Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

I think I lost my iPhone...in my car!!

H

hallaisen

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 28, 2006
209
0
So last night I drove my girlfriend to a friend's place, and as I did a sharp turn my iPhone slid underneath her seat. She said she noticed it and looked at me and smiled and she says I smiled back, so she thought I saw it happen as well. Anyway, a minute later we are there and she gets out. I drive back and notice that my phone is gone when I get home. After talking to my gf I search the car and can't find it anywhere. I drove over to where she and her friends are and they help me search as well. No luck.

Now, there is a small square hole in the fabric under the seat, and it is possible that it has slid into that hole, and from there I'm thinking it could have slid into some compartment or small area under the floor. It's either that, or it fell out when my gf exited the car, but I can't imagine that we wouldn't hear it fall to the ground. We tried calling it right after I noticed it was gone but it is either turned off or has no signal, which is not unlikely since we're in cottage country right now. I have mobileme, but "find my iphone" says its not connected to a data network. I am only on pay-as-you-go with no data plan attached at the moment, so I'm unsure if it would work anyway? Driving home last night I purposefully did some very sharp turns, and heard something that sounded like the phone sliding around and hitting walls under the floor of the car.

I am pissed cause I actually needed the phone really badly last night when it happened, and still need it very much today. It's one of the most frustrating things I have experienced to be so sure it's right out there in the car but there's no way I can get it out. I just wanna rip the floor up! Anyway, thats my vent of the day and I just wanna advice everyone to keep control of your phone in the car! :D
 
/cool story bro

But seriously, if you can reach the hole under the seat, then try to dig around in there until you find it. If not, you may have to take the seat out to get to it. It should just be a few bolts holding it down. If it's an electric seat, make sure to unplug the harness before taking the seat out.
 
It's not an electric seat, but there is some technology-stuff under it (scale or something to activate passenger airbag). I know next to nothing about cars, but will look into taking it out.
 
hallaisen said:
It's not an electric seat, but there is some technology-stuff under it (scale or something to activate passenger airbag).
Click to expand...

In that case there will probably still be some type of electric connection. Just MAKE SURE before you take the seat out. You do not want to damage it. Good luck. ;)
 
army91c said:
Freakin classic.

Like to tell you I've done the same but the truth is I haven't..... I'd be shocked if you're not the only one. Sucks but time to bust out the hack saw! ;)
Click to expand...

It has happened to me before. I was pissed. But luckily I knew what to do. :D
 
Well I found it. While driving to get coffee this morning it must have slid right into the little area that the hole under the seat leads to. I checked there last night and it wasn't there, so I must have been lucky with how my turns affected it this morning.

Anyway, its freaking IMPOSSIBLE to get it out. I'm so pissed off. I made a quick drawing to show how it's positioned:

screenshot20100613at104.png


The hole that it slid into is not big enough for both my fingers and the phone, and its very hard to use any sort of tool to help me out cause it's right under the seat and hard to get to. My only idea so far has been to try BBQ tongs, but they didnt help at all. I need help! What can I use to get it out??
 
you need a young child. Problem solved. (as long as they couldn't get injured of course)

OR remove the seat and see if you can get a better grip on it, and a young child if need be. Good luck.

Oh, my bad for you NOT being the only one..... crazy stuff.
 
Can you use a finger to push in the cable into the dock connector and then pull it out using the cable?
 
schulz thats freaking genius...ive been messing around with tape and we were gonna try a hair elastic, but if i can connect it to a cable i think the chances are better.

army19c: my girlfriend and her friend has been trying and they have small fingers. i think the hole is pretty much exactly big enough for the phone to go through, but theres no more room than that.

im gonna give the cable idea a go and report back. my hands are all scratched up and bleeding, but i really need the phone!!
 
Those wire hangers with the cardboard on the bottom have a built in hook when you take the cardboard off.

Should be able to slide it in flat and twist it on the other side of the phone to hook it and drag it out.
 
wow i just got it out. the cable was too hard to connect, but my gf had the genius suggestion of getting a hair elastic round it and pull it out that way. it took quite a bit of effort but i got it out in the end. its quite scratched up on the back side and theres a decent sized crack on it, but i dont really care. thanks for all the help peoples!
 
could a large magnet work to pull the iphone to the "roof" of the whole and then slide it along.

Not sure about the damage a magnet could do!


EDIT: You've sorted it
 
hallaisen said:
So last night I drove my girlfriend to a friend's place, and as I did a sharp turn my iPhone slid underneath her seat. She said she noticed it and looked at me and smiled and she says I smiled back, so she thought I saw it happen as well. Anyway, a minute later we are there and she gets out. I drive back and notice that my phone is gone when I get home. After talking to my gf I search the car and can't find it anywhere. I drove over to where she and her friends are and they help me search as well. No luck.

Now, there is a small square hole in the fabric under the seat, and it is possible that it has slid into that hole, and from there I'm thinking it could have slid into some compartment or small area under the floor. It's either that, or it fell out when my gf exited the car, but I can't imagine that we wouldn't hear it fall to the ground. We tried calling it right after I noticed it was gone but it is either turned off or has no signal, which is not unlikely since we're in cottage country right now. I have mobileme, but "find my iphone" says its not connected to a data network. I am only on pay-as-you-go with no data plan attached at the moment, so I'm unsure if it would work anyway? Driving home last night I purposefully did some very sharp turns, and heard something that sounded like the phone sliding around and hitting walls under the floor of the car.

I am pissed cause I actually needed the phone really badly last night when it happened, and still need it very much today. It's one of the most frustrating things I have experienced to be so sure it's right out there in the car but there's no way I can get it out. I just wanna rip the floor up! Anyway, thats my vent of the day and I just wanna advice everyone to keep control of your phone in the car! :D
Click to expand...


my mum did the same a couple of months ago but we still havent found it where is the sqare that yours went cause i might see if i can find it for her
 
I did that the night I bought the original iPhone back in 2007 on launch day. The look of utter horror on my face must have been priceless. The phone had slipped down on the door side of the front passenger seat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back