Hardware [SUGGESTIONS GREATLY APPRECIATED] Dropped my n3DS XL in water...

Death78793

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TL;DR: System fell in a pool of dishwasher water, managed to save(?) it w/ rice and silica gel. Don't be dumb like me and keep your consoles away from water whenever possible.
To top off my list of crappy things yet to happen to me this week, I left my n3DS XL while I cleaned my dishes and picked it up right after; long story short, my system ended up in a pool of heaping dishwasher water. I immediately took the battery out and it seems to be dry, so is the rest of the console. I have not turned it on since the incident (the system was in water for about 1 and a half seconds) and am panicking. If anyone has any suggestions (I already shook some water out and put it in a bag filled with rice) they'd be greatly appreciated. I'd really appreciate my system not becoming a (very) expensive paperweight.

UPDATE: Turned on the system since I decided to put it with rice and silica gel (as I saw many recommendations for it on the internet) in another bag and it works for the most part. The top screen flickered and turned off at first but then continued to work normally. The 3D effect is working normally, as are all the buttons and the touch screen. As of now the z triggers and the c stick are non-functional but I'll leave it drying for the rest of the night before the next test.
UPDATE 2: going to bed soon so I decided to leave the console in a dry, room temp place. I'll post pictures or a video tomorrow to show any progress. On another note, when I turned on the system last time it shut off semi-abruptly after turning it off via the system power off menu, with a barely audible pop sound coming from the speakers. I've read that it might mean the system shorted out but it could just be that I misplaced the battery a bit and used it w/o the back panel to keep it secured. Any info or possible risks of this are also appreciated. Thanks for all the help!
UPDATE 3: Turned it on just now (about 8 hours with rice and silica gel), the system is fully functional! :D
Even the speakers (which tend to be delicate in this sort of situation) are fully working. The only issue left is a few inconsistencies with the c stick and the zr trigger getting stuck. Any possible fix for this?
UPDATE 4: A blast of cool hair dryer air seems to have fixed the ZR issue. Something appears to have lodged itself between the B button and it's contact so the system won't even recognize me pressing the B button. The rest is in perfectly working order (with some mushy and sticky buttons here and there, but I'll let the rice and silica gel do their thing). I hope nothing of importance rusts over before Friday, since on that day I can open it and clean it thoroughly.
UPDATE 5:
Here's a picture as promised.
The system appears to be working properly and the debris stuck below the B button seems to have moved after a bit of shaking action. Played with it for around 10 minutes without hiccups and/or the system shutting off, so I'd say it's pretty safe (for now). I'll be keeping it as far away from humidity as possible since I don't know if there's any surprise water left behind. At least I'm not a brick owner XD
UPDATE 6: Decided to record a video for you guys since the system now appears to be fully working. I'll still try not to play with it too much just in case.
UPDATE 7: It is now Friday, and I managed to open the system! To my surprise, I found little to no corrosion in the system! I also took the time and replaced the (now breaking apart) c-stick with a psp analog nub :)
 
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Death78793

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If you feel okay with opening it, clean all contact or anything that looks like rust with 70% isopropilyc alcool.

Pip'
Thanks, I was intending to do so but I sadly lack the required screwdrivers :/
I have no shortage of experience with exploring and cleaning the innards of my systems so I'd just pop it open and have a look had I had the tools handy.
Maybe a nice pink or blue spandex swimsuit.....mind it'll have to be a large size as it was an XL. Lol.....
Pink matches the red coloring of the system better xD
 
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Thanks, I was intending to do so but I sadly lack the required screwdrivers :/
I have no shortage of experience with exploring and cleaning the innards of my systems so I'd just pop it open and have a look had I had the tools handy.

Pink matches the red coloring of the system better xD
Be careful, every time I read someone opens a 3DS for the first time ends up having trouble closing it back to normal without atleast one thing screwed up.

Pip'
 
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Death78793

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Be careful, every time I read someone opens a 3DS for the first time ends up having trouble closing it back to normal without atleast one thing screwed up.

Pip'
Thanks, I'll look up a guide if need be.
I'm going out on a limb right now but I'd say the MB is potentially safe, since the inside was well protected and the battery/SD card were intact (also the fact that the system was only a second in water); I could just try and replace the screens in a worst case scenario. The buttons and contacts all seem fuctional as of my last test so I just hope the rice and silica gels can suck up as much moisture as possible to keep the MB safe until I can get my tools back.
 

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Think the rice idea was spot on. Lucky you had some handy. You CD also wrap it up well and place it near to a radiator. Not too warm mind you. That WD help to evaporate the moisture that the rice CD not reach......best of luck...with it.....
 
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Death78793

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Be careful, every time I read someone opens a 3DS for the first time ends up having trouble closing it back to normal without atleast one thing screwed up.

Pip'
Forgot to ask; could the system still be salvageable by next Friday? I'm at college right now and hours away from home, and my spring break starts next Friday. I really hope the contacts and especially the MB don't get too rusty :/
Think the rice idea was spot on. Lucky you had some handy. You CD also wrap it up well and place it near to a radiator. Not too warm mind you. That WD help to evaporate the moisture that the rice CD not reach......best of luck...with it.....
Thanks for the suggestion but I guess I won't risk it by putting it near a heat source. PR is a pretty humid, warm place (especially in the city I am currently at) and the natural heat sources are well enough in my opinion; having another heat source near could help the rusting occur faster. Having rice around wasn't a coincidence either since we eat a lot of it here xD
 
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Forgot to ask; could the system still be salvageable by next Friday? I'm at college right now and hours away from home, and my spring break starts next Friday. I really hope the contacts and especially the MB don't get too rusty :/

Thanks for the suggestion but I guess I won't risk it by putting it near a heat source. PR is a pretty humid, warm place (especially in the city I am currently at) and the natural heat sources are well enough in my opinion; having another heat source near could help the rusting occur faster. Having rice around wasn't a coincidence either since we eat a lot of it here xD

ok i see. just im in scotland and its currently mid winter here....enjoi your heat.....lol
 

Death78793

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ok i see. just im in scotland and its currently mid winter here....enjoi your heat.....lol
Haha, thanks! I managed to get a cold with a 70 degree (F) weather so it's not all that great to live through a 90 degree day while having a fever xD
 

Death78793

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Happy to say my console is fully working :)
I'll still be leaving it in the rice+silica baggy for the next couple of days so any possible moisture is extracted. The ZR trigger (for some reason, ZL's working as intended) and the C stick are still a bit finicky and ZR tends to get stuck; any suggestions to why it may be like that? Is it still benefitial to keep it in rice?
 

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To top off my list of crappy things yet to happen to me this week, I left my n3DS XL while I cleaned my dishes and picked it up right after; long story short, my system ended up in a pool of heaping dishwasher water. I immediately took the battery out and it seems to be dry, so is the rest of the console. I have not turned it on since the incident (the system was in water for about 1 and a half seconds) and am panicking. If anyone has any suggestions (I already shook some water out and put it in a bag filled with rice) they'd be greatly appreciated. I'd really appreciate my system not becoming a (very) expensive paperweight.

UPDATE: Turned on the system since I decided to put it with rice and silica gel (as I saw many recommendations for it on the internet) in another bag and it works for the most part. The top screen flickered and turned off at first but then continued to work normally. The 3D effect is working normally, as are all the buttons and the touch screen. As of now the z triggers and the c stick are non-functional but I'll leave it drying for the rest of the night before the next test.
UPDATE 2: going to bed soon so I decided to leave the console in a dry, room temp place. I'll post pictures or a video tomorrow to show any progress. On another note, when I turned on the system last time it shut off semi-abruptly after turning it off via the system power off menu, with a barely audible pop sound coming from the speakers. I've read that it might mean the system shorted out but it could just be that I misplaced the battery a bit and used it w/o the back panel to keep it secured. Any info or possible risks of this are also appreciated. Thanks for all the help!
UPDATE 3: Turned it on just now (about 8 hours with rice and silica gel), the system is fully functional! :D
Even the speakers (which tend to be delicate in this sort of situation) are fully working. The only issue left is a few inconsistencies with the c stick and the zr trigger getting stuck. Any possible fix for this?
UPDATE 4: A blast of cool hair dryer air seems to have fixed the ZR issue. Something appears to have lodged itself between the B button and it's contact so the system won't even recognize me pressing the B button. The rest is in perfectly working order (with some mushy and sticky buttons here and there, but I'll let the rice and silica gel do their thing). I hope nothing of importance rusts over before Friday, since on that day I can open it and clean it thoroughly.
Putting it in rice + Dehumificator + pray. Good luck,and my best wishes.
 

Death78793

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Putting it in rice + Dehumificator + pray. Good luck,and my best wishes.
Thanks, the system's pretty much working for now and that's what really matters.
I'll be leaving it in the rice zip baggy until I can get back home to clean it up.
 

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