[Q] Samsung Galaxy S2 Water Damage - Not charging - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi. I’m having a problem with my Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 (actually the I9100M, with Bell Mobility in Canada). I’ll try to be as detailed as I can.
I unfortunately had the phone in my pocket, and went into salt water (the ocean) for about 5 minutes. I realized it was there, and took the back case and the battery out. But I did not do anything else. About a month later, after sending it back to Bell and hearing I couldn’t get warranty, I decided to take a look myself.
I took the phone apart, and used 99% alcohol and a cotton swab and wiped everything down. After letting it dry for a day, I turned it on and it worked, nearly perfectly. The screen’s color is fine, the speaker works, the microphone works, the internet works, SIM card, making calls, Wi-Fi, etc… So I was quite happy.
However, I quickly found out that there is a problem somewhere with the USB connection. (Or, so I thought) When I plug in the USB to power the phone, nothing happens. It is not recognized by the computer, nor does it show that it is charging. So after going to a cell phone repair shop and speaking with someone, they said the cheapest thing would be to replace the entire USB Flex cable (incl. microphone, etc). So I bought one for $25 brand new (which I later realized I could’ve gotten cheaper, but I digress), and then went home, opened it up, took out the old one, and put in the new one. And sure enough, it did NOT fix the problem.
However, the “weird” thing, is that if I turn the phone off, and then plug in the USB connection, it then powers up and shows it is charging. (So obviously the “connection” works, and I mean, it is a brand new USB flex board, or whatever it’s called) But as I sat there, I noticed it is NOT charging… (Even though the battery indicator shows that it is charging, and the About Phone setting states this as well) And as well, the computer still does not even recognize that it’s plugged in.
So, I’m really at a loss for words here. I replaced the part, and obviously there is another issue. So the main points are:
Battery (which is brand new) does not charge when I plug in the USB connection to either a computer or the wall plug-in.
If the phone is on and I plug in the USB, it does NOT recognize it.
If the phone is off and I plug in the USB, it turns the phone on, and states it is charging, but does NOT charge. And the phone is NOT recognized by the PC if I have it plugged in.
If anyone has any ideas on what I can do, please let me know. There is still a lot of corrosion inside, but I’m not sure how much more I can get at. I assume that the problem must lie with the mainboard, where the USB flex cable connects to, but before I do anything else, I wanted to see if anyone had anything I could try. I hope I explained it well above. Please note, the phone works PERFECTLY aside from this (and some minor blurriness on the camera, probably the lens is dirty).
Is there a test I can run to see what the issue is? Clearly the connection does work, otherwise the phone wouldn’t recognize the USB and turn on by itself when I plug the USB in. But I’m just looking to know 1) why the battery does not charge when the USB is plugged in, and 2) why the PC does not recognize the connection.
Thanks so much in advance,
Much appreciated.

---

I had the same issue with i9000
Hi Alex,
I have the same problem with my SGS.
The only difference is that I do not know how/why it happened. I was hiking in the snow and kept the phone in my packet. At home I put it on the AC charger and like 20 min. later it started to vibrate (like in case of software problems). Since that time the USB connection shows the same symptoms as yours.
Official service suggested the replacement of the motherboard. I do not need to tell you that it would cost 50% of the price of a new phone...
So I bought an external charger for something like 10 EUR and everything is fine.
-I use the external charger to charge the additional battery I bought and replace it when the other one is running low.
-I use the external SD + BT or WiFi to transfer files
-Since the phone was already rooted I use mobile Odin for updates
Not a perfect solution but at least I got a workaround for everything for a minimal cost.

---

Bandika01 said:
Hi Alex,
I have the same problem with my SGS.
The only difference is that I do not know how/why it happened. I was hiking in the snow and kept the phone in my packet. At home I put it on the AC charger and like 20 min. later it started to vibrate (like in case of software problems). Since that time the USB connection shows the same symptoms as yours.
Official service suggested the replacement of the motherboard. I do not need to tell you that it would cost 50% of the price of a new phone...
So I bought an external charger for something like 10 EUR and everything is fine.
-I use the external charger to charge the additional battery I bought and replace it when the other one is running low.
-I use the external SD + BT or WiFi to transfer files
-Since the phone was already rooted I use mobile Odin for updates
Not a perfect solution but at least I got a workaround for everything for a minimal cost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is a solution but not the optimum one.
Assuming the warranty does not cover for water damages, its better having the charging port replaced. Chances are this might fix it.

---

i think take it service an get it repaird,cause as the main board has corrussion..good luck

---

Went fishing with some friends last month and a mate dropped his in salt water as well. I popped it into a cup of fresh water to rinse out the salt and pulled it apart completely.
After about an hour put it back together and worked fine, except for the charging port and battery. A fresh battery and it now runs fine again.
Sent from my GT-I9100T

---

I'm interested in finding out more about this too - I think I may have damage from humidity?
Have been in fiji for a week.
While I was there I had the similar symptoms:
Thinking it's in car mode occasionally, or thinking its charging when not plugged in, and discharging when plugged in. Very weird.
Now that i'm back home, I've tried different usb and power cables, and they all give the same result of not turning on but occasionally giving me this screen:
http://i.imgur.com/l5BjA.jpg
A different battery (I had an 2000mah sized one and a stock one) is working but not charging at all so I turned it off quickly after that.
This makes me think it may be humidity damage from the trip, but it hasn't been in water or treated badly.

---

samsung galaxy s2 water damage help please!
Hi please help if you can any suggestions are appreciated!
My brand new (as in three days old!) samsung galaxy s2 got some vodka and coke spilt on it, I took it all apart dried the excess off then left it in rice for a week. When I put it back together it wouldn't turn on so I decided to try charge it as it had already been low battery when it got damaged. It's been charging for around five hours with absolutely nothing happening then all of a sudden this message has appeared on the top left side of the screen: LOW BATTERY!! CAN'T DOWNLOAD!!
I have no idea what this means as it hasn't been on for a week and I am crap with phones.
Does anyone know what to do or why it's done this please? Really don't want to claim as I have already 4 times!
Please help! thank you

---

Crap I dunked my phone on a soda/vodka drink. Phone kept working. I was rather surprised. Didn't think much of it.
The next day I checked to make sure that the phone will charge, it does. I connect it to the PC, and it fails to get recognized. Wow Just realized that any data saved on the internal USB is probably out of reach. I can move it or copy it to external SD and get my stuff.
This makes a good case why NOT buy phones without External SD Cards.
Wow, I'm a little sad. Just a little.

---

anything i can do besides specialized service
I spilled just a drop of Pepsi on my GT-N7000 and after drying it with a towel(i didn't think there was much dmg) i tryed to put it to charge as it told me the battery is at 10%,so i leave him charge for like 2-3 hours,and when i removed the charger he got stuck in a charging loop,showing me the sign of charging on the battery and after 2-3 seconds,disappearing and so on,also if i try to shut down the phone,it shuts down but right after that the battery charging icon pops on and off making the phone shut down for good and again again in a loop,making me remove the battery for total shut down,after that,i opened him up and saw that there are some drops of juice near the micro usb hole,so i took some ear cleaners and cleaned all that mess up,dried the zone with a hair dryer carefully not to melt something, assembled him back and still no sign of recovery,also i didn't use any alcohol in the cleaning process,just the dry ear cleaners.... :crying::crying::crying::crying::crying: besides all that the phone works fine...

---

tudy000 said:
I spilled just a drop of Pepsi on my GT-N7000 and after drying it with a towel(i didn't think there was much dmg) i tryed to put it to charge as it told me the battery is at 10%,so i leave him charge for like 2-3 hours,and when i removed the charger he got stuck in a charging loop,showing me the sign of charging on the battery and after 2-3 seconds,disappearing and so on,also if i try to shut down the phone,it shuts down but right after that the battery charging icon pops on and off making the phone shut down for good and again again in a loop,making me remove the battery for total shut down,after that,i opened him up and saw that there are some drops of juice near the micro usb hole,so i took some ear cleaners and cleaned all that mess up,dried the zone with a hair dryer carefully not to melt something, assembled him back and still no sign of recovery,also i didn't use any alcohol in the cleaning process,just the dry ear cleaners.... :crying::crying::crying::crying::crying: besides all that the phone works fine...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trying to charge a device which probably got some liquid into it, very bad idea.
Guidelines for next time:
1 . Switch of immediately and remove battery.
2. Keep in rice or someplace safe to dry.
3 . Use after couple of hours
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

---

For the OP......are you aware that there are THREE different versions of that board and that they're NOT interchangeable.....
REV2.2 REV2.3 and REV2.4
This is in very small printing on the board......
You may simply have purchased the wrong version......
Sent from my Chameleon powered S2 via XDA Developers App

---

keithross39 said:
For the OP......are you aware that there are THREE different versions of that board and that they're NOT interchangeable.....
REV2.2 REV2.3 and REV2.4
This is in very small printing on the board......
You may simply have purchased the wrong version......
Sent from my Chameleon powered S2 via XDA Developers App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know Keith that guy (OP) posted one year ago..(I wonder even if he's alive)
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

---

Lol...really should learn to look at the thread dates.....oops
Sent from my Chameleon powered S2 via XDA Developers App

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Problem solved
I took the N7000 to a service and the guy had to change to USB port because it got oxidated,so problem solved,i have to take big care next time where i keep my **** and liquids

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Why should we care ? This is SGSII Q&A. And even tho telling people to do this has started to get old over the past few days....
Post to the correct forum for your device
And to you boneheads who encourage this by helping people who do it, stop. Now.

---

Hi Alex,
I have exactly the same problem and I wonder if you solve it? I'm also thinking to buy new USB Flex cable, but not sure if would fix the problem.
Best regards

---

Water Damage Repairs!
Very important!
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Don't use „ETHANOL", use that so-called „ISOPROPANÔL/ISOPROPÝL“ - Alcohol. 90% is enough but higher is better.
alex_18ca said:
Hi. I’m having a problem with my Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 (actually the I9100M, with Bell Mobility in Canada). I’ll try to be as detailed as I can.
I unfortunately had the phone in my pocket, and went into salt water (the ocean) for about 5 minutes. I realized it was there, and took the back case and the battery out. But I did not do anything else. About a month later, after sending it back to Bell and hearing I couldn’t get warranty, I decided to take a look myself.
I took the phone apart, and used 99% alcohol and a cotton swab and wiped everything down. After letting it dry for a day, I turned it on and it worked, nearly perfectly. The screen’s color is fine, the speaker works, the microphone works, the internet works, SIM card, making calls, Wi-Fi, etc… So I was quite happy.
However, I quickly found out that there is a problem somewhere with the USB connection. (Or, so I thought) When I plug in the USB to power the phone, nothing happens. It is not recognized by the computer, nor does it show that it is charging. So after going to a cell phone repair shop and speaking with someone, they said the cheapest thing would be to replace the entire USB Flex cable (incl. microphone, etc). So I bought one for $25 brand new (which I later realized I could’ve gotten cheaper, but I digress), and then went home, opened it up, took out the old one, and put in the new one. And sure enough, it did NOT fix the problem.
However, the “weird” thing, is that if I turn the phone off, and then plug in the USB connection, it then powers up and shows it is charging. (So obviously the “connection” works, and I mean, it is a brand new USB flex board, or whatever it’s called) But as I sat there, I noticed it is NOT charging… (Even though the battery indicator shows that it is charging, and the About Phone setting states this as well) And as well, the computer still does not even recognize that it’s plugged in.
So, I’m really at a loss for words here. I replaced the part, and obviously there is another issue. So the main points are:
Battery (which is brand new) does not charge when I plug in the USB connection to either a computer or the wall plug-in.
If the phone is on and I plug in the USB, it does NOT recognize it.
If the phone is off and I plug in the USB, it turns the phone on, and states it is charging, but does NOT charge. And the phone is NOT recognized by the PC if I have it plugged in.
If anyone has any ideas on what I can do, please let me know. There is still a lot of corrosion inside, but I’m not sure how much more I can get at. I assume that the problem must lie with the mainboard, where the USB flex cable connects to, but before I do anything else, I wanted to see if anyone had anything I could try. I hope I explained it well above. Please note, the phone works PERFECTLY aside from this (and some minor blurriness on the camera, probably the lens is dirty).
Is there a test I can run to see what the issue is? Clearly the connection does work, otherwise the phone wouldn’t recognize the USB and turn on by itself when I plug the USB in. But I’m just looking to know 1) why the battery does not charge when the USB is plugged in, and 2) why the PC does not recognize the connection.
Thanks so much in advance,
Much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do never drink Iso-Alcohol and it's recommended to wear protective Gloves (for Kitchen or so - lets absoulûtely no liquid through!) that protect you. If a drop of this liquid touches your clothes then put it off and wash it!
More Information for Water damage repair on this link!
Read all of my posts on page 5.
Aww, it was saltý water? Oh no! The faster you repair, the faster higher survival chance. At normal water (freshwater), the survival chance is >99,998567%! And at destilled Water, the survival chance is higher than >99,9990%!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

---

Oops! I mean Page 9&10 ---?
Hannah Stern said:
Read all my posts on page 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... on my other Computer it showed up as Page 5. But on this Compputer (700-G7A S02) it shows up as page 9&10! So let's saý:
Simply view the 1-2 last pages with my posts on the linked thread in the last post!
---------- Post added at 07:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:58 PM ----------
MistahBungle said:
Why should we care ? This is SGSII Q&A. And even tho telling people to do this has started to get old over the past few days....
Post to the correct forum for your device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And to you boneheads who encourage this by helping people who do it, stop. Now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... he's actually got the Galaxy S2 so isn't this the correct forum? It's the S2-Forum!
If it's my mistake, that i wrote this post, then notifý me!
Did you know ...? said:
In this Post, i use
[CloudSearch.ico] for the FIRST TIME as Icon!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---------- Post added at 07:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:02 PM ----------
[Title of this Post= „Post Title"]
The title of the last post because of the correct-forum-posts is „.Mistake...“]“!
I wanted to write this here because i wasn't able to see it there!