Spilled Beer on Droid - What Next?

[msartintarm]

At a party 2 days ago. I turned to a coffee table to see a terrible sight - a beer spill, the majority of which was on top of my Droid. I have a hard plastic case which kind of kept the beer in a pool on the top screen. Without checking to see if the phone was still on, I immediately wrested the battery out and left the phone to dry. None of the visible water damage indicators have been triggered. When I slid the phone closed and then open, a little moisture appeared on the keyboard, suggesting that beer had seeped through the entire top screen. The slider itself is fully functional - I know that in some cases the moisture can 'gum' it up - this hasn't happened.

It's been 2 days and I haven't turned the phone on yet. It has seemed completely dry for a day. My question is: Is drying the phone all I have to do? Or is there a danger that when I turn the phone on, beer residue will short it out (even if it isn't wet)? I'm really afraid of a 'slow death' in which the phone works for a month or so, but the beer corrosion eventually makes the electronics within succumb. Is this a valid concern and should I take more steps to clean my phone?

 

[Darkseider]

A shot of JD as a chaser

 

[furbearingmammal]

Put it in a bag of rice at least overnight before putting the battery back in and trying to turn it on. There are no user-serviceable parts except the battery and SD card, so there's not much you can do. Pull the SD card and see if there's some corrosion on the contacts, but that's about the best you can do. Do you have insurance? If not, how long have you had your phone?

 

[DF Smod]

I have said it once and I will say it again, Don't Drink and Droid

 

[furbearingmammal]

A shot of JD as a chaser

If it can't handle a single beer, imagine what some Jack would do to it!

If it was coffee your phone would be toast by now.

 

[mwhartman]

+1 for the bag of rice and + unlimited for the JD chaser

 

[furbearingmammal]

+1 for the bag of rice and + unlimited for the JD chaser

Yes, but the OP needs the JD, not the Droid. And the OP might need it again if there's no insurance and the Droid is more than 90 days old...

 

[BostonDan]

At a party 2 days ago. I turned to a coffee table to see a terrible sight - a beer spill, the majority of which was on top of my Droid. I have a hard plastic case which kind of kept the beer in a pool on the top screen. Without checking to see if the phone was still on, I immediately wrested the battery out and left the phone to dry. None of the visible water damage indicators have been triggered. When I slid the phone closed and then open, a little moisture appeared on the keyboard, suggesting that beer had seeped through the entire top screen. The slider itself is fully functional - I know that in some cases the moisture can 'gum' it up - this hasn't happened.

It's been 2 days and I haven't turned the phone on yet. It has seemed completely dry for a day. My question is: Is drying the phone all I have to do? Or is there a danger that when I turn the phone on, beer residue will short it out (even if it isn't wet)? I'm really afraid of a 'slow death' in which the phone works for a month or so, but the beer corrosion eventually makes the electronics within succumb. Is this a valid concern and should I take more steps to clean my phone?

I would not be surprised if more damage were done with beer than water spillage. Water usually dries, and does not leave as much residue. Imagine spilling water on the floor and waiting for it to dry. It usually dries with little residue (maybe some spots), but beer will leave much more sticky residue (think of a cola spill on the floor...).

Hope it works out, but don't be surprised if you need to get a new droid.

Cheers,
B.D.

P.S. +1 to the JD chaser!

 

[Big_Ron]

Try using 99 or 100% isopropyl alcohol with a quetip to clean the key board and inside the battery compartment as best you can. That should help with the gummy nesses there. Great idea with the rice +1. +1 for the Drink and Droid love it

 

[msartintarm]

Thanks for the prompt responses, guys. Since my phone has been drying for 2 days, I'm assuming there's nothing left except for this sticky residue. Will I have to worry about this residue shorting anything out once I turn the phone on? If so, it sounds like I should dump it in an alcohol bath. However, once I do that I'll unquestionably void the warranty, since it'll trigger all the 'water damage' indicators. So... stuck.

(And there's no gumminess to speak of I can reach - the spill was contained to the display half of the phone which is fortunate.)

 

[furbearingmammal]

Do you have insurance or not?

 

[Backnblack]

Forget about the Rice...

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-faq/8539-how-deal-droid-thats-gotten-wet-right-way.html

 

[msartintarm]

Here's what ended up happening:

I'm really ambivalent towards washing my phone in dH20 / isopropyl alcohol for 2 reasons: It would trigger the water damage indicators, assuredly voiding my warranty, and from the thread referenced above ^ , it seems that introduces more chance for corrosion. Like I said earlier, I believe beer only got in the top half of the phone, missing the processor and camera and everything that makes the phone run, and immersing my phone will ensure that everything gets wet. It's not a risk I'm willing to take.

So I turned my phone on, and it ended up working! No problem. dancedroid It still smells like beer, but that's the price I pay when I drink and Droid.

 

[mountainbikermark]

Glad its working

wified from my Incredible monolith using Swype on Tapatalk

 

[furbearingmammal]

Glad it's working! Keep an eye on it to make sure you're not having ethanol-induced issues.

I mean the phone. Not you.