Determining Water Damage on Curve
 

Hi.

I've had my phone for 10 days, and the very first day I got it, it started messing up (froze a couple of times).

A couple days later, all the sounds stopped playing (all incoming text, ringtones, etc.).

On the 9th day, the keypad stopped working completely. So upon finding this out, I took the phone back immediately to my provider (Telus). The guy takes the trackball out and tells me there's water damage in it.

Now, this is ridiculous because my phone has not been exposed to water. Especially the amounts of water I've been told (by Telus customer service) should cause the indicator to trip. At most, and I mean at most, I would've washed my hands, dried them thoroughly, then checked some missed messages. It's never been in the rain, or even outside my pockets for more then 30 minutes much less "exposed" to water or heavy moisture.

My provider accused me of basically running it under a tap. Theres no point in lying if this was actually the case, but my phone has never been in contact with water.

What can I do to check if there is water damage on the phone myself? My carrier (Telus) refuses to do anything about it. Not even offer a repair, just sell me a new phone. They didn't even offer me upon buying this thing any kind of insurance, or extended warrenty in case something like this happened.

What can I do to remedy this problem?

Thank you.

Has the device been exposed to ANY moisture at all? Even a little tiny bit?

Wet hands, wet hair, sweaty pocket, heavy dew, steamy bathroom, other high humidity environment?

All of these can easily damage the keyboard contacts.

Sol,

Check into insurance. If I recall correctly you may still be eligible to purchase for your device.

My hands get sweaty :? My hair is shaved short, never taken it into the bathroom. I was my hands at work (food industry), but it's completely against the rules to wash your hands and not dry them off properly before touching other things. So I've never ran my hands under a sink, then touched my phone immediately after. I would compare the moisture of my hands after washing them, to the same amount of sweat my hands create.

The litmus paper on the phone that's in question is under the trackball, and it's barely visible, and barely pink. Yet apparently it's enough to destroy the entire phone? Come on. There are people here who've ran their BB through the wash and it comes out fine.

All other indicators on the phone are still white, like brand new. So the amount of water I'm accused of spilling on this device would for sure set off the other 2 on the phone.

I've not used it outside of what's considered normal. If a random drop of sweat, or bead of water gets off my body onto the phone, you can't tell me that's enough to destroy the entire device. If that's true, then the phone isn't fit for consumers and they'll have a lawsuit on their hands.

Lastly, it isn't just the keyboard that doesn't work. When the phone boots up (upon putting the battery in), I can move the track ball around. I cannot select anything with it. I can't make phone calls (but I can see incoming calls, text messages etc.), the mute button doesn't work, nor does the lock or quick button for the camera, or the volume. I also keep my blackberry in a protective skin. The last time I used my phone was on Feb 13th, on break at work sitting at a table texting a friend. After I was done, I pressed the lock button and put it back into my pocket. After my shift is done, my phone has died.

Wirelessly posted

Here's the opinion of a user who's never had a moisture issue, for what it's worth:

1 - Call the toll free customer service number for your carrier. Be very polite and calm and explain the problem and what you've already done and who you've already talked to. See what happens.

2 - If you do have a moisture indicator that has turned, I think you are out of luck regardless.

3 - As MM says, there are numerous reports on the forum of moisture issues because of exposures as slight as a sweaty pocket or foggy locker room. Sometimes removing the battery and drying the device real good fixes things.

Maybe you got a faulty device and that one indicator is a coincidence. But, as I say, I think you don't have a case with that turned idicator.

Good luck.

I will try drying it out, but its been sitting on my computer desk for 24 hours or so with no battery in it. Not sure how much more dry it's going to get.

Like I mentioned, if some slight humidity can ruin this phone, that's something that needs to be disclosed to the consumer upon purchase. I was only warned of not spilling drinks on it, or not putting the back down into water (so I bought skins to prevent this).

I called customer service (was quite angry) and explained to them what was happenning. They are the ones that accused me of basically putting it under a sink and that "moisture from your hands, CANNOT cause the device to malfunction, or turn the paper red". They've offered me nothing thus far, despite that fact that it could be the OS that has malfunctioned and re-installing it could fix the problem. Or that the "tech" didn't even bother to take the phone apart. They just look at that paper and accuse you of ruining it.

If there's water damage on the phone, I'd like my service provider to actually show me it. There will be corrosion, and other signs of sparking on the phone that would clearly indicate what happened. If that isn't there, it doesn't matter what the paper says because the phone could have come with it.

What model BlackBerry do you have?

Blackberry Curve 8330

I was just checking Telus' web site to see if the 8330 was still current (and it is).
I wonder - pure speculation - if you got a refurbished or used BB. Normal hand moisture does NOT cause water damage.

That's a good question. I got this phone for free, on a 2 year contract with Telus. So it's quite possible they are just liquidating some stock, and getting lots of customers on the plan.

Hand moisture shouldn't cause it, agreed. And like I said, my phone has gone nowhere except on my computer desk, to my pocket, to my hand. It also has protective skin on the back because I was warned that if I place it down on some water (like where a cold beer was sweating), the water could seep into the phone. So I bought 3 skins.

The guy at the store told me I literally spilled something on the front of it. The tech support told me I had to run it under water for the whole thing to malfunction. And lastly, the tech support I just got off the phone with had suggested that liquid damage could cause my problems, then mentioned things like using it in the rain, dropping it in a puddle, spilling coffee on it etc. Nothing about hand sweat, moist hands, or even some stray drops of liquid that hit the phone.

I tried doing a fresh install of the OS, but the Telus techs are not trained enough to get the phone to completely reset. So he said to take it back to the store (:-o) and he'd make a note on my account that they should just replace it. The people at the store though, will just tell me they'll do nothing about it.

I know one thing is for sure...

If I spilled water or juice, coffee, pop (since I work in food) etc. on the front of the phone, there'd be some pretty obvious signs of that stuff. You wouldn't have to go digging under the track ball to look for a fingernail tipped size piece of paper that's tucked under the screen, that's semi pink. And if you opened the actual phone, it'd be covered in that stuff, along with some soil and corrosion of the circuit board.

The tech support guys are wrong. It does not take that amount of water to cause damage. Many, many people have reported keyboard damage after having the device in a sweaty pocket (for instance while out dancing) or from having the device in a high humidity environment such as while working in a restaurant washing dishes without the device actually being exposed to what the use might view as "water exposure".

You've already said that the moisture indicator under the trackball is pink which is evidence of the device being used with either wet hands or in proximity to water.

This is my problem with what you said (not a problem with you). I was told 1 thing to protect when I bought the phone, the back, and to buy skins to prevent that. I did. I was told nothing, not even a mention, about humidity, or "moisture". Even at that, I kept the thing protected because I'm not new to electronics. It's never been used in proximity to sinks of any kind.

I've never heard of a device completely malfunctioning in somebodies pocket while they worked. That is the point of a mobile phone yes? They need to be taken with you, and are expected to stay working in a reasonable environment. If it was THAT sensitive to humidity (which by the way, my workplace is pretty dry, as humidity can breed mould, and it's never been taken out in the kitchen), then these things are not mobile phones at all. They aren't even consumer friendly, and there should be clear warnings given to you as a consumer, not to get the phone within proximity of water because it could break and void your warrenty.

Nonethless, it doesn't explain why the first day the thing froze on me twice, then the sound stopped working altogether (days before I took it to work). Then it started not responding and "lagged" when I pushed buttons, which caused it to input all the buttons I pushed while trying to fix it, at once into a random text message. Which has now led to a non responsive brick phone :(

This is why I maintain that my phone had some problems, before I got it. It's quite possible that thing has a defect, but it drives me nuts because there's no way of proving it. Like I said before, if I actually spilled something on it, I've got no point in lying, especially here. It is what it is. I'm so adament about this because nothing outside of the ordinary or what's considered unreasonable happened to my phone.

My son taught me a trick when he dropped his phone in the sink. He put it in a bag of rice overnight, and don't you know, it completly dried out his phone and it worked fine! I was amazed. I never heard of such a thing.
But if that dosen't work, if you have insurance, claim it was lost or stolen & get a new one.

moisture sensitive
 

I found out the hard way that BB's (or at least mine, BBCurve8330) is pretty sensitive to moisture, twice. The first time was about a month after I first got it, I had it in my back pocket while I was long boarding and then dancing for a bit. I know that may sound silly but this was my first bb.. I was used to Sony Erikson that I could jam in whatever pocket or bra cup I wished, drop it on the ground and kick it across lanes of traffic, all with no ill effect. After the show I took my phone out and it was off. I noticed a minuscule amount of moisture but didn't think anything of it, pressed power and it wouldn't turn on, I chalked it up to my battery dying (it was low) and tried charging.. nothing.. sent it in (fortunately Telus allowed it) thinking it was just faulty cuz it was new. It didn't occur to me the issue was moisture related until I made the mistake of dancing with it in my bra (i was waiting on a call and forgot it was there)... at the end of the night I took it out and noticed it was wet, fumbled due to it's sweaty slickness and pressed the power button. I tried the rice trick for 3 days with no luck and brought it back in again (thank goodness they switched again). I now have a belt holster that regardless of if I'm wearing it or not, my phone is in it. Which has worked for months, until today when I had it sitting on the floor where I set it to look up a number I was about to enter in it, and my bff knocked a glass of water getting some on my poor little device. Now I'm a bit paranoid.. i took the battery out and turned it face down right away, put it in rice with a little space heater on it hoping that it will be good to go in a few hours (business meetings and such that desperately require my bb's functionality) .. anyways, wish me luck.. I could use some good rather than bad.. lol

I've had two BlackBerries and used them in drizzles before. Never had any problem with them thus far.