Having dropped into water, I left it a few weeks to dry, having removed the battery and sim card. Could not dismantle any further, as I do not have a tool to fit the tiny security screws inside.
Having now put it back together, it works perfectly with one small drawback - it cannot find a network. Everything else is perfect, but no network connection. Very strange.
There'll be a whisker of corrosion somewhere on the main PCB, possibly near the antenna connection. I had a similar problem with a Nokia communicator after it got wet in the rain, and I ended up using a magnifying glass and a glass fibre brush. It's still working three years later. Even the official repair agents couldn't get it to work.
The tools you need are about a tenner all together.
Unfortunately the radio frequency part of the phone may the most sensitive to moisture.
Why?....
RF blown
Because the characteristics of high frequency (900 or 1800 Mhz) circuitry is easily altered by moisture or contamination by any residue. Tiny capacitance changes caused by scale residue from water may be enough.
Whilst nowadays almost all the circuitry is digital and within a few chips, a small part (probably only passive components), even now, is analogue. Just contamination around/under the ceramic antenna (if it has one) may be enough to upset it.
Well haven't seen that as such on a number of handportable radios and round here theres a big river they drop them into and they sometimes recover them;!..
What really does 'em in is when they dry them out in the Microwave oven;!!...
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required