Chosen Solution
Hi, I dropped my 4A into ~10ft of lake water. It was powered up when it went in and remained for 24hrs. I got it out, dried it out for 3 days, then tried to power up and got nothing. Plugged into computer and still nothing. I took it apart and broke LCD screen in the process. I then checked the battery and it had no voltage, so I replaced that with a new one and it still will not power up. There are no obvious signs of corrosion or burn marks on the logic board. Does the LCD screen need to be functional (not broken) in order for phone to power up? I mean, I’m not expecting the screen to light up, but does the phone default to some sort of “no power” mode if the screen cannot be powered up as well?
Typically liquid damage needs to be addressed immediately as letting it sit to dry won’t help. It allows the water to sit and cause short circuits between components. Although the screen doesn’t work, it should still be able to power on without the screen attached. I would start by taking the board out and soaking it in 99% isopropyl alcohol for about an hour and document any corrosion you find. After it has been documented scrub it with a toothbrush and let it sit to dry for a few hours. At the very least you might be able to recover data but don’t expect the phone to be fully functional. Liquid damage is like cancer. You may spot it in one spot, clean it, and get it to work, but it can show up in other spots no matter how thorough you are. If it does come back to life, get your stuff backed up ASAP and anticipate getting a replacement.
