Photographer's iPad Pro 11" fell in swimming pool. Extensive water damage with corrosion on logic board. Ultrasonic cleaning, micro-soldering repairs, and component replacement saved RM 4,200 device.
Before & After Results
iPad Pro completely dead after pool submersion
Heavy corrosion on logic board from chlorinated water
Charging IC shorted - device drawing 0.3A with no boot
Critical client wedding photos not backed up to iCloud
Apple refused repair - quoted RM 4,199 for out-of-warranty replacement
Logic board restored with ultrasonic cleaning and micro-soldering
All components tested - Face ID, cameras, speakers working
100% data recovery - 2 years of wedding photos preserved
Charging and power management fully functional
Device running iOS 17 smoothly with no issues
Step-by-Step Timeline
Customer brought iPad in Ziploc bag with rice (which we don't recommend). Immediately opened device to prevent further corrosion. Disconnected battery and photographed all corrosion points for repair planning.
Removed display, cameras, speakers, and all components from logic board. Documented each connector for reassembly. Protected Face ID module in anti-static bag as it cannot be replaced.
Submerged logic board in ultrasonic cleaner with 99% isopropyl alcohol for 15 minutes. This removes chlorine, minerals, and corrosion residue from between chips. Changed solution 3 times until clean.
Under microscope at 40x magnification, identified damaged components: U3100 charging IC with corrosion, J4900 display connector with green oxidation, and P3100 power rail trace damage.
Used hot air station at 350°C to remove corroded U3100 charging IC. Cleaned pads with solder wick. Micro-soldered new SN2501 charging IC using low-temp solder paste and reflow.
J4900 connector pins were corroded beyond cleaning. Desoldered entire 50-pin connector and replaced with new component. Each pin hand-soldered under microscope to ensure perfect connections.
Found broken trace in P3100 power rail feeding main CPU. Used 38AWG jumper wire to bridge the break. Applied UV-cure solder mask for insulation and protection.
Connected power supply in current-limited mode. Device drew normal 0.07A in standby. Connected display and battery - iPad booted to lock screen! Tested all components systematically.
Customer unlocked iPad. Immediately backed up 87GB of photos to Mac via Finder. Verified all 2,340 photos and 45 videos intact. Customer emotional seeing wedding photos thought lost forever.
Reassembled iPad with new adhesive. Tested Face ID (working), rear cameras (working), speakers, microphones, and charging. Ran full diagnostic suite - all systems operational.
Lead Micro-Soldering Specialist
"Every repair I complete is done with the same care and precision I'd want for my own device. Your trust is my responsibility."
— Dr. Alex Wong
Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
"I'm a wedding photographer and my iPad Pro has 2 years of client work. I dropped it in the pool and it died instantly. Apple said it's not repairable and wanted RM 4,199 for a replacement. Dr. Wong spent 2 days doing micro-soldering on the logic board and recovered EVERYTHING. All my photos are safe. I cried tears of joy. Worth every sen of the RM 1,299. He literally saved my business."
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