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Repair information and guides for the fifth generation of iPhone. Model: A1387

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iPhone 4S took a dip in the pool need help.

Well my iPhone took a dip in the pool. I imminently took it out and put it in a bag of rice and made sure that it was air tight. I waited about a week just to make sure :) . But when I took it out I turned it on, then all my missed texts started the ringer. But there was only one problem, the screen was dead. I could swipe it and type in my passcode without seeing anything, I even started playing a game but I couldn't see any of it. :( So then I got a new phone and after a month went back to my old phone and it wouldn't turn on anymore, the phone just won't work anymore. I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me if I can possibly get my iPhone back, well it would be and iPod but still. I am willing to buy replacement parts. Thank you for reading my question.

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Well the battery and kit arrive Wednesday but until then I could only open the Iphone 4S. Any signs of corrosion from the outside? BTW tell me if you can't view these because I couldn't.[image|577102]

[image|577100][image|577093]

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Sorry, can't view the images. Try this guide Adding images to an existing question and see if you can attach the images.

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UPDATE

Well i replaced the battery made sure everything was in-line. I hooked it up to my mac and... No response. Even the mac couldn't recognize it. So i took apart the phone took the logic board out and the other stuff and scrubbed it(not to hard) with 91% isopropyl alcohol. I waited an hour for it to dry than i put it back together cairfully, after i was done it still wasnt syncing with mac:(

Extra notes:

No seeable corrosion but still did it

The water damage indicator was yellow or red(couldnt tell)

There is a tiny opening wear the insallation was scratched of the thin wire between the battery and phone.

After water damage i put the phone in rice for a week and it was dry and would turn on except the screen. But after a week it died out.

IPhone gets extremely hot when plugged in enough to were I burnt my hand and un-plugged it.(primarily the back)

Is there any other solution to this problem?

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2 Answers

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Hello,the major issue you will run into is corrosion damage. To start DO NOT TRY TO TURN IT ON, SYNC OR CHARGE IT FOR NOW. The very first thing I would do is to disassemble it by following this guide. Take a careful and close look at all components and connectors. Truly assess the damage. Look for major corrosion, evaluate the pins in the connectors etc,. Take a look at all connectors as well as cable ends. After that I would suggest that you clean it a couple of times in sterile water, not drinking water. Use a soft brush and clean it very, very thouroughly with the sterile water. For a proper cleaning , you must remove all the EMI shields. Once you got the gross contamination cleaned, use 90%+ isopropyl alcohol and clean your parts some more. For a proper cleaning, use this guide. It was written for a 3G but it is still pertinent to your phone as well. I can not stress the importance of a good cleaning enough, so do it over and over while replacing the alcohol after each cleaning. Do not use compressed air for the cleaning since that can drive liquid as well as corrosion particles into areas that will cause trouble later on. Do not use drinking water, if you need to use water, use sterile water. Also, you do not need to leave it to dry for a day. Isopropyl alcohol in the higher concentration will evaporate quickly and dissipate the water. The importance here is the cleaning. Do not forget to replace the battery. This is a must and not an option. Use this guide for that. It will fail if you do not take care of it now. Also, I suggest to replace the dock connector. The guide for that is here. Keep in mind that water damage is the hardest to troubleshoot and to repair. I'd definitely give it a try. There is always a chance and what a great challenge that will be. Hope this helps, good luck.

iPhone Image

Guide

Repairing iPhone Liquid Damage

Difficulty:

Difficult

1 - 2 hours

iPhone 4S Battery Image

Guide

iPhone 4S Battery Replacement

Difficulty:

Moderate

10 - 30 minutes

iPhone 4S Dock Connector Image

Guide

iPhone 4S Dock Connector Replacement

Difficulty:

Moderate

25 minutes - 1 hour

iPhone 4S Logic Board Image

Guide

iPhone 4S Logic Board Replacement

Difficulty:

Difficult

1 hour

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Well i replaced the battery made sure everything was in-line. I hooked it up to my mac and... No response. Even the mac couldn't recognize it. So i took apart the phone took the logic board out and the other stuff and scrubbed it(not to hard) with 91% isopropyl alcohol. I waited an hour for it to dry than i put it back together carefully, after i was done it still wasn't syncing with mac:( Extra notes: No seeable corrosion but still did it The water damage indicator was yellow or red(couldn't tell) There is a tiny opening wear the installation was scratched of the thin wire between the battery and phone. After water damage i put the phone in rice for a week and it was dry and would turn on except the screen. But after a week it died out. IPhone gets extremely hot when plugged in enough to were i burnt my hand and un-plugged it(primarily the back) Is there any other solution to this problem?

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Hello, the rice trick does not work. Sorry, but its a waster of good food. The heating up means that you are having a short circuit on your board. It may be worthwhile to try to isolated the area that gets hot, so it can be determined which IC etc. has taken a bad hit.

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With that kind of water damage, simply drying it out will solve nothing. Water has come into contact with the logic board, and once that happens, corrosion has set in. The corrosion continues to grow even after drying, and creates short circuits on the logic board.

Generally speaking, to repair something like this, the logic board will need to be removed, it's shields de-soldered, and it will need to be ultrasonically cleaned followed by final inspection, drying and reassembly. Also worth noting that the submersion has likely shorted out the battery, and that will need to be replaced. There are also a number of fuses that can require replacement. And finally, the screen may need replacing as well.

Though you may be able to get it partially working without being this thorough, it probably wont continue to work very long as the corrosion continues to advance.

It's all pretty expensive. Decide what you're willing to spend to fix it. Under most circumstances, with a 2+ year old phone it will be more expensive to fix this kind of damage than it is to replace it. If you have data on the phone you need to recover, a specialist with ultrasound cleaning skills may be able to get your data off reasonably economically. If you need an iPod I suggest finding a used one instead of investing your money here.

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Hello will be eternally grateful.
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