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

dropped into olive oil mixture, now very low sound...

hi, by an accident, i have dropped my phone into a container full of marinated olives in olice oil and herbs. (delicious BTW) now, after dissasembly, troughout cleaning and degreasing, i can get the mic back. i mean, the other side can hear me very faintly. its almost, like im not there talking.

my question is, would this oil eventualy evaporate over time? or do i need to take it apart even deeper and do alcohol bath?

wath would happen, if i submerge this phone (switched off) into this alcohol bath in one piece? would it die instantly? can it get shorted by alcohol?

thanks for answer guys, you are my heroes...

Answered! View the answer I have this problem too

Is this a good question?

Score 14
13 Comments

would like to put a little update to this.

I got really annoyed by how the phone was acting, so after i made sure, EVERYTHING inside was spotless clean, no fingerprints and oil left visible, I took it to applestore nearby.

to my surprise, I now posses brand new phone. these guys have replaced the phone, free of charge.

so, if you have to drop your phone into any non-technical liquid, choose oil... it does not leave any water dammage...:D

i guess, must have been very lucky as well...

by

I dropped my I phone in cooking oil and my screen is all mested up how do I fix it

by

I dropped my iPhone 5s in butter please help

by

Compressed air will fix it.

by

I spilled coconut oil on my phone and now the bottom right side on my phone screen is turning blue .. please help

by

Show 8 more comments

Add a comment

5 Answers

Chosen Solution

I don't think the oil will evaporate, at least not for a long time. It sounds like you may have oil embedded in the microphone still as it is not really an accessibly piece to clean the inside of. I would not submerge the whole phone in alcohol. Your best course of action I think would be to try and clean just the component that has the microphone on it.

It's on step 24 of our iPhone 4 teardown, but you should not use the teardown as disassembly instructions. You should try to access it using this dock connector guide which should allow you to get deep enough in the phone. You can try applying some alcohol with a fine paint brush, but maybe try compressed air.

Make sure the phone is completely dry before you reassemble it and turn it on.

Was this answer helpful?

Score 8

1 Comment:

thanx for suggestion

i had followed guide up to removing the MB, but then i got scared... i rather leave it. phone is insured, so if i get really annoyed, i still can get it fixed for free... BTW, supprisingly, i think, the oil evaporates a bit. i have been told, i can be heard a bit better now...

see ya later...

by

Add a comment

GET A CAN OF COMPRESSED AIR!

MY STORY: I accidentally placed my iPhone on an oily kitchen counter. No one could hear me unless I used the earpiece or the speakerphone (which was creating an echo effect on the other person's end).

I went to Apple at the advice of a Sprint store associate who felt confident that Apple would simply give me a new phone, since I'd purchased it a month ago with warranty. I went to 2 Apple stores & was highly annoyed by the whole experience. Even though the liquid indicator hadn't been triggered (not sure why), they all said that my warranty was now voided. A "Genius Bar" staff member took the phone apart & showed me a light oil film on the battery pack. I asked about cleaning it out myself & he said I couldn't do that, nor could I be allowed to open it myself because it would void the warranty (But isn't it already voided from the oil?!?!). It was suggested that I buy a new one, which wasn't an option on my radar.

I wanted to go home & take it apart to clean it myself, but Apple has different proprietary screws for each iPhone model so it was impossible to find. When I asked a nearby Radio Shack for a pentalobe screwdriver, they immediately responded that they don't carry tools for iPhone 4 (I must not have been the 1st person to ask). Instead of ordering online, I went ahead and tried a can of compressed air. In seconds, VOILA! It's back to normal.

AFTERTHOUGHTS: Now, I'm a little bitter towards Apple b/c the ppl they put in place to "help" and "repair" weren't allowed and/or trained to offer me any practical assistance, only a discount on a new $450 phone that I had just purchased. They were just sales-wolves in sheep's clothing. Even when I accepted my fate w/the warranty, I wasn't allowed to try my own methods of repair b/c Apple has gone out of their way to keep me from being able to open the phone.

At the very least, I could've been permitted to take the dissembled phone home w/me, since it's all void to them anyway. But no, they "must" reassemble it. Maybe I should've smashed it & lied since the liquid indicator never went off. IMHO, honesty is the best policy most of the time, but not all of the time. If you simply can't afford a new phone right now, I think you should do what's best for you.

In sum, TRY SPRAYING A CAN OF COMPRESSED AIR INTO THE OPENINGS ON THE PHONE. It worked for me. Good Luck!

Was this answer helpful?

Score 5

7 Comments:

Whoever suggested compressed air is a genius!! Tried it today and it's worked a treat! Thank you!!!

by

I am totally amazed how well it worked! I dropped my iPhone 4S in a bowl of Beef Stroganoff Hambuger Helper and I thought my phone was done after the volume went faint. It's my cpmpany phone. Thank you for the suggestion. It worked like a charm. Compresed Air in a Can is like the equivalent to Duct Tape, which can be used for anything other than an iPhone. LOL Thanks again, Thumbs UP!

by

You sir are a genius! My wife dropped her galaxy S4 into a pan that had some grease left in the bottom, and after I cleaned it up as best I could, the speaker sounded muffled, and she loves to listen to music while working etc. After a quick google search it brought me here, and voila! the phone now works great! Thank you very much!

by

I dropped my iphone into a plastic bag which had an accidental oil spill in it. It was covered in a thick layer of oil and after wiping off the oil the speaker would only play very softly.

I found this site and a day later I bought a can of compressed air for $2.50 from Officeworks and sprayed it into the speakers. Oil immediately started seeping out from the side of the phone and it started working just fine again.

Thank you so much for the help!

I wonder if it still needs a thorough clean from the inside though. I don't know how to open the phone. Will try Apple and see if they will do it out of courtesy as it is working.

by

i just put the thin nozzle right up against the microphones and speakers. it did the trick.

by

Show 2 more comments

Add a comment

I just dropped my iphone 3gs in a pan of oil. After wiping the exterior off, I to found that the earpiece was very muffled. I got out my high power vacuum cleaner and sucked out lots of oil from the rim of the screen, the earpiece and the speaker and I almost think it sounds better than before!

Was this answer helpful?

Score 1

3 Comments:

4 years later, this still works. Thanks!!

by

Vacuum worked wonderful and made more sense to suck out the oil than to blow it in further with compressed air. THANKS!!

by

I spilt olive oil in my phone and it hasn't worked for days! Just sprayed air in it and it's completely back to normal!! Great idea!

by

Add a comment

Had the same problem. Phone dropped face down in pool of oil. Quickly wiped off, but speakers to faint. Compressed air did the trick. Blew air onto speaker and seams around the edge. Little pools of oil came out. Wiped clean with a tissue. To avoid moisture issue, as can gets cold condensation occurs in compressed air tube. For each squirt, do a quick spray away from phone until air is dry (1 sec) then re-direct back onto the phone.

Was this answer helpful?

Score 1

3 Comments:

Thanks but where would I spray the air? This is more of a screen issue (two thirds of the screen is darkened) than a specific microphone/earpiece problem.

by

Rice won't work becuase sun cream won't evaporate. If it did, it wouldn't be a very good sun cream. Use the compressed air trick, it works well.

by

When I did it, I sprayed around the small seam on the face on the outer edge of the phone where the screen meets the outer frame. Oil had gotten under the screen at that point. It took a number of sprays (wiping off between each burst) before no more oil came out. The compressed air drew out all the oil, although I didn't have has much under the screen as you described. I would imagine you might be able to get a fair bit out as the oil will tend to draw outwards through the process of cohesion tension (same as water transports upwards in a plant). I would consider it from the point of view that it might work, and won't do any harm (be sure to avoid condensation by initally spray away to get water out of the nozzle, then direct back onto the phone), and the can of air is cheap.

by

Add a comment

take out the screen covering ear speaker. It will fix problem

Was this answer helpful?

Score 0
Add a comment

Add your answer

palokiller will be eternally grateful.
View Statistics:

Past 24 Hours: 18

Past 7 Days: 86

Past 30 Days: 332

All Time: 190,259