Iphone exposed to the elements

[Mattbull]

A couple of days ago I was running outside with my iphone and my bluetooth headphones. It started to drizzle a bit. I didn't think to much of it until my headphones quit working. I looked at my phone to see a message "unable to connect to dock connecter." I keep getting this message now, and I am not able to listen to my speakers on my iphone itself. I looked up the error message online to find that I probably got water in my dock connecter and it is shorting it. I dried out the dock connector as best as I could and even tried heating my phone in my rice cooker for a while to evaporate any of the moister. While this helped make the problem happen less frequent, it still tends to happen quite a bit. Now, I am thinking I might have damaged my dock connecters because I can't sync the phone anymore. I tried to do so, and it deleted all of my music on my phone. Here are my questions.
1. I use my present phone to internet tether. If I send my phone in to get it fixed, I would probably need to delete this software, correct?
2. If so, how do I delete it?
3. When I send my phone in to apple to get it fixed, will they upgrade it?
4. If so, do you have a link with the info on how I downgrade it.
5. Once I downgrade it, do you know of a link where I can get the info on how to get my internet tethering back?

Appreciate any help.
Matt

 

[Zyniker]

Apple likely won't care very much about what software you have installed on your iPhone. The only foreseeable 'problem' here is that you'll likely have to pay for any necessary repairs as water damage is usually not covered.

 

[Surely]

You put it IN your rice cooker? And turned it on? Yikes.

For anyone else that gets their iPhone wet, this is what you are supposed to do: you're supposed to put it in a container of uncooked rice for 2-3 days so that the rice could absorb the water. You aren't supposed to power it on during that time. There is no guarantee that this will work, but there is a good chance that it could.



There is a good chance that even though you would be sending your iPhone in for repairs, they will just replace it with a refurbished/refreshed one. And yes, with water damage you will most likely have to pay for repairs.

 

[Mattbull]

I put my rice cooker on warm (which is under 120 degrees fahrenheit) and just let it set it there for a little while in the off position. Once I got the "dock connecter" message I didn't know what it was and kept trying to screw around with my bluetooth to get it to shut off. That could be the reason for my problems, but who knows. All i know is I want to get it fixed asap

You put it IN your rice cooker? And turned it on? Yikes.

For anyone else that gets their iPhone wet, this is what you are supposed to do: you're supposed to put it in a container of uncooked rice for 2-3 days so that the rice could absorb the water. You aren't supposed to power it on during that time. There is no guarantee that this will work, but there is a good chance that it could.



There is a good chance that even though you would be sending your iPhone in for repairs, they will just replace it with a refurbished/refreshed one. And yes, with water damage you will most likely have to pay for repairs.

 

[Mattbull]

Just saw this message. I heard the dock connecter can can get dirty producing the same message. This would be considered more wear and tear. If I were to send it in, i wouldn't mention anything about the water incident.

Apple likely won't care very much about what software you have installed on your iPhone. The only foreseeable 'problem' here is that you'll likely have to pay for any necessary repairs as water damage is usually not covered.

 

[Mattbull]

Are you sure they will not care about the "internet tethering" software I have on it? I thought I heard somewhere that it voids the contract. And will they update the software in my phone if I send it in?

 

[Gadgetgeezer]

It sounds like a simple dock connector swap which takes just a few minutes to do and is relatively cheap even if the whole module is changed i.e. speaker, dock and microphone. Send it to a local repairer if worried about the shop you bought it from.

 

[Surely]

Just saw this message. I heard the dock connecter can can get dirty producing the same message. This would be considered more wear and tear. If I were to send it in, i wouldn't mention anything about the water incident.

You won't have to mention it. The water sensors inside the iPhone will tell them all they need to know.