Could my water logged cell phone still work?

I have a VX4500 verizon phone

I was at work last October and I dropped the phone in a bucket of water.
It was completely submerged for about 4 seconds,

I pulled it out and removed the battery and proceeded to take it to the bathroom and blow dry it...

hours later I put the battery back on (the red sticker on the back indicating water exposure was activated) and I turned the phone back on.
the screen came up and it worked for about 5 minutes before turning into a white blur, and then powering down,

I got a new phone and they took the numbers off the one I dropped by removing a small plastic cover on the face of my phone and plugging into it,

I broke the new phone and got an old old one for free,.. it's circa 1999...

I charged up the original phone, the one I dropped in water, and when I turned it on to my surprise everything about it was working perfectly the speaker phone, the recorder, the ringers, the screen.

So I got the contacts I needed off of my original phone and a thought occured to me, to test the phone and see if it was still viable for use.

I charged it again and left it in my car and a week later it still worked to my surprise, everything perfectly,...

However, Everytime I open the lid to use anything, the battery instantly loses like two power bars when I close the lid they come back, but phone would be closed with 2/3 power and I'd open it and do stuff with it and within minutes a "WARNING charge low battery" message will pop up...

I am just wondering

1. is the phone still usuable?
2. is the problem exclusively the battery, or could there be a problem with the phone as well?
3. If I replace the battery will the problem be solved?
4. What problems could the removal of the tiny plastic cover on the front cause?
5. If there is any damage to the phone unit, (which I do not believe there is) what can I do to repair it?
6. any suggestions?

I know I could go to verizon and ask them personally,...
But I don't want to get up and drive there, and I'm bored, this is killing time lol,... so please get back to me,...

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Since the battery got wet as well, I would try a new battery. Some Verizon retail stores should carry that particular battery and let you try it in your phone and see if it does the same thing. If it does the same thing, well then its the phone. I'm guessing, you didn't have insurance on the phone?

Originally Posted by Bourn Identity

Since the battery got wet as well, I would try a new battery. Some Verizon retail stores should carry that particular battery and let you try it in your phone and see if it does the same thing. If it does the same thing, well then its the phone. I'm guessing, you didn't have insurance on the phone?

Yeah I did, but that phone was already my first replacement for one I had previously broke,

So I had to get the next replacement which means my insurance was terminated,...

Which is why I had to get the crappy old phone,... do you have any idea about the little plastic plug they take off of the phone to take the contact info out through? Does it present a threat from water? could they replace the plug?

You never allowed the phone to really dry out before powering it back on (after an hour, even with a hair dryer). What you should do in the future should this happen is to get the battery out as soon as possible. Open the phone up as much as possible, and use compressed air to blow as much water out and off any surfaces, and let it air dry for at least 5 days.

As to the problem you are having, it very possible that while it had power it shorted something or caused corrosion on some of the internal contacts, which is either causing a power drain, or getting wet shorted the battery charging part of the phone. Even if you get a newly wet phone dried out as best you can, whatever was in the water, chemicals, soap, etc, can still react with the metal and plastic on the PC boards in the phone.

As Bourn suggests, try a new battery, if that battery still does the same thing, you know the problem is inside the phone. Also if you have a charging stand, see if you can charge the old battery outside of the phone.

Originally Posted by BlkBear1

You never allowed the phone to really dry out before powering it back on (after an hour, even with a hair dryer). What you should do in the future should this happen is to get the battery out as soon as possible. Open the phone up as much as possible, and use compressed air to blow as much water out and off any surfaces, and let it air dry for at least 5 days.

As to the problem you are having, it very possible that while it had power it shorted something or caused corrosion on some of the internal contacts, which is either causing a power drain, or getting wet shorted the battery charging part of the phone. Even if you get a newly wet phone dried out as best you can, whatever was in the water, chemicals, soap, etc, can still react with the metal and plastic on the PC boards in the phone.

As Bourn suggests, try a new battery, if that battery still does the same thing, you know the problem is inside the phone. Also if you have a charging stand, see if you can charge the old battery outside of the phone.

Alright, Thanks a lot guys,...

You may also want to check where the battery and the phone connection points are. As previously mentioned, corrosion may have occured. Check the battery terminal points and also the phone's points. Make sure no corrosion has build up on either of them.

If it looks like there is, take a q-tip dipped in alcohol, and clean both sets of contacts/points.