The results of rescuing a kitten.

[rygD]

This thread reassures me that cats do odd, disgusting stuff, and that one of mine, who has been known to let everyone know what is his with actions like this, is not just an asshole.  I also have a dog that once chewed up some extremely important paperwork.  It feels like no one will take you seriously when you tell them "my dog ate it".  Similar embarrassment is probably present when saying "my cat pissed on it". 

I can't speak for ED, but my guess is that people who do repairs would prefer the damaging liquid be removed quickly, but Midi was in an odd spot, with concern for the warranty.  It is cool that ED is willing to help out.  I think most would say "Nope, get a new one".

Best of luck to everyone involved in this repair.  The cat probably wasn't trying to be mean.

ED, would it be possible to get future warranties to include something that allows one to open their device (for mods or repairs) with a caveat that any damage caused by this will not be covered?  For example, if you open the device and damage the case while trying to swap out LEDs, the case, LEDs and any damage caused by changing the LEDs aren't covered, but if you are having issues with the screen that aren't related to disassembly, it would still be covered.  That may be asking a lot, but it seems it would prevent people from being scared to open their Pandora/Pyra for minor things.  Then again, you don't want people with no knowledge or common sense opening it, then asking for free repairs when they ship you a box of parts that you have no clue what could have been damaged by various means...  

 

[thatgui]

ED, would it be possible to get future warranties to include something that allows one to open their device (for mods or repairs) with a caveat that any damage caused by this will not be covered?  For example, if you open the device and damage the case while trying to swap out LEDs, the case, LEDs and any damage caused by changing the LEDs aren't covered, but if you are having issues with the screen that aren't related to disassembly, it would still be covered.  That may be asking a lot, but it seems it would prevent people from being scared to open their Pandora/Pyra for minor things.  Then again, you don't want people with no knowledge or common sense opening it, then asking for free repairs when they ship you a box of parts that you have no clue what could have been damaged by various means...  

As far as I'm aware,while it is not official policy, its how ED "practically" handles RMA cases.

 

[Kelvin]

Well, new problem. The screws inside those two deeper holes on the back, on the side opposite to the shoulder buttons, seem to be stripped, so I can't get them open. I dunno how I'm gonna get in there. I'm looking online for a way now.

 

[double7]

The offical, but unoffical case opening video can be found here.

You may open and clean the display case too. If you have trouble to get clean alcohol on drugstores, try music shops with vinyl LPs. They use pure alcohol for cleaning the disks.

And thanks for teaching us life. Pandora users should never, under any circumstances, try to rescue kittens.

No, i'm kidding. She sure were just sad about craigs iCatrolpad...

 

[mcobit]

I think you should send it to EvilDragon if you cannot even unscrew it.


Those screws need to be handled carefully with the right bit as the material they are made of is not that sturdy.

 

[Kelvin]

Turns out you don't gotta unscrew them all the way to open the back, anyway. I've just cleaned the inside, using rubber gloves to keep any salt from my fingers getting in it, and right now I've got a blow dryer with the heat off blowing on it. In a few hours, I'll stick it together and see how it runs. Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[mcobit]

Good luck.

 

[Kelvin]

Well, it's running and charging again, but... ugh, I screwed up; the screen isn't turning on anymore! >_<

 

[Granitehead]

Well, it's running and charging again, but... ugh, I screwed up; the screen isn't turning on anymore! >_<

Open it up again and check whether you definitely inserted the LCD cable correctly (i.e. as far as possible). Then I think there is some component on the PCB which you could have broken off accidentally (ED could fix this, or if you solder well you too) or the LCD cable could have slipped out on the other end, in the lid, to check this you would also need to open the lid.

 

[comradekingu]

If you have some inhouse insurance i think it would be covered, something to investigate though.

Some people have insurance that cover their children too.

 

[Granitehead]

If you have some inhouse insurance i think it would be covered, something to investigate though.

Some people have insurance that cover their children too.

Some people actually insure their children too, so they have their very own insurance, for the case where damage by rabid rescued kitty isn't covered for children but just for household articles.

But yes, I guess there might exist some insurance like this. I guess. Maybe. If you pay a lot.

 

[Kelvin]

I've never soldered before. As for inhouse insurance, I've never even heard of it, to be honest. I'll check and see if anything came loose. Since I was able to get it clean enough to run again, do you think the warranty will cover it now? Or is it still void?

 

[Wally]

Warranty still won't cover it given the possibility that the acidity of the urine may have still caused damaged.

Try insurance (Although premiums may be too high).

 

[Kelvin]

I don't have insurance, and I can't get insurance on something that's already broken. Besides, isn't warranty basically just a form of insurance, anyway? Who's to say that if I had gotten it insured that this type of damage would be covered? Unless someone knows of someone who insures this kind of item, cuz honestly, the only insurance companies I know of only cover vehicles and homes (in terms of property, that is. I never see ads for any other posessions).

 

[EvilDragon]

Please make a picture of your PCB and post it here, so we can look for the issue.

 

[rygD]

I have insurance that includes coverage of electronics.  I am not sure if something like this situation would be covered, but they do cover damage caused by some pretty extreme circumstances.  In the past I decided that it made more sense to replace than make a claim since the premium would go up, and in the long run the cost would have been more.  In that instance it was a laptop (thermal damage), and they required that I pay out of pocket to have it looked at by someone else who ran a proper business doing computer repair.  They would pay to repair it, or if that wasn't possible they would give me some money to replace it.  I don't remember what other factors were involved, and how much less than what I paid I would get, but it was a lot of paperwork and running around, with a good chance of me not being satisfied with the outcome.  

I figure ED would be legitimate enough for them if I ever needed a Pandora repair/replacement.  

None of this really helps you now, but, if it is something you might consider, look into it.  It probably isn't worth it if you don't have other things that you want coverage for.

 

[Kelvin]

Well, I can't get a picture of the PCB because, guess what? I can't get the casing off again! Yup, it's stuck. And with the way Pandora's screws are set in so deep into such narrow holes, I doubt I'll be able to use any of the stripped screw treatmesnts I've found online to fix it. Also, I thought maybe the cable was just still wet, so after trying to redry it just to see, I put in the battery and turned it on, then noticed I smelled burning plastic, which means something inside is shorted out and is causing it to overheat.

I think my Pandora's just dead. Thanks for the advice, everyone, but I'm just gonna have to face it. I can either wait for the Pyra or see if I can find a used Pandora on eBay.

 

[levi]

Ach, that's bad news.


I assume your case has the same problem I had - that the wells the screws sit in are actually slightly too small for the screw heads, so that as you unscrew them it holds the screw head in place. I was very cautions of breaking the threads in the plastic upper, so instead I ended up rounding out the screw head, if you know what I mean. I had to drill out the existing screws (very carefully, using a hand drill), poke out the remains of the screw heads and scrape the inside of the hole to remove a little paint/plastic using a drill bit freehand. Then I had to buy new screws to replace the ones I'd destroyed.


But since your pandora now sounds like it may well be toast, I'm not sure I'd recommend going to those lengths.

 

[EvilDragon]

The screws easily wear out if you're not using the correct screwdriver and the heads strip if you tighten them too much.


What's the problem sending the Pandora back for a repair? Normal signed mail shipping shouldn't be too expensive...?

 

[ekianjo]

The screws easily wear out if you're not using the correct screwdriver and the heads strip if you tighten them too much.

I have had problems with screws as well on my Rebirth when I opened it. One of them got damaged during reassembly.

Will you be using a different set of screws for the Pyra, btw?