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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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No Power or charging after water damage

I recently got an iPhone 5s which was advertised as not powering on or charging. After opening the phone I discovered the moisture indicators were dark red and hence assume water damage was the issue. I have taken out the logic board and cleaned it with isopropyl alcohol and a soft toothbrush but there was still no signs of life. I managed to the test the screen on a fully functional 5s and it worked flawlessly. I also put the logic board into the the working 5s but it still did not power on or charge. I don't want to give up on it yet but I would appreciate it if anyway could give me some tips for repairing the phone/logic board.

Cheers,

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You took the right approach but you need to remove the EMI shields to do a proper cleaning.

  • Open your phone and remove the logic board (follow this guide)
  • Inspect the logic board, especially around the connectors and look for corrosion.
  • Inspect both sides of the board. Unfortunately, 80% of the board is covered in shields. That's usually where the damage is occurring.
  • Put your board in a container with >90% isopropyl alcohol and let it sit for a while.
  • Use a soft brush, like a toothbrush and lightly brush away any corrosion you see.
  • Rinse in alcohol and repeat.
  • Let it air dry for a day.
  • Re-assemble and hope for the best.

You should also replace the battery if it has swollen. Resist the temptation to pop it to let the gas out. A compromised Li-ion battery is a fire hazard. If the device appears to power up but behaves erratically, then use a tool like 3uTools to flash the firmware as it may be corrupted.

If this doesn't work, then you have a logic board issue and this kind of troubleshooting requires the schematics, specialized tools and experience. A professional repair shop that does water damage repair may be able to recover your phone or the data because they have access to pro-level ultrasonic baths and specialized cleaners as well as the skills to troubleshoot your board. Many shops have a no fix/no fee policy so you don't have to spend money to find out if the phone is fixable or not.

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