Won't charge but will turn on and off. Why?

Hi,

Drying it may not have been enough.

The impurities in the water causes corrosion and provides circuit paths for the electricity which were not in the game console’s operating design and could damage the components. The corrosion starts immediately and is ongoing until it has been properly cleaned away.

First do not try to charge or to turn on your console and then you need to remove the battery as soon as possible to prevent any further damage.

Then you need to dis-assemble the rest of the console and clean all the affected parts using Isopropyl Alcohol 99%+ (available from electronics parts stores) to remove all traces of corrosion and water. If possible, do not use "rubbing alcohol" as in some cases this is <70% IPA, can contain additives which may leave conductive residues and is not as effective. If you do have to use it, check the label to verify the amount of IPA. The higher the % of IPA the better

Here is a link that describes the process.

Electronics Water Damage

As always with electronics, especially surface mounted pcb be gentle when handling and especially when brushing away the corrosion. You do not want to remove any components from the boards.

Hopefully after you have done all this the console might possibly work correctly again.

Here is a link to the ifixit Game Boy Micro guide(s) which may be of some help.

If this process seems too daunting, take your console to a reputable, professional electronics repair service, experienced in water damage repair and ask for a quote for a repair.