Just fixed a water damaged phone by bathing it in Isorpopyl Alcohol...

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NorskeDivision

Senior Member
Nov 25, 2008
56
11
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.
 
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oka1

oka1

Retired Forum Moderator
Apr 4, 2010
3,836
6,560
Honolulu, Hawaii
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
 
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L

Lord Panzer

Member
Dec 20, 2010
21
0
I can relate. I once jumped in the mediterranean with my phone in my pocket.
The SE k750i was a good phone...
 
U

uteehunt

Member
Apr 10, 2011
11
0
Austin
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.
 
S

ShebamRSA

Member
May 4, 2011
7
0
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 :p

Shot for the tip, I will keep it in mind
 
D

dohcdragon

Member
Apr 2, 2010
17
1
definately adding this to my bag of tricks of fixing electronic devices people bring to me to be fixed.
 
P

phxmark

Member
Feb 22, 2011
21
3
Glendale
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.
 
E

ejyoungr

Member
Apr 23, 2011
27
1
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
 
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    NorskeDivision
    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.
    View
    8
    oka1
    oka1
    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
    View
    1
    M
    mrcheisty13
    wow

    well, Im a Chemistry Graduate and a Techie and really never thought of that..never had any experiences of my Devices falling off/soaked in water but definitely will try this when that happens(which i would never want to but just incase)..thanks for the info..=)
    View

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