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I drop my iphone in a cup of tea and now wont turn on, how do i fix this

I drop my iPhone in a cup of tea and now won't turn on, how do I fix this

Posted on Feb 7, 2016 12:09 PM

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Posted on Feb 8, 2016 10:46 AM

You have a few options here.


1. If your only concern is to have a working phone and cost is not a factor, then your best option would be to have Apple replace the device under their out of warranty replacement program.


2. If, however, your data is important then you'll need to pursue a 3rd party who specializes in liquid damage data recovery.


3. Take it to a local 3rd party repair shop to have it diagnosed. Often liquid damaged devices can be easily repaired by replacing a few parts or a simple cleaning. It is important to find a place that will remove the EMI shields on the logic board and properly clean the entire board though. Often these places will not charge for the time it takes to look at and diagnose the phone and if repair is possible it will be much cheaper than replacing the entire phone


Repairing a liquid damaged device for the sake of the device is always a gamble though, and I'd recommend the first option for long term reliability, the second option if your data is the most important factor, and the 3rd option if you can't afford the first.

513 replies

Feb 12, 2016 12:47 PM in response to Jonathan Aley

Jonathan Aley wrote:


To all new readers:


CSound1 believes you have the right to choose where you take your phone for service. As long as it's at an Apple Store or through their mail in program. Other than that, the choice is yours!

For the record I believe that all iPhone owners should take their phone wherever they want for repair this is a free country. I also believe that the best place to take it is Apple and that is what I recommend.


I do not believe that going to a 3rd party is a right or even in their best interests.


After all Apple is the only place competent to do it with the right parts.

Feb 12, 2016 12:53 PM in response to Csound1

Why? I really, truly, don't understand.


Just now, a 60 year old research scientist came in. He had a 5c that had strange lines on the rear camera, no other problems. He might have been someone that you would have advised to go to Apple, and he went there. It is 10 minutes away.


At the Apple Store, the "genius" looked at his phone in the back. He came back and said "this phone is water damaged, which is why your camera isn't working. We can offer you an OOW swap for $269." For a 5c. He was smart enough to leave.


He was surprised to hear that it had water damage, and skeptical. He came to see me. My policy is that I will not repair water damage "for the sake of the phone" but sometimes I make exceptions because I'm human. I agreed to look at it.


This phone has not seen a drop of water. There is no evidence of any kind of oxidation on any part of the board. Not that it matters because the board doesn't lie, but all the water damage indicators were snowy white. Out of interest, I looked for any possible shred of evidence that a genius would use to support a finding of water damage. There were none. Zero. This can only be explained by gross incompetence or simple deception.


I brought the man back around to see his board under the microscope. I pulled out an actual example of a water damaged 5c. I pointed out to him how the water changes the solder from shiny silver to dull gray. He could see with his own eyes that his board had no water damage.


I quoted him $49 to swap out his rear cam, and I showed him how I had another 5c here that I bought for $10 from someone local as a non-working device that had already bought another phone. It turned out that it just had a bad screen, no other problems. I suggested that we use the camera from that 5c--a used camera--and try it in his phone. No fix - no fee. If his problem was deeper than just "bad camera" we would just put his phone back together for him for free and send him on his way no charge.


He said "well whether it works or not, I want to take a stack of your cards with me to hand out" We installed the camera and of course it works perfectly. We will warranty that camera for 6 months. Because of this conversation I asked him "Does it bother you that we just installed a 'used' part into your phone?" He said "of course not, I'm thrilled. I wish I had come to you first and saved myself the trouble. I won't make that mistake again."


$49.99, 6 month warranty, phone works like new. The repair itself was done by my technician, a local mom. Her son quietly plays with my girls in the back room making Valentines. I have trained her and she is top notch. She will take a paycheck home to her family from this work. Before working for me, she was a stay at home mom dying to use her brain. Years ago, so was I.

I come back to read your post. "

It is a very bad idea to let a shop fit fake (or used) parts to any Apple product. This excludes the 3 rd party repair shops from the game. DO NOT take your iPhone to one for service, take it to an Apple facility."


I wholeheartedly disagree.

Feb 12, 2016 1:03 PM in response to love repair

Look, all I am saying is that the phone owner can and should take it where he wants, and if he wants that to be Apple so be it. I am also suggesting that Apple are the best equipped to fix it properly because of there access to parts.


Which part of that don't you agree with?




PS: the story would be more believable if the man who it happened to wrote it rather than you, just sayin'

I drop my iphone in a cup of tea and now wont turn on, how do i fix this

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