I can only dial 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4

Well, my pile of shit RAZR has almost given up the ghost. Is that a phrase? Well, I just googled it and indeed it is. The damn phone had a cracked outer LCD and a mold-like dead spot on the display within about two weeks of owning it.

The navigation buttons don’t work. The call and hang up buttons do work. I can only dial 0,1,2,3, and 4. So, I guess I can always call information and get through. Only the upper half of the cursor keys work, so I can’t access the phone book as far as I can tell.

Oddly enough, I can call both my best buds in Denver (404 area code) who have phone numbers including the long distance 1, that consist of numbers less than or equal to 4. I hope I don’t need to call the cops, since 911 won’t work. I suppose I can call 411 or 0 and have them patch me through. My friend has agreed to forward my calls. I’m thinking about having a pizza delivered. I wonder how long his wife will tolerate this.

Who can you call with a only the digits 0-4?

112, the international emergency code, should still work, even in North America… if you are on a GSM network.

Hmm, if your 5 worked, you could have called me!

In Canada, you could call 310-10-10, Pizza Hut!

I assume you got it used? Mine is over 2 years old, works perfectly.

Hmmm, I can dial Pizza Hut in Calgary (1-403-310-1010). That seems to be the only area code that I can dial in Canada. I wonder if they’ll deliver to SoCal.

Nope, brand new.

Does anyone have any suggestions for repair. I’m thinking about trying to soak the thing in 91% isopropyl alcohol. The phone’s useless, so I guess it can’t hurt. I’m thinking that one conductor in the keypad interface has gone open as there is a curious subset of buttons that still function.

Isn’t it under warranty still?

I can’t call anyone using just 0-4. But does your address book work? If that were the case, that would just mean you can’t make any new friends. You’re stuck with the people you already know.

Um, you can still call your friends in Denver, but keep in mind it’s 303, not 404… unless it is 720… which these days, about half of Denver is.

Thanks, 303 it is!

Unfortunately, only the up cursor and left cursor work, and neither the select or exit buttons work, thus apparently negating the ability to use my address book.

There must be some kind of warranty, which almost certainly would become invalidated by immersing it in any kind of liquid. I believe there’s a liquid detecting dot of some kind in it that changes color when it gets wet.

That’s too bad. On my phone, once I navigate to the person in the phone book, just hitting the call button dials them.

Man, that sucks.

I know this seems like a radical idea, but hear me out: maybe it’s time for a new phone??

I’m definitely getting a new phone tomorrow. My two year plan is up, so I can just get a new plan and phone. My nerd curiosity wants me to try the isopropyl alcohol thing. I’ve really got nothing to lose.

You can also call numbers in Manitoba: area code 204.

Or you could do like I did about two years ago and chuck the phone through the laundry. I didn’t know it was there until it was shaken out of a pocket in the dryer and it started banging around.

I let it dry in our oven’s warming drawer for a couple days - about as hot a a parked car in summer - and other than water spots in the main display, it still works perfectly.

Yes, the sticker is a beautiful bright red now.

But can’t you use your address book by entry number?

Then you could call your your 4 best friends and your 10th-14th best friends and so on.

Or you could call parts of Ohio. 1-330 and 1-234…