iPod touch Broken Touch - suggestions?

[js81]

OK, so my wife's 1st gen. (yeah I know everyone will say upgrade already) iPod Touch is on the fritz. Any time you plug it in at all (power block or computer) it goes into a crazy reboot cycle. If you can get it to come on it works fine...

Here's the thing; the other day a friend of her's spilled Pepsi into her purse while they were eating out. The iPod was in her purse - she said it was a little wet, but not much and it worked fine. She told me last night when she plugged it up to charge it - that's when it went psycho. My guess is that it borked something with the dock connector and when we plugged it in that zapped it. I was able to restore it last night (from the iPod itself, not the computer), but now its stuck in an endless reboot cycle on the Apple screen.

Does anybody have any suggestions or should we just say forget it? I know we should've let it dry out, but she didn't tell me until the next day and it was apparently working fine.

 

[Link2999]

Put it in a bag of rice to help absorb any remaining liquid (should be the first thing you do in case of a spill). Then try to DFU restore it. If you could jailbreak it you could download the new wireless sync app from the cydia store and sync it from that (If you're using a Mac, if you're using Windows expect the app to be updated in a few weeks), and you could buy a wall charger to keep the thing charged (~$20). Now that should last you for a little bit, but I recommend replacing the Touch on the next model refresh (expect about September). By then the thing should probably have a camera and some other new goodies.

 

[Digital Skunk]

The reason many will say to forget about the rice and get a new one is because it's been turned on already.

The rice only works when you spill water on electronics that haven't been turned on or weren't on to begin with. Then you put it in a bag of rice to dry it out. If you got it wet, and turn it on or plug it up that liquid most likely shorted something out and you can bet that it may not work much at all from now on.

If it's a first gen, your best bet will be to buy a new or used or refurbished one.

 

[js81]

I can't see any reason to try to dry it out now - I'm pretty sure that it has shorted something. It won't charge with a wall charger, either - that's actually what it was plugged into when it went haywire. I know I could sync wirelessly after jailbreak, but I still can't charge it. I left it plugged in all night last night and now the battery is completely dead - it didn't charge at all. It will turn on, but as soon as it does, it blinks a low battery screen and cuts off. Should I try to disassemble it and clean the logic board, or just forget it and sell it for parts?

 

[js81]

OK, so I disassembled it (with help from the iFixit guide!), and here's what I found:

1) There is NO SIGN of liquid inside. She was not sure that it got inside it, but it was on the outside. It was in a rubber case when it happened.

2) However, the liquid sensor HAD been tripped - but she liked to take it into the bathroom with her while she showered, so that could have tripped it.

3) The battery looked swollen, so I just removed it. Tried to power up with no battery installed and I got the same issue.

I can't find anything to repair, plus the logic board costs almost as much as a new one, so I saw screw it - this one's going on eBay for parts. The LCD is perfect and case ain't bad (its always been in a case since day one), so hopefully I can get something out of it...

EDIT: Crazy thought... are the screens interchangeable between the iPod Touch and iPhone? Specifically, 1st gen Touch and iPhone 3G? Got a good friend with a busted iPhone screen...

EDIT 2: Guess I should clarify that more... her glass is busted, but the screen is OK. Me thinks that the glass is NOT interchangeable, due to microphone, speaker, etc...

 

[Revomonster]

If I were you I would sell it for parts on ebay and upgrade to an ipad.