Water Damage...

[Vyrus Débar]

hey ummm wondering if evry1 could post tips on the best way to deal with a water damaged phone... cleaning tips.. which fluids to use etc... pros and cons... stuff like like...

thanx in advance

[ceanth]

rip apart ur phone, put all the bits next to the windows, use hairdryer, when dry put together and it should work. My mum washed my 6210 along with my jeans and it worked for me, good luck

ceanth

ps if u have tryed turning it on then the phone might not work or unless someone else knows how to fix it then

[Vyrus Débar]

thnx for ur reply.... however... I wanted more people to post such ways they have tackeld this problem... usualy sum1 else will come forword with a fone which has been water damaged which dey have tried to dry... but after some time still does not wrk... the pcb contactcs get oxidised right? so I was wndering what is the best liquid to use to clean the pcb... is white spirit safe as it does eat away certian plastics etc... thnx in advance

[abbeydguru]

i think Methalothol spirit is still the best or if u have ultrasound cleaner.
When cleaning a PCB with spirit u should be objective in your cleaning and making sure all areas of the circuit r well alchol. Make sure the PCB is properly dried after alcholling before powering hence it may further short-circuit the PCB.
PCB that had been powered on after "Water Damage" do have 50-60% of coming back to life.
however, from my experience with some phones,i do get some funny response that shows "Malfunction problems". e.g Nokia - Contact Service, Trium Mars - Malfunction contact your service provider or contact provider.
Never use water to clean a PCB.

[Fonefingz]

@vyrus debar


how u doing mate.
send the phone to me. ill sort it all out for u.

ps ur flash will be with u today

[Vyrus Débar]

@fonefings...

am gud... and u?

I wasn't asking for info to repair a waterdamged handset at this present time... was just asking for info for future reference from those who have successfuly such problems along with do's and dnt's...

care to conttribute? :rolleyes:

p.s. got the flash frm "Gee" alredy... safe n ways...

[Trion]

Hi Vyrus Debar,

The first thing to do the moment a set has fallen into water or got were is to remove the battery. Make sure it isn't powered on before it is cleaned and dried as mentioned below. Powering it on could permanently damage components.

Before when I used to get water logged sets I used to clean the PCB with isopropyl alcohol and a tooth brush. This helps in removing all traces of moisture. Then the PCB needs to be dried with a hairdryer to help evaporate all alcohol and water. Now I use carbon tetrachloride to clean the PCBs and then dry them with a hairdryer as it evaporates faster. Isopropyl doesn't evaporate as fast and can conduct at times. But you have to be careful with carbon tetrachloride as it can damage the plastic bodies of mobile phones.

If a set has fallen into salt water...most technicians here wash it ( the PCB) in fresh water first to get rid of all salt and then they use cleaning fluids and dry it with a dryer. Usually after drying the PCB work is done on it the next day in such cases.
Remember, use water only if absolutely necessary as in sea water logged mobile phones. Otherwise avoid it. And make sure always to dry the PCB thoroughly before powering on.

Hope this helps,

:)

Trion

[Macster]

my 8210 went for a ride in the washer... I've been reading.. but... what is a PCB???
Thanx.

[Vyrus Débar]

PCB stands for "Printed Circuit Board"

its the green board with all the soldered components on it...

[KyleTech]

clean ur pcb with ultrasonic cleaner. use the solution, that is being
used to clean watches. clean it for about 3 mins. rinse the pcb. and try the phone.

[Trion]

@Kyle Tech,

An ultrasonic cleaner is the professional way of cleaning the board, but not everyone would like to buy one to save one or two phones. Anyway, its good u mentioned it as it'll be helpful to others who want to go in for mobile repairs as a profession.

:)

Trion

[markoldroyd]

Hi guys,

where can i find carbon tetrachloride? Do you leave the PCB to soak in this substance overnight or do you just work it into the PCB with a toothbrush for 10mins? And do ultrasonic cleaners really clean the PCB better or just a time saving device?

Thanks for your help!

[KyleTech]

ultrasonic cleaner is very useful!

i've already fix 4 cellphone using it, specially those that were soak to water. u can also use that cleaner if the unit has intermitent trouble. clean it for about 3mins. then,just let it dry.

[Trion]

@markoldroyd,

Hi what you need to do is dip the toothbrush (make sure its clean) in Carbon tetrachloride and clean the PCB with it. Its takes about 2-3 ,mins to clean it. Brush vigorously. Its quite simple.

You should be able toget it at a scientific supplies shop or perhaps your localchemist might know where to get it.

:)

Trion

[Brainly]

Well, this is not exactly about phones OR water damage, but close enough...
I drank coca cola, but I forgot to close the cap tight. I had my game boy advance on my bed. The coca cola bottle was also on my bed. You know what happened ;)? The coca cola bottle tipped over, which I didn't spot at start. Then I wanted to play with the game boy. I had just bought it a week ago or something. Well, I saw what had happened. The game boy was completely under the coke. I just took it and put it on. Not a wise thing to do :). The screen had white stripes on it, and it was sort of hazy. Then I thought there was nothing to do and put it away. The next day a friend of mine wanted to fix it. He opened it, dried it, and put this stuff called CRC under the circuits. And can you believe it, it worked! That CRC stuff is a real life saver. You should try it. It sort of sucked the water from beneath the chips.

Edit: BTW, I by that stuff from the hardware store.

[Trion]

Hi Brainly,

Welcome to Nokiafree.org! Please tell me the full form of CRC. Also what does it cost and how much do u get for the price?

If this can help in mobile phone repairs (and is cost effective) I feel most technicians would like to know about it.

Thanks.

:)

Trion

[Brainly]

Well, the text on the spraybottle is in Finnish. But I'll tell you what I can translate.

CRC 5-56
Lubricates - Protects - Separates - Removes humidity - Cleans

Separates parts that are rusted together. Removes humidity. Starts wet engines. Removes electrical disorders. Lubricates. Removes screeching and squeaking noises. Loosens jammed mechanisms. Protects metal surfaces from humidity, prevents rust and oxidization.

To use on: Electrical equipment: Plugs, switches, coils, wiring. Car: Ignition system, distributor, battery knobs, wiring, electric engines, antennas, slide-bars, nuts and bolts, crom surfaces, locking mechanisms, rubber and vinyl surfaces. Home: Locks, hinges, slide-bars, tools. Hobby: Fishing equipment, boat, bike, gardening tools, skate board, skis, ect.

How to use: Spray plenty. Give time to work. Starting wet engines: Spray in the distributor, spool and wiring. Use directioning tape in other places.

Pressure package: Do not store in the sunshine and over +50 c temperatures. Do not brake on burn even when empty. Do not spray to open fire or hot substances.

Code: 56300
Importer: CRC Industries Finland OY Lohja as.
Telephone 019 32 921
300 ml

Harmless to the ozon layer. 405

Okay, that's everything that it says. Sorry, it doesn't say what it's made of :(
Maybe if you ask your local hardware store to order some. I think they make a special electronics-CRC too.

You can use this on everything :)

[Trion]

Hi Brainly,

Sounds somewhat like WD 40. Maybe someone here could confirm this.

Trion

[Vyrus Débar]

seems like it...

fonefingz used clearasil wipes :rolleyes:
on a pcb...

he got the fone wrking with them :eek:

WD 40 would probably work... as its used to attack rusted / oxidised components...

[chunkhead]

Submerge the board in the meths with the RF shields taken off, for 20 mins! After that take it out and run under a cold tap, then using a bowl full of water with washing up liquid scrub the board firmly but carefully with a tooth brush! Go in all directions! You should scrub on both sides for a total of about 10 mins! Run under tap again thoroughly, and using a hair dryer, set it to the lowest blow mode, but highest heat! slowly run the air over the board twice each side! when thats done, lie the hardryer down and lie the board down flat with the RF shield side up! Allow the hot air to blow OVER the board not directly at it for a further 7-8mins! Allow to cool for 15mins and try it in the phone! Don't forget to replace the RF Shields if it works!!!


I'm very intrigued by the CRC idea though! Yes, by the way, CRC is the same as WD-40 and RP-7! It's give or take the same product!;) :D

[MasterMike]

Hello,

I repaired some Nokia phones that use to freeze and consequently shut down by the watchdog with a product we have here in Portugal that is Kontakt PCC, probably you can find it also where you live.

Some phones that come to me just dead after a swim on water or milk or something, start to work after a good cleaning with PCC but then shut down once in a while, i think is the watchdog again after the phone freezes.

Im thinking about buying a ultrasound cleaning system or whatever it is called.. can anyone explain me what substance do we put in and what hapens when it starts cleaning the phone? Those cleaning systems start on 200 euro/dollars.. are this ones too cheap?

[GAGRAMPA]

That stuff takes forever to evaporate. Go to your local gun-shop (OOOoooops, i.e. if you are in the United States of Armed-merica) and get his advice on barrel cleansers. You may even be able to borrow a squirt or two. Used to be you could find contact-cleaner for T.V. tuners, but that stuff is probably in a "computer stuff" package now. Also, some of the less petroleum-based injector cleaners ( NOT the kind you pour into the petrol-tank) will work well, but don't be havin' a short one burnin' when you use it. Worked for me. Fuzzy

[Trion]

I now have been using Carbon tetrachloride instead of Isopropyl alcohol or Meths as it evaporates quite fast and is reasonably cheap (slightly more expensive than isopropyl). Its good enough for nearly all cases of oxidation and moisture. I recommend it to any technician who's tired of the slow evaporation of alcohol. Don't forget to dry the phone with a hairdryer though.

@MasterMike,

Some people use 50% distilled water (not tap water as it conducts electricity due to impurities) and 50% isopropyl alcohol in the ultrasonic cleaner. Then the phone needs to be properly dried with a hairdryer. The cleaners r becoming quite cheap in india. A hakko one is available for around 30$ US at bangalore.

[kandong]

i think its not wd-40, its contact cleaner, you can buy that on a local electronic stores,

[Trion]

i think its not wd-40, its contact cleaner, you can buy that on a local electronic stores,

I don't recommend such cleaners for mobile phones as the phones usually develop problems later as the oil conducts under certain circumstances and damages components. Better use Isopropyl, Carbon tetrachloride (or in the worst case Meths).

[jucks]

OK People, After a nice dive off a bridge into swansea bay, and a good swim later, my friend realised that he forgot to take his phone out of his spy rocket, so he gave it to me... Thats water damage to the max, i have cleaned the pcb, now everything works ok, but the screen is reaaaaly dim, i can see what it says, but only in the right light, is there any fix for this, also if i press the screen lightly it looks normal for half a second after, anyone else had this problem, if so how did u fix it??? :???:

[Trion]

@jucks,

Try changin the display. Its also possible that there may be some tracks damaged dued to corrosion. Good luck!

[Trion]

A few things I'd like to share with everyone..

The method i mentioned earlier is best for water damaged sets, not sets that have other liquids fallen on them...though it does work for quite a few liquids. Use your common sense to get the substance off and then u can use the method i or chunk mentions. Also, using hairdryers in places with very low humidity may not be advisable for repairs on a professional basis due to electrostatic discharge (ESD). In such cases use an SMD rework station on low heat(lowest setting) and high air.

After using the water damage method, the set may power up and show "Contact Service" or give no display. In both cases follow the procedure for solving "Contact Service". Do a search of the old threads to find out about sloving this. In several cases flashing the phone with a full flash (MCU+PPM) will solve this, but not in all...for that read the threads on solving this problem.

Often in water damaged phones tracks may be corroded and may need u to connect points with jumpers...for this check the schematics.

Water also corrodes the solder joints under BGA ICs and other components. U can reflow BGA ICs with a little liquid flux and an SMD rework station. DO this only if required. Ohter components can have their solder joints touched up with an SMD iron. Do this if u find that solder joints have become dry (not shiny indicates this).

In some cases as in sets that have fallen in sea water and have not been cleaned within 24 hours or less the PCB may be too corroded and have extensive damage, but do try cleaning it before u chuck it out.

I wish everyone the best of luck in repairing their water logged sets!!! :grin:

[abbeydguru]

i advised u change the LCD. Try to clean up properly the elastomer. I hope all these will help out.

[enactivist]

Trion - u r a legend mate!
I have a 2280 that was REALLY water damaged. I took it to a repair centre and they charged me $40 to tell me there was water damage to the PCB. Duh! So I did some googling and found this forum. I tried cleaning with meths first but that didn't work, and then saw your tip about carbon tetrachloride. I couldnt get this at a chemist but I guessed that dry-cleaner fluid (trichloroethylene) would be equivalent (i'm in NewZealand). After a couple of tries and some good scrubbing with the toothbrush I have a live phone! thank you! :grin:


A few things I'd like to share with everyone..

I wish everyone the best of luck in repairing their water logged sets!!! :grin: