Phone fell in the toilet bowl and now won't charge

[knightbladerr]

My phone just fell in the toilet bowl yesterday at around 11am, it stayed for no longer than 5 seconds but the phone was completely submerged in water. When I took it, it was still alive but then died a few seconds after. I dried it off with a towel. When I tried to put the battery on 30 minutes later it made a sizzling noise, so I got scared and left it without a battery until 3 pm.hours. Yes, I know, stupid me didn't act quick enough to put it on a bag of rice. After 3 hours that's when I've finally managed to put it on a bag of rice. Time wasn't really on my side as I really needed to use the phone so I kept it there until 12 am. hours. I tried it and with the backup battery I had and charged it, but then I see a grey battery with a yellow triangle and a black colored battery crossed out inside the yellow triangle. I tried the old battery, the same battery that was on the phone when it fell, and it worked. It was on 20%. I tried charging it but then it said "unable to charge your device, make sure blablabla". I didn't think any of it as I was extremely tired and stressed and I went off to sleep, forgetting to backup important files. When I woke up today, the phone has run out of battery, I tried charging it but the problem persists, the same yellow triangle sign. Is there any hope left for my phone? Can I still turn it on? I really need to backup important files into my SD card (that I hope wasn't also broken since it was in the phone when it fell). If there's no hope in fixing the charging problem, then at least a way to use it just to back files up. I know I reacted very carelessly so no need to shame me for it, as I already am doing it myself.

 

[Hadron]

Is there some other way of changing the battery? Another S4 (second hand if you don't know anyone with one) or an external charger.

Meanwhile get the phone back in the rice (or cous cous). A few hours isn't enough. No promise that it will fix the charging problem, but it may reduce the risk of further damage.

 

[Dannydet]

You may be ker-plunked on this one.

 

[knightbladerr]

Is there some other way of changing the battery? Another S4 (second hand if you don't know anyone with one) or an external charger.

Meanwhile get the phone back in the rice (or cous cous). A few hours isn't enough. No promise that it will fix the charging problem, but it may reduce the risk of further damage.

I'm guessing it's the charging port that's broken?

 

[knightbladerr]

You may be ker-plunked on this one.

A man's in need of help, c'mon now.

 

[psionandy]

I'm guessing it's the charging port that's broken?

Or something on the motherboard... or other component, or screen, or battery connections...

To be honest, it could be anywhere... Put the thing completely to one side for a week.. any moisture in there is going to make it worse.

After that its a lottery. It might just work,
You could pay someone to replace the charger port, or the motherboard, but you could be throwing good money after bad.

Might be worth investigating alternative budget phones whilst its drying out.

 

[Deleted User]

And there is that 'sizzling sound', which does not seem good at all to me. I agree with the comments to let it dry out fully, and don't even try to switch it on until it's completely dried out. But I fear you might have an ex-phone there.

 

[knightbladerr]

Or something on the motherboard... or other component, or screen, or battery connections...

To be honest, it could be anywhere... Put the thing completely to one side for a week.. any moisture in there is going to make it worse.

After that its a lottery. It might just work,
You could pay someone to replace the charger port, or the motherboard, but you could be throwing good money after bad.

Might be worth investigating alternative budget phones whilst its drying out.

Do they not fix s4s anymore? I really need to get some important files there.

 

[knightbladerr]

And there is that 'sizzling sound', which does not seem good at all to me. I agree with the comments to let it dry out fully, and don't even try to switch it on until it's completely dried out. But I fear you might have an ex-phone there.

The sizzling sound only occurred a few minutes after I dropped it. Whenever I sticked the battery on the 4 yellow thingy it makes that sound, but it doesn't now. I guess whenever I did that it heats up something inside the phone and because it recently fell into the water, the water was being heated or something? I hope now that it's gone that it's a good sign.

 

[psionandy]

Do they not fix s4s anymore? I really need to get some important files there.

Well... its not under warranty... if you pay someone they might be able to do it.. I'm guessing its not going to be cheap. However if the motherboard is replaced you're not going to get those files back.

(might be worth checking your backups.... )

 

[knightbladerr]

Well... its not under warranty... if you pay someone they might be able to do it.. I'm guessing its not going to be cheap. However if the motherboard is replaced you're not going to get those files back.

(might be worth checking your backups.... )

Is it really necessary to replace the motherboard? I mean the phone is still working, it's just that I can't charge it anymore.

 

[psionandy]

Is it really necessary to replace the motherboard? I mean the phone is still working, it's just that I can't charge it anymore.

https://androidforums.com/threads/p...owl-and-now-wont-charge.1201044/#post-7634394

 

[Hadron]

Is it really necessary to replace the motherboard? I mean the phone is still working, it's just that I can't charge it anymore.

It depends on what is broken, which we don't really know. If it's just the charger port that's broken then they'll probably just replace that. If something that's soldered to the motherboard is broken it's likely they'll replace the motherboard.

An official service centre may reset and reflash the phone when servicing anyway, so I'd always try to back up first.

 

[knightbladerr]

It depends on what is broken, which we don't really know. If it's just the charger port that's broken then they'll probably just replace that. If something that's soldered to the motherboard is broken it's likely they'll replace the motherboard.

An official service centre may reset and reflash the phone when servicing anyway, so I'd always try to back up first.

Well, now the phone is charging, but it buzzes and shows that grey battery with yellow triangle sign now and then but then stops and keeps charging. Is this a good sign? it's now on 5%, charged all the way up to 0%.

 

[psionandy]

If your data is important... GRAB IT NOW!

 

[knightbladerr]

Well, now the phone is charging, but it buzzes and shows that grey battery with yellow triangle sign now and then but then stops and keeps charging. Is this a good sign? it's now on 5%, charged all the way up to 0%.

I have done now. I'm still wondering if this means hope for this phone?

 

[svim]

What you needed to do immediately after it got wet was power your S4 off, disassemble it as much as possible (remove back cover, remove the battery), and leave everything sitting in a bag of rice for at minimum a couple of days. Water will only need a second to work it's way inside, and tolerances inside any phone are very tight so just by basic capillary action that water will work its way in all kinds of places and with little air ventilation it will stay in place quite a long time.
At this point, you may only notice that charging issue but since you continued using the phone before it was dried out completely there's a likely chance there will be other, less obvious problems. Keep using it as long as it is still running but be very vigilant on backing up your data.

 

[Deleted User]

I usally would open up the phone take a blow dryer and blow som hot air on all the parts indivitually usally that dries up any water inside parts bevause they get hot and heat up the water after heating and cooling it start working perfectly

 

[Daniel Fernandes]

I wouldn't take my phone in the toilet...

 

[mikedt]

I wouldn't take my phone in the toilet...

The alternative is leaving your phone outside the toilet of course. Which maybe safe or very risky, all depending on the situation.....