So my Galaxy S2 fell in a bowl of soup...

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › So my Galaxy S2 fell in a bowl of soup...

d3Xt3r

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#101620 4-May-2012 22:34

... so I immediately removed the battery, rinsed it under water, sprayed it generously with CRC from the outside, and left it to dry for a couple of days. Now the phone as such works just fine, except the USB port seems messed up. It will not charge if I plug the cable to a PC, but it does charge (mostly) when I plug it in to the AC adapter. USB data / mounting doesn't work either, and the PC doesn't detect the phone. I haven't yet opened it up to see if there's any residue in there that's shorting the contacts or something, for the fear that I might void my warranty (but I guess it's already void now due to water damage..).

So here's where I'm seeking advice: should I invoke my phone insurance (took it along with the phone+plan from Telecom, not sure if it's applicable for water damage), or would it be more cheaper / convenient to just buy a USB board assembly from eBay for ~10 bucks? Or do any of you electronics experts think another round of CRC aimed directly at the board/port can resurrect it?

nakedmolerat

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#619879 4-May-2012 22:47

claim the insurance and get the new sgs 3 or htc one x. that will keep you happy.

you know you want that

KevinL

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#619882 4-May-2012 22:52

CRC is a reasonable idea, but if there was still water inside the device that has now left mineral deposits then no amount of CRC will remove it. You may be still able to resurrect the device by disassembling it and cleaning off any deposits with a cotton bud and CRC/alcohol (there's also some argument for rinsing the device with water whilst disassembled). I'm not sure how volatile CRC is, either - something like brake cleaner might be better and less likely to leave a potentially conductive residue.

If it were me, though, I'd just go for the insurance option. Perhaps at the end of the month when the S3 is out...

oxnsox

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#619883 4-May-2012 22:55

If it's been wet, it will fail.... six hours, six days, six months??? who knows. But the moisture will dry and leave residues somewhere internally... there's some very tiny small spaces there you'll never flush stuff out of.... and you've sprayed CRC at it.... that'll get in there too, and may simply help to shift the gunk around.

If you have an insurance option, then isn't this why you got it?

oxnsox

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#619891 4-May-2012 23:11

KevinL:- something like brake cleaner might be better and less likely to leave a potentially conductive residue.

Don't know if I'd use brake cleaner. It can be quite aggressive on some plastics, and may remove conformal coatings that are there to offer the board (and components) some level of protection.
It also has a relatively low flash point (from memory) and can release some nasty vapours.....

Phexx

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#619895 4-May-2012 23:25

I fell in a river with my S2 in my pocket. Unfotunatley I wasn't as smart as you and turned it on straight away.

2-3 months later, the WiFi, Bluetooth don't work. The USB charges, but does not connect to computer. I'm thinking about getting a new USB connector (thingy).

Unfortunately I cannot afford a new phone until next year so no wifi/bt it is, at least I have plently of 3g...

d3Xt3r

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#619977 5-May-2012 08:50

Well, thanks all for the replies, but I'm an insurance noob.. never had to make a claim before and I'm not sure what are the restrictions on the one from Telecom. Also, I'm not sure how I can get a different/newer phone than the one I already have?

kiwitrc

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#619984 5-May-2012 09:10

Use Isopropyl Alcohol to clean it, it dries to nothing and wont leave any residue. You can soak your phone in it without any harmful effects.

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gregmcc

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#619988 5-May-2012 09:17

You've got the insurance, you've had a water incident, make the claim, if you start taking things apart/messing with it and causing further damage they will simply say no - you've been messing with it.

worst case making a claim, they repair it you end up with a fully working SII, best case they make a full payout go buy brand new SIII or whatever

Paulthagerous

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#619990 5-May-2012 09:29

d3Xt3r: Well, thanks all for the replies, but I'm an insurance noob.. never had to make a claim before and I'm not sure what are the restrictions on the one from Telecom. Also, I'm not sure how I can get a different/newer phone than the one I already have?

Link to Telecom Mobile Insurance Policy: www.telecom.co.nz/mobileinsurance
A few things:

Accidental damage is covered.
Your excess may be different to those stated if you are on an older policy.
They are open weekdays only, so can't get a new phone until Monday at least.
The insurance company will make a decision as to if it is to be repaired or replaced, liquid damage is often likely to be replaced.
If you have a certain device then normally the replacement device would still be the same one if it is available. If you wanted to get a different device (say the HTC One X) then that should be possible, but you will have to pay a little bit more to upgrade to it.

EDIT - fixing link.

d3Xt3r

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#619996 5-May-2012 09:56

Paulthagerous:
d3Xt3r: Well, thanks all for the replies, but I'm an insurance noob.. never had to make a claim before and I'm not sure what are the restrictions on the one from Telecom. Also, I'm not sure how I can get a different/newer phone than the one I already have?

Link to Telecom Mobile Insurance Policy: www.telecom.co.nz/mobileinsurance
A few things:

Accidental damage is covered.
Your excess may be different to those stated if you are on an older policy.
They are open weekdays only, so can't get a new phone until Monday at least.
The insurance company will make a decision as to if it is to be repaired or replaced, liquid damage is often likely to be replaced.
If you have a certain device then normally the replacement device would still be the same one if it is available. If you wanted to get a different device (say the HTC One X) then that should be possible, but you will have to pay a little bit more to upgrade to it.

EDIT - fixing link.

Thanks for all that - really helps. I've gone through the policy details, and it looks like I might have to pay an excess of $150! Screw that, I'd rather just spend the $10 and replace the charging assembly myself. Unless there's a sure way to upgrade to a newer/different device? Because the policy doc says "We will at Our option either repair it or replace it with the same or a similarly featured Telecom network approved Mobile Device." So, it's kinda like winning the lottery? :) Or perhaps I should wait till the S3 is out and Telecom no longer sells the S2? But even then, what if they decide to dump me with a device I don't like, eg HTC One X? :P

Paulthagerous

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#620032 5-May-2012 11:36

d3Xt3r:
Paulthagerous:
d3Xt3r: Well, thanks all for the replies, but I'm an insurance noob.. never had to make a claim before and I'm not sure what are the restrictions on the one from Telecom. Also, I'm not sure how I can get a different/newer phone than the one I already have?

Link to Telecom Mobile Insurance Policy: www.telecom.co.nz/mobileinsurance
A few things:

Accidental damage is covered.
Your excess may be different to those stated if you are on an older policy.
They are open weekdays only, so can't get a new phone until Monday at least.
The insurance company will make a decision as to if it is to be repaired or replaced, liquid damage is often likely to be replaced.
If you have a certain device then normally the replacement device would still be the same one if it is available. If you wanted to get a different device (say the HTC One X) then that should be possible, but you will have to pay a little bit more to upgrade to it.

EDIT - fixing link.

Thanks for all that - really helps. I've gone through the policy details, and it looks like I might have to pay an excess of $150! Screw that, I'd rather just spend the $10 and replace the charging assembly myself. Unless there's a sure way to upgrade to a newer/different device? Because the policy doc says "We will at Our option either repair it or replace it with the same or a similarly featured Telecom network approved Mobile Device." So, it's kinda like winning the lottery? :) Or perhaps I should wait till the S3 is out and Telecom no longer sells the S2? But even then, what if they decide to dump me with a device I don't like, eg HTC One X? :P

As I said before, your excess MAY be less - you would have to check with Telecom/the mobile insurace people directly. $150 is what your excess would be signing up TODAY with a SII.

Also, as above, the general rule is replace with the same device - in this case it would likely be another SII. IF the SII were not available because it were an old model then that is when they have to say 'similarly featured' because obviously they can't replace it with the exact same one.

And as others have said, if you do fix the charging port who knows how long the device will last, it could clap out just when you need it...

gzt

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#620036 5-May-2012 11:51

Going by other posts on this forum water damage can be insidious in small devices with lots of nooks and crannies, and the effects can creep up over time. Will insurance still replace it if it dies 2 months from now? Think about it.

Skee

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#620501 6-May-2012 15:41

My experience Telecom Insurance was a breeze. My phone (Galaxy S2) and jacket were stolen from a bar.

I had to lodge a police complaint and pay $150 excess and walked away with my new phone within the hour.

Couldn't have been happier!

SteveON

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#620503 6-May-2012 15:44

Didn't your mother tell you off for playing with your phone at the dinner table? :)