Database Users

Possible Water Dameage (please read and help)

OK, so the strip below my battery turned pink, which i think means water damage. I did'nt have my phone by any liquids and it was working fine, then all of a sudden the touch screen became unresponsive. Any help?

Are referring to the small rectangular box on the very edge of the case which is below the battery? Mine isn't solid pink. However if your phone did get some moisture in it then the damage is probably done already. Have you tried doing a hard reset?

put it in a container with rice (uncooked) overnight or just put a couple of piece of the silica things that come with new shoes that will suck some of the moisture, and u don't need to drop the phone in water to get the little red sticker ruined, trust me i never once dropped it in the water and from moisture in the air it gets ruined. One day after arguing with the rep on the phone for over an hour, the result is to keep the phone in an air tight ziplock bag from the day u bought it lol

Just have to comment that it is untrue that moisture in the air will affect the LDI. I am a pda tech and deal with this every day. I also live in a very humid climate and have never had the indicator turn on me. What can make I turn though does include excessive sweat in your pocket or high levels of moisture as you might get if you leave it on the counter in a steamy bathroom while showering. All avoidable without ziploc.

Check Port (Moisture detected)

I was taking a shower today and had to take an important phone call and then I got this message "Check port: Moisture has been detected in your charger/USB port. Make sure it is completely dry before charging your device. Drying the port may take some time."
I immediately started trying to get any water out of the port and also used a hair dryer to dry it up completely but the message still didn't go away.
I haven't tried charging it yet because I'm worried, to be honest.
Does anyone have any advice on this matter? I have about 84% battery left so I'm good till tomorrow, I hope!

taken from 1st google page
"this is what i did by a freak chance and it seems to be working in the mean time.
1. plug in your s8 to the charger (you will be notified that there is moisture detected)
2. restart your s8 (make sure not to remove the charging cable)
3. make sure it shows how long until full charge.
4. You have by successfully by passed the moisture error."
Also someone said that only rebooting your device solve the issue

Thanks for your post, mate.
Those instructions are only to try and fool the device into removing the message, I just wanted to know what the best way to actually completely dry it was, and I believe using a hairdryer may have been the answer because the message just went away on its own about 45 minutes or so after I posted this.

I had that for a while (and I don't even take my phone into the bathroom when I take a shower) and it wouldn't charge except on wireless charge. Came back eventually and I solved it by getting a warranty replacement.
Scrub out the charge port with a toothbrush real good first if it comes to that.

Just leave it to dry and the message goes away.
I can't imagine plugging it into a charger, as recommend above, would be a good idea but what do I know...

IDan1109 said:
taken from 1st google page
"this is what i did by a freak chance and it seems to be working in the mean time.
1. plug in your s8 to the charger (you will be notified that there is moisture detected)
2. restart your s8 (make sure not to remove the charging cable)
3. make sure it shows how long until full charge.
4. You have by successfully by passed the moisture error."
Also someone said that only rebooting your device solve the issue
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have done it in the past and it works... Just make sure that there isn't any water in the port. After that just plug in your S8, reboot and don't unplug it until it's full charged, after that the message will disappear.

joe3681 said:
I had that for a while (and I don't even take my phone into the bathroom when I take a shower) and it wouldn't charge except on wireless charge. Came back eventually and I solved it by getting a warranty replacement.
Scrub out the charge port with a toothbrush real good first if it comes to that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats how I am I take it in the BR but place it under my towel and dry clothes
My whole take on it is just because a device is water resistant...
The ip rating is as described
The important thing to note, however, is that the IP rating of the device does not make it resistant to all and any kind of liquid. Pressurised water can easily breach the water resistance seal of the handset and seep inside it thereby damaging the internals. Similarly, salt/sea water is a strict no-no. Do NOT take your Galaxy S8 with you to the beach for swimming thinking nothing will happen. Sea water can cause a lot of damage to water resistant devices. If you do end up dropping your Galaxy S8 in salt/sea water, quickly take it out and even if it is working fine, wash it thoroughly with fresh water and then dry it properly. If you spill any other liquid on your Galaxy S8, do the same thing.
Just because it can be submersed. The shower is Technically a jet of pressurized water which can breach the seals on it
As for your warranty you are lucky cause Somewhere it stated sammy will not warranty "water damage" Realated faults
But it is still fun to know i can take a call in the shower keep it on the shelf away from the jets and It could be ok but over extended time corrosion will catch up to it
On a side note I have seen rubber plugs type b and c that can also keep moisture out of it I was thinking on mine to do a small dab of dielectric grease as I live in a wet salty environment through the winter

TheMadScientist said:
Thats how I am I take it in the BR but place it under my towel and dry clothes
My whole take on it is just because a device is water resistant...
The ip rating is as described
The important thing to note, however, is that the IP rating of the device does not make it resistant to all and any kind of liquid. Pressurised water can easily breach the water resistance seal of the handset and seep inside it thereby damaging the internals. Similarly, salt/sea water is a strict no-no. Do NOT take your Galaxy S8 with you to the beach for swimming thinking nothing will happen. Sea water can cause a lot of damage to water resistant devices. If you do end up dropping your Galaxy S8 in salt/sea water, quickly take it out and even if it is working fine, wash it thoroughly with fresh water and then dry it properly. If you spill any other liquid on your Galaxy S8, do the same thing.
Just because it can be submersed. The shower is Technically a jet of pressurized water which can breach the seals on it
As for your warranty you are lucky cause Somewhere it stated sammy will not warranty "water damage" Realated faults
But it is still fun to know i can take a call in the shower keep it on the shelf away from the jets and It could be ok but over extended time corrosion will catch up to it
On a side note I have seen rubber plugs type b and c that can also keep moisture out of it I was thinking on mine to do a small dab of dielectric grease as I live in a wet salty environment through the winter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you get this error and your water sensors are still white, not tripped, they'll warranty it. I did somehow have some green scale built up but I scrubbed it all off with a toothbrush and compressed air.

joe3681 said:
If you get this error and your water sensors are still white, not tripped, they'll warranty it. I did somehow have some green scale built up but I scrubbed it all off with a toothbrush and compressed air.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rite on didnt think about the strips not bein tripped

Just leave it to dry and the message goes away.

you dont have to actually dry it up just wait it will go away itself if not just blow in the port a little the water will come out easily. jesus! trust your phones a little!

Alex_2000 said:
you dont have to actually dry it up just wait it will go away itself if not just blow in the port a little the water will come out easily. jesus! trust your phones a little!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is probably one of the worst things you can do.
If you do not dry it up.
It can corrode and or oxidize in the port and
If you blow it out. You then pressurize the water, which IP rating for this device is at no pressure other than standing water..
Which means you risk blowing water into the device.....
I recommend you read up on this before damaging your own device to water...:good:

I have like 2 weeks with moist detection, is there any way i can get rid of that warning?

Another user here with this warning.
I tried almost everything to "dry the moisture" in the port.
- Letting it dry for hours
- Compressed Air
- Tweezers
- Hot Air Station at 160C
Absolutely unnecessary sensor. I almost threw the phone into pieces, several times.
If someone wants to charge their phone wet, it's their responsibility.
I'm absolutely sure mine's dry and I am searching for a way to disable this sensor forever. My phone is rooted, so it shouldn't be a issue getting into system files.

TA-1021 weird charging issue after water damage, how to fix?

My nokia 6 phone with cracked screen after being in water - does not charge properly, and problems began from March (when phone accidentally fall in water) to 20 April (when i tried to charge from broken usb cables and the battery capacity fall down to 1500 mAh)
After service center repair (they replaced the broken usb-B port, battery and screen) I tried different USB cables and the problem with charge still exist.
As on screenshot i charge phone from AC adapter, and app showing that it's USB - not AC, charging speed is very slow, but instead of charge it slowly discharges until i connect to computer with only usb cable.
Maybe it's a Android 9 update bug? I going to do factory reset to try to solve this bizarre charge issue but before doing it i decided to ask here for help, maybe problem in charger controller.

Turn it off.
It needs to be dried out asap.
Take the rear cover off and disconnect the battery. If it's not an LCD* display, anhydrous isopropyl alcohol can be used to chase the water.
Apply liberally allowing it to drain off, get it everywhere, dunk it even. Then get as much of the alcohol out as fast as possible.
Low (5-10 psi) pressure oil free air can be used.
Or a fan. In a room with very low humidity allow to completely dry. Isopropyl is hygroscopic so dry air is important.
Reassemble in a room that's RH is 50-80% to help mitigate the risk of ESD damage while handling.
Best to always wear a ESD strap and follow ESD protocols when disassembling a phone.
*never expose a LCD display to solvents or alcohols, they will poison the display!

blackhawk said:
Turn it off.
It needs to be dried out asap.
Take the rear cover off and disconnect the battery. If it's not an LCD* display, anhydrous isopropyl alcohol can be used to chase the water.
Apply liberally allowing it to drain off, get it everywhere, dunk it even. Then get as much of the alcohol out as fast as possible.
Low (5-10 psi) pressure oil free air can be used.
Or a fan. In a room with very low humidity allow to completely dry. Isopropyl is hygroscopic so dry air is important.
Reassemble in a room that's RH is 50-80% to help mitigate the risk of ESD damage while handling.
Best to always wear a ESD strap and follow ESD protocols when disassembling a phone.
*never expose a LCD display to solvents or alcohols, they will poison the display!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw a sligtly dark area under left broken display corner on the first day of damage from water (not from alcohol) and i left the phone laying on display, because i was unable to detach the screen, next day I tried to use hairdryer to help to dry and it didn't help, but after two days dark area disappeared. Only after two weeks (when phone refused to charge) i gived the phone to service center. In service center (before they assembled phone) repairman said that new battery could be charged manually but not from USB port because of "falling voltage"

nikitam2498 said:
I saw a sligtly dark area under left broken display corner on the first day of damage from water (not from alcohol) and i left the phone laying on display, because i was unable to detach the screen, next day I tried to use hairdryer to help to dry and it didn't help, but after two days dark area disappeared. Only after two weeks (when phone refused to charge) i gived the phone to service center. In service center (before they assembled phone) repairman said that new battery could be charged manually but not from USB port because of "falling voltage"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That tech was useless.
Can it be fixed, how much?
Most likely not.
Even if "fixed" new damage will likely manifest itself. Any corrosion must be found and removed. This can be a daunting and near impossible task if the water damage is extensive.
You may have damaged/destroyed the c port PCB and/or the mobo, display, ribbon cable contacts, switches etc.
Never power up a water compromised phone. It's imperative to remove battery and all the water asap.
Water is conductive (with readily found contaminants) and corrosive especially with power applied. The corrosion once formed continues to attack the metal unless completely removed. It may take days, weeks or years to cause another failure. Rust never sleeps.
If a ready fix isn't getting it, it's be$t to ditch the device now. Prompt action can save a device.
Any delay can easily total it. If any salt* is present, it's already dead.
2 years ago the case for my Buds went straight to the bottom of a cup of coffee (cream and sugar). I tore the case apart, flushed it with RO water then with anhydrous isopropyl alcohol which I always carry. Dried it for 2 days, disassembled with the battery in it as it was spot welded.
It's still functional today.
It's possible to save a device but it's a very limited window of opportunity in most cases especially if the battery can't be pulled immediately... I got lucky.
*salt ie sweat, sea water is sure death

blackhawk said:
That tech was useless.
Can it be fixed, how much?
Most likely not.
Even if "fixed" new damage will likely manifest itself. Any corrosion must be found and removed. This can be a daunting and near impossible task if the water damage is extensive.
You may have damaged/destroyed the c port PCB and/or the mobo, display, ribbon cable contacts, switches etc.
Never power up a water compromised phone. It's imperative to remove battery and all the water asap.
Water is conductive (with readily found contaminants) and corrosive especially with power applied. The corrosion once formed continues to attack the metal unless completely removed. It may take days, weeks or years to cause another failure. Rust never sleeps.
If a ready fix isn't getting it, it's be$t to ditch the device now. Prompt action can save a device.
Any delay can easily total it. If any salt* is present, it's already dead.
2 years ago the case for my Buds went straight to the bottom of a cup of coffee (cream and sugar). I tore the case apart, flushed it with RO water then with anhydrous isopropyl alcohol which I always carry. Dried it for 2 days, disassembled with the battery in it as it was spot welded.
It's still functional today.
It's possible to save a device but it's a very limited window of opportunity in most cases especially if the battery can't be pulled immediately... I got lucky.
*salt ie sweat, sea water is sure death
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm Sorry that I didn't answer to you almost a year, but you see the little detail on the screenshot, the Charge Speed is 185mA, AND it's very slow. I tested portable charger today and my Nokia is charging VERY SLOW, the InfoApp shows charging speed 300-450 mA with portable charger but when i connect charger to outlet the app shows SLOWER charging speed 10-180mA so i think it refuses to charge from the outlet (glitch)
I saw somewhere on this forum that "i should clear cache partition to clear battery profile cache" but I can't find that message now...
The phone was at service repair in May 2021, they replaced the battery , cracked Corning Gorilla glass, IPS screen and damaged microUSB-B port but the glitch with slow charging did not disappear even after repairs
So i think the factory reset or cleaning the cache partition would resolve the "charging glitch" problem

In water for ~15 minutes, 1m deep

Hello,
my Redmi Note 7 fell in the water of our harbor and it took ~15min until we were able to find it. The water was ~1 meter deep.
I put the phone in rice for 4 days strait away. At some point the phone started but was discharged the next day. After that the phone did not start or charged anymore but showed a battery symbol.
We took the phone apart and cleaned everything with pure alcohol. We replaced the battery too. I took a few measurements: There is 5V on the battery test point and 4.8 V too.
At some point the phone showed 80% while it was off and attached to a charger today.
At the moment the screen goes on for a very short time ~1-2 sec. when powered on but does not charge when connected to a charger.
What could I do to bring it back to live?
I mean there are working parts in it as it looks like.

It's DOA.
The only way to save it was to pull the battery asap (in salt water even that might not be fast enough), disassemble, flush liberally with warm RO water, flush, flush, then flush with anhydrous isopropyl alcohol to absorb the water, dry for at least 2 days with a fan in a warm room.
Water is the best solvent for brine...
What has happened is water/alcohol insoluble corrosion has formed on contacts and any exposed conductors. BGA chipsets, flat pack ICs, power circuits and PCB traces may be shorted out completely especially V+/ground rails. Once this happens it's beyond salvage... sorry.
You could try a pulling all connectors and dumping the whole lot minus the battery and frame into a mild acid bath for an hour then rinsing throughly with RO water, then isopropyl alcohol, drying etc. Which acid, concentration, and time? Probably very diluted sulphuric acid. It's a mix of copper, silver, tin and more alloys you're trying to clean.
That's the only way to remove the corrosion if present. The acid could easily destroy exposed (no conformal coating) fine pitch PCB traces. As long as any corrosion remains it will continue to corrode.
I don't give it a good chance of working...

Oh man that sounds bad. I thought there would be a chance as it was more sweet water than salt water and the phone worked after the incident for a short time.

muebau said:
Oh man that sounds bad. I thought there would be a chance as it was more sweet water than salt water and the phone worked after the incident for a short time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disconnect the battery.
You can try disassembling it again. Pull all ribbon cables and connectors. Place in warm/hot RO water, clean contact surfaces the best you can with a toothbrush or a ultrasonic gum cleaner if you have one. Try to get some water flow under the BGA chipsets.
Replace the RO water at least 2 times and leave in it for a couple hours*.
Inspect contacts, surface mount devices, traces, etc with good light and a optic aid for signs of corrosion damage afterward. If none if seen proceed to the 99% isopropyl alcohol flush and dry completely. It might work....
*water may get in between the display and screen. If so it will leave a residue upon evaporation. This must be purge before reassembly. A vacuum drying chamber can be used. Use your best judgement how the proceed with the washing phase depending on this issue.
If it's sealed, no worries otherwise you may wish to modify the washing phase to be less invasive by limiting time and exposure to the display.
The contacts on the display is what really needs to be cleaned...

Today I found the phone is alive indeed. After lots of cleaning with alcohol it came back to live. Everything work.
The only issue I have is water (or alcohol) in the display now. This causes little clouds of brightness and the many random touch events.
Its there something smart I could do to get rid of this last bit of water except a vacuum chamber. It might vanish if I heat up the phone for several hours near/on the heating with a towel in between (not to hot).

muebau said:
Today I found the phone is alive indeed. After lots of cleaning with alcohol it came back to live. Everything work.
The only issue I have is water (or alcohol) in the display now. This causes little clouds of brightness and the many random touch events.
Its there something smart I could do to get rid of this last bit of water except a vacuum chamber. It might vanish if I heat up the phone for several hours near/on the heating with a towel in between (not to hot).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's never a good idea to clean everything with solvents such as isopropyl. It can weaken many of the adhesives used in electronic devices, and it will ruin your display panel. If you have access to a temperature chamber, you can try removing the battery, putting the device in a bag of rice or desiccant beads, and let it heat soak for about 2 hours at +60c.
Chances are your display and touch panel are ruined, however. NEVER soak a device in alcohol or any other solvent.

Well the alcohol "everywhere" was an accident and bad luck. It happened while I cleaned just the last parts and connections. I will try to remove the battery and put the device with rice somewhere warm with a thermometer to check the temperature.
Thanks for the help. I will report what happens next.
I am able to get the few messages and photos from the day it fell in the water now. So I am near a 100% data (backup from ~2am + current backup) rescued scenario very soon. I am very happy to have reach this point so far anyway.

muebau said:
Well the alcohol "everywhere" was an accident and bad luck. It happened while I cleaned just the last parts and connections. I will try to remove the battery and put the device with rice somewhere warm with a thermometer to check the temperature.
Thanks for the help. I will report what happens next.
I am able to get the few messages and photos from the day it fell in the water now. So I am near a 100% data (backup from ~2am + current backup) rescued scenario very soon. I am very happy to have reach this point so far anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The accident was dropping it in brine water... without through rinsing it be a goner. Even with rinsing it still may eventually die.
Rice does not work. Heat does*.
Be patient.
Warm dry room with fan on it.
The problem now isn't drying but the residue left behind as the water/alcohol evaporates. Try using centrificule force to move the water although capillary may prevent this.
Try drying on end.
Careful use of a shop vac might work in a dust free room but could destroy the display. Use best judgement. At the worst if you just let it dry it probably will leave some water marks, maybe not.
*raise heat to 110-120°F if it's not drying after 2 days. Heat displaces water ie hot boxes used in tropics.

The phone worked perfectly with clouds of water in the display.
After I put the phone in a warm place to get rid of the last few parts of this moisture the screen was black and stayed this way.
Now the lowest part of the phone gets very hot when switched on. Its hot enough to burn your fingers. The funny thing is that with "scrcpy" I am still able to reach the screen and the OS works perfectly as normal. I guess the lower PCB with the USB-C is the part which gets this warm.
I am angry for myself as I could have lived with the few clouds in the display as a reminder to keep water and smartphones away from each other.

Better than broken ribs...
You would need to carefully separate the display from the glass and clean both. Probably bonded with a heat adhesive.
The hot running suggest the phone isn't completely dry or has damage. Pull the connectors off the port pcb and inspect both them and that board for visible corrosion damage.
Reexamine the mobo's power section for same.
It's all probably academic as it likely will fail completely in time. Rust never sleeps.

Samsung A40 took a little swim... but signs of life! Any ideas?

Hi all. My trusty A40 had a little mishap at the toilet (!) and drowned. I gave it a rinse with alcohol and dried it for days in 40C ovens etc. but no life was recovered. A few days ago I decided to try charging it anyway and nothing happened... then this morning my old alarm went off! The screen is still completely dead, and I didn't notice any vibration but I always had that turned off. When I plug it in and out with the USB cable it makes the correct beeps. I can even snooze that alarm with the power button and turn it off with volume down.
When I connect it to my PC though I don't see any drive come up, I guess it doesn't default to USB file transfer so maybe this isn't a surprise.
So is my phone alive inside and just has a completely dead screen? The alcohol has conveniently taken the back off by dissolving the glue. Also, I've already got a new Redmi Note 11 so I'm happy to tinker with this phone and I've replaced screens before no problem.
Is this phone worth buying a new screen for do you all think or would that be a total waster of $35?
Thanks!
(PS: sorry if not in correct forum here, not sure which one is most appropriate for hardware / repair issues)

Wrong. You may still be able to save it...
Pull the back cover and disconnect the battery asap. Allow to dry completely before powering up. Fan blowing on it with the phone on it's side in a very warm room for at least a couple days.
The mobo power section or the soc are the most likely areas to fail from corrosion. Possible the connectors are still retaining brown water
Do Not use anhydrous isopropyl alcohol as a drying agent if it has an LCD as it will poison it.

blackhawk said:
Wrong. You may still be able to save it...
Pull the back cover and disconnect the battery asap. Allow to dry completely before powering up. Fan blowing on it with the phone on it's side in a very warm room for at least a couple days.
The mobo power section or the soc are the most likely areas to fail from corrosion. Possible the connectors are still retaining brown water
Do Not use anhydrous isopropyl alcohol as a drying agent if it has an LCD as it will poison it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks but I've already completed the drying. The CPU is working in there, in fact when I put in a SIM it will even ring when I phone it. I'm just wondering if I can be 100% sure everything is OK apart from the screen? Is there anything else I can check?

DannySolo said:
Thanks but I've already completed the drying. The CPU is working in there, in fact when I put in a SIM it will even ring when I phone it. I'm just wondering if I can be 100% sure everything is OK apart from the screen? Is there anything else I can check?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's dry and still malfunctioning the damage is likely to the mobo, is permanent and will be progressive. Corrosion never sleeps.
You can disassemble and check the ribbon cable pins going to the display for moisture and/or corrosion damage. The mobo power section and the BGA chipsets* (can't see the damage as the contacts are under the chip) are the most likely to be damaged.
With water exposure time is of the essence. You might save the device if you're fast enough and do the right things. Salt water is sure death.
* you sure it's dry?!! BGA chipset's don't have airflow around the pins. Any water under the chipset will also be retained by capillary action...

blackhawk said:
If it's dry and still malfunctioning the damage is likely to the mobo, is permanent and will be progressive. Corrosion never sleeps.
You can disassemble and check the ribbon cable pins going to the display for moisture and/or corrosion damage. The mobo power section and the BGA chipsets* (can't see the damage as the contacts are under the chip) are the most likely to be damaged.
With water exposure time is of the essence. You might save the device if you're fast enough and do the right things. Salt water is sure death.
* you sure it's dry?!! BGA chipset's don't have airflow around the pins. Any water under the chipset will also be retained by capillary action...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I submerged the whole thing in alcohol and then dried it at 50C for 72 hours. Everything I can test works perfectly (including ringing when called) but the screen is totally dead. I cleaned that socket but still nothing.
Is it possible the water/alcohol damaged the screen and not the motherboard? Sound unlikely but that's what they symptoms indicate.
So is it worth a bet on fixing with a $30 new screen or not do you think?

DannySolo said:
I submerged the whole thing in alcohol and then dried it at 50C for 72 hours. Everything I can test works perfectly (including ringing when called) but the screen is totally dead. I cleaned that socket but still nothing.
Is it possible the water/alcohol damaged the screen and not the motherboard? Sound unlikely but that's what they symptoms indicate.
So is it worth a bet on fixing with a $30 new screen or not do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's the mobo but you're holding it. I don't know how suspectable the the display is to water damage. Did you use anhydrous isopropyl alcohol?

blackhawk said:
I think it's the mobo but you're holding it. I don't know how suspectable the the display is to water damage. Did you use anhydrous isopropyl alcohol?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All I could find was 100% ethanol I'm afraid and only realised the FAQs saying "alcohol" were talking about isopropanol after I'd finished. Isn't ethanol also used for mobo cleaning? Maybe that destroyed the screen though.

DannySolo said:
All I could find was 100% ethanol I'm afraid and only realised the FAQs saying "alcohol" were talking about isopropanol after I'd finished. Isn't ethanol also used for mobo cleaning? Maybe that destroyed the screen though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Water can damage AMOLED displays as well it seems. Best to keep all solvents away from the display. Methanol alcohol should never be used.
Ethanol not sure about.

blackhawk said:
Water can damage AMOLED displays as well it seems. Best to keep all solvents away from the display. Methanol alcohol should never be used.
Ethanol not sure about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK I think then I'll shoot the moon and buy a replacement screen... would be a terrible waste to throw this phone out if that's all that's wrong.
Plus we would now know that ethanol is OK for phone motherboards, plus it takes the glue off the back of a Samsung A40!

DannySolo said:
OK I think then I'll shoot the moon and buy a replacement screen... would be a terrible waste to throw this phone out if that's all that's wrong.
Plus we would now know that ethanol is OK for phone motherboards, plus it takes the glue off the back of a Samsung A40!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use anhydrous (preferably 96% minimum 93%) isopropyl alcohol.
I wouldn't go too nuts trying to save it due the price point and especially the fact it has known water damage. Buying a used one in good condition be a viable option if you really like that model.

blackhawk said:
Use anhydrous (preferably 96% minimum 93%) isopropyl alcohol.
I wouldn't go too nuts trying to save it due the price point and especially the fact it has known water damage. Buying a used one in good condition be a viable option if you really like that model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've just notices that with this model there is a pretty hefty flex between the top and bottoms boards with a connector on each end. This must also carry screen data so I'll give that a good clean out.
Second hand AMOLEDs are impossible to find for the A40, they all have horrible burn in.
I'm going to get the INCELL LCD version already in a new front frame and go from there. Should still be a decent back up phone.
And the fun of fixing it is what it's all about anyway, right? :-D

You grossly underestimate the corrosion process that's likely been initiated. I'm not so optimistic about it ever being reliable again.

I can understand corrosion while the phone is wet... not after it's been soaked in alcohol and completely dried. The process doesn't continue.
I'm going to guess it's the screen only that's broken as I see no other issues... I bought a cheap LCD replacement already in a new frame for $30.
Let's see how it goes.

DannySolo said:
I can understand corrosion while the phone is wet... not after it's been soaked in alcohol and completely dried. The process doesn't continue.
I'm going to guess it's the screen only that's broken as I see no other issues... I bought a cheap LCD replacement already in a new frame for $30.
Let's see how it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, yes it does. Most don't understand how insidious it is. The oxides formed are insoluble in water and alcohols. Many are hygroscopic and attract moisture, then you know what happens...
This is the same reason you never buy a flood damaged car. Even if everything is working it will start to fail sure as the sun rises in the morning.
Sometimes if you pull the battery before the flooding it can be saved... sometimes. Always check for signs of water damage when buying a vehicle. EV's just burn to the ground when water damaged
Energized circuits greatly exacerbate and accelerate the corrosion process. You see the results. The future is uncertain for that phone but it will likely eventually fail from that one prolonged exposure.

DannySolo said:
I can understand corrosion while the phone is wet... not after it's been soaked in alcohol and completely dried. The process doesn't continue.
I'm going to guess it's the screen only that's broken as I see no other issues... I bought a cheap LCD replacement already in a new frame for $30.
Let's see how it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tell results

OK so the new screen eventually arrived and I turned on the phone then plugged in the new screen... nothing. But I guess you have to plug in the screen and then turn it on, but that seems to be impossible with the A40 where you need to attach the middle frame for to use power/volume, and that blocks the screen connector.
Is there some way to bridge those little spring contacts on the PCB to reproduce a power on signal? Otherwise I'll just have to do the whole replacement process and see what happens at the end!
Just as well there's holidays coming.

DannySolo said:
OK so the new screen eventually arrived and I turned on the phone then plugged in the new screen... nothing. But I guess you have to plug in the screen and then turn it on, but that seems to be impossible with the A40 where you need to attach the middle frame for to use power/volume, and that blocks the screen connector.
Is there some way to bridge those little spring contacts on the PCB to reproduce a power on signal? Otherwise I'll just have to do the whole replacement process and see what happens at the end!
Just as well there's holidays coming.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i do not know, sorry, never opened my a40, still using it right now