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iPod versus washing machine

Roma

Master Poster
Roma
Joined
Aug 6, 2008
Messages
2,073
If you put an Apple iPod Nano through the washing machine will it ever work again?

What should I do ?
 
I have a mini that went through a washer and still works. Just give it some time to dry out before you use it again (a week or two). Of course, when ever I breathe on it it cranks the volume to an intolerable level.
 
Roma said:
If you put an Apple iPod Nano through the washing machine will it ever work again?

What should I do ?
Click to expand...

Invest far less than you originally did on the style over substance ipod and get a better mp3 player (better sound quality, more features, not tied to itunes etc).

Happy to help ;).
 
Ethan Thane Athen said:
Invest far less than you originally did on the style over substance ipod and get a better mp3 player (better sound quality, more features, not tied to itunes etc).

Happy to help ;).
Click to expand...

I like my iPod. Interface is great, iTunes is easy to use. You might as well show up in a GNU/Linux thread and tell people to install Windows.
 
Ethan Thane Athen said:
Invest far less than you originally did on the style over substance ipod and get a better mp3 player (better sound quality, more features, not tied to itunes etc).

Happy to help ;).
Click to expand...

I have a couple IPODs. I use itunes (the program) to manage the music on the IPOD, but that's a free program so I don't think it's what you're referring to. As far as the web site, or the itunes store (or anything else that might come under the term "itunes") I've never had to use anything. And my IPOD is not "tied" to anything.

And although I may have looked in the wrong places, I found it much easier to find an RF remote control for my IPODs than for other MP3 players. In my use that's a necessary feature.
 
Electronics have a tendency to be vulnerable to water damage :\
I've never put one in a washer before but after I took a swim in the pool with my cellphone for 20 minutes it definitely wasn't turning on again after that. Only thing I could salvage was the SIM card.
 
Recovery of drowned electronics:

1. Disassemble if possible. (See ifixit.com for iPod teardown instructions.)
2. Put parts in 90% or stronger isopropyl alcohol for about 20 min. (Not the 70% stuff. This is to drive off any trapped moisture, and to dissolve any leftover minerals or detergent.
3. Allow to dry for at least 24 hours.
4. Charge battery, and test.

If that dosen't work, head for the local electronics store and get a new one.

-PbFoot
 
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I sent it back to Apple,
they sent me this email today:


Dear Roma,

Thank you for choosing AppleCare Service.

Your IPOD NANO (5TH GENERATION) has been inspected by Apple technicians, who have determined that it has been subjected to accidental damage or misuse, which is not covered by the warranty or an Apple service contract. Therefore your product is being returned to you unrepaired. You should expect to receive it within two business days along with a letter that gives details of this assessment.
 
Roma said:
I sent it back to Apple,
they sent me this email today:


Dear Roma,

Thank you for choosing AppleCare Service.

Your IPOD NANO (5TH GENERATION) has been inspected by Apple technicians, who have determined that it has been subjected to accidental damage or misuse, which is not covered by the warranty or an Apple service contract. Therefore your product is being returned to you unrepaired. You should expect to receive it within two business days along with a letter that gives details of this assessment.
Click to expand...

Do what PB said, or like I said and wash it again in alcohol or demineralized water. There's nothing in an iPod that can't withstand water. Metal and plastic are fairly resistant to water (cutlery and tupperware come to mind). What they can't stand is an alternate path for electricity to flow. This happens because water has what we call "dissolved solids". These dissolved solids increase the conductivity (measured in mhos or inversely ohms a measure or resistivity). The water allows current to flow along unintended paths. A circuit that usually has 3 mA to it might now have 3.1 mA. This overcurrent results in weird behaviour, much like you've described. The only solution is to "clean" the circuitry by removing the water and any residual minerals. This can be accomplished by "washing" the electronics in a substance that can dissolve the minerals, then extracting the water. I prefer demin water due to the fact that some minerals might not dissolve in alcohol and might not "come clean" so to speak. On the plus side alcohol will penetrate better and displace the water. It also evaporates at a lower temperature.
This will work as long as the circuitry hasn't been damaged as a result of some excess current (fried it). It's also possible water has penetrated a chip or circuit too deeply and you can't get it or the mineral deposit out. In that case you sell it on eBay "as is" and expect negative feedback.
In the future, if you find you've washed an electronic device, resist the urge to turn it on until you've dried it out for several days. Turning it on while wet is about the only way you can really harm these things.
 
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Roma said:
it has been subjected to accidental damage or misuse, which is not covered by the warranty or an Apple service contract.
Click to expand...

Try subjecting it to some purposeful damage and misuse and see if it's covered then.:)
 
One of the problems with modern, electronic equipment is the use of multilayer circuit boards. Each layer is a circuit board in it's own right & each layer is connected to the other layers by z-axis interconnections.
The interlayer connections can be corroded by the soapy water to the extent that the connection breaks.
Even if the corrosion only weakens the connection, water can be trapped between the layers & can expand when heated & force the layers apart, thus finally breaking the corrosion weakened connections.
I've also seen chips lifted off the circuit board by the same mechanism.
 
Lensman said:
One of the problems with modern, electronic equipment is the use of multilayer circuit boards. Each layer is a circuit board in it's own right & each layer is connected to the other layers by z-axis interconnections.
The interlayer connections can be corroded by the soapy water to the extent that the connection breaks.
Even if the corrosion only weakens the connection, water can be trapped between the layers & can expand when heated & force the layers apart, thus finally breaking the corrosion weakened connections.
I've also seen chips lifted off the circuit board by the same mechanism.
Click to expand...

Luckily the iPod is a single board. Some of the cell phones I've repaired had boards that were sandwiched together and they can be a real pain to get apart. They tend to have hidden connections that can be very frustrating the first time you take one apart (and put back together).

I was able to find a more detailed description on fixing an iPod board here.

Hopefully for Roma the board isn't fried and it's a simple matter of getting the water out.
 
It might be a single board, but I'm willing to bet that it's comprised of many layers - like the mobo of a computer is. A mobo is a single board but it has many layers & a great many z-axis interconnections, it's a sandwich that's never meant to be taken apart because the inter layer connections are permanent connections, not plug'n'socket arrangements.
 
3bodyproblem’s link is a inaccurate but basically right – your best shot at fixing a soaked iPod is to open it up and clean it, then rinse it with isopropyl alcohol or an alcohol-based electronics cleaning product.

The idea is that you’re getting rid of any minerals/chemicals left behind by the water, and then using the alcohol – which evaporates quickly – to get the last bit of water off.

You shouldn’t try turning the iPod on until you’ve done this. If the water itself hadn’t damaged any component, it could still damage components by shorting them out when power’s applied.
 
It's pretty much a goner, but occasionally resurretions occur.

My granddaughter dropped her mom's new cellphone in the toilet and it was dead (this is not uncommon). Unlike Apple, however, verizon DOES cover water damage in their service contract

I think it's really stupid that all these gee wiz electronic baubles are so vulnerable to normal hazards, they're worthless to me. I have a 'free' blackberry from my employer but I couldn't stand babying it.. I got a ruggedized, waterproof phone for my own use.
 
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