Disasembled android got electrocuted with no power to phone

[fixius]

I disasembled an android that would only go to charging screen if being charged. Figured it was bricked buy i decided to check all connections first. The phone hadnt been plugged in for a long time and the battery was out for hours. I'm not 100% certain what part electrocuted me buy as i was laying down the motherboard i started to feel tingles in my finger and a minute or so later the tingle had speak to 4 fingers. I'm freaked out to even pick it up again and start connecting things before i find out what the he'll happened? It should have had 0 power. Help!

 

[nahoku]

Welcome to electronics! Probably was a capacitor(s) that discharged though your fingers. I doubt there's enough power stored in a smart phone to really hurt you. Just because there's no battery, or AC attached to an electronic device doesn't mean there's no charge being stored in some components. Its good to be adventurous, but beware of what you work on. Luckily it wasn't a camera flash or you might have had a very worse experience.

 

[metllicamilitia]

Electricity just needs a conduit and closed circuit. You could have accidentally closed an electrical circuit with your fingers and whatever power was there started traveling through your fingers.

 

[fixius]

Welcome to electronics! Probably was a capacitor(s) that discharged though your fingers. I doubt there's enough power stored in a smart phone to really hurt you. Just because there's no battery, or AC attached to an electronic device doesn't mean there's no charge being stored in some components. Its good to be adventurous, but beware of what you work on. Luckily it wasn't a camera flash or you might have had a very worse experience.

Ok so what kind of precautions should I be taking so I'm safe when I reassemble or for in the future? I had absolutely no idea that something like that could happen with no external power source. Do you think it was something I did or maybe grease on my fingers or something or was it just a fluke or do you think this could have been part of the reason that it only comes on when being charged?

 

[fixius]

Electricity just needs a conduit and closed circuit. You could have accidentally closed an electrical circuit with your fingers and whatever power was there started traveling through your fingers.

Ok so what kind of precautions should I be taking so I'm safe when I reassemble or for in the future? I had absolutely no idea that something like that could happen with no external power source. Do you think it was something I did or maybe grease on my fingers or something or was it just a fluke or do you think this could have been part of the reason that it only comes on when being charged?

 

[metllicamilitia]

Just be careful when handling it, only grab the edges if possible. You can even take a couple coins and press them on both sides of a battery and it will heat up and vent. All you can do is handle the electronics with care, removing all possible power sources before handling is always a safe bet. As for why it shocked you, humans are just batteries themselves, full of electrical impulses. That's why defibrillators can be used to jump start someone's heart. That also makes very easy for electricity to pass through.

 

[nahoku]

Ok so what kind of precautions should I be taking so I'm safe when I reassemble or for in the future? I had absolutely no idea that something like that could happen with no external power source. Do you think it was something I did or maybe grease on my fingers or something or was it just a fluke or do you think this could have been part of the reason that it only comes on when being charged?

It's not a "fluke" at all... it's normal that electronic components can store a charge (enough to shock you) even laying around for months without power... or sometimes years, depending on what it is. As metllicamilitia mentioned, just handle the board by the edges, if possible. What you felt was just a low level discharge, so nothing to worry about... and it's really nothing you did. Stuff like this just happens and if you're not used to it, or not even aware it can happen, it can cause understandable alarm. Its a good lesson though so you'll be more careful if you decide to work on anything "bigger".

As for it only coming on while charging, I have no idea. Could be a bad connection, the battery, the charging circuit, or even the motherboard. Too many possibilities actually. You're doing the right thing checking the connections, so hopefully it'll work after you put it back together.

 

[fixius]

It's not a "fluke" at all... it's normal that electronic components can store a charge (enough to shock you) even laying around for months without power... or sometimes years, depending on what it is. As metllicamilitia mentioned, just handle the board by the edges, if possible. What you felt was just a low level discharge, so nothing to worry about... and it's really nothing you did. Stuff like this just happens and if you're not used to it, or not even aware it can happen, it can cause understandable alarm. Its a good lesson though so you'll be more careful if you decide to work on anything "bigger".

As for it only coming on while charging, I have no idea. Could be a bad connection, the battery, the charging circuit, or even the motherboard. Too many possibilities actually. You're doing the right thing checking the connections, so hopefully it'll work after you put it back together.

Thanks, I was actually electrocuted pretty good once where my entire body froze for about two seconds but my mind was ok in those 2 seconds. I was completely paralyzed and even though it wasn't for such a short tine the second I came too tears just started pouring down my eyes..and I'm not a Cryer. Really surprising how scary it is. Even though I was just my hand this time, it sent this vague flashback feeling all through me. Anyway yes..it'll definitely be more careful...and I certain is soft bricked. I'm just having a he'll of a time getting the drivers fully installed so u thought I'd try the connections for now.
Thanks guys