Fuze player dropped in pile of slush and ice -- not working now -- any hope??

MP3 players Sansa Fuze
1

My daughter dropped her brand-new Fuze player into a pile of slush/ice/water on Sunday. The computer still recognizes it but when I try to turn it on, it says “Please unlock the hold switch to power on” and “system shutdown” then goes off. Obviously, if I’m turning it on, the lock switch is not on. Is there any hope for this at all? Anyone have a similar experience. I called support and they had me try some things but no luck. Thanks.

Lisa

2

Put it in a Container with Rice first plug up the micro SD slot. Let it sit for a few days to dry out.

3

Oh NO! Well, there are worse things it could have been dropped in like a pile of  . . . :dizzy_face:

Uh, uh; ain’t gonna say it. But if you were raised on a farm like I was, you’ll know what I’m talking about. There’s a reason why farmers wear boots!

And no amount of rice is gonna help with THAT! :smileyvery-happy:

4

Well, it is possible. Like mentioned before, drying it out is possible to help, but, it depends on what was in the slush. If any road salt, melter is there, then the residue commonly causes corrosion. Over time things get worse. You should not have turned it on until you are sure it is thoroughly dry. If something shorts, think water & electric, you can do permanent damage, like the hold switch shorted so even if the rest works it thinks it is always on hold anyway. If you can open it and dry things completely and reassemble it correctly, you may save it. I don’t know how hard it is to open the Fuze.

<<taps>>

5

sorry to hear…

stories like this are why i never wanted to shell out $150+ for a DMP (like an IPOD)

$80 for the FUZE is a nice price point. not quite disposable but tolerable to swallow if/when i break/loose it.

6

Mine was drowned during a tube ride down the Chukka Chukka River in Jamaica.  **bleep** ziplock bag did not work!!  Any way, it only works when the usb is plugged in.  Can the battery be changed on this thing?

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@ancksunamun wrote:

Mine was drowned during a tube ride down the Chukka Chukka River in Jamaica.  **bleep** ziplock bag did not work!!  Any way, it only works when the usb is plugged in.  Can the battery be changed on this thing?

Sorry to here about that. The Fuze can be taken apart and disassembled (see here for tips & pictures), but I believe the battery has soldered connections (see last photo), rather than plugging in like a cell phone battery on the e200 series. For some, soldering the wires would be no problem, but finding a replacement would be difficult. You might be able to find a DOA unit (like with a bad LCD for instance) on E-Bay to scavange.

Chances are though, that if you take it apart, there is some moisture somewhere shorting it out. I’d try taking it apart as far as I could, then sealing it up with dry rice for a week or so to soak up any residual dampness. That may be your only problem.

9

@lisamc wrote:

My daughter dropped her brand-new Fuze player into a pile of slush/ice/water on Sunday. The computer still recognizes it but when I try to turn it on, it says “Please unlock the hold switch to power on” and “system shutdown” then goes off. Obviously, if I’m turning it on, the lock switch is not on. Is there any hope for this at all? Anyone have a similar experience. I called support and they had me try some things but no luck. Thanks.

 

Lisa

 

The power switch button is near the bottom and it’s locked.  You need to hold it up for a few seconds.  I accidentally lock mine a lot.

I would do the rice thing first.