3rd Gen PW bricked after water damage; recoverable?

[ajkessel]

I have a Paperwhite 3/2015 (purchased November 2015) that was the victim of water damage. At first, the screen indicated the device needed repair. I put the device in rice for a week, then plugged it in. It appeared to reset successfully -- LED lit up, error message disappeared from screen, and it began to boot up. Shortly thereafter, however, it switched to an ad screen and it has been nonresponsive ever since. I have not been able to get the LED to turn on again, and nothing happens when I hold the power button for long periods of time.

I have some hope that it is not completely dead, however, since when I connect it to a Linux box there is USB activity:

kernel: usb 6-1: new low-speed USB device number 2 using uhci_hcd
kernel: usb 6-1: device descriptor read/64, error -71
kernel: usb 6-1: device descriptor read/64, error -71
kernel: usb 6-1: new low-speed USB device number 3 using uhci_hcd
kernel: usb 6-1: device descriptor read/64, error -71
kernel: usb 6-1: New USB device found, idVendor=1949, idProduct=dead
kernel: usb 6-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=1, SerialNumber=0
kernel: usb 6-1: Product: USB Charger 
mtp-probe[891]: checking bus 6, device 3: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb6/6-1"
mtp-probe[891]: bus: 6, device: 3 was not an MTP device
kernel: input: USB Charger  as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb6/6-1/6-1:1.0/0003:1949:DEAD.0001/input/input12
kernel: hid-generic 0003:1949:DEAD.0001: input,hidraw0: USB HID v1.11 Device [USB Charger ] on usb-0000:00:1d.0-1/input0
kernel: usb 6-1: USB disconnect, device number 3

The device does not, however, show up at all in Device Manager on any Windows box.

I tried the Kubrick Live CD and was never able to get it to see the device.

Physically, the device looks completely fine.

I am wondering what my chances are of getting it to work again -- I believe I have exhausted all the USB-based options for troubleshooting but if I am missing something, please point me in the right direction. I am willing to try a USB-tty rescue if it is likely to bear fruit, but I'd rather not buy the adapter and spend hours taking the device apart if in the end I just have a permanently broken Kindle.

Is there anything more I can do to figure out whether the device can be saved? Anyone have similar experience with water damage?

[Cinisajoy]

How did it get water damage? Cold water or hot water?

How long did you leave it plugged in?
Was it plugged into the wall or a computer?
If less than 24 hours, plug it back in.
Then unplug it and hold the power button for at least 40 seconds.

As to water damage and a kindle, unfortunately yes. My K3 didn't survive.

[knc1]

Those log messages are an indication of serious internal damage to the hardware.

Not a reason for hope.
(Unless you where hoping to destroy the device.)

- - - -

A PW-3?
It does not "require hours" to disassemble.
The front bezel is attached with reusable glue, peel it off and it is opened.
Use the master index to find a teardown (for any of the touch screen devices) to show you how to ease that bezel off the Kindle.

Once you get it open and the motherboard taken off of the display (Kindles are built of only two parts, unless you count the battery as a part)

Put the motherboard back into the dry rice - wait.
wait for days - there is no commonly recommended length

Put the parts back together, follow Cinisajoy's directions in the post above - report back with the result.

[ajkessel]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

How did it get water damage? Cold water or hot water?

Embarrassingly enough, it went through the laundry. Warm water.

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

How long did you leave it plugged in?

A couple of weeks.

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Was it plugged into the wall or a computer?

Into the wall--5W USB power adapter.

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

If less than 24 hours, plug it back in.

At this point it's been several weeks of trying to get it to charge/start both with a wall adapter and into a computer.

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

As to water damage and a kindle, unfortunately yes. My K3 didn't survive.

Thanks for the data point!

[ajkessel]

Originally Posted by knc1

Put the motherboard back into the dry rice - wait.
wait for days - there is no commonly recommended length

Put the parts back together, follow Cinisajoy's directions in the post above - report back with the result.

Do you think this is still worth trying even though it's been a couple of months since the water incident?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by ajkessel

Do you think this is still worth trying even though it's been a couple of months since the water incident?

What do you have to lose by trying it?

[ajkessel]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

What do you have to lose by trying it?

I think it's just the trouble of tracking down a pry tool, unless there is some way to get it open with what is already around the house.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by ajkessel

I think it's just the trouble of tracking down a pry tool, unless there is some way to get it open with what is already around the house.

Do you have a credit, debit or reward card?
Any of those should work as a pry tool or a small screwdriver.

[ajkessel]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Do you have a credit, debit or reward card?
Any of those should work as a pry tool or a small screwdriver.

OK I'll give it a try...

[knc1]

Originally Posted by ajkessel

Do you think this is still worth trying even though it's been a couple of months since the water incident?

No fair!
That is a critical bit of information you failed to provide in your initial post.

If you deal with Amazon (USA) -
They have to trade-in special right now, the device does not have to work to trade it in.

Otherwise, it is junk.

[coplate]

@ajkessel

The 1949 : DEAD usb ID is what my kindle gives me when I try to boot up with no battery.

If you have as much money as time, you could order a replacemnt battery, for about $5, and see if that helps after you get the device open, but chances are the logic board is also damaged.


https://www.powerbookmedic.com/Amazo...5-p-95758.html

That site also sells logic boards for about $25.


So if you have the time, you can consider buying a replacement battery and a replacement logic board for about $30 plus shipping, which is what I did when my PW3 went swimming in the pool with me.

I order them separately, so I had to pay shipping twice, but I think they charge shipping by the item anyway, so it would have cost the same.


They have a video on how to take it apart: https://www.powerbookmedic.com/manual.php?id=214

Like knc1 said, for the "flat pry tool", I used my costco card, guitar picks are popular tools too. He spends a lot of time prying very carefully in the video, but it was not nearly as hard as he makes it look when I did it.

Or you can pay $20-$40 more than that to do the trade in, and get a new one from amazon. I wanted to keep "MY" kindle, even though it had replacement parts.

[mystika1]

My daughter dropped her fire hd6 in the bathtub. I almost tossed it in the trash after trying and failing to get it to work 3 months later. I saved it. I was about to throw in the towel last month(about 6 months after it got wet) and decided to charge it. It works again with no issues at all. If you can't get it to work, you can just put it away for a while.(or trade it in if you can get the $35) You just never know. lol

HTH,

Penny