[SanFrancisco]

A steamy shower should not set off the water detector.

Think about it, taking the Pearl into a bathroom so to not miss an important call while in the shower has to be a fairly common occurrence. So much so that there is no warning from carriers not to do so.

And a steamy bathroom is no different than other moist environments such as foggy nights and humid climates.

To set the detectors off one needs to drop the phone into water or other liquid, such as some members have posted, in the toilet or swimming pool.

[Willie115]

Dunno what to say in your case, maybe you should take some pictures of the indicators, I have known some stupid dealers that have thought the straight red line or the red x's mean that the water indicator has been tripped when it definitely has not been... pictures may help us with your problem.

[BallHawk3]

theres a liquid indicator on the battery as well.

You said its never been dumped in water except for a few rain drops? Come on now, that's liquid exposure. It doesn't have to be dunked in water, spilling, or "raindrops" on it is enough to damage the phone.

BTW the most common reason why a keypad stops working all of a sudden is due to "liquid" exposure.

And the liquid idicators don't have to be "red" to prove a phone has had "liquid" exposure, you can open a phone up and look for signs of corrossion, oxidation or "mold" on the board.

[SanFrancisco]

Originally Posted by BallHawk3

theres a liquid indicator on the battery as well.

You said its never been dumped in water except for a few rain drops? Come on now, that's liquid exposure. It doesn't have to be dunked in water, spilling, or "raindrops" on it is enough to damage the phone.

BTW the most common reason why a keypad stops working all of a sudden is due to "liquid" exposure.

And the liquid idicators don't have to be "red" to prove a phone has had "liquid" exposure, you can open a phone up and look for signs of corrossion, oxidation or "mold" on the board.

I disagree. Raindrops are not water exposure. Yes, leaving it out in the rain for 8 hours, like one Member admitted doing, is water exposure that may fry the phone, but the errant raindrop? If that's damaging water exposure then my phone should have fried any one of 100 times that a few raindrops have got on my phone.

While a few raindrops could bullseye the phone to where to where it might short out the Pearl, it would not be enough to trip the water detectors.

I believe what he meant was that some raindrops fell on the phone's surface, not that the rain was so heavy and extensive that the rain got inside the battery compartment.

And to my knowledge, moist air will NOT trip the water detectors. If that was the case, many people would be reporting in here about their water detectors being tripped [that is, people in moist environments].

I have taken my Pearl into the bathroom many times so not to miss a call while in the shower. My detectors have never been tripped.

I suspect that the OP suffered from a CSR who was new or incompetent. I bet you that the OP's water detectors have not been tripped and that the CSR did not know what the battery water detector looks like "untripped." And he also did not know to simply look in the battery compartment to check that one detector by the MicroSD chip.

And to make matters worse, the carrier denied coverage based on the OP saying the local CSR said the water detector had been tripped.

I do agree that a phone can develop mold and other signs of corrosion if it is left in a moist environment [the same as what can happen to an old watch where the wearer sweats and moisture gets into the watch case and mold develops on the watch face]. But such damage is a rarity, maybe it can happen to those guys on the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch show.

I hope the OP updates us.

[BallHawk3]

Originally Posted by SanFrancisco

I disagree. Raindrops are not water exposure. Yes, leaving it out in the rain for 8 hours, like one Member admitted doing, is water exposure that may fry the phone, but the errant raindrop? If that's damaging water exposure then my phone should have fried any one of 100 times that a few raindrops have got on my phone.

While a few raindrops could bullseye the phone to where to where it might short out the Pearl, it would not be enough to trip the water detectors.

I believe what he meant was that some raindrops fell on the phone's surface, not that the rain was so heavy and extensive that the rain got inside the battery compartment.

And to my knowledge, moist air will NOT trip the water detectors. If that was the case, many people would be reporting in here about their water detectors being tripped [that is, people in moist environments].

I have taken my Pearl into the bathroom many times so not to miss a call while in the shower. My detectors have never been tripped.

I suspect that the OP suffered from a CSR who was new or incompetent. I bet you that the OP's water detectors have not been tripped and that the CSR did not know what the battery water detector looks like "untripped." And he also did not know to simply look in the battery compartment to check that one detector by the MicroSD chip.

And to make matters worse, the carrier denied coverage based on the OP saying the local CSR said the water detector had been tripped.

I do agree that a phone can develop mold and other signs of corrosion if it is left in a moist environment [the same as what can happen to an old watch where the wearer sweats and moisture gets into the watch case and mold develops on the watch face]. But such damage is a rarity, maybe it can happen to those guys on the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch show.

I hope the OP updates us.

Take it from a guy who opens phones for a living for the past couple years. I've had a chance to "play" with liquid indicators and I've seen it all.

Me personally, I keep my phone away from any liquid, even if my hands are wet or "damp" I will not touch my phone. Especially when your phone is on and you get the board wet, boom your door. Letting raindrops hit your phone is careless in my opinion, all it has to do is get past the housing and come in contact with the board. That is how corrossion and "mold" build up and sometimes rust. What do you think happens to something that has electricity/power going through it and it gets "wet?"

These are electronics, they are not water proof or water resistant (well nextel phones are pretty damn close).

And for the liquid indicators to change color, it has to come into contact with with something "wet." And moisture? I dunno about that, I just think its something reps tell their customer so it sounds more plausible. I don't think moisture can cause the type of damage "liquid exposure" can. Not corrossion or white dust/powder on the components, that shows it clearly came into contact with a form of liquid while the power was on.

You should see the look on someones face when I tell them their phone has been exposed to liquid. They flip out saying its never been near water. BS. The guy is a plumber for a living, brings in a phone with the paint missing, flip hanging by the ribbon, gunk on the charging port and the board has just the worst corrosion ever. Yea...... People are just not careful enough eith their phone.

[secrecyguy]

That's why I have insurance on my phone.

[ndub33]

On the general topic of liquid damage indicators, has anyone who has purchased the customer battery cover with the speaker opening (or modded their own speaker opening) had an issue with this? Seems like the extra "hole" in the battery cover would potentailly be an intrusion point for water.

[Mathusulah]

Thanks for all the replies - I din't realise there were other water indicators as well - they are darned clever these phone designers!

The phone has been sent off to Vodafone for checking, so I cant check the other indicators, but I do have the battery - it has a white panel with a single red stripe - same as the ones in San Fransiscos posting.

So I will await the response from Vodafone, then go and nail the shop assistant - he has been there about three months so its time he moved on to a more technical position!!

I agree that these are delicate electronic devices and should be cared for - but they are also 'mobile' phones and so should be capable of being used outdoors - a couple of raindrops should not render it unusable - or invalidate the warranty - there is a rule about fitness for purpose - and the resellers do not advise not to use in the rain.

I will update the posting when I hear more.

Thanks once again.

Dave

[SanFrancisco]

Just a tip for anyone doing a warranty return:

BEFORE sending the phone, always take pics of the interior of the phone, with the serial number, pin and water detector in the shot. If you can have a daily paper with the date in the shot, all the better.

This way you have proof that your phone was fine when you sent it in for repairs or replacement.

I say this because of a member whom a few months back sent his phone in for replacement. A bit later the carrier said the water detector indicated water damage. The member swears the detector was fine, but he had no proof. I am not sure how that dispute ended up, but he was fighting it.

When I sent my phone in for replacement [speaker stopped working, about November 2006] you can bet I took plenty of pics on hearing the above story. My phone was replaced without incident but I was glad I have my proof just in case.

[SanFrancisco]

Originally Posted by Mathusulah

Thanks for all the replies - I didn't realise there were other water indicators as well - they are darned clever these phone designers!

The phone has been sent off to Vodafone for checking, so I cant check the other indicators, but I do have the battery - it has a white panel with a single red stripe - same as the ones in San Fransisco's posting.

So I will await the response from Vodafone, then go and nail the shop assistant - he has been there about three months so its time he moved on to a more technical position!!

I agree that these are delicate electronic devices and should be cared for - but they are also 'mobile' phones and so should be capable of being used outdoors - a couple of raindrops should not render it unusable - or invalidate the warranty - there is a rule about fitness for purpose - and the resellers do not advise not to use in the rain.

I will update the posting when I hear more.

Thanks once again.

Dave

I agree with everything you say. They should adequately train personnel. One should not have to suffer grief because of incompetence. You should not have to deal with the uncertainty of having the phone replaced because a Vodafone employee does not know what he is doing.

And in retort to what the other member said, that letting raindrops hit the Pearl is careless, all I can say is....... huh?

Since when is a cell phone, [which is, as you point out, a MOBILE device] so delicate that it cannot handle the outdoors and the normal, everyday elements one comes into contact with [rain, fog, humidity].

To be sure, the Pearl would not be fit for its particular purpose [a mobile phone] if it could not handle a few raindrops or thick San Francisco fog [which can really accumulate if one has the Pearl on a belt and is tooling along at 30 mph on a scooter, which I have done many times. Everytime the Pearl has performed fine after such a "careless" ride ].

And you are right on: I do not see in any of the materials a warning to stay out of the rain because an errant raindrop will fry the phone. And I did not see any words saying that letting a few raindrops hit the phone would be careless on my part and void the warranty.

[TheBigNewt]

Also remember that some replacement batteries don't have a water indicator on the (Seidio 1250 that I have for instance). So the other water indicator inside the case is the key to a warranty issue. Even if the battery indicates water exposure so what? The battery could have been dropped into water after being removed, so get a new one. Unless the indicator in the case shows water they should replace the phone IMO.

[BallHawk3]

Some phones have liquid indicators inside the phone. All 3 digit sim nextel phones have two liquid indicator dots inside the phone on the board itself, there are none on the ouside (on housing). Most phones have the liquid indicator on the housing (behind battery normally) and its very rare to find one has has it on the board and housing. There's more to it than just liquid indicators, cause there are phones that don't have it. Your first sign is liquid inidcator, that just makes your job easier, after that your looking for damage on the board.

Liquid indicators are kinda tamper proof too, some people have the ability to test if its been replaced by one pulled off another phone that hasn't changed color.

[BallHawk3]

If you want a work horse phone to take on the elements, get a nextel phone.

You can't expect a phone to be dripping wet when your using it and expect it not to get inside the phone. Especially with wet hands and your thumbing the keypad. Common sense. Are you the type to plug something into the wall why your hands are wet? Or blow dry your air while standing in a tube?

Ok that's extreme, but liquid and electronics do not mix. These phones aren't made "water" proof or even water resistant. Do you use your laptop out in the rain? That's asking for it.

My point is people need to be more careful with their phones. If you had a phone for only two months and it looks like hell, maybe you should stop and think. All the phones I've had has been mint after the years. I try not to drop it. Keep the phone protected with a pouch and avoid having it come near anything that's wet. But using it in the rain? Having rain hit it? Get under a roof at least for christ sakes. Look at a phone, there's many places for water to get in, especially with the characteristics water has, it can pretty much get into anything.

And I dunno about fog unless you got the thing strapped to your windscreen and riding through it for an hour.

And you should read the warranty again. "Liquid exposure" is only one of the very few items.

[John Clark]

Originally Posted by BallHawk3

theres a liquid indicator on the battery as well.

Is everyone sure those are "liquid" indicators on the batteries? I just pulled a new CS2 battery out of the bag and it has red x's. I ran the indicator (with same red x's) off an old CS1 battery underwater. It just turned dark around the edges like it just got wet. Then I removed it and underneath are two small contacts. I ran the label under water after taking it off and it turned a little darker like it's just wet, but no real change in color or to the x's.

Could it be a heat indicator or indicator for leakage from inside the battery? I'm just not conviced that they are moisture indicators like the stickers on the phone case.

[SanFrancisco]

Originally Posted by John Clark

Is everyone sure those are "liquid" indicators on the batteries? I just pulled a new CS2 battery out of the bag and it has red x's. I ran the indicator (with same red x's) off an old CS1 battery underwater. It just turned dark around the edges like it just got wet. Then I removed it and underneath are two small contacts. I ran the label under water after taking it off and it turned a little darker like it's just wet, but no real change in color or to the x's.

Could it be a heat indicator or indicator for leakage from inside the battery? I'm just not conviced that they are moisture indicators like the stickers on the phone case.

John, you are right on with your question. [Especially since you are very mechanical and once commented that you liked my pic of the torx head set ].

I too have wondered this. It seems to me that if those were water indicators, such would not be a very practical way of utilizing such. For one thing, it would be too easy to defeat if such were tripped. One could simply get another OEM battery and make a warranty claim without the battery detector showing it has been tripped.

But maybe those are a disinformation device? I have seen posts where some members thought that was the only water detector so they thought they were in the clear when the phone suffered water damage, that is, because the detector on the new battery did not show it was tripped.

Maybe RIM wants people to think that that is the only detector?

And truth be told, since you did it, one time I put some water on one of the OEM battery detectors to see what it would do and the detector did not trip or change color.

[John Clark]

....and what are the two small, round contacts for underneath the sticker?

[BallHawk3]

I'm pretty sure the 7520/7200 battery has a liquid indicator. Note sure about 7100/8700 series batteries.

I can try it out tomorrow, I'm sure I've got some laying around.

[TheBigNewt]

SF and John Clark have to be right. The water indicator is not on the battery, it's inside the phone, which makes sense for warranty issues. The battery can be removed or replaced, and it doesn't have anything to do with water damage inside the phone, it's just a battery. My battery has no water indicator, as I said before.

[BerryGirl7250]

My phone fell in the (er, clean) toilet a few weeks ago. Thankfully, everything works perfectly normal, as if nothing even happened. However, the water indicator is now a pinkish-red, and the Xs on the battery are bolder and more obvious, especially the Xs around the edge of the sticker.

Just figured I'd throw a little tidbit in from someone who actually has siginifcant exposure to water and (thankfully) didn't need to send anything back.

[realityagent]

Triggered indicator - phone fell in a glass of water. Trackball no longer clicks. Anyone know a good source to replace the trackball?

Battery looks identical to the day I received it; white sticker with red stripe.