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Kind of Water damaged iPhone 4... what are the chances

AlphaVictor87

AlphaVictor87

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 7, 2011
797
27
Saint Louis, MO
What are the chances that if my fiance took her iPhone 4 that has at least 1 water sensor tripped that they might not check that at the apple store?

Everything works fine on her phone except a few things (which i have found a few things online about that have happened to people for no reason, and they've gotten their phones replaced) And they aren't very big things either.

Her text tones don't seem to work. Ringtones are fine, and the speakers and microphone are all fine, but for some reason the text tones don't work (seems like a software issue?). The home button now requires a very firm push in order for it to register, but it still works. And her volume buttons don't turn up and down the volume. if she presses them it just had the bell come up with the caption "ringer" above it, but no grid on the volume level comes up and they don't actually change the volume level.

The home button is fine to work with, just a little annoying. However the volume buttons is a pain and the text tones not working is well kind of weird. i'm going to try and do a restore on her phone tomorrow.

Just in case that doesn't work, do you think if we took it into an apple store that they wouldn't check the water sensors if we didn't mention she got it wet?

Also only ONE of the two sensors is tripped (the one in the 30 pin connector slot)

Finally i just want to be sure of what it may cost to get it replaced. Its not under applecare+ or the original applecare. Will it only cost the $200, or $250 that i've seen on some other threads for a refurb? Or is she going to possibly have to pay full price for a brand new phone.

Any helpful comments are appreciated! Thanks!
 
Frankly, those symptoms to me sound like hardware failure, most likely due to the water damage. If I have my iPhone plugged into an audio dock/external speakers that uses the "line out" pins of the dock connector, I can no longer adjust volume directly on the phone, and I see the same thing she sees on hers: pressing the volume button shows the speaker icon and "ringer", but no volume level "grid" below that.

So I suspect -- especially since the water damage indicator that is "lit" is the dock connector one -- that the water ended up frying or bridging something together in the dock connector area, or there is some corrosion on the connector pins that closed a circuit that is normally closed when actually plugged into a dock. So the phone thinks it is plugged into an audio dock even when it is not.

You might try to take a wire brush or some compressed air to the dock connector port while the phone is off (completely off, not just asleep), and see if that knocks something loose and takes care of the symptoms.

If you need to get the phone replaced out of warranty, Apple usually charges $200 for that, but when the 4S was released, all of the older models had their out of warranty service charge reduced to $150. Your best bet would be to go to an Apple Store, tell them the truth about what happened, and be prepared to pay the $150. Apple has been known to be generous to customers that don't come into the store with an entitlement attitude and that aren't broadcasting a vibe that suggests you are trying to rip them off, so you may just end up being surprised.

Not only is that your best bet, it's also the right thing to do.

-- Nathan
 
AlphaVictor87 said:
What are the chances that if my fiance took her iPhone 4 that has at least 1 water sensor tripped that they might not check that at the apple store?

Any helpful comments are appreciated! Thanks!
Click to expand...

I would tend to agree with Nathan that water damage has somehow shorted the phone. I'd also agree with his final assessment. :)

My guess is that even if you didn't say anything, they would check for water damage, especially given the issues. I took mine in once for something totally unrelated and instructional like how to make a setting change and I was surprised the genius first used this otoscope device to check for water damage.
 
NathanA said:
Frankly, those symptoms to me sound like hardware failure, most likely due to the water damage. If I have my iPhone plugged into an audio dock/external speakers that uses the "line out" pins of the dock connector, I can no longer adjust volume directly on the phone, and I see the same thing she sees on hers: pressing the volume button shows the speaker icon and "ringer", but no volume level "grid" below that.

So I suspect -- especially since the water damage indicator that is "lit" is the dock connector one -- that the water ended up frying or bridging something together in the dock connector area, or there is some corrosion on the connector pins that closed a circuit that is normally closed when actually plugged into a dock. So the phone thinks it is plugged into an audio dock even when it is not.

You might try to take a wire brush or some compressed air to the dock connector port while the phone is off (completely off, not just asleep), and see if that knocks something loose and takes care of the symptoms.

If you need to get the phone replaced out of warranty, Apple usually charges $200 for that, but when the 4S was released, all of the older models had their out of warranty service charge reduced to $150. Your best bet would be to go to an Apple Store, tell them the truth about what happened, and be prepared to pay the $150. Apple has been known to be generous to customers that don't come into the store with an entitlement attitude and that aren't broadcasting a vibe that suggests you are trying to rip them off, so you may just end up being surprised.

Not only is that your best bet, it's also the right thing to do.

-- Nathan
Click to expand...

awesome thanks Nathan! didn't know they lowered the cost of out of warranty service charge. $150 isn't that bad, so i'm sure that might cheer her up.

We'll probably take it in and just see what happens lol
 
UPDATE: Went and took it to the Apple store. they saw the sensors tripped and then opened it up and apparently there was quite a bit of water inside still HAHAHA

So in the end she paid the $149.99 plus tax to get a replacement. Oh well.

**** happens i guess! she said she won't be keeping the phone in her back pocket anymore lol
 
AlphaVictor87 said:
UPDATE: Went and took it to the Apple store. they saw the sensors tripped and then opened it up and apparently there was quite a bit of water inside still HAHAHA

So in the end she paid the $149.99 plus tax to get a replacement. Oh well.

**** happens i guess! she said she won't be keeping the phone in her back pocket anymore lol
Click to expand...

Nice, so only $150?
They dont charge $200 like they used to for replacements?
 
Yeah definitely depends on the genius if they check for water damage but from my experience the busier they are or if he is getting off soon they tend to skip corners and just replace it.
 
Applejuiced said:
Nice, so only $150?
They dont charge $200 like they used to for replacements?
Click to expand...

I touched on this in my original response. All older models, down to the original iPhone, are at $150 for OOW service ever since the introduction of the 4S.

Proof:

http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=servicefaq&geo=United_States&product=iphone

(Go to "Warranty & Service Pricing", then "My iPhone is not eligible for warranty service. What are my service options?" Read the pricing table they give you there.)

-- Nathan
 
I jumped into a lake with my iPhone 4 in my pocket and they replaced it. I just told them the truth. I believe it was still in warranty though. He said they can usually do want gratuity replacement if it is still in warranty. Otherwise you have to pay $199
 
treyjustice said:
I jumped into a lake with my iPhone 4 in my pocket and they replaced it. I just told them the truth. I believe it was still in warranty though. He said they can usually do want gratuity replacement if it is still in warranty. Otherwise you have to pay $199
Click to expand...

I think that has been true in the past. However, IIRC Apple changed the rules when the introduced AppleCare+. I believe Geniuses no longer have as much latitude to offer complementary replacements for out-of-warranty issues. I'm sure this is meant to encourage people to buy the AppleCare+, which covers two cases of accidental damage ($50 replacement fee). My guess is that if you walked into an Apple store today with a phone that had taken a dip in the lake you would be SOL.
 
MacDevil7334 said:
I think that has been true in the past. However, IIRC Apple changed the rules when the introduced AppleCare+. I believe Geniuses no longer have as much latitude to offer complementary replacements for out-of-warranty issues. I'm sure this is meant to encourage people to buy the AppleCare+, which covers two cases of accidental damage ($50 replacement fee). My guess is that if you walked into an Apple store today with a phone that had taken a dip in the lake you would be SOL.
Click to expand...

So after reading up on AppleCare+ its pretty much a scam? They seem to cover all hardware failures within the 1 year (which is when most happen in my experience) so say within the 1st year you have applecare+ you paid $100 for applecare and you get pushed in a lake, then you have to pay $50 for the repair.

If you didn't have applecare+ and the same situation, (for a 4s) you're paying $200, so you're saving $50?

I guess this is really only benefical for those people who can't seem to keep water away from their phones or suck at taking care of phones?

Yah i get its different after that 1st year, and applecare+ extends the regular warranty 1 extra year, But in most cases, a new iphone comes out and most people seem to upgrade soon after that anyways.
 
AlphaVictor87 said:
If you didn't have applecare+ and the same situation, (for a 4s) you're paying $200, so you're saving $50?
Click to expand...

I thought the same thing originally, then someone else pointed out that the first time you break it, you save $50, but the second time you break it, you save $150.

So I guess it's worth it if you are the accident-prone type. :)

-- Nathan
 
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