Skip to main content

Fourth generation iPhone. Repair is straightforward, but the front glass and LCD must be replaced as a unit. GSM / 8, 16, or 32 GB capacity / Model A1332 / Black and White. This page aims to help users troubleshoot, fix, and seek help for the iPhone 4.

2375 Questions View all

How do I clean corrosion after water damage?

I have an iPhone 4 that was immersed in water, and worked for an hour or so before any problems were evident. It has spent two days in a bowl of rice, but I decided to open it up to see what's going on. The two water-sensitive stickers on the back of the logic board have turned pink, and there are copper salts deposited on the logic board near the bottom of the LCD connector (the connector outlined in orange at Step 17 here: iPhone 4 Logic Board Replacement).

I'm thinking that I will try to clean up this corrosion before trying to plug it in again, but I'm not sure what sort of tool to use. Are we talking isopropyl alcohol and a Qtip, or is there some other accepted approach?

Answered! View the answer I have this problem too

Is this a good question?

Score 6
Add a comment

9 Answers

Chosen Solution

Matthew Holland, if it is strictly a cleaning the logic board issue, I use isopropyl alcohol with a greater than 70% alcohol concentration, your local pharmacist can get it for you, and scrub the board with a small brush (tooth brushes work well) This will remove most of the corrosion. I do know that some people pre-treat their boards by cleaning it with distilled water and then use the alcohol which will displace the water. Either way make sure that you let the board dry very well after and stay away from any contact cleaner, etc. Hope this helps, I am sure there are 100's more suggestion and ways to do it, but these are my 2cents :-)

Was this answer helpful?

Score 5

6 Comments:

Thanks. We ended up just going to the Apple Store with an OOW replacement in mind, but ended up benefiting from the famous Genius "leeway" and got a free replacement.

by

How on earth did you manage a free replacement?! I went in and they told me $60 minimum plus tax. My warranty is up though :\ Any advice would help!

by

Thanks for this info, just fixed my seemingly "dead" iPhone by using 91% Iso alcohol and a toothbrush, just as suggested, just hours after Apple Miami Beach had told me the phone was not repairable ... saved me 200 dollars ... Thank you!

by

You are welcome ;-)

by

Can I use 190 proof everclear?

by

Show 1 more comment

Add a comment

It is important to clean with 99% isopropanol, ethanol or alcohol, dont use 70%, it is to much water. When you have a ultrasonic take the isoporpanol inside and than the iphone logicboard.

Be carefull that the mikrophone and the speaker have no contact with the isoprobanol.

Was this answer helpful?

Score 5

4 Comments:

How about 91% IPA? mfolta83, are you using the alcohol in the USC? I have a different mixture I have found to work great, but yours seems to be a viable option as well...

by

Edit: Attempting to insert ghetto paragraphs!

Just to confirm for anyone reading that contact with isopropyl alcohol and a speaker/microphone will cause no damage whatsoever to those components.

My repair process for a water damaged iPhones (and I've done well over 100, at this point) is to remove the iPhone's dock assembly, logic board and loudspeaker and soak them in a bath of 99% iso for an hour or so, giving the logic board a gentle scrub with a soft toothbrush if there is any visible corrosion.

The components are then placed on a bed of blue roll atop a radiator, any excess alcohol is shaken out of the loudspeaker and everything is left to dry out overnight. I've found the only phones I've not been able to revive using my method are those that have been left for more than a few days before being bathed, and have been overrun with internal (i.e. under the logic board shielding) corrosion.

by

Will coca cola work?

by

No. While this comment is late dalc2000 it will corrode your phone because it will do liquid damage.

by

Add a comment

My 2 cents: if you have an ultrasonic cleaner I'm sure this investment is worth it. 3% Branson EC and 97% distilled water for the corrosion. Money well spent....

Was this answer helpful?

Score 2
Add a comment

The best solution I've found to remove corrosion is boiling water. I take the Main PC Board out of the phone, boil water in a coffee cup in a microwave then place the board in the water. VERY IMPORTANT DO NOT PLACE THE BOARD IN THE MICROWAVE. After a minute or two carefully remove the board and scrub both sides with a tooth brush. When the board is completely dry return it to the phone. I've used this sucessfuly many times with water damaged Ipods, Iphones, & other electronic devices at the repair shop I work for.

Was this answer helpful?

Score 1

5 Comments:

I tried this method, but the battery connector came off the logic board. This probably happened due to the low temp solder that is used from the factory. I would not recommend this method. Wish I would have tried the rubbing alcohol...

by

apple uses lead free solder in manufacturing which is a higher temperature solder. If the battery connector came off it most likely means the corrosion had "eaten" through the solder joint and when the corrosion was removed there was nothing left holding the connector.

by

I have soldered the battery connection back in place successfully once before. If you have a steady hand and precise iron, then it works. Just don't touch the plastic!

by

can you explain this method in detail?

by

It should be in enough detail. I've put logic boards just in water and let it sit then scrub then preheat the board 80C for 15 min to half an hour to let it evaporate the water.

by

Add a comment

clean with isopropylic alcohol and use the hot air gun before doing this pls disconnect the battery

Was this answer helpful?

Score 1
Add a comment

I took my iPhone 6 into the apple store because the volume buttons were not responsive. They were clicking mechanically but would get stuck in an on or off state. There was also an intermittent problem with the touch screen. Apple said the phone had water damage and so they would not repair it and offered a $300 replacement.

As a last-ditch effort I started a repair as if I needed to replace the buttons. Then I used a 10x jewelers loupe to inspect the button terminal contacts. I saw some corrosion on one of the terminals. I cleaned it with a q-tip that was lightly wetted with 70% alcohol. I then started inspecting the remaining terminals. I noticed a bit of dirt in one of the screen connector contacts that I also removed with the q-tip.

I powered the phone back up and it is working great! All it cost me was a q-tip and a couple hours of my time.

Was this answer helpful?

Score 1
Add a comment

I've had some success with severely corroded "dead" boards using my own solution of distilled white vinegar, 30 vol hydrogen peroxide and a tiny pinch of a mild salt such as "Lo-Salt" or if you can get it KCl.

It appears that this actively strips corrosion without damaging the tracks, and in some cases actually brings the board back to life for a while at least.

If board looks OK after this treatment do the usual rinse-in-DI-water-then-IPA method and see if it works.

This is a last ditch remedy but worked a few times for me even on R/C stuff.

Interestingly there is now a commercial solution based on my work, go figure.

Was this answer helpful?

Score 0

4 Comments:

So what is the recipe for the solution, or is it a. Trade secret?

by

HI, it's all over the electronics forums.

by

Why the KCl? This seems risky to propose, since it is going to form elementary chlorine and excess amounts of KCl will therefor result in the formation of a common chemical warfare gas.

by

When I say a "tiny pinch" I mean a barely visible amount in 1000mL of solution. Like enough to see under a magnifier.

by

Add a comment

kind of late to the party but I have been repairing phones since I was 11 (I am 15 now c: )and back then, we used to take petrol and a tooth brush and actively scrub the motherboard and mostly everyone copied this technique even outside the institution and local repairs…  BUT… I noticed that most circuits got corrosions with every phones I fixed (mostly Nokia 3310 which were still common within every individual and old keypad phones”, so I changed to using isopropyl that has a very high alcohol content (90% or higher) and that works for me very well.

Do keep in mind that you can invest in an ultrasonic cleaner which can be bought from ebay around 35$ or probably more and is worth every cents. why? It helps to clean thoroughly and reaches places which your typical toothbrush cannot reach.

best regards

- Ding0

Was this answer helpful?

Score 0
Add a comment

comprerssed air, or a hair dryer on cold or low heat position could help to displace isopropylic alcohol, and placing the stuff under the sunshine for a while even in a glass enclosure, but for a VERY short time, depending on sun power..

Was this answer helpful?

Score -1

1 Comment:

Low temperature is bad. Minimum 60-80C if you want better results for electronics.

Inside cars on summer get that hot.

by

Add a comment

Add your answer

Matthew Holland will be eternally grateful.
View Statistics:

Past 24 Hours: 2

Past 7 Days: 8

Past 30 Days: 63

All Time: 175,507