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What hope drying out a '96 key?

OK it's my fault. I admit it.

The dive club were at the swimming pool and, as I was packing up, it occurred to me that if I ran outside with the rebreather on I could pop it in the Rangie much more easily than put it down, change, pick it up still rather wet and carry it out.

It worked but running about in a shortie wetsuit on a cold Brighton evening meant I was going oh oh oh when I got back inside. So I jumped back in the pool.

Still holding the car keys.

So they are now sitting on my bench having the battery pulled out and have been sprayed inside with nice electrical lubricant to displace any water but I had to play combination lock to get home....

Will they survive? Any idea what replacements costs? How can I be so stupid? etc....

nigelH

Reply to
Nigel Hewitt
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If you pulled the battery out sharpish, you should be alright - just dry them out.

Steve

Reply to
steve

Probably too late now, but I've salvaged a mobile phone by removing the battery, dunking the whole phone into a bucket of methylated spirits & then blowing dry with an airline - this after someone was pushed into my salt water swimming pool while the phone was in his pocket.

Dismantling helps, in order to get to as many components as possible with the drying process.

An English swimming pool is probably much less corrosive so you may well have a chance, having removed the battery quick - electrolysis does the damage, of course.

Karen

Reply to
Karen Gallagher

In article , Nigel Hewitt writes

Might have done more harm than good with WD40 (or whatever). Next time:

  1. Take the batteries out ASAP
  2. wash with copious amounts of clean water
  3. dry thoroughly (on a radiator or similar) for several days
  4. attempt revival with fresh batteries.

You might pick up at [2] by using a bit of cheap shampoo or photographic wetting agent to clean off the spray (don't use washing up liquid as it's got glycerine in it to make the plates shiny), then rinse thoroughly.

As long as you get the traces of chlorinated water out of the switches without allowing it to cause corrosion, it ought to come back to life.

YMMV, naturally.

Regards,

Simonm.

Reply to
SpamTrapSeeSig

I'd be surprised if you could get it going, but you never know.

I think they are in the region of £80, main dealer order only. Don't be conned into buying one from eBay, you can't reprogram them to your vehicle.

My grandfather dunked his very expensive video camera into the river when he fell over - he put the wrong hand down to steady himself - saving the tripod in his other hand! He managed to revive it mostly just by drying it with a hair dryer for several hours.

Same trick didn't work on my mobile phone though when my wife put it through the washing machine - TWICE!

Good luck,

Matt.

Reply to
Matthew Maddock

Wifey put my merc one through the washer - washed it thoroughly in distilled water and dried it out and with a new battery it's been fine for the last 18 or so months.

Did the same with a laptop that was badly smoke damaged. Amazing really.

Reply to
Buzby

And rather a lot of salt as a water softening agent...

But yes for things dunked, power down by removing power sources, (don't forget backup batteries), dismantle as much as possible, wash with plenty of clean water, dry off as much as you can, put somewhere warm (airing cupboard or such like) for 48 hrs.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

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