Water damaged Nokia N8

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Leenie

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#91926 23-Oct-2011 15:35

Hoping someone can give some good advice on cost and action.

Managed give my fairly new Nokia N8 a dunking on Friday night. Long and the short of it is I switched it on it worked but could feeling it heating up so turned it off. Later on I tried to fire it up again but it didn't work. The next day it still is not working and have put it in rice to help dry it out but still not working.

Have resigned myself to water damage so want to get an idea on cost or help in general. I guess it depends on what has been damaged but can anyone give me a idea? Was thinking of taking down to Nokia Care Centre in Newmarket. Are they good?

uglyb0b

335 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 19

#536729 23-Oct-2011 15:49

Undo the screws on either side at the bottom and take the battery out. If there is any chance of saving it, it will be if the battery is removed as soon as possible.

Disassembling the phone voids your warranty, but in this case your warranty is void anyway because of the liquid damage.

Don't use a hair drier or anything to dry it, this will just spread the liquid further.

You would be looking for an out of warranty repair, so I guess just shop around and see who offers the best price.

Leenie

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#536731 23-Oct-2011 16:01

thanks for the advice but I'm not sure I would have the tools to open such small screws.

nate

6473 posts

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Retired Mod

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Lifetime subscriber

#536736 23-Oct-2011 16:13

Leenie: thanks for the advice but I'm not sure I would have the tools to open such small screws.

I think DSE sell a cellphone kit that has those small screws.

I've never had a phone that's been water damaged survive. Can you claim insurance?

Leenie

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#536743 23-Oct-2011 16:34

yeah thinking that will be the answer. Have contents insurance so hopefully that covers personal effects so that should do it. Will look into it further.

thanks guys

scuwp

3927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2510

#536746 23-Oct-2011 16:46

IME even if you do manage to get it going, its life will be limited. Corrosion will eventually kill it.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

John2010

532 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 28

#536753 23-Oct-2011 17:16

If you are like me my excess on my insurance makes it hardly worthwhile to claim on it for a phone and generally if not nominated on the policy there is limited cover too. So, in case interested -

Getting the battery out is easy if you want to try and it will also help vent the phone for drying out as I doubt it will dry properly otherwise. But just have to be extra careful with the screws on the N8 (and many other devices) as they are Torx + whereas the drivers commonly available are ordinary Torx. A Torx driver will fit in a screw of the same size as a Torx + but it will be a loose fit and runs the risk of stripping the socket in the screw head. Super Cheap Auto have a good selection of cheap Torx drivers (not Torx + drivers which are hard to find).

If one does undo the two screws to get the battery out they are Torx + size 4 (so if forced to use a Torx 4) and do not completely undo them else your problems will grow - undo about 6 or 7 turns at which point the bottom cover will pull off. EDIT: Just checked on an N8 and a Torx 5 driver is a reasonable fit so should not be too much of an issue.

When you get the bottom cover off, inside there is a retainer over the end of the battery that just clips upwards (when phone camera side up) then slide it towards the camera button side of the phone and it will clip off. The battery can then be pulled out by a piece of tape that is on it.

Inside the phone many of the screws are soft single use ones where the matter is even more important should you get adventurous.

Agree on the unlikely to survive bit if it has been submerged in fresh (not salt where it be dead) but not impossible especially if the water is pure, however if survived I would not trust its future reliability.

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

BrentR

1315 posts

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#536831 24-Oct-2011 00:50

It will be classed as Uneconomical to Repair by Nokia Care.

Check your contents insurance and make a claim I'm afraid.