My phone fell in water!!

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Yep...as the topic says, my phone fell in water today. I was doing the dishes, and the phone was next to the sink...and long story short, its got water in it now!

It WAS fully submerged for like a second before I pulled it out, immediately dried it off using a soft, dry cloth as much as possible, and I took out the battery ASAP.

Its a Nokia N80. Any tips on what I can do to salvage the situation? Its still switching on, but the screen has water in it I'm thinking, because the image is very garbled.

Help/tips/advice is welcome!

 

At least you were able to retrieve it. Hubby's got kicked into a storm drain last week, as we were crossing the street.

Doing the dishes? Good on ya!

 

How long scince was this? You could try picking it apart as much as you can (with a screwdriver or what you have at home) and let each piece dry for a day or so. I have read that some people have managed to get their phones working fine after this, albeit with shorter battery life.

Rallymama - ouch!

 

Start saving for a new phone. Water damage isn't convered under (most) warranties.

 

Send a PM to DotW. He is a phones + water expert

 

Yep, I hate to say it, but it's likely already too late for repairs.

The reason cell phone manufacturers specifically state that water/moisture damamge^1 is NOT covered is because to get all that electronics crammed in such a small package, any insulation or protections has to be omitted - we're talking exposed contacts, wires, elements, etc. And usually to allow sufficient cooling for all that stuff, there's ample venting for air...so water can get to the sensitive stuff very easily.

Battery contacts, for example can become corroded, and seriously limit your charge life.

If you're willing to disassemble your phone (gotta eyeglasses screwdriver around?) and void your warranty, (which is shot anyway the moment you mention this incident to them) you may be able to dry off the parts before they're irreparably damaged...maybe.

When I was working for Robbers, I had maybe five or six people over two+ years with this issue call in, ranging from dropping the phone in a lake while boating (and managing to fish it out maybe 1hr later) to spilling a drink on the phone for a moment and wiping it off immediately.

That's not to say it's HOPELESS; I did encounter a customer or two whose cell survived dunking/splashing/etc. There's far too many variables to predict anything for sure.

I wish you good luck in this issue, but being so jaded you could carve a statue outta me, I think you'll wanna check replacement options from your carrier...


footnote: Yes, even 'moisture damage' will void your warranty - don't keep it in the bathroom while you're having a shower, and don't even leave it in your car overnight (the morning sun will shine in, heat the air and small amounts condensation will form on cooler surfaces...including your phone )

EDIT:

And worst-case, he'll know how to get you a replacement phone pretty cheaply!

 

This sucks because I spent AUD 1000 on this thing like less than a MONTH ago...

Hey, I don't mind PAYING for repairs even if the warranty is voided...as long as they don't say that the phone is good for nothing and it CAN be repaired still...

Ugh...this sucks...

 

I see my reputation preceeds me.

First of all, remove the battery, and dismantle as much of the phone as you can, and let it dry for at least three or four days. And to completly zap what's left of humidity inside the phone, give it the oven treatement - one hour at relatively low temperature (the lowest setting you can set the oven on, and remember to flip it over after half the baking cycle). My friend brought a broken BlackBerry from the dead using this trick.

Water damage is tricky. Your phone may either work perfectly as if nothing ever happened, might work great for a while then begin to act weird, or it might simply not work at all. Since this is a Nokia, I have no doubts it will survive. Hell, my 5165 fell into a bucket of *paint* and still works as great.

Water damage voids a warranty, unfortunatly. I don't think it will need repairs, though.

[ August 19, 2006, 18:47: Message edited by: Disciple of The Watch ]

 

Drying the phone is not enough. You should completely disassemble it and clean all (as much as you can) the electronics. Maybe first with a small brush and then using denatured alcohol, pure alcohol (190+ proof) or something similiar, to get all of the residue off. Of course you have to be extra careful so that you do not do more damage.

 

Agreed, but this is a tricky operation that is not to be tackled lightly.

Another solution is circuit board immersion in distilled water, but it requires a pretty advances dismantling of the phone, and it's not recommended unless you're an electronics crack.

 

If it sucks so much, why did you have the phone next to a water source to begin with? Why not keep it in your pocket or on the dresser in your room next to the pile of loose change?

 

@kuemper: I was in a hurry...as I mentioned, long story. Yes, I know its entirely my fault for being irresponsible here...but I'd rather focus on the whole phone + water thing...

Oh and guys...I am officially a Nokia fanboy for life! I took out the battery, kept it on my desk on a dry cloth under my table lamp and left it to dry for about 48 hours. I am now using my phone with absolutely no problems!! Should I still be expecting any problems in the future??

 

Had the same problems once when someone pushed me into the water. Yeah, that was a funny joke.
I let it dry for 2 days (1 would have been enough, I guess) and never had any problems with it. But perhaps that was just luck.

Let it be a lesson to you: Men shouldn't do dishes and so the gods have punished you.

 

Welcome to the club.

Maybe, or maybe not. The results of water damage are unpredictible. It might just work fine as if nothing never happened, or you might see some quirks pop every now and then. But seeing as it was immerged but a second or two, I don't think the water had time to significant damage... as The Jaded One mentioned, it's not like you left it in there and fished it out an hour later. My own 5165 has remained completly submerged in paint for a couple of minutes, and after being cleaned up worked just as fine.

I doubt a Moto would survive such a thing, however.

 

Yeah...I was telling a friend of mine about the incident, and apparently he had similar misfortune with his Razr V3...suffice to say he ended up having to buy a new phone.

@DotW: Are you a Nokia fan yourself? Awesome!

 

Not just a fan, a die-hard fan... hell, I have six Nokias... a 232, a 5165, a 3590, two 3595, and a 5190, and ALL of those have been unbelievably reliable workhorses... hell, my old analog 232 still works as great as the day I got it!

Of course other manufacturers make good phones too (except Moto), but Nokias are my first recommendation and brand of trust.

But anyway, good to know your N80 made it through. Nokias are pretty much unkillable.

The RAZR sucks. Enough said.

 

A firmware update for the N80 will be available from mid-september... here are the changes:

Even if you don't plan on using the new thingies, keeping the firmware up-to-date is critical, considering it's a Symbian.

 

How do you install it? Is it something I can download and install just like an app? I'm betting its going to something horrible like flashing BIOS updates...

 

Just bring your phone to the Nok store and tell them you want the N80i firmware update, they'll hook it to a comp via a cable, and replace the old firmware with the new, and it's done.

 

@ DotW

My boss lost her cell phone yesterday and someone else found it floating in a puddle of water. We have no idea how long it was in there. I remembered reading this thread a few weeks ago and thought it may help her. I gave her the info and she said she would give it a try.

She came in smiling this morning. Your advice worked and her phone is working properly.

Just wanted you to know.