.
If it were my phone though, I would completely disassemble it and make sure I got all of the water out that way, maybe hit it with some 99% isypropal to help get any water out from under chips and in tight places, and let it dry for a few days in silica beads.
A hairdryer is a horrible idea. It can't pull the water out. On the contrary, it's more likely to force the water into worse places.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
xmrbonesx said:
A hairdryer is a horrible idea. It can't pull the water out. On the contrary, it's more likely to force the water into worse places.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
And cook the inside components. hehe forgot the /sarcasm tag. I'm not stupid
Sent from my CM7 SCH-i500
I'm not so sure about the phones, but my samsung led tv survived a house fire... Pretty proud of that little purchase.
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sageDieu said:
And cook the inside components. hehe forgot the /sarcasm tag. I'm not stupid
Sent from my CM7 SCH-i500
Click to expand...
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I know that, but there are people that will blindly follow anything they read on these boards, and I've seen a hairdryer suggested before.
AlexDeGruven said:
Pull the battery and SD card, then shove the whole mess into a bag of white rice for AT LEAST 24 hours, more if you can. The longer it sits in the rice with no power, the more likely it is to survive the dunking.
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Click to collapse
Rice is a good option and works well, but the small silica packets that are used as desiccant work even better and can be purchased very cheaply.
Putting your phone in some sort of vacuum or near-vacuum is probably a bad idea because the hardware was likely not designed to withstand such conditions.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Ok guys update.
So its been what a couple of days now, and my phone is working pretty good. all the main things work. the only thing that is a little touchy is the charger, and it keeps saying usb connected, but i can live with that.
I uses to work at a sign shop and my bosses kids were terrible about throwing phones in water so he found the little pink water detector strips so I know if you do that you can put it on and trade out your phone
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Golgotha theskull said:
I uses to work at a sign shop and my bosses kids were terrible about throwing phones in water so he found the little pink water detector strips so I know if you do that you can put it on and trade out your phone
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App
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Probably super illegal or at least in violation of like everything in the contract you sign about insurance and replacements. Lol
Sent from my CM7 SCH-i500
sageDieu said:
Probably super illegal or at least in violation of like everything in the contract you sign about insurance and replacements. Lol
Sent from my CM7 SCH-i500
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I second that LOL.
Anyways, I just want to say Samsung FTW because this phone has just been amazing in so many ways. Abilities to super customize in any way, shape and form, awesome screen...I was VERY hesitant on buying an all touch screen phone. Coming from a Blackberry Tour I was very use to a real keyboard and buttons. Yes this phone has it's up's and downs, but all in all the pros really out weigh the cons.
I'm in absolute NO rush to get a new phone any time soon. I love my Fassy

Need reassurance!!!!

So I just dropped my beloved vibrant ok the toilet and need reassurance, anyone whos done it before, will it live? So far its working ok, random color spasms and headphone port sounded distorted for a second but stopped when I paused music. It hasnt happened in about 15 minutes and the phone fell about an hour ago and dryed for about 30 minutes. I ran it over with a bike before on accident and it still worked and I love this phone so hopefully it will survive. Anyway worst damage to happen to your phone and it still worked?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Turn off your phone, take out the battery and put it in a bag of rice. Good as new in about 2 hours.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA App
Before you put it in rice, might want to clean the ports and anything that you can access with distilled water. This will hopefully prevent corrosion from rusty, particle ridden toilet water.
I was at an Ace Hardware where they were selling, for five or ten bucks, a plastic bag with some dessicant for wet-phone rescue. Rice or any dessicant should work fine. I would make sure no rice dust gets into phone.
If you have any kind of blower or compressed air, blowing it out gently on no heat first might be a good idea. Also, I would first take phone somewhat apart, remove battery, sim, sdcard. Dry loose parts by hand, then blow out phone, especially all ports and contacts.
Some kind of tuner-cleaner might be an option if needed.
Thanks guys I took the whole phone apart yesterday and air dryed/ blew air in to dry it out and its working great. Only issue is the volume down rocker doesnt work 100% I have to press it a couple times to make it work. Any way to fix that?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
your phone has been through hell haha!
unfortunately there isnt much anyone here can tell you. there are certain things you can do to get as much water out as possible like the rice trick, swabbing all ports, etc. but in the long run, theres really no way of telling if any water got in deep enough to go unnoticed/uncleanable, and actually reached a point where it could cause damage <--- and if thats the case, like Woodrube said, you may experience issues somewhere down the road, even long enough to the point when youve totally forgotten about dropping it in the toilet, and youll say "how come this started happening all of a sudden?"
sucks man, gotta be careful...i went to the bathroom one night to relieve myself, after 1 or 2 drinks , and for some reason i thought that holding my phone in the same hand that was aiming wasnt the worst idea ever......yup, i ended up pissing on my blackberry
sneakysnake16 said:
Thanks guys I took the whole phone apart yesterday and air dryed/ blew air in to dry it out and its working great. Only issue is the volume down rocker doesnt work 100% I have to press it a couple times to make it work. Any way to fix that?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it was my phone, I'd get some tuner-cleaner and shoot it into the switch and hope.
TopShelf10 said:
i went to the bathroom one night to relieve myself, after 1 or 2 drinks , and for some reason i thought that holding my phone in the same hand that was aiming wasnt the worst idea ever......yup, i ended up pissing on my blackberry
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Lol. No really I laughed out loud and these ladies sitting next to me turned and looked. Brings new life to the phrase "piss on blackberry".
Woodrube said:
Lol. No really I laughed out loud and these ladies sitting next to me turned and looked. Brings new life to the phrase "piss on blackberry".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% true story...not my highest point haha, although it did ultimately lead to me getting my vibrant, so i guess it can be considered a win of sorts

Drowned S2 Revived but...

So, i drowned my S2 white into the lake. Don´t ask how)
I kept it for 3 days into rice...and after some battery tweaks VOILA! The phone got back to life...i managed to start it 3 times and working perfectly, but i´m having some sort of problems that i don´t manage to understand. It goes like this:
Once the phone is up and running, at the first shutdown/reboot or whatever it´t won´t come back on only if i pull out the battery for about 4-5 hours, plug the charger and once the charging icon appears i can turn it on.
I tried flashing a new firmware, only the PDA file, without luck, on the first reboot needed the phone just died. I mean, even if plug back in the charger it won´t turn on. Now i gotta leave it with the battery out for another 4-5 hours and it´ll come back to life.
Anyone has an idea of what could it be? Thank you!
Maybe there is still moisture or something. It is recommended that you leave that in a bowl of rice for a month.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
ephraim033 said:
Maybe there is still moisture or something. It is recommended that you leave that in a bowl of rice for a month.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking about that. But when i turn it on, i can keep it running for always without problems if i don´t turn it off. If there would be still some moisture inside...it would turn off or something right?
xSurgery said:
I was thinking about that. But when i turn it on, i can keep it running for always without problems if i don´t turn it off. If there would be still some moisture inside...it would turn off or something right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know buddy but it definitely has a little moisture inside of it that's playing a trick on your circuitry. 3 days is a very short time for that. Try leaving it for a month, because if you don't, sooner or later it will die on you suddenly. Just a friendly advice
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
A lake huh? Did you wash the phone under clean water before the drying regime, without battery attached of course? Because if you did not, there may be some conductive residues left over on your phone parts after the water dries off.
Besides rice you could try other absorbent materials. For example silica gel that photographers use in dry cabinets. In South East Asia we have this thing called thirsty hippo to keep clothes cabinets dry.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
The battery might be damaged, and todays batteries + water doesn't mix well.
It's recommended that if you water damage a battery, you should change it, in worst case it will blow up.
This morning i mananged to turn it on. With the stock firmware and all and still nothing. After the first reboot dies and for about 4-5 hours i can´t do nothing. Well...i´ll take it to a service store, maybe they´ll know what to do better. Thanks guys
i ever read somewhere that said must leave the phone in the rice for 2 weeks and the container must be closed tight
Rice for two weeks in a sealed container. Plastic containers work well
Remove battery and throw it away. Buy a new one.
Drop the entire phone without battery into pure Isopropanol Alcohol for a couple hours, then stick it in rice overnight, in a warm cupboard.
Change the rice and leave it in the cupboard for at LEAST a week and up to a month. (DO NOT EAT OR SNIFF THE OLD RICE)
Maybe, MAYBE then it should be okay.
Isopropanol can be purchased cheaply from a bunch of places. Drugstores/computer supply places. Make sure and get 100% pure stuff, not the pre-diluted crap.
xSurgery said:
So, i drowned my S2 white into the lake. Don´t ask how)
I kept it for 3 days into rice...and after some battery tweaks VOILA! The phone got back to life...i managed to start it 3 times and working perfectly, but i´m having some sort of problems that i don´t manage to understand. It goes like this:
Once the phone is up and running, at the first shutdown/reboot or whatever it´t won´t come back on only if i pull out the battery for about 4-5 hours, plug the charger and once the charging icon appears i can turn it on.
I tried flashing a new firmware, only the PDA file, without luck, on the first reboot needed the phone just died. I mean, even if plug back in the charger it won´t turn on. Now i gotta leave it with the battery out for another 4-5 hours and it´ll come back to life.
Anyone has an idea of what could it be? Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if the phone was in it can be hardware that taken a good damage (it takes more damaged when its on) and then your phone can have som problems like this. i wish you good luck, and as stated above use rice ! :good: its some good stuff,
I removed the battery, opened the case of the phone, and sealed it into a plastic bag full of rice.
New battery is on the way...i heard about that Isopropanol, and with your advice too i´ll do it. But still...why does he turn on if moisture is still inside? If i don´t turn it off for like, never......it´s working great))))
Hmm open your phone up its really easy to do. Search youtube vids on how to.
Clean your phone with a soft brush and alchohol.
My phone was water damage so I replaced the charging port mic flex which cost about £5 on ebay.
Phone finally charges and connects to the computer after this.
NO RICE WAS HARMED OR USED IN THIS PROCEDURE :laugh:
Don't ask me how but. I managed to revive my old iPhone 4 that fell into the toilet while I was taking a dump, by doing this:
(SGS2 ModeN)
removing the back panel to expose the motherboard and the other goods.
(taking out the 7 screws)
and laying it.
Grab a fan you know.. the hair dryer thingie..
Place it like... 20 cm away from the exposed phone. Turn it on on max, and leave it be for 30 minutes.
My phone was completely okay.. Untill I traded it in for a SGS2 that I happen to own now. Give it a try!
Oh
Leave these parts behind.
Battery
SD Card
SIM
Not sure if leaving it in for hours is wise. Washing to get rid of residues is fine, but soaking too long might dissolve stuff you don't want it to dissolve.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
the rice thing is interesting.
while it gets moisture out and around the edges, what does it do to moisture inside?
honestly, I sometimes think sticking it near my window where there's plenty of active airflow does a better job. i've done this for a camera and various electronics that i've dropped. rice first, but honestly let it air out afterward. airflow does a lot more to get through the small crevices.
I heard that blowing hot air could really damage the phone. It‘s still in rice since my first post. I opened the whole case. Tommorow my battery will arrive. I’ll keep you posted with the results. Thanks for your help anyway. Isopropyl has to way for the moment
Sooooooo....3 weeks of rice, no isopropyl, new firmware flashed, new battery and no change. It started on itself when the new battery was inserted but after the first restart, no response for a couple of hours
Any ideas left?
Technically, what you have is kinda like a Tethered iPhone Jailbreak.
I lived with a tethered Jailbreak for MONTHS, so its not that hard to do...?
xSurgery said:
Sooooooo....3 weeks of rice, no isopropyl, new firmware flashed, new battery and no change. It started on itself when the new battery was inserted but after the first restart, no response for a couple of hours
Any ideas left?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It could just be dead.
I don't mean to sound negative, but if the phone was powered on and used while wet/moist a short circuit could've occurred. This may have damaged part of the phone which is why you're having these weird issues.
Even if this isn't the case, corrosion could set in from the water damage. This means that even if your phone does recover, after time more issues could occur. Could take a week, could take a month, could take a year.
I'd try the alcohol suggested earlier, then place back into the rice for a solid month.
Like I said, sorry for sounding negative but it sounds like your phone's had it.

[Q] Wet my phone - not starting - looking for repair opinions

I walked into the ocean (salt) water with my phone about 4 days ago.
I know, I know. Believe me, I've called myself many names along the line of stupid already.
I've been searching the net for any tips or ideas on what I should do.
Situation:
It was submerged in water for about 10 seconds.
Then removed, removed battery and left it to dry in the summer heat. (I was at a beach far away with no rice or silicon nearby).
24 hrs later I inserted my wife's S4 battery into the device and the light indicator began lighting up several colors unsteadily. Mostly Red.
I removed the battery without attempting to turn on the phone, since this was not normal behavior.
2 days later, once I had access to a bag of rice, I put the phone in rice and have left it there since. I tried this morning (after 24 hrs in rice) and the indicator light turns on still, a steady red light.
I'm thinking the phone wont magically work again. But perhaps it might still be worth having a cell phone repair guy have a try.
Anyone know what the red light indicator light means?
Im thinking the phone's main components that would be possibly permanently damaged are:
- screen
- memory
- cpu
- motherboard
Any advice on the matter would be appreciated.
Im crossing my fingers I dont have to spend 600$ for a new phone.
Insurance. Warranty.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
sstphoenix said:
I walked into the ocean (salt) water with my phone about 4 days ago.
I know, I know. Believe me, I've called myself many names along the line of stupid already.
I've been searching the net for any tips or ideas on what I should do.
Situation:
It was submerged in water for about 10 seconds.
Then removed, removed battery and left it to dry in the summer heat. (I was at a beach far away with no rice or silicon nearby).
24 hrs later I inserted my wife's S4 battery into the device and the light indicator began lighting up several colors unsteadily. Mostly Red.
I removed the battery without attempting to turn on the phone, since this was not normal behavior.
2 days later, once I had access to a bag of rice, I put the phone in rice and have left it there since. I tried this morning (after 24 hrs in rice) and the indicator light turns on still, a steady red light.
I'm thinking the phone wont magically work again. But perhaps it might still be worth having a cell phone repair guy have a try.
Anyone know what the red light indicator light means?
Im thinking the phone's main components that would be possibly permanently damaged are:
- screen
- memory
- cpu
- motherboard
Any advice on the matter would be appreciated.
Im crossing my fingers I dont have to spend 600$ for a new phone.
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Click to collapse
You what i did on my wet Infuse... After some 2-3 day later i use hair dryer for some 10-15 min and my phone worked again. I sold it as is two days later but person who i sold said phone is working ok.
Not a lot can be done for it unless you were exceptionally lucky. Energized circuits don't take kindly to water dispersing their energy into every other circuit in the phone. Often even after placing a phone in rice or silica immediately afterwards still results in a crappy phone eventually. Like the fella said, use that insurance.
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k3rn3lkill3r said:
Not a lot can be done for it unless you were exceptionally lucky. Energized circuits don't take kindly to water dispersing their energy into every other circuit in the phone. Often even after placing a phone in rice or silica immediately afterwards still results in a crappy phone eventually. Like the fella said, use that insurance.
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When you guys mention "use your insurance" do you mean home insurance?
Use whatever insurance you have. Most people I've talked to on here got something through square trade or best buy, maybe you used a credit card that gives you a warranty for 90 days, maybe you can use home insurance. It depends on your policy. I personally always buy insurance on a new phone (used to get the crappy att insurance, now I have the square trade one with only 100 dollar deductible, but no loss or theft included). It's up to you whether it's worth it, if you can afford to part with 600 bucks in the event of an emergency, may not be worth it to you to pay extra for insurance.
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youtube tutorial
I have successfully repaired water damage on my handset. When I took apart my S2 last year I followed a YouTube tutorial to get it all apart and back together. Here is an excellent link for your S4:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm4f2XjQLAM
I expect you will find lots of white powder type of deposits. All I did was carry all the little pieces and circuit boards to the sink and used a toothbrush under the running tap water and scrubbed it all clean. Then I submerged all the pieces and parts in rice over night. It started working again when I put it all back together the next day.
You should have let it dry a week at least
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