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Before we were so rudely interrupted in the original thread, we were discussing the G1 hardware keyboard replacements. Please folks, if you must flame each other do it via PMs to avoid locking legitimate threads.
I've been able to find some inexpensive after market replacements on eBay, but still am not sure how difficult it is to actually do that. All the sites I've been able to find on the subject only provide time-lapse dis-assembly instructions of the entire phone. If anyone has done the replacement themselves, I'd greatly appreciate pointers on how to keep my phone operational after I put it back together.
I replaced the white keyboard in my Dream with a black one. It was a scary operation as it takes a bit of force to dismantle. I accidently pulled my antenna off and disconnected a flylead. ment my phone had no signal at all. later when i got home (did it in work ) i took it apart again and fixed it.
Take your time and have patience, alot of it is plastic and clipped together so requires a bit of force.
May I ask what is wrong with the keys on the bronze one? I did a quick skim of the old post and gather that you can't see the keys in daylight but I don't get why?
I'm just genuinely interested, I have a black G1 so never had such a problem.
brummiesteven said:
May I ask what is wrong with the keys on the bronze one? I did a quick skim of the old post and gather that you can't see the keys in daylight but I don't get why?
I'm just genuinely interested, I have a black G1 so never had such a problem.
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It's the combination of silver keys with light-silver backlight that make the lettering almost impossible to see in day light conditions. I'd take a picture if I had a camera with me today. Whoever came up with that color combination should be fired. Or at least made to stare at it every day for the next year. I have to tilt the keyboard at a weird angle just to distinguish the letters. From what I understand the white G1s suffer from the same problem.
The "Backlight Off" app definitely helps as it lets you toggle the backlight with a keyboard shortcut. I'm looking for a more hardware solution though.
I've been thinking about changing keyboards and housings too. But from what ppl are saying it seems to be pretty exhaustive. Do any of you guys have the service manual? I DL'ed it from somewhere and it goes through each step of disassembly and also shows assembly. I'm sure it would help out to give an idea of what you need. But like I said, even having read the service manual, it's still quite scary.
A full housing from my understanding is a bitc(....doing the KB I can see why. The LCD portions look ridiculously complex in comparison to other phones.
That said if you have the proper tools , good organization or memory , steady hands and patience really shouldnt be "that" tough to do the keyboard.
Heres the thing. Its really not that hard to unscrew things etc...but the piece you need to move in order to get proper access to the KB has 2 ribbons that are a PAIN IN THE ASS to take off and put back properly. Theres so little room for error.If youve never worked with ribbons before BE CAREFUL.
I will say G1 is pretty unique in how its put together , I swear they were determined to make it as complicated as possible
The really pain in the ass part is that the online manual/guide will merely tell you something like "remove part A" but no explanation how. Theres also 2 screws I swear it glossed over leading to frustration when I did the trackball/front keys.
Torx 5 and really good mini screw driver are mandatory.
Nice lil workstation is really helpful..(masking tape ,towel , table lamp or LED headlamp , vitamin/pill cases etc)
Im no mechanical engineer but Ive opened up damn near everything Ive ever owned at some point. Took me a solid 3 hours from start to finish. With major time spent on organizing the screws pieces and those damn ribbons.
I will say the black KB makes a HUGE difference. Black key on the front arent necessary but do look better and add much needed contrast.
KOF33 said:
I will say the black KB makes a HUGE difference. Black key on the front arent necessary but do look better and add much needed contrast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pics, or it didn't happen
Thanks for the tips!
Chahk said:
Pics, or it didn't happen
Thanks for the tips!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As you can see I also replaced the trackball with a glowing white one.
lol at the trackball
doing a case swap is only bad the first time LMAO. I learned a lot, like for example the brass inserts that the screws go into...are not pre-installed. You must CUT Them out of the old housing and HAMMER them into the new oneBut in the end, it turned out very nice.
As far as just replacing the keyboard, it isnt too bad actually once you know what screws hold what down!
-Remove the 6 torx screws for the back housing
-GENTLY pry open the TOP of the casing with a plastic case tool, work your way down to the bottom of the housing. The bottom is a PITA to remove. I usually get it by rocking it gently back and forth
-remove the long and short coax leads from the motherboard side. swing them out of the way
-peel back the tape and GENTLY pull the bottom connector (mouthpiece module) from the motherboard.
-peel back more tape and lift the latch for the keyboard connector (the one on the side)
-Peel the camera module up SLOWLY (it is double side taped down) as well as the imei card. The cam cable is routed under it, lift it all as a unit. When you get to the motherboard, STOP
-Now, gently twist the whole camera and motherboard unit as a whole until it is free of the latch on the side. Gently lift the camera end exposing the 2 small ribbon connectors on the bottom.
-Peel back the tape and GENTLY lift the ribbon connectors out of the board. Place the motherboard/camera unit to the side for now.
-Remove all the black and silver screws for the metal piece. The lcd should stay in place as the mouthpiece plastics kinda hold it for you, but you should still support it to keep from hurting the connections.
-Viola, keyboard access. Remember when you put it back together be sure to re-tape all the connections, else when you drop your phone one of them may pop loose.
Keeping the motherboard and camera/imea plate all as one module saves you from a very difficult connection and will help you keep everything aligned when reassembling it.
I guess the spacebar has 2 functioning buttons, (left and right) ... well my right side just konked on me, and i was wondering if a replacement keyboard off ebay will fix this, or are they just the button "covers"?
the "buttons" are just plastic nubs that make contact on a board behind it. That board would be what you need. I dont know if there are any on eBay, but I have a spare one if you want to PM me for details.
I dropped my G1 about 6 months ago and was devastated. After entirely too much research I finally got the guts to purchase a replacement digitizer and managed to install it successfully. However, in the process I managed to rip the LCD ribbon cable. I then had to order a replacement LCD screen. I've also damaged one of the black ribbon cables pretty severely causing the touchscreen to become unresponsive sporadically. I've just placed an order for one of those ribbon cables and will hopefully have that up and running soon. I've also purchased an entire new housing unit to rebuild the phone to make it look as new.
Now when I first took this thing apart I was by NO MEANS an expert or have ever done something like this before. I'm just an avid enthusiast who wanted to save a little money, feel a sense of accomplishment and to learn a few things along the way. I technically paid nearly the same amount of money it would have cost me to send the unit to HTC for repair, however i've learned everything there is to know about my phone's hardware. I know which board does what and are extremely confident about fixing ANY hardware problem in the future.
If you have the time, patience, and truly want to become confident about the workings of your phone, then I highly recommend fixing it yourself. I've bought my parts for VERY cheap off of reputable ebay buyers. You can find EVERY single piece for your phone on Ebay. My LCD has 1 dead pixel, but I guess that's the risk you take when you buy really cheap parts.
Hope this helps.
I replaced my screen after I broke it by following the instructions in this pdf guide: (New user, so I cant post links, sorry!) His site begins with rdtk, perhaps you have seen it.
The guide refers to a 'brown part that can flip up' when removing the digitizer cable connection but I couldn't see it. However his photos show it clearly:
(New user, cant post links, sorry!)
However I didn't find those photos until after I had reassembled it.
The Streak boots OK (so the on/off button works!) but gets to the screen where I have to enter a pin code and I then discovered that the screen is unresponsive to touch input. So I cant get past the pin code screen. The screen itself is working fine but is no longer touch responsive.
I have removed the case a couple of times, but the brown flip part is clearly missing and I wonder was it always missing or did I break it.
The cable seems a fairly loose fit so perhaps without the flip up part it is not making a good connection.
Any ideas how I can fix this predicament?
Thanks, Bernie.
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A
Maybe try removing your new screen and comparing it with old make sure all connections are the same, also check all connections are secure just incase something aint slotted right
Sent from my Dell Streak using xda premium
The clip thing is defo there, Ive done it loads of times, the thing does go in quite tight, but maybe you ripped out the old screen without unclipping it, and in turn the old connector had broke off inside the clip, and its blocking the connection to he new screen?
No, the old cable is intact and there's nothing blocking the connector. I suspect I misunderstood the instructions I was following and ripped out the ribbon without unclamping the flip up brown clamp, I was trying to flip up what I thought he was referring to but now see it was just part of the cable. Thus I damaged the clamp and it's now gone. I suspect that my problem is that the ribbon cable is now not being held securely, so in a desperate bid to save this I think I will try and make a tiny wedge and wedge it on top of the cable to press it down securely onto the contacts in the connector.
If I could source a bricked Streak, I might be able to salvage the brown clips and re-use them but chances of getting one in Australia are low.
i had the same problem, just get a sturdy business card and cut it up into a little piece and use that to wedge it on top of the cable
Thanks illa, I will try that.
I am here to kneel before you.
I did the exact same thing due to following a guide that didn't really emphasize this very important point about the clamps.
At first I wasn't sure.I thought I had just screwed up or may be my replacement screen was bad.
Upon closer inspection I broke two of the clamps,and noticed that the one that attaches to the digitizer was just a little loose. Sure enough the biz card wedge did the trick.
Thank you !
So as many people here know, the rear camera is a sore point on the Transformer Prime, in that it's known to go bad early and often. Not to beat a dead horse, here's how we fix the situation:
Replacing the rear camera module:
Yes it seems logical that this would be all you would need, but I've just confirmed myself that in fact it is only the camera module with a problem. The main issue with the fix is FINDING a good camera. I was a bit discouraged on my first attempt as I bought a rear camera on ebay listed as "working" from a parted out Transformer Prime only to go to the hassle of installing it and it not working. I can't say I was surprised, but after trying to find one for so long I took the chance. Upon recieving my refund, I purchased another rear webcam that surprisingly also surfaced. The seller for this second camera had TONS of feedback, and mostly products with the word "foxconn" in the title, indicating this guy seems to have a line on foxconn surplus parts, which for us is awesome. The camera I received appears to be brand new and fired up immediately! Not trying to push a particular seller but since many people are probably looking for this part, I'll post the link http://www.ebay.com/itm/Asus-Eee-Pa...?pt=US_Tablet_Accessories&hash=item416a33f1f9. The seller is skyline27 and he appears to have one left right now (I bought the second). NOW, enough theory, onto the howto.
HOWTO (the good stuff)
0. Turn off Tablet (thanks whycali)
1. Remove screen as instructed in other disassembly threads (wifi fix threads, etc) Advice for this includes working from the bottom first, being vary carefly to NEVER use the pry tool at either the latch holes or the bottom port, as these very thin pieces of aluminum will bend. Get your tool in (heh heh) to the left or right of these "holes" in the case, then slide the tool sideways past them to avoid prying outwards. Get the entire bottom free, then slowly work up the sides with your plastic tools/credit card. When you get to the top, try gently pulling the screen "Down" or the port. You can also pull up like the rest, but when I disassembled I saw what looked like "hooks" that made me want to slide the top out last by pulling it towards the dock port.
1.2 (I forgot) Flip switch on right side of motherboard (top board) that will disconnect power to the motherboard before disconnecting the battery. Don't forget to switch it back when finished, or it won't turn on. (thanks whycali)
1.5 (I forgot) unscrew and remove flash and microphone at top
2. You can either disconnect the screen ribbon cable from the motherboard *top board* (makes your life easier) or simply set the screen upside down, rotated 90, and to the left of the opened prime. This allows the cables to sit fairly easily, though since you'll be removing the motherboard anyways it may be easier to unplug
3. Unscrew 8 battery screws, carefully unplug wide connector (I used precision flathead to the left and right of plug as to not 'yank'). Set battery aside.
4. Be sure every cable is unplugged from the Motherboard. This includes a small battery on the left side, the power button/volume cable top left, as well as the speaker cable on the right side.
5. Remove all motherboard screws. Be sure you get them all, you don't want to snap the motherboard in half in a minute because we'll be pulling against a little adhesive.
6. Be careful. REMOVE MOTHERBOARD This is the step you're most likely to have an issue, but it's still really easy. Time to remove the motherboard. This is easy if you know what to expect.
6a Both cameras are slightly adhesived into their holes, also plugged to back of motherboard. You can either try and pull these with the mobo, or let them stay where they are and pull them out later (probably easier for beginners)
6b There is a thermal pad about 1/3 away from the left where the CPU is. It is a bit adhesive, but not too much
6c MOST IMPORTANT - The motherboard is sort of "sandwiched" into the ports on the sides. That is, it doesn't want to pull straight up and out, the hdmi and headphone jacks are in the way. I believe it's very easy to break the HDMI and/or headphone jack here, yet I haven't yet. 2 ways to approach, one is to pull the side of the tablet outward slightly at the headphone jack to slide it up, allowing you to lift that side of the board, then sliding to the right to clear the hdmi. The second method which I prefer, is pulling up on the mobo from the center, causing the outer edges to pull inward slightly as the board flexes a bit. Choose whichever you prefer
7. Replace the camera. If you're this far along, I really shouldn't have to explain this. The front and rear sit side by side, your front is probably good, there's a piece of tape over the connectors, pull up, replace rear, make sure plugged in firmly on both, replace tape.
Installation is reverse of removal. I recommend plugging the screen ribbon (and all ribbon cables) into the motherboard before reinstalling it, as the connectors are on the bottom of the board and very difficult to get at once installed in the prime. Again, flex the motherboard or prime slightly to clear the ports going back in. Be sure cameras are attached to the motherboard, when installing, be sure to double check one last time that they're still plugged into the board before putting the board down and letting the cameras sit in their plastic holders. And don't forget that internal power switch on the right side of the motherboard.
FWIW, and I'm sure many will disagree with me, but I typically check everything before snapping the screen back up by booting it up with a few sheets of paper between the screen and internals as an extra safety insulator. Check screen, touch screen, both cameras, SD card, speaker, then I snap it shut.
If anyone really needs pictures I think I have a few, though not really specifically of what I was doing, but I could highlight/circle the pics I have if anyone gets stuck.
I really hope I can help others get a working camera who can't/won't RMA for the issue. Now time to UNLOCK MUAHAHAHA!!!
One thing I mostly remember to do when I plan to disassemble the ribbon cables is to turn off the internal power switch first.
I know this is an older thread but does anybody know where to get a new camera. The one that is linked to in the above post is no longer available. Thanks
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
Just 35 minutes ago my phone fell from my hands and onto some cable in the perfect way that it broke the Digitizer. Wonderful. So now I have to go about replacing this. It looks pretty straightforward and I will be doing this but I have a few questions I'd like to see if I can get answered. Perhaps this can be used by others as a helpful FAQ regarding replacing the LCD or Digitizer on an HTC Rezound.
1) I know I will be needing the Digitizer only as the LCD portion is not broken, so can anyone give me a good reason why I should replace both and not just the digitizer?
2) I know there are some adhesives involved in holding it together. Are these re-usable or should they be replaced? If they should be replaced, what kind of adhesives are they and where can they be found?
3) What is a good source for these parts? (Adhesives and digitizer)
4) Is there upgrades here I can do? Like a gorilla glass digitizer or something?
5) I've read a guitar pick is a great tool to separate parts, do you agree?
6) Any Gothca's that I should be concerned about
Here is the procedures I will be following:
1) Remove the back cover, the battery, SIM card and SD Card
2) Remove the 6 T5 torx screws around the sides (from the back)
3) Pry up the back by releasing the plastic clips around all 4 sides (note the volume rocker/power button may fall out)
4) Remove the Vibrator motor
5) Remove the two screws holding the MoBo on and lift up from the USB port side and remove the plastic piece from there.
6) Release the small plastic clips holding the Mobo in and swing it up, release the two ribbon cable connections
7) Heat around all sides front and back to loosen the adhesive, from the back work with a guitar pick to loosen the adhesive, repeat this process from the front.
8) Work around with the guitar pick between the screen and the housing from the front and remove the LCD and digitizer from the housing
9) Heat all the sides of the LCD/digitizer to loosen the Adhesive
10) Work with the guitar pick around the sides to release the digitizer from the LCD screen. It seems there is a piece of black tape on one side, you would have to "butterfly" the two screens and peel the screens apart.
11) Done. Reverse these steps to rebuild it. Do these adhesive parts need the adhesive replaced? Does the tape need to be replaced?
I cannot post links yet, but I felt I should give credit where its due. To obtain these steps I used a Youtube video. To view this video, search youtube for: 'How To Fix HTC Rezound Screen by RepairsUniverse.com'
The advice from the experts is highly anticipated!!
Regards,
Eduard Tieseler
The best reason for replacing both is that you won't have to worry about binding them or getting dust between them if you get them together preassembled. As to the rest, I can't say. I know we have a few people here who have done it.
So I found the adhesive strips that I need. It comes as a bulk sheet where you cut them to fit. I am going with replacing only the digitizer. Replacing the LCD screen also would male the process easier however I fear getting a replacement screen that is in worse shape or more poorly made than the original one my phone came with. I know this one has no flaws.
So I have answered my questions already. I'll post here when I done replacing the digitizer with anything that is of interest in case someone else has questions about this procedure.
Thank you for your input shrike1978. Much appreciated.
Regards,
Eduard Tieseler
Sent from my Infected HTC Rezound using xda app-developers app
etieseler said:
Just 35 minutes ago my phone fell from my hands and onto some cable in the perfect way that it broke the Digitizer. Wonderful. So now I have to go about replacing this. It looks pretty straightforward and I will be doing this but I have a few questions I'd like to see if I can get answered. Perhaps this can be used by others as a helpful FAQ regarding replacing the LCD or Digitizer on an HTC Rezound.
1) I know I will be needing the Digitizer only as the LCD portion is not broken, so can anyone give me a good reason why I should replace both and not just the digitizer?
2) I know there are some adhesives involved in holding it together. Are these re-usable or should they be replaced? If they should be replaced, what kind of adhesives are they and where can they be found?
3) What is a good source for these parts? (Adhesives and digitizer)
4) Is there upgrades here I can do? Like a gorilla glass digitizer or something?
5) I've read a guitar pick is a great tool to separate parts, do you agree?
6) Any Gothca's that I should be concerned about
Here is the procedures I will be following:
1) Remove the back cover, the battery, SIM card and SD Card
2) Remove the 6 T5 torx screws around the sides (from the back)
3) Pry up the back by releasing the plastic clips around all 4 sides (note the volume rocker/power button may fall out)
4) Remove the Vibrator motor
5) Remove the two screws holding the MoBo on and lift up from the USB port side and remove the plastic piece from there.
6) Release the small plastic clips holding the Mobo in and swing it up, release the two ribbon cable connections
7) Heat around all sides front and back to loosen the adhesive, from the back work with a guitar pick to loosen the adhesive, repeat this process from the front.
8) Work around with the guitar pick between the screen and the housing from the front and remove the LCD and digitizer from the housing
9) Heat all the sides of the LCD/digitizer to loosen the Adhesive
10) Work with the guitar pick around the sides to release the digitizer from the LCD screen. It seems there is a piece of black tape on one side, you would have to "butterfly" the two screens and peel the screens apart.
11) Done. Reverse these steps to rebuild it. Do these adhesive parts need the adhesive replaced? Does the tape need to be replaced?
I cannot post links yet, but I felt I should give credit where its due. To obtain these steps I used a Youtube video. To view this video, search youtube for: 'How To Fix HTC Rezound Screen by RepairsUniverse.com'
The advice from the experts is highly anticipated!!
Regards,
Eduard Tieseler
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check out my thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2189789
I did it not long ago, and was fine. However, I opted to go for the digitizer + LCD assembly, as I didn't want to have to worry about separating the digitizer from the LCD and worrying about dust.
To answer your questions:
1) It's eaiser, takes less time, and you don't have to worry about dust with replacing the digitizer + LCD assembly.
2) Replace the adhesive. I tried reusing it... and it has some flex on it. So I got some new adhesive, scraped the old stuff off, put the new one, and used a heatgun to move the screen assembly around to get it to fit right, and then pressed it down as it cooled to secure it better.
3) Ebay
4) Not sure on this one... not that I know of anyway.
5) If you get the parts from eBay, then they sometimes come with tools (Torx, philips, and a plastic separator tool).
I also linked the video that I used in my thread, so you can look at that. It's pretty straightforward and easy to do. Took me about 45 minutes to just over an hour to do everything, as I was taking my time.
Well I did this process two days ago and for the most part it went well, but not without its issues.
First off, I should have heeded the advice of others suggesting to get the LCD + Digitizer pre-assembled. I tried to save some money however now there is a dead spot on my phone and I will have to spend that extra money to buy the kit anyways. So for anyone else thinking they can get away with just the digitizer, unless you have dustless neoprene gloves and a clean room (or possibly nitrogen or canned air) and lots of experience, do not attempt to replace one or the other, just get the pre-assembled kit.
I am going to replace it again with the kit in a few more days.
The only thing that came up that I didn't see anywhere else, was when I was pulling the back cover off. The spot where the camera is located was kind of sticking to the back cover. If I would have pulled to quickly or was too rough I would have easily damaged the camera. So my advice would be to work slowly when pulling the back cover off. If it feels like its resisting, it could be your camera. Wiggle it slightly and don't force it. The camera will loosen itself from the back case, but using too much force you could damage it.
Thanks for the info guys! :good:
etieseler said:
Well I did this process two days ago and for the most part it went well, but not without its issues.
First off, I should have heeded the advice of others suggesting to get the LCD + Digitizer pre-assembled. I tried to save some money however now there is a dead spot on my phone and I will have to spend that extra money to buy the kit anyways. So for anyone else thinking they can get away with just the digitizer, unless you have dustless neoprene gloves and a clean room (or possibly nitrogen or canned air) and lots of experience, do not attempt to replace one or the other, just get the pre-assembled kit.
I am going to replace it again with the kit in a few more days.
The only thing that came up that I didn't see anywhere else, was when I was pulling the back cover off. The spot where the camera is located was kind of sticking to the back cover. If I would have pulled to quickly or was too rough I would have easily damaged the camera. So my advice would be to work slowly when pulling the back cover off. If it feels like its resisting, it could be your camera. Wiggle it slightly and don't force it. The camera will loosen itself from the back case, but using too much force you could damage it.
Thanks for the info guys! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also purchased the full assembly and was able to switch the new parts onto my Rezound. Unfortunately, the earpiece (the part you listen to when NOT on speakerphone) and the proximity sensor did not work with the new set, and I am swapping it for a replacement. However, I've been inside the unit now 5 times, and I suggest in addition to the tools supplied with the sets (t5, small phillips and separator) you also have a small flathead (helps with starting the split the unit apart and also with pulling and reattaching the vibrator motor) and a long tweezers (invaluable when trying to reconnect the ribbon cables.)
Also, reconnect the MIDDLE ribbon cable (which is slightly twisted and longer) first, then reconnect the top, and don't forget to reapply the insulating tape (been there, done that).
Watch the take apart video on Youtube repeatedly until you can do it with your eyes closed, and be careful, the red plastic does break easily, especially on the corners.
Replaced my digitizer with good success, using new adhesive. Upon first re-assembly the digitizer was popping out of the plastic bezel a bit, but everything worked great, touch, display, everything. So I decided to take apart, add some more adhesive strips. Now the digitizer stays flush.
First boot after 2nd re-assembly, got boot with first vibrate, but no screen on. So I pull the battery to attempt again. Now I receive no vibrate response from power button. When plug into charger, orange light comes on for 5 seconds and then off indefinitely. This happens each time after battery pull+wall charger plugin.
I have tried multiple times disassembling, checking both ribbon cables that plugin to motherboard, appear to connect fine. Visually all other aspects of MB appear fine.
Any ideas anyone? Not sure what may have broke. I should have left well-enough alone, but the digitizer was somewhat spongey to touch on right side of screen and I could see white light shine up... TIA
Each time I pull the batt the orange light will come on solid for 5 or so sec, then off for good. One time even started flashing for a bit like it was charging from full depletion (like it does before it lets you power on). Not sure how to diagnose.
Did you make sure to put the yellow protective tape over the ribbon cable connections? When you open it (like a book) and see two ribbon cables. There originally was a small piece of tape over the connection to provide protection from anything being shorted out. Make sure this is back on.
If you no longer have the tape, I think any non-conductive tape would work like plain Scotch tape. Please correct me if I am wrong in that statement.
Sent from my Infected HTC Rezound using xda app-developers app
etieseler said:
Did you make sure to put the yellow protective tape over the ribbon cable connections? When you open it (like a book) and see two ribbon cables. There originally was a small piece of tape over the connection to provide protection from anything being shorted out. Make sure this is back on.
If you no longer have the tape, I think any non-conductive tape would work like plain Scotch tape. Please correct me if I am wrong in that statement.
Sent from my Infected HTC Rezound using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not put those pieces of tape back on. In the YouTube video by "injured gadgets," I don't believe they re-covered up those ribbon cable plugins, so I also did not during re-assembly. Should I try that? Or, I assume, my board somewhere has gone bad? (Phone did work just fine after re-assemble, until I decided to take apart again)
And after doing this a handful of times, I figured out that the "earpiece" doesn't come with the digitizer/LCD/housing. It has to be pulled from the old phone and moved to the new one. Once I did that, everything was fine.
hgoldner said:
And after doing this a handful of times, I figured out that the "earpiece" doesn't come with the digitizer/LCD/housing. It has to be pulled from the old phone and moved to the new one. Once I did that, everything was fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hgoldner, when you had forgotten to re-apply the insulating tape over the ribbon cables, did that result in a toasted motherboard? I'm trying to find out if that's what happened to mine? Thx
red3razor said:
hgoldner, when you had forgotten to re-apply the insulating tape over the ribbon cables, did that result in a toasted motherboard? I'm trying to find out if that's what happened to mine? Thx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would go ahead and try putting it back on. There was an earlier post where someone mentioned it was important to put it back on, perhaps he can comment on what can happen if its not on (He said he learned from experience). Perhaps you can PM him.
To be honest, I originally only put the tape back on one connection, but after the second time replacing both the LCD screen and the digitizer, I found the second piece of tape and now both are back on.
What can it hurt to see if that will fix it? Its fairly easy to get to on these phones.
Ed
Yes I did try put back on, no worky still. I assume motherboard issues now. So now I ask if anyone that has also failed to put tape insulation back on, has also resulted in motherboard fail?
red3razor said:
Yes I did try put back on, no worky still. I assume motherboard issues now. So now I ask if anyone that has also failed to put tape insulation back on, has also resulted in motherboard fail?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ran it for about a week or so without the insulating tape. I assume you just mean the translucent, amber tape that goes over the jaw connectors of the ribbon cables on the motherboard? Not putting that on shouldn't have damaged your board... it's really just there to keep the jaw connectors from opening from vibrations.
carngeX said:
I ran it for about a week or so without the insulating tape. I assume you just mean the translucent, amber tape that goes over the jaw connectors of the ribbon cables on the motherboard? Not putting that on shouldn't have damaged your board... it's really just there to keep the jaw connectors from opening from vibrations.
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I left it off on one connection for about a week also with no issues. However I did notice roughly a 16th of an inch of copper exposed on the ribbon. I can envision potential issues from that. I'm not sure about your phone, but the jaw connectors on mine would never open on their own. Far too much resistance to open from any vibration or movement. The vibrator motor connection had a better chance of disconnecting on its own than the ribbon cables. I'm sure that tape provides more than just locking the jaw connectors closed. I could be wrong though.
red3razor said:
hgoldner, when you had forgotten to re-apply the insulating tape over the ribbon cables, did that result in a toasted motherboard? I'm trying to find out if that's what happened to mine? Thx
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No, I remembered and put it on before I powered up.
Dumped down the innertubes from my Asus Transformer TF300T
Just replaced my digitizer two days ago and I must add the difference is like night and day. I noted in a post that I had tripped and fell on it with my knee...lol ..nope.. I threw the damn thing and it hit the wall. Yahhh.. I know stupid lol... Something really pi$$ed me off tho and I kinda lost it.. .poooof....... Anyway, I had about 30 cracks in my digitizer and amazingly it still worked. Replaced it two days ago and it works great.
That factory adhesive is some SERIOUS stuff. I have performed many electronics repairs over the years and this...well...removing the digitizer and applying the new strips in exactly the right size was a royal pain in the a**! You REALLY gotta get that digitizer glass HOT if you want to be able to loosen it. Light heating WONT do squat to it. And the new strips arent even half as strong as the factory stuff. You really need patience and precision here.
Yes, dust ISVan issue where I live. Canned air came VERY useful. Also its good to have isopropyl alcohol and soft paper towels so you can clean any smudges you make on the LCD before reapplying the digitizer glass. Basically it's best to blow air over it quickly as you press the digi down to the adhesive. That makes sure every bit of contaminant is out.
About the ribbon cables, no I didn't reapply the amber tape to the jawbone connectors. Much of their adhesiveness was lost when I pulled them off. And as long as the ribbon cables are seated in properly and the jawbone connectors are securely locked down, they wont come disconnected. The tape is only there as an additional measure to secure the jawbone connectors from unlocking. Unless you drop your phone on concrete a lot, those cables arent coming loose....even then, dropping it wouldnt knock those loose.. Its more secure than you think. As far as the phone NOT working, the orange tape would have NO effect on that. Maybe one of your cables were partially disconnected and shorted out something on the mainboard. Either that, or it is static sensitive. Its possible if anything is CMOS.
ONLY issue I have since the repair is the top of the digitizer keeps pushing up because of the digitizer ribbon cable and where you have to bend and fold it in that groove to guide it behind the LCD . The ribbon isnt pinching down well and acts as a spring on the digitizer glass....adhesive not doing anything for that.
oh, did you all remove and reapply the clear (4 button tabs) at the bottom to the new glass? got mine in (the lights are pink now ...weeee ) Had to use some Gorilla super glue to restick them. That adhesive at the bottom was super strong and somehow they lost their stickiness when I pulled them off.
Digitizer after I finally got it unstuck from the LCD... wheewww damn. Lots of cracks. Thats what happens when the phone face eats the wall.....
So, my 4 soft keys on the bottom have yet out. Would fixing the digitzer get them back to working? My screens just got cracked like 2 days ago too, and I just want to make sure before i do all this and then find out i gotta take it all apart again. Thanks in Advance!
UPDATE: So, the digitizer I bought developed a massive dead zone. I already contacted the amazon store I bought it from, they're replacing it for me. Why does this matter? Because now I get to update this post with pictures/video! So, yeah, I guess this guide should get a lot more helpful soon.
Update 2: Ok, so, I don't even know how to express my anger and frustration. This girl at work shoved my phone out of my hands and into the leg of a table, completely destroying my phone. So, yeah, sorry, I guess I won't be updating with pictures/video, because the amazon store isn't going to take the screen back now.
Yo, guys. If anyone noticed that I was gone, I'm flattered, since I don't post a lot. But yeah, I havent had my Optimus G in about a month, so I havent been on this forum. In that time, I went through my Second Motorola Atrix HD, a broken Galaxy S3, and even lived through Google Voice on my computer. It's an extremely long story, and kind of ridiculous, so I'll spare the details.
HOWEVER, I did finally just buy a replacement Digitizer and LCD screen, and successfully installed it, and I want to share tips for anyone doing it themselves.
When removing the back, after you've removed torx screws, start prying the back off from in between where the Sim card and MicroSD go. Where the back of the phone and the chassis of the phone are separate is much more obvious in that cavity, PLUS dents/dings from jamming a screwdriver in there wont be noticeable when you put the bay cover back on.
Don't force anything off. Make sure you've removed every screw, unclipped every clip, and removed ribbons from everything you're trying to take off.
Removing the battery is tricky. Be careful not to deform it too much, cause that's dangerous. But there are 2 strips of double sided tape running horizontally beneath the battery. Try to get something between the top one and the battery, then carefully pull the battery off the second strip with your hands. sticking too much stuff beneath it to pry it up is going to cause some trouble, so lifting it with your fingers might be better.
Remove the motherboard. detatch all the ribbons, antennae, everything, then pull up from the left, then slide left and out. This is how I got it out with the least resistance, but there is no science to it. If you've gotten this far, you can figure out how to pull it out without breaking it in half.
Components that need to be removed before LCD+Digitizer removal:
Motherboard
Battery
Camera
Just put them off to the side, you don't want them damaged during the next part.
WARNING! If you plan on saving your LCD screen, DO NOT DO THIS. The high heat will cook your screen and make it unusable. Only do this to remove a broken or unsavable Digitizer+LCD.
Alright, now pull out the heat gun. Alternatively, you can do what I did, and use a hair dryer. Not even kidding, this will work fine, and will be hilarious when you tell your friends about it.
On a high heat, start heating the screen. If you're using a heat gun, just do your thing, you know how it works. Hair dryer folks, keep the dryer very low to the phone, low enough to feel the dryer being pushed up by the air, holding it just high enough so it sort of hovers. (You'll know what I mean when you try it. If you don't, just keep it about half an inch off the phone.) Move the dryer along the edges of the screen, all the way around, thats where the glue is. It should heat up pretty fast.
Using your pry tool, start at the speaker grill and pry all the way around the phone. lifting just slightly upwards. If it's not extremely easy, apply more heat. Work all the way around, then pull the screen off. Be careful, it's likely you'll shatter the screen even more at this part if you're not careful. User Bozwell had an excellent suggestion (post 4), cover your screen in tape, then begin separating the screen to keep from getting glass everywhere. Great idea, Boz!
Alright, so from here on out, it's just reassembling your phone correctly. Piece o cake.
Firstly, put your new screen in. If it came with adhesive, it's up to you if you want to apply it now. I'd think you probably have to, but up to you.
If you're like me, and no adhesive was provided, hold off on doing anything for now. Just put the screen in the hole, and thread the ribbons through.
The motherboard lines up with some contacts on the chassis in a few places, but most importantly, there is a connection on the top left corner of the body, and the UNDERSIDE of the motherboard that needs to be made. I believe it's proximity sensor, but not sure. It's very difficult to tell if its attached, but look at what I'm describing, and try your best to mate them.
Don't forget ANY cables. Like, that's pretty obvious, but even when you're sure you didnt forget any, check again. The camera's ribbon is underneath the screen's, don't forget that one. I reassebled the whole thing, everything was working perfectly, except I no longer had any mobile connection. I couldn't imagine what I'd broken, since that's a whole different area, but going to phone status and checking my signal strength revealed I forgot to reconnect the white antennae (status showed my signal at -200,000 dbm). So, double check, because the more often you have to reopen your phone, the more flimsy it's going to get.
Alright, screw the plastic shielding back on, reconnect your battery, then flip the phone to be face up. Power it on, test the screen to make sure it's functional. If all is well, power off and glue the screen in. What I did, and I welcome anyone to tell me a better glue type or method, is plain ol Super glue along all the edges where the old glue was. Press it in, flip it over, and while it's drying, finish reassembling the phone (should just be make sure everything is screwed in inside, then put back glass back on.
If your screen wasn't functional, I guess try to get it replaced by whoever you bought it from, and leave your phone disassembled for when it gets to your house.
Alright, that's pretty much the thick and thin of it, it genuinely isn't that hard of a replacement. I've done a number of digitizer/lcd replacements, not bad at all. I hope this helped anyone stuck or wondering about anything. This video can be used as a rough example, but it goes really fast.
Good Luck!
replacement of lcd/digitzer
the removal was a nightmare for me. It was hilarious when the glass cracked it was exploding into a million little bitty pieces. I didnt use much heat, and there lied my problem. But yeah mine cracked in a way that it was completely unresponsive.
gruiz3 said:
the removal was a nightmare for me. It was hilarious when the glass cracked it was exploding into a million little bitty pieces. I didnt use much heat, and there lied my problem. But yeah mine cracked in a way that it was completely unresponsive.
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Haha that's crazy, it bothers me how fragile this phone seems to be.
To keep the glass shards from going everywhere try covering the screen in tape before you start.
bozwell said:
To keep the glass shards from going everywhere try covering the screen in tape before you start.
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Great idea, OP updated!
So, what would I do if the screen itself is ok and it's just the glass (and digitizer) that is broken?
MoFoQ said:
So, what would I do if the screen itself is ok and it's just the glass (and digitizer) that is broken?
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You'll need a real heat gun, I think. You'll have to find a heat just hot enough to soften the glue, but not cook your lcd. Hair dryer method might work if you are extremely careful and very quick, but not sure exactly what the best method would be. Sorry
ripin150 said:
You'll need a real heat gun, I think. You'll have to find a heat just hot enough to soften the glue, but not cook your lcd. Hair dryer method might work if you are extremely careful and very quick, but not sure exactly what the best method would be. Sorry
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I figured...though I've been eye-ing using the screen+digitizer+front housing if and when they get back into stock.
(digitizer only is also out-of-stock)