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Repair information and guides for the Apple iPhone 5s that was announced on September 10, 2013. Model: A1533, A1453, A1457, A1528, A1530, A1518

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iPhone 5s Says "Searching" after water damage

After my phone got wet it wouldnt turn on. I dried it out and replaced the battery and now it turns on, but it just says searching. I took apart the logic board and did the isopropyl alcohol method to maybe clean the sim card reader. Put the phone back together and still searching. While taking apart the logic board I noticed that there is a data cable antenna that connects to the logic board. Should I replace the Headjack/Charing Port? becuase that the part the data cable is connected to. (I would have to order the whole set to get a new cable)

iPhone 5s Lightning Connector and Headphone Jack

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iPhone 5s Lightning Connector and Headphone Jack

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yes the data cable possibly has gotten damaged does the phone detect if the sim is taken out?

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nope take the sim in or out and just says searching, and tried my friends sim and still searching

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I have the same problem. Did that help you.

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I have the same exact problem. Do you know the fix to an iPhone that keeps saying "Searching..." with or without the sim?

I've tried every resets including putting the iPhone in DFU mode. But the problem still persists and I can't get it to the Apple because my phone is out of warranty. Do you know the fix to this thing? And which components to be replaced other than the antenna cable?

BTW I've replaced the antenna cable and well.. I still can't get it fixed.

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Just my 2 cents...we do a lot of water damage at my store.

First obviously clean the main board and any connector's you see corrosion as quickly as possible with isopropyl alcohol (try 99% if you haven't already...it makes the difference).

When device is powered on, with sim card installed (active or not), toggle wifi and airplane mode in that order. If it says no service it's reading the sim card so you can rule that out. If it says no sim, toggle airplane mode again to see if it still says no sim or no service (or hopefully service :)

Once you've ruled out it detecting the sim time to move onto your antenna. Try replacing the dock connector/antenna assembly. If that doesn't work dig a little deeper. Any metal plates you can remove (and two can be lifted up with a little bit of "gentle force" do it. See if anything has been corroded or damaged.

Also try another sim card as it can be damaged easily from liquid/water.

Hopefully this helps.

As a last ditch I would soak the main board in 99% aldohol (found at Safeway) for a good hour, then scrub with soft brush like your life depends on it. A mistake I see a lot make is they don't take the time to remove removable metal plates so they're not cleaning all components (ic chips, connectors, etc) of the motherboard.

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I can't believe you are advising to lift the shield with gentle force. That's how you damage logic board. It's soldered on the board and it only needs 250C to remove it. DON'T LIFT WITH FORCE!

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When water is spilled on a board you can not simply dry it out. The water does evaporate but leaves behind residue and corrodes parts - often not visible without a microscope. You have to clean it to get it to work properly provided the damage is minimal. Sometimes the water will damage parts that leave the device unusable without board repair/replacement.

As mentioned by @mdrecovery you can try to use alcohol. Your best option is to find someone with an ultrasonic cleaner. I agree you can remove the removable parts (which should be obvious) but do not pry or pull on anything that is soldered.

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