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Water damaged repair gone wrong?

Girlfriends iPhone4 A1349 met water damage when she forgot she had it in her bra when getting in the hot tub. I had no clue how to disassemble an iPhone, but we did the phone in a bag of rice thing for a few days.

Turned on the phone and it was constantly powering off and no response from the touch screen when "slide to unlock". No response from the power button, volume button or the home key. After light research on my girlfriends part someone said to change the battery.

I ordered from iFixit and changed the battery out along with the Liberation Kit. Still no luck with the screen. Then I came across the WHOLE DISASSEMBLE and alcohol cleaning process, everything put back together just fine. But now it won't even turn on.

Nothing was damaged in the process like the connector ribbons and or metal pins. There was plenty of corrosion on the connectors which cleaned up nicely. But the phone is just unresponsive completely now. I am at a loss of what to do next.

Update (01/07/2014)

We already replaced the phone so it isn't a MUST FIX issue. It's just annoying that my attempts failed. So I took everything apart again, re-cleaned everything obsessively to keen detail. It turns on, and stays on now(unlike before when it would power off after a short random time) but the screen, volume buttons, home key and power key has no effect to anything. I've heard replacing the digitizer or something would work?

Answer this question I have this problem too

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unfortunately if you've tried a new battery and cleaned it and all that good stuff the phone might be shot. Once water gets in there the phone is completely unpredictable.

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Before ordering a string of various parts, I would install the logic board in a known good housing (a buddy's phone) and see if the problems were still present. If not, then begin ordering replacement components.

If the logic board itself was the source if the problem, then that is a bigger fish to fry--but still likely salvageable --although it would require professional assistance.

Jessa

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If it turns out that the logicboard is dead. Then try to "disarm" the covering metal shields on the motherboard.

Then try to put the motherboard only, without the shields into isopropyl alcohol. The alcohol is very high concentrated, and will dissolve the the oxidation on the motherboard. Let it lay in the alcohol for about one minute.

Afterwards try to gently brush with a toothbrush on the chips, wash it in the alcohol and then dry it for 24 hours.

This fix should only be done, if the motherboard is already dead. So try to troubleshoot the device before this fix.

// Fini

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