Ok everybody, I have taken my PDA2K apart & fixed the wobbly screen problem, First things first:
1. get a sharp knife & carefully slide it under the VOID sticker moving upwards very slowly,& you should be able to remove the sticker in one peice,I have done 7 units ok so far.
2. remove three black screws from the battery compartment,& the silver countersunk screw from underneath the now removed VOID sticker,
Then the 2 countersunk screws from the top sides of the PDA2K,now the rear cover can be removed.
3.Three screws hold down the main PCB,looking from bottom of unit,one screw very top right corner of PCB.One screw Very top left corner of PCB.
& one screw half way down on right side near the ribbon cable for the key board.Then remove the yellow tape over the keyboard ribbon cable,Then lift the black clamp on the ribbon cable connector upwards,and put a round diameter screwdriver under the ribbon cable & pull outwards in a straight direction.
4. Extend the screen fully open & carfully lift the PCB up from the left side (OPPOSITE) the keyboard ribbon cable connector,& hold it slightly up as you carfully slide a blunt flat Knife under the 2 ribbon cables for the display.They will just pop off with minimal force.
5. Pull out the vibration motor & microphone from their casing slots (NOT PCB CONNECTORS) & place the main PCB in a safe place.
6. Looking at the back of the front section you should see 2 screws through slots in the back casing,& 2 at the top rear of the display.remove these & lift the display up from the bottom,carefully guiding the 2 display ribbon cables through the slot.
7. You will now be able to see the sliding plate edges & the two white peices of plastic at the bottom of the slider,These plastic peices need to come off in order to pull the slider plate up further and off the upper casing.what ever you do DO NOT lever the slider plate up with a screwdriver or the brittle moulded painted clamps will snap.if one does its not the end of the world,the slider plate side can be re-adjusted slighty to compensate.
8. With the slider plate in your hand you need to get a flat (NON SERATED) pair of pliers & carefully & very slightly move the edges of the slider plate outwards on each end so they are not going straight up.ie Looking at the plate from the bottom and flat in your hand the plate will look like a U shape,bend the ends out slightly away from each other so they sit against the slider clamps with more resistance,Be carefull not to over do it or you will end up with a very stiff display,
9. Assembly is a reversal of taking apart but be carefull to guide the display ribbons into the top hole of the slider plate,in its open position,
& make sure to tuck the vibrator motor wiring under the PCB before putting the rear casing on.Also hold the volume slider in the middle position as the rear casing is lowered into position.Remember DON'T FORCE ANYTHING or your beloved device will get damaged .
DONT forget to put the yellow tape on the keyboard ribbon cable & the VOID Sticker back on the silver screw & you will still have your warranty.
I have done this mod on a few units with success every time,& this should have been done in the factory,I find it a shame that comparing this unit to the XDA1 its not got the build quality that the XDA1 has and for £580 its a shame that the hardware is not up to the quality of the software features.
Saying that,I can now hold my PDA2K in my hands without its display moving sideways & it makes me feel im now holding a solid peice of kit worthy of £580.
PS I still have 2 brand new XDA1's for sale & one second hand one ive been using for the last year, 07958031182 Thanks & good luck........... :lol:
hi
any1 who has opened the pda2k .. is the camera soldered onto the mother board or is it only plugged in>???
thanks
Hi the camera is only plugged in,but you have to remove the wifi antenna to remove fom the motherboard.hope this helps.............
I recently dismantled my BA to work on the LCD. I originally thought it would be necessary to disconnect the keyboard ribbon from the main board, so I removed the tape and black clip from the surface mount connector. However, it turned out I could leave the ribbon in place, so I didn't remove it.
After reassembly, only a few of the keyboard keys now work, and the blue LEDs no longer work at all.
I was careful not to force or twist the ribbon at all as I worked, so I don't think it's damaged, but I haven't been able to make the black clip go back on properly. I suspect this is the problem. I have tried to reseat the clip but without success and the keyboard is still the same.
Can someone please explain the role of this black clip and tape, and their relevance to the electrical connection. And can anyone direct me to a 1000x magnified picture of how the clip is supposed to fit!
Thanks in advance...
Hi there,
I had a similar problem when dissasembling one of my PPC6600 phones. The ribbon is quite dellicate, and I wound up ripping the outer conductor (it is the thicker one, and it happens to power the backlight LED's). Needless to say, I had to use a very fine tip soldering iron and some hair-fine wire to fix the mess. When I got my hands on a scrap one from EBAY (for like, 75 bucks because the ESN was locked out), I pulled the keyboard from it and replaced my hack.
Also, I have added to the WIKI a procedure to take apart the BA. I think you can find that HERE -> http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=DIS_BA_PICS
Check out the one pic that is big that shows you how to flip up the clip.
The connector you are talking about has a little black (brown?) clip that flips up 90 degrees to allow the ribbon to come out. If you didn't flip it up, you might have been able to remove the ribbon, but tough luck getting it back in. You can stick your fingernail in there where the ribbon goes, and lift up on the clip. It should pop up ad remain connected quite easily. Also, when you re-insert the ribbon, you want to make sure that the two protruding tabs on the ribbon 'seat' fully against the connector before you push the clip back down onto the ribbon.
Have fun!
When I did the work I had already seen your exellent pics (thanks ) and my black clip came right off when I lifted it. So my problem is getting the black clip back on, so that it can be flipped up and down normally again. At no time did I try to remove the ribbon so I don't think it's damaged - but I'm wondering if the black clip needs to go back properly before the electrical connection is good again.
PS to anyone dismantling BA - remember to remove both the SIM and the SD card/blank, as these both jam the cover and prevent removal - shame if someone missed this and snapped something . (I tried to add this info to the page with pics but the Edit button wouldn't let me do it - gives a "page not found" error.)
Hi again,
My phone doesn't have a SIM card (is this a European thing or are there some carriers in USA that use SIM cards?)
Anyhow, I think I remember dealing with connectors like these before and having that clip pop off. There are two little tabs on the clip that have little round buttons on each side of the clip tabs, and these buttons prodtrude off the sides of the clip. They match a slot on the connector part that is surface mounted to your mainboard. So, you have to align the clip properly so that these protruding bumps 'pop' back into the white housing on both sides. Now, if these tabs broke off.... then I guess you're outa luck, unless I guess you find some very thin plastic that you can shove in on-top of the ribbon (underneath the part of the housing where the clip SHOULD have gone), so that it pushes the exposed conductors of the ribbon down onto the connector.
Hope this helps!
Many thanks, this helps a lot by confirming (a) how the clip fits and (b) its role in the electrical connection. This information is much appreciated as it gives me a fighting chance when I next have a go at fixing the thing!
How do you get by without SIMs? Does that mean a phone is forever tied to the one provider and phone number?
yodafreak said:
My phone doesn't have a SIM card (is this a European thing or are there some carriers in USA that use SIM cards?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a GSM thing. GSM phones (like the PDA2K or SX66) use SIM cards, CDMA phones (like the PPC6600) don't.
In addition to the constant influx of iPods and iPhones friends, family, and coworkers bring me to fix, I've taken apart a few different Xperia PLAY phones more times than I can count, so I thought I'd give a few "pro tips" to people who need to know the ins and outs of it. This isn't a disassembly, assembly, or even a repair guide, it's just the stuff I think those guys missed.
First, don't use a heat gun to loosen the adhesive on the front glass + digitizer. The plastic frame wrinkles and melts readily, particularly right under the face buttons.
Second, make sure you transfer as much as possible when you replace the frame. Replacement frames usually do not include the rubber shroud for the proximity sensor and it will not work right without it. I had one phone that seemingly worked fine until the screen protector peeled off while inserting in a pocket and then no amount of clear tape, screen protectors, or Sharpie-marking would fix it. A salvaged rubber shroud fixed it right up. Some replacement frames have a film-backed adhesive for holding it there and some don't. It probably depends on when they were yanked from the manufacturing line, assuming that they are original parts and not replica parts. You also want to make sure you transfer are the inner dust gasket that goes underneath the frame/glass or else things will be filling up with dust quickly. There is no speaker grill and the foam around it does not stop intrusion. A salvaged frame/glass adhesive is likely to allow dust in unless you didn't have to pick much out of it when swapping (usually glass shards). There are also little metallic grounding foam rectangles crammed in the corners that only one replacement frame I've seen has ever included (was probably salvage though listed as "new"). They probably aren't necessary and I've gone long periods without them, but why wonder if a static charge build up is responsible for your erratic touch screen?
Next, be extremely careful separating the glass from the frame. I've managed to crack good ones even going slowly and leaving gaps filled with picks and pry tools. Heat didn't seem to help much and, as mentioned earlier, is discouraged. Cleaning the screen after man-handling it isn't always easy, but don't avoid touching the back side because you will probably need the area to spread the pressure and avoid a crack. I use a levered "mini suction cup" from Harbor Freight on the top side and as many fingers as spread out as I can on the bottom, but the suction cup is near useless on a cracked screen (even tape-coated). I do suggest covering a shattered screen with tape to hold all the bits together but you are still going to have a hard time cleaning the adhesive up. You can always buy a frame with digitizer pre-installed but I know a lot of you want to buy complete replacement housings instead and it's kind of a waste, but at least you don't need to worry about that adhesive (still: don't forget to transfer the other bits!).
The digitizer parts I've salvaged from phones had higher version numbers than the ones I've seen sold as replacement parts and seemed to be more erratic so I prefer salvaged ones. There can be other problems as well. The flat flex cable from the digitizer is supposed to have an adhesive backing that holds it still where it connects to the tiny cable from the earpiece. Replacements often do not have it, which is yet ANOTHER reason to prefer salvage parts. It may not seem like such a big deal considering that there is a black plastic piece screwed down over it to protect it from getting caught in the mechanism, but the connector does not hold on very well and the phone will not boot if it is slightly out of alignment. If you reassemble it and just get a buzz from the vibration motor with no display and no other sign of booting, check this connection (same thing if the digitizer suddenly stops registering touch). Even a small drop/impact will cause it to happen again, so I recommend securing it with precisely cut tape or hot glue (stay clear of the sliding rails).
Now, keep it clean while you work or you will be staring at that contaminate or thumbprint for a long time. I usually wear fresh latex gloves when working on the glass but it doesn't do much good if you keep transferring oils from the rest of the phone. Wash your hands right before you start and clean the outside of the phone. Before you begin, try just touch a used dish soap dispenser with a damp thumb and run all along to screen except the buttons and earpiece. Do it again with just the damp thumb (dilutes the soap that remained from the first pass) and wipe it with a clean lint-free cloth. Your own clean and dry fingertips/palm should readily absorb any remaining streaks/oils. Be sure to wipe down the rest of the phone too and don't transfer it back to the glass. Once inside I use layer after layer of clear tape to lift gunk from the earpiece (no mesh, remember?). Put on new gloves before you start handling the glass after disassembly, even if you were wearing some for disassembly. To clean the back of the glass I put the adhesive between wax paper while I clean using lint-free cloths, 90+% alcohol, and acetone. For the LCD, use tape to lift most contaminates and resort to alcohol + lint-free cloth if that doesn't work. It doesn't need to be too perfect, especially if scratched from cracked glass. Most imperfections only show when it's off.
Hot glue is great for removing adhesive screw covers without showing pick marks or other signs of tampering but you have to make sure to leave an edge exposed so that you aren't just picking it out of the glue instead. I've been getting mine off cleanly without any tricks like this but it came in handy when I was first disassembling one and there weren't any guides to tell me that there weren't screws under the large silver strip (just covers rivets or injections mold points, IIRC). It's also good for sealing off water sensors, like the one you see through a hole under the battery door. There's another one by the contacts on the battery itself, one by the microphone under the gamepad, and one in the opposite corner under the PS Certified logo. I had an AT&T rep tell me that a brand new phone had a tripped water sensor (LIES!) so I would look for ways to do this with most any new phone.
I can't count how many times I've left the power button out while reassembling. It's not usually that I forgot: It's that it falls out while snapping the back on. I've left the face buttons out a few times too.
My first one had the cable folded wrong after reassembly. It still worked fine for a couple years but did eventually require replacement. Once it folds wrong it'll probably stay that way even after correct reassembly (like mine did). Do not try to attach it to the main PCB using a spudger, butterknife, or whatever to awkwardly push the connector down with everything pulled apart. The only thing you need to do is to slide the cable into the phone's closed position, align the plastic posts on the connector with the corresponding holes on the PCB, and then push down on the PCB until it snaps. I'm sure I tried this first back then but chickened out because the connector didn't snap very easily but that is how you are supposed to do it.
Before I talk about the replacing the slide cable, I want to express my annoyance at all the eBay/YouTube/iFixIt.com people who call it a "flex cable." I don't like the term flex cable because generally ALL cables should be flexible and that doesn't distinguish what it is well enough for people looking for the part. Technically, it's a flat cable or a slide cable, though I wouldn't object to it being called a flex PCB (flex PCBs usually have components other than just connectors like a rigid printed circuit board would). "Flex cable" is silly, redundant, and does not describe anything more specific than just "cable." To complicate matters, there are several actual flex PCBs in this phone to distinguish from when ordering the part. Why did so many people start calling flex PCBs "flex cables" in the first place?! In our case the sliding portion is a *flat* cable, so I can see where "cable" was introduced from, but people say "flex cable" for any flat cable made like a flex PCB these days whether fixed or sliding. At least you know now that you are probably going to have to use the incorrect terminology to find what you want online and sift through many useless results.
*whew*
Now, slide cable replacement is easier than it would seem but intact removal isn't and brand new replacements can be defective. It was a troubleshooting nightmare when I encountered a defective one because I replaced the LCD and glass + digitizer at the same time and suspected/checked everything else first, even taking apart my personal phone multiple times to test parts. The plastic part of the connector on the PCB end must be transferred to the new cable and the old one will not reliably stick back down to it even if you did not contaminate the adhesive. I successfully transferred a cable from a water-damaged phone to my personal phone before fixing up the water-damaged donor phone with a new one, so the adhesive on the salvaged part was weak and I didn't realize how hard it was to remove intact until later. When separating the defective new one there was seemingly no place to pry on one end other than underneath the part where the earpiece/camera connector was located. This broke the side of the connector that holds the locking flap though I was still able to use/lock it. I claimed warranty on the defective part anyway because the connector was not needed for proving the cable was defective (a functional cable works with that connector populated or not). This new part was slightly different from those found originally installed in the phone (different colored plastic connectors and such). The second new one I ordered from elsewhere had double-sided adhesive down the middle, a foil quality control sticker, and the same odd connector colors. I didn't think there was a market for replica parts on this phone but it does seem like more than simple factory revisions. Anyway, removing it involves removing metallic tape then lifting a plate that is still adhered underneath with amber-colored Kapton tape. You can see it from the slide mechanism below. I pinch the plate from above and below with two fingers and lift, gradually peeling the tape which I then fold inside and secure to avoid contaminating the adhesive. The cable has a plastic band across it that fits between fingers on this plate. When secured, this isolates the end with multiple connectors from the movement of the sliding portion, so make sure this is in place when reinstalling. It may be best to avoid removing the adhesive backing paper until after the plate and cable are securely taped back down with both the Kapton and metallic tape while the fingers are holding it in position. If you stick it down first and then secure the plate you may find it slightly too long or short to position inside the plate when securing it all back down. To thread the main connector through the slide board opening it may seem that it will only fit by folding the cable but DON'T! Coil it. Without flattening it, bend the connector 90-degrees over from the cable path and then adjust the angle until you have a coil-shape that you can work through with the connector sideways.
I ordered a "no useable parts" dummy phone just for the heck of it and, other than the Sony Ericsson logo on the fake battery door and maybe the stickers that cover the screws, they really don't have any salvageable parts. You can't swap any buttons, keys, springs, covers, etc into a real phone. The closest would be the face buttons. They will fit in a real phone, but they are too tall and put constant pressure on the PCB switches causing unintended key-presses (especially back and search buttons). The extra height easily protrudes out the top and is not the issue so filing them down vertically won't fix anything. I snipped some excess rubber to more closely match the design of the original buttons but it didn't help. I unscrewed the screw in the corner under the search key and unsnapped the bottom edge of the frame from the back/slide board and they work great until the phone inevitably snaps back together. I'd say they felt better then the original with the extra height (I can't stand how close they are to the screen). It's tolerable with ICS/JB's Navigation Bar (on-screen key functions), but I would rather salvage real buttons or pay too much for the eBay ones ($10-$20; very uncommon part; always sold with crap you probably don't need).
I have yet to find a replacement battery door that includes the rubber trim around the speakers and the foam piece surrounding the rear/noise-canceling microphone. I've ordered a few auctions that show them in the pictures but they always arrive bare. You can transfer them with a razor but it likely won't be perfect. Without them the speaker audio will probably echo around inside the battery compartment and make its way into the mic, though people usually don't notice it. Painting on some Plasti-Dip might do the trick, so try that if it bothers you.
Unlike an iPhone with a million different screws, you don't have to keep track of what goes where and everything is easily accessible. Bare minimum to take it all apart: Some fingernails, a T5 or T6 (pick one) and a PH0, 00, or 000 Phillips (pick one). There don't seem to be any tamper/warranty seals and the only concealed screws are the two obvious ones underneath metallic cover stickers on the display/slide board. There are no screws under tape or labels and no water sensors covering them either. All 6 Phillips screws are the same size but you'll likely want to keep the two with adhesive in their original holes to re-use the covers (adhesive usually remains on the screw instead of the cover). There are only two different Torx screw types but it's obvious what goes where (6 stubby flat ones on the top and bottom, 7 long thin ones around the battery area).
There are bits and bobs taped to and embedded in the rear housing including antenna/RF stuff, some more obvious that others. I've compared and the R800x is very different from the R800at even though the plastic frame looks really similar (R800x has a blocked SIM slot, of course). IMO, any housing swap should be limited to the front frame, the gamepad, and the battery door (only colored parts anyway). If you nicked your chrome, hopefully it was on a button or something that can be swapped (springs are a pain). It may be possible to transfer everything but I wouldn't trust it after all the peeling and picking. The one report I've seen of someone transferring between a GSM/CDMA models seems blissfully unaware of the metal wire behind the volume keys on the CDMA model that isn't there on GSM (at least it's not there on my R800at GSM).
That's all my advice for now. If you are having any trouble, let me know.
Excellent guide, thank you for taking the time to type this up. I think a mod should sticky this.....
Awesome guide! Thanks much for it!
@ozzmanj1 Agree, so more people will notice it.
Thanks for help buddy!!!
As for the case of the digitizer, mine has some parts (lower left) that are not recognizing touch inputs. Will realigning the digitizer cable help? I' d really not want to buy a new one right now as I am quite on a tight budget. Please help. Totally in distress here with my very sickly Play.
So, first I want to say thanks for this post as it's been invaluable in my working on my own XP.
I'm in the process of changing out the LCD and slide cable and am wondering about versions of the phone and compatibility. On Ebay I'm finding lots of parts listed as being for R800i\R800x\R800a. Very few parts are listed for R800at (which is what I have)
In changing out parts (anything hardware related) what parts are interchangeable and what parts are not? Anyone able to help?
Right now I'm looking at LCD screen and slide cable, but in the future I would like to change out the digitizer (I read the other page about having to possibly roll back to a different kernel) and perhaps other inner workings of the phone as well. I would just like to know what I can use from other models of the XP and what are model specific.
Thanks!
Arevyn said:
So, first I want to say thanks for this post as it's been invaluable in my working on my own XP.
I'm in the process of changing out the LCD and slide cable and am wondering about versions of the phone and compatibility. On Ebay I'm finding lots of parts listed as being for R800i\R800x\R800a. Very few parts are listed for R800at (which is what I have)
In changing out parts (anything hardware related) what parts are interchangeable and what parts are not? Anyone able to help?
Right now I'm looking at LCD screen and slide cable, but in the future I would like to change out the digitizer (I read the other page about having to possibly roll back to a different kernel) and perhaps other inner workings of the phone as well. I would just like to know what I can use from other models of the XP and what are model specific.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just about everything but the chrome back housing is a simple swap. LCD, slide cable, digitizer, camera/earpiece, face buttons, game pad, slide board, front frame, camera, headphone jack, etc. The only parts tied together for compatability are the motherboard and the chrome back housing and that is because it has all the antennas installed in it. It's probably possible to move all the components but I've never even had to take the speakers out and can't speak to the difficulty or possibility for certain. I'm worried that lifting the adhesive films would damiage the antennas inside. As I mentioned in the OP, there are other little parts to move when you compare the two and note the differences. Good luck!
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
CZroe said:
Just about everything but the chrome back housing is a simple swap. LCD, slide cable, digitizer, camera/earpiece, face buttons, game pad, slide board, front frame, camera, headphone jack, etc. The only parts tied together for compatability are the motherboard and the chrome back housing and that is because it has all the antennas installed in it. It's probably possible to move all the components but I've never even had to take the speakers out and can't speak to the difficulty or possibility for certain. I'm worried that lifting the adhesive films would damiage the antennas inside. As I mentioned in the OP, there are other little parts to move when you compare the two and note the differences. Good luck!
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! Thanks so much.
---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:11 PM ----------
CZroe said:
Just about everything but the chrome back housing is a simple swap. LCD, slide cable, digitizer, camera/earpiece, face buttons, game pad, slide board, front frame, camera, headphone jack, etc. The only parts tied together for compatability are the motherboard and the chrome back housing and that is because it has all the antennas installed in it. It's probably possible to move all the components but I've never even had to take the speakers out and can't speak to the difficulty or possibility for certain. I'm worried that lifting the adhesive films would damiage the antennas inside. As I mentioned in the OP, there are other little parts to move when you compare the two and note the differences. Good luck!
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you noticed a difference in an LCD screen with a green cable vs one with an orange cable? I have an orange one in mine, and wasnt sure if its a different part, or just a different batch of screens
Arevyn said:
Awesome! Thanks so much.
---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:11 PM ----------
Have you noticed a difference in an LCD screen with a green cable vs one with an orange cable? I have an orange one in mine, and wasnt sure if its a different part, or just a different batch of screens
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am color blind and never took notice but I switched LCD between R800i, R800x, and R800at and they were all compatible. They have no reason to make anything in that half of the phone different, so they don't.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
narflynn619 said:
As for the case of the digitizer, mine has some parts (lower left) that are not recognizing touch inputs. Will realigning the digitizer cable help? I' d really not want to buy a new one right now as I am quite on a tight budget. Please help. Totally in distress here with my very sickly Play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, I've also experience same problems as yours... I just wonder is it the flex cable or digitizer....
matfai said:
Hey, I've also experience same problems as yours... I just wonder is it the flex cable or digitizer....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If only some areas are responsive then I'm pretty sure it's the digitizer. The IC likely encodes the output so that all the raw connections don't need to be extended over the slide cable. IOW, the pins that carry digitizer data probably carry encoded data so that it's fewer pins. This means it would work either all or not at all if the slide cable had anything to do with it.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
CZroe said:
If only some areas are responsive then I'm pretty sure it's the digitizer. The IC likely encodes the output so that all the raw connections don't need to be extended over the slide cable. IOW, the pins that carry digitizer data probably carry encoded data so that it's fewer pins. This means it would work either all or not at all if the slide cable had anything to do with it.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reply... So, do I have to replace the digitizer or just realigning the cable will help?
matfai said:
Thanks for reply... So, do I have to replace the digitizer or just realigning the cable will help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my experience, cable alignment has also been an all or nothing issue so you probably need to replace the digitizer. It couldn't hurt to realign the digitizer cable first just in case it can avoid an unnecessary expense. That fixed a Cubot C9+ I worked on Saturday (digitizer not working at all) but not the iPhone 4S I worked on yesterday (bottom row of digitizer not responding).
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
stuck in safe mode after replace slider cable(flex)
Hi i'm writing here in hopes you can help me, i bought and replaced the "flex cable" and it kinda worked, somehow it can only boot in safe mode and back, home and menu buttons on the front is unresponsive (i can use joypad though) i've tried opening it up again to check for loose connectors and i even tried disconnect the cable to the front buttons but safe mode persists, i tried to flash several official ftf images and a custom rom to see if it helped, but also without any luck.
I hope that you can help me.
Thx for a nice indepth post
docsmiley said:
Hi i'm writing here in hopes you can help me, i bought and replaced the "flex cable" and it kinda worked, somehow it can only boot in safe mode and back, home and menu buttons on the front is unresponsive (i can use joypad though) i've tried opening it up again to check for loose connectors and i even tried disconnect the cable to the front buttons but safe mode persists, i tried to flash several official ftf images and a custom rom to see if it helped, but also without any luck.
I hope that you can help me.
Thx for a nice indepth post
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are booting in safe mode, that "menu" button is always pressed. My guess is faulty/damaged flex cable. You can try your old flex cable and see can you enter flash/fastboot mode (test to see is back and search button is working)
Bakisha said:
If you are booting in safe mode, that "menu" button is always pressed. My guess is faulty/damaged flex cable. You can try your old flex cable and see can you enter flash/fastboot mode (test to see is back and search button is working)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search button is working as intended (also when booted into safe mode) and i can enter flash mode with back button and flash ftf files, back button is just not functional when booted (only on joypad).
I also figured it had to be the flex cable but i thought i was so carefull when mounting it so i didn't thought i damaged it.
The old flex cable didn't give any picture at all, so can't see if it boots into safe mode with that.
docsmiley said:
Search button is working as intended (also when booted into safe mode) and i can enter flash mode with back button and flash ftf files, back button is just not functional when booted (only on joypad).
I also figured it had to be the flex cable but i thought i was so carefull when mounting it so i didn't thought i damaged it.
The old flex cable didn't give any picture at all, so can't see if it boots into safe mode with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have received a defective flex cable before so it's possible you have also. In my case it didn't work at all (no picture).
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Thanks for your replies I'll see if I can get it replaced
Sendt fra min Galaxy S4 med Tapatalk
slide flex replacement
hi, its my second time replacing the slide flex cable of my r800i, however this time, my digitizer is unresponsive to the flex i bought, i bought it in the same store where i bought the first one which was perfectly fine before,
my question is does the slide flex cable of xperia play 4G differs to the slide flex cable of the old one xperia play r800i,
dashu31 said:
hi, its my second time replacing the slide flex cable of my r800i, however this time, my digitizer is unresponsive to the flex i bought, i bought it in the same store where i bought the first one which was perfectly fine before,
my question is does the slide flex cable of xperia play 4G differs to the slide flex cable of the old one xperia play r800i,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are the same. I have also switched then between a "4G" R800at and a R800x. I have also received bad digitizer flex cables that were new. It really is luck of the draw. A lot of replacement parts on eBay are factory seconds, which may have been removed from the production line for good reason. That's why I always order parts in sets of two for anything I know I will need in the future and I always test both. For example, recently I got two iPhone 4S screens and one had the frame installed upside down. Before that I ordered two replacement iPhone 4 30-pin dock replacements and one had a defective microphone. Before that I ordered two iPod touch 2G digitizer/frame assemblies and one didn't work along the left side.
Here I am identifying a couple bad iPhone displays from a lot:
http://youtu.be/TbxzCiGhwPM
I didn't own an iPhone so I had to test them all with the phone the first customer provided.
Edit: Oh! And make sure the problem is not with the digitizer connection under the black plastic cover. Mine works it's way loose all the time and needs to be secured with tape. Even when inserted fully straight and locked, I put it together and find it not working or the display black until I take it back apart and reseat it. It will twist slightly and even the slightest angle affects the connection.
Hi all,
i'm very disappointed because i'm just breaking my screen when my zenfone fall of 60cm.
LCD is ok but screen is dead
On ebay i know you can find only the screen with kit, and LCD + screen
Does any one have advice for replacing the screen or screen + lcd? (video or pictures).
Asus France ask me 180€ to change that
thank for your help...
pulesky said:
Hi all,
i'm very disappointed because i'm just breaking my screen when my zenfone fall of 60cm.
LCD is ok but screen is dead
On ebay i know you can find only the screen with kit, and LCD + screen
Does any one have advice for replacing the screen or screen + lcd? (video or pictures).
Asus France ask me 180€ to change that
thank for your help...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems pretty easy, please check these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMIivqu6XJY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4HZt3Aadsc
I ordered a screen replacement on AliExpress. I've only cracked the glass on my phone, but I don't think it's possible to replace the glass on its own. (Unless you have the hands of a neurosurgeon and special equipment.)
Tried changing screen today, but it requires a complete disassemble of the unit. I managed to remove the back and disconnect the components, however I wasn't able to remove the battery since it seems to be glued (?) in place on one side. I even tried using quite a bit of force, but eventually I chickened out since the battery started bending. I have no idea how they do it so easily in the video. If anyone here has managed this disassemble I'd be very interested in getting some details.
dodongobongo said:
I ordered a screen replacement on AliExpress. I've only cracked the glass on my phone, but I don't think it's possible to replace the glass on its own. (Unless you have the hands of a neurosurgeon and special equipment.)
Tried changing screen today, but it requires a complete disassemble of the unit. I managed to remove the back and disconnect the components, however I wasn't able to remove the battery since it seems to be glued (?) in place on one side. I even tried using quite a bit of force, but eventually I chickened out since the battery started bending. I have no idea how they do it so easily in the video. If anyone here has managed this disassemble I'd be very interested in getting some details.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try using a hair dryer on the battery for a minute, but keep moving the hair dryer up and down, to spread the heat all over, this should make the glue soft enough to make it easier to peel the battery off.
Finally managed to replace the screen. This one was really difficult to repair compared to the previous phones I've worked on, but maybe in part because there are no complete instructions out there yet. Lots of glue and tape holding it all together.
The battery isn't really glued, but rather held down by some sticky plastic. (Kinda like chewing gum.) I don't think heating will help here. I used a long, flat plastic object to reach underneath and loosen it from the battery.
I forgot to take pictures, but here are the steps I took. You can find some photos for the first half of the procedure.
Remove 14 screws from the back cover
Carefully remove back plastic cover (double sided tape on center)
Unplug the three connectors going to the top PCB/SoC (these are screen, SIM/SD and battery)
Remove speaker (black piece at the bottom, nothing is holding it in place)
Remove bottom PCB: flip up the little black switch to loosen the connector cable next to the battery, then unplug the wire going to the top PCB, then you can remove it. Vibrator piece doesn't need to be unplugged.
Battery can now be removed, but is as mentioned fastened very well. Try to pull it up on the left side to reach under it.
Unplug digitizer connector on the left side of the top PCB. Just peel off the yellow take and pull it out.
Peel loose the part of the metallic shielding that fastened the top PCB to the surface under where the battery was.
Top PCB can now be removed, start from right side.
Peel off the little "sticker" the digitizer connector goes to. This is probably part of what you're replacing, so it doesn't matter if you destroy it in the process. Otherwise try heating it.
Screen can finally be removed. It's removed from the front of the phone, same as for Zenfone 5. Start at the bottom. It's fastened with glue along all sides. If you're hoping not to ruin the LCD while removing the screen you will probably need a heat gun and extreme patience.
dodongobongo said:
Finally managed to replace the screen. This one was really difficult to repair compared to the previous phones I've worked on, but maybe in part because there are no complete instructions out there yet. Lots of glue and tape holding it all together.
The battery isn't really glued, but rather held down by some sticky plastic. (Kinda like chewing gum.) I don't think heating will help here. I used a long, flat plastic object to reach underneath and loosen it from the battery.
I forgot to take pictures, but here are the steps I took. You can find some photos for the first half of the procedure.
Remove 14 screws from the back cover
Carefully remove back plastic cover (double sided tape on center)
Unplug the three connectors going to the top PCB/SoC (these are screen, SIM/SD and battery)
Remove speaker (black piece at the bottom, nothing is holding it in place)
Remove bottom PCB: flip up the little black switch to loosen the connector cable next to the battery, then unplug the wire going to the top PCB, then you can remove it. Vibrator piece doesn't need to be unplugged.
Battery can now be removed, but is as mentioned fastened very well. Try to pull it up on the left side to reach under it.
Unplug digitizer connector on the left side of the top PCB. Just peel off the yellow take and pull it out.
Peel loose the part of the metallic shielding that fastened the top PCB to the surface under where the battery was.
Top PCB can now be removed, start from right side.
Peel off the little "sticker" the digitizer connector goes to. This is probably part of what you're replacing, so it doesn't matter if you destroy it in the process. Otherwise try heating it.
Screen can finally be removed. It's removed from the front of the phone, same as for Zenfone 5. Start at the bottom. It's fastened with glue along all sides. If you're hoping not to ruin the LCD while removing the screen you will probably need a heat gun and extreme patience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just cracked my phone. :crying:Thanks for the instructions. Before I decide to do this, are any of the adhesives necessary to put the phone back together?
Yes, order some double-tape for cellphones.
Glad I'm not the only one that succeded althought I scrapped the battery in my case .
I followed mostly the same steps but for anyone that want some pictures, I posted them in another thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone2/help/q-lcd-replacement-procedure-t3135165
Can asus ze550ml screen will fit to ze550kl model
@Ptselv: probably best to start a new thread rather than hijack one that is several months old.
And to answer your question: No, a ZE550ML screen will not fit a ZE550KL phone. My suggestion: search AliExpress.com for "ze551kl digitizer" and you'll be likely to find what you need.
Good morning;
So, my Nexus 7 took a swim. Fortunately it was a quick one and I was able to recover it quickly and it found it's way into a nice dry rice bath following.
There it sat for a few days until it was nice and dry. Power it on and blammo -- tries to boot into recovery or safe mode.
Fast forward to my best understand of what is happening -- it thinks the volume rocker is being pressed 100% of the time.
So, anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on what I may be able to do? I guess I'll have to buy some sort of replacement part -- but presumably it's not a modular component I can simply replace.
Think I can just 'remove' the volume control entirely?
StabbingHobo said:
Good morning;
So, my Nexus 7 took a swim. Fortunately it was a quick one and I was able to recover it quickly and it found it's way into a nice dry rice bath following.
There it sat for a few days until it was nice and dry. Power it on and blammo -- tries to boot into recovery or safe mode.
Fast forward to my best understand of what is happening -- it thinks the volume rocker is being pressed 100% of the time.
So, anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on what I may be able to do? I guess I'll have to buy some sort of replacement part -- but presumably it's not a modular component I can simply replace.
Think I can just 'remove' the volume control entirely?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to be clear we're not talking about the plastic buttons protruding on the side of the tablet. Inside, barring some short on the circuit itself or fried components(this you can do by inspecting points of contact on the ribbon, the inside of the connector and the soldering traces at its end), the amber ribbon consisting of power, volume and microphone can be removed from the bezel by very slowly scraping the double-sided white tape underneath it from one end to the other (if you use a thin blade, make sure you insert it between the tape and the bezel and not between the tape and the ribbon itself).
Once out, you will notice that contact is made when the thin round metal plates are pressed together. There are 2 layers. If you again carefully peel off the upper layer (transparent mylar or film), you can see if anything is stuck in between (water or vapor), or that one plate is depressed permanently that it would make contact all the time.
The rest is just a matter of pushing it back to the normal position and realign both layers. Usually, there would be enough adhesive left for them to stick together without your having to add more.
graphdarnell said:
Just to be clear we're not talking about the plastic buttons protruding on the side of the tablet. Inside, barring some short on the circuit itself or fried components(this you can do by inspecting points of contact on the ribbon, the inside of the connector and the soldering traces at its end), the amber ribbon consisting of power, volume and microphone can be removed from the bezel by very slowly scraping the double-sided white tape underneath it from one end to the other (if you use a thin blade, make sure you insert it between the tape and the bezel and not between the tape and the ribbon itself).
Once out, you will notice that contact is made when the thin round metal plates are pressed together. There are 2 layers. If you again carefully peel off the upper layer (transparent mylar or film), you can see if anything is stuck in between (water or vapor), or that one plate is depressed permanently that it would make contact all the time.
The rest is just a matter of pushing it back to the normal position and realign both layers. Usually, there would be enough adhesive left for them to stick together without your having to add more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the reply.
Yes, the rocker buttons do continue to rock like a charm. I'll have to crack it open and have a look. Thank you for your advice.