[Q] Dropped In Water, Screen Won't Work

carter444 · Feb 14, 2014

Hi Guys,

A month or so ago my mom dropped her S3 into the toilet. I told her to put it in rice ASAP and I believe a day or so later she did (but perhaps later that night). When I turn the phone on, the blue SAMSUNG (or maybe it says Galaxy) logo comes on and shows up completely fine, but nothing else after that works.

The lights around the phone work as well, including when I hit the menu and back buttons on the bottom part of the phone. It vibrates properly when it should and I also get sound, no problem.

I've tried connecting the phone to my computer to salvage pictures and data but it doesn't recognize the device for some reason.

Is the phone completely toast or is there a way for me to fix it? It was in very good condition before this and had only been used for a year.

Thanks a lot for the help. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

carter444 · Feb 14, 2014

Update: I just turned it on again and I could see the FAINTEST traces of the home screen. I pulled the settings down and turned the screen brightness up all the way and I can make out everything. The phone seems to be fully functional, but the screen is still incredibly dark. Any ideas on what is broken and what I need to fix?

Once every while it flickers to the full brightness for a split second and then goes back to dull.

Perseus · Feb 14, 2014

Digitizer may have water. See if someone can take it out and wipe it down. Otherwise its a insurance call.

carter444 · Feb 15, 2014

Thanks for the reply. I have no insurance on the phone so that's not an option. Would it be ultra difficult for me to try and take out the digitizer and wipe it down? Is it far too late to try and dry it out more with rice or silicate packs?

Perseus · Feb 15, 2014

Please see this thread. Perhaps you can compare notes.

carter444 · Feb 16, 2014

Perseus71 said:
Please see this thread. Perhaps you can compare notes.

Is there a way to confirm it's the digitizer before I pay $120 to try and transplant a new one into the old phone? I am also not very savvy at phone repair, although I could probably hire someone locally to do it.

Would like to make sure it's the digitizer first though.

I've also heard that re-dropping it in distilled water and then drying it with silicate gel packs might help clear whatever issues it's experiencing now. That seems crazy to me. Thoughts?

Thanks!

Perseus · Feb 16, 2014

I wouldn't drop it again in water. If you are not sure you can do it, then better send it for Out-Of-Warranty Repair. I can't tell you of a way to determine if its the Digitizer or not.

I "think" its your LCD having some dampness.

carter444 · Feb 16, 2014

Okay, thank you. So assuming it's the LCD being damp, is it far too late to use silicate packs to bring out the moisture? Or is it time to pull it apart and wipe it down?

Also the videos I see online kind of make it seem like you can't remove the screen without breaking it.

Perseus · Feb 16, 2014

Yes give it a try. A friend of mine, tried that successfully. Your mileage may vary.

carter444 · Feb 17, 2014

Perseus71 said:
Yes give it a try. A friend of mine, tried that successfully. Your mileage may vary.

I followed a video tutorial online and took it apart and brushed it with a toothbrush dipped in 99% isopropyl alcohol. I let it dry for a bit and retried it and the screen was still very dark. :-/ I guess I'll try it again later.

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[Q] Dropped In Water, Screen Won't Work

carter444

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Perseus

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carter444

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carter444

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