Develop Bugs

Phone went for a swim...

Dropped my Evo in the lake over the weekend. It filled up with water and died immediately. I was able to take it all apart and blow it out with compressed air til it was all dried up. The phone now boots fully and everything appears to work (sending this from my Evo!) except for the camera. Neither front or back works and I don't have insurance so Sprint totally turned me away. Does this sound like an easy fix? The camera turns on but the picture is all fuzzy and I can't actually take a photo or video. I found replacements on eBay for around 20 bucks but don't know if that will fix it. Any thoughts?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

it's possible that the compressed air messed up some of the solder on the MotherBoard... i don't know much about phones (mainly work on PC's) but if it's anything like a pc there is a motherboard and the solder could have been weak and the compressed air blew it right off...
or maybe there is still some moisture... if that is the case... i have heard of a couple of solutions... open the phone back up and submerge it in a bowl of rice. let it sit over night... put back together see if that works.
if not... i have heard that dipping it in a bowl of WD-40 and letting it dry over night works...
i have never tried the latter but have used the former once...
as far as replacing the camera itself... i wouldn't know sorry

Replacing the camera modules should be pretty easy. The rear camera module in particular sometimes has a tendency to come loose on its own, so it shouldn't be too much work to remove it. The front camera module should also be pretty easy, though you'd need to do more disassembly to take that out. I would look up the various teardowns of the evo that are available online for details on doing that.
As for whether it will fix your issue; you won't really know until you try. That's one of the things that kinda sucks about water damage, it's not going to do the same thing with every device, that's why in general people usually don't even bother trying to fix water damage and either live with the damage or get a replacement.

Best bet for a fix is to take out the battery and submerge the phone in distilled water and let it soak, slight aggitate the water.
That should remove any deposits on the board. The problem with normal water is it has all kinds of crap in it that get left behind if you just let it air dry.
Than take it out and stick it in a bag of uncooked rice to 3 days to dry it out.
Power on and test.

Bielinsk said:
Best bet for a fix is to take out the battery and submerge the phone in distilled water and let it soak, slight aggitate the water.
That should remove any deposits on the board. The problem with normal water is it has all kinds of crap in it that get left behind if you just let it air dry.
Than take it out and stick it in a bag of uncooked rice to 3 days to dry it out.
Power on and test.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a bad idea, although it's kinda scary to try that! If you do, I would also get some of that computer duster air and dry it again gently. I used my wife's hairdryer on mine as well, and then the rice trick.
I wonder if electrical parts cleaner would work as well?

Replacing the camera modules are easy I did mine when I replaced my digitizer......bought this EVO for 20 bucks on Craigslist paid like 60 in parts not a bad deal
Sent From My "DECK'D out SAVAGE of an EVO" Using XDA Premium

Thanks for all the input guys, I really appreciate it! It now seems as though the camera is working properly, for now. If I start to have further issues, I will use your suggestions to try to fix. Thanks again! Looks like I may have really dodged a bullet here!

[Q] LCD Replacement???

Hi guys, I got my hands on a MT4G with a broken LCD.
First Q, is it worthy getting a replacement off cheapbay? What other options are there?
Second Q, is it hard to replace it? Is it possible to do it myself?
Thanks for your advise...

I haven't replaced an LCD myself but I am looking to replace a digitizer for my wife's phone.
Someone posted up this link for me in another thread I started.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/FULL-LCD-DI...984?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a12834fe0
This should take out the hard part of disassembling the digitizer from the lcd and reattaching and the adhesive itself.
It's the complete the front housing, digitizer AND LCD in one. Already assembled.
I haven't ordered it myself yet but I AM tempted. Especially after watching some of these disassembling videos.
Let me know what you decide and how it worked out.
Just PM me.
Thanks bro and good luck.

Thanks a lot, I will check it out, the adhesive part really has me in doubt.

I've replaced the LCD without the digitizer attached and you are both correct. It can be done but the finished product is not factory quality. I looked at the ebay part posted in the link and that would be the way to do it. Otherwise you have to use a hair dryer to heat the glue and its not fun.
If you are not familiar with taking electronics apart look for a video tutorial via google; I used one to take the MT4G apart. Also label the screws as they come out by drawing the phone on a piece of paper and placing the screw accordingly on the paper. Makes assembly much easier!
Hope you take on the challenge and good luck.

allenmehrer said:
I've replaced the LCD without the digitizer attached and you are both correct. It can be done but the finished product is not factory quality. I looked at the ebay part posted in the link and that would be the way to do it. Otherwise you have to use a hair dryer to heat the glue and its not fun.
If you are not familiar with taking electronics apart look for a video tutorial via google; I used one to take the MT4G apart. Also label the screws as they come out by drawing the phone on a piece of paper and placing the screw accordingly on the paper. Makes assembly much easier!
Hope you take on the challenge and good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah my only thing about ordering this complete assembly is that my wife's phone has the SO screen and I don't want to replace with an SH, which I'm sure that part is going to be. (99.99% sure)
Add to that, she doesn't even need a new LCD and the digitizer alone is just 25 bucks.
Decisions, decisions.

nguyendqh said:
Yeah my only thing about ordering this complete assembly is that my wife's phone has the SO screen and I don't want to replace with an SH, which I'm sure that part is going to be. (99.99% sure)
Add to that, she doesn't even need a new LCD and the digitizer alone is just 25 bucks.
Decisions, decisions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to clean the dirt out between my digitizer and lcd! Can't tell you how annoying that is. Suppose someone could do a better job resealing it... It would be nice if a digitizer/lcd kit came with new adhesive.

http://www.papadigitals.com/advance...uch+4g&sgmid=aa6a532f59b343f82afc0aaa2d55c02d
I saw lcd screen and touch screen digitizer for HTC mytouch 4G there.

I've been taking electronics apart since I was 7 tears old. The MyTouch 4g finally beat me.
There are a lot of really delicate connectors that break easily. Be careful

dr_tracker said:
is it worthy getting a replacement off cheapbay? What other options are there? Second Q, is it hard to replace
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'd better to buy non-working phone (maybe from ebay) and make one from two phones. You should have the screwdriver. Easy to replace.

It is not really hard i saw a vid on youtube just search it up super easy actually

I bought a digitizer LCD already together for like 75 and it wasn't too bad to exchange and put this new one in but when I powered the phone the bottom left of the screen didn't work and it impossible to take it back out of the silver bezel without breaking it so I sent it back to get my money and lost the bezel. Its not too hard but be careful take your time and don't pull or yank anything.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda premium

I replaced my digitizer. I agree, there are many delicate connectors, but nothing to be afraid of. You should watch the YouTube video over and over. Also, be careful not to push on the bottom buttons while taking it apart. This was the most frustrating thing because they wouldn't sit properly when reassembled. I took it apart 5 times before I forgot to detach the power ribbon and ripped it off! There are motherboards available to fix this, but saving it for another day.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk

That's funny that's the same exact thing I did pulled the power ribbon right out so I just said screw it and just bought a new phone on eBay
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda premium

Digitizer replacement

Hi, has anyone replaced their digitizer on their desire z/g2? How did it go? It looks easy on the youtube vid.. have any problems? What way did you use to melt the glue? What digitizer did you use, where from?
Any info much appriciated as will be replaceing mine v soon due to 'invisible finger problem' that's driving me nuts..
Thanks..
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

Never done it on a g2 but should be pretty straight forward especially with a video lol. Use a heat gun to melt the glue, pretty much the only tool you SHOULD use to do something like that.

I replaced the digitizer on my third G2 after getting a refurb replacement from T-Mobile that had a black spot inside the actual digitizer glass, not on the outside or inside.
The process is very easy with the video, however, trying to keep dust and fingerprints from getting on the inside of the phone while you're trying to get it back together is a serious pain in the rear! If it's the same video that I watched, just use a hair drier blowing hot air to heat the adhesive on the inside of the digitizer and then pop the digitizer off very very slowly, because you don't want to accidentally bend the metal bezel around the screen.
You also may want to leave the original leftover adhesive on the inside, because when I cleaned mine off, light now always leaks out around the bottom edge of the digitizer, below the menu, home, and search buttons, even though I used the double sided adhesive strips covering the entire length of the bottom, so light shouldn't technically be leaking out. No biggie, though... it works like brand new, now!

Thanks for the reply.. I have seen that video and that's what I was using as a guide.. I ordered the digi today, should be here tomorrow.. the only thing I was wondering was the glueing process, as I have not ordered the double sided glue/tape stuff, as I was just hopeing to still use the original glue as I think you are saying.. I hope that works! Have to be careful like u say with dust/fingerprints etc..
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

Hmm, after reading your post again, maybee I should of bought the double sided tape afterall? Do you think the old leftover glue is enough for the new digi?
Many thanks..
Sent from my HTC Vision usingall XDA App

Run over to radio shack they must have some kind of glue you can use lol. google cell phone screen glue see what info you can find.

Ok, just incase anyone is interested, got my new digitizer, followed the video, used a heat gun cerfully to melt the glue, pulled the old digitizer out, and used the original glue whilst still warm to hold the new digi in, as all of glue stayed on the case rather than on the digi, which was pretty lucky.. put it all back together and everything perfect, touchscreen back to how it should be.. cost me 17 pounds.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

How was this accompilshed?
I replaced the touch screen as well and the problem persists. Plus I never ran into a part that required a heat gun did I use the wrong item?

A VERY confusing part is getting the midframe to hold to the hinge mounts. The side (black dots all down it) should overlap the stabilizer bar on the hinge. I fidgeted with it for hours until realizing it goes over, and inadvertently damaged the highly sensitive LCD screen, which resulted in me taking the whole thing apart again to replace the LCD and digitizer. UGH!
DO NOT get the cheapo digitizer on Amazon, look for one with gray spots where the menu, home, back and search keys are on the back side. The digitizers without them will not work when you swap over the white button caps on the back. I feel like this information is vital to anyone who is replacing their G2 digitizer, but most guides and videos make no mention of it.
I used a lamp to heat up the glass to remove it the first time. Took too long the second time so I used a hair dryer.

senser1080 said:
A VERY confusing part is getting the midframe to hold to the hinge mounts. The side (black dots all down it) should overlap the stabilizer bar on the hinge. I fidgeted with it for hours until realizing it goes over, and inadvertently damaged the highly sensitive LCD screen, which resulted in me taking the whole thing apart again to replace the LCD and digitizer. UGH!
DO NOT get the cheapo digitizer on Amazon, look for one with gray spots where the menu, home, back and search keys are on the back side. The digitizers without them will not work when you swap over the white button caps on the back. I feel like this information is vital to anyone who is replacing their G2 digitizer, but most guides and videos make no mention of it.
I used a lamp to heat up the glass to remove it the first time. Took too long the second time so I used a hair dryer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So which digitizer did you end up buying and which guide or video did you follow? I am about to tear mine apart and could use the info.

senser1080 said:
A VERY confusing part is getting the midframe to hold to the hinge mounts. The side (black dots all down it) should overlap the stabilizer bar on the hinge. I fidgeted with it for hours until realizing it goes over, and inadvertently damaged the highly sensitive LCD screen, which resulted in me taking the whole thing apart again to replace the LCD and digitizer. UGH!
DO NOT get the cheapo digitizer on Amazon, look for one with gray spots where the menu, home, back and search keys are on the back side. The digitizers without them will not work when you swap over the white button caps on the back. I feel like this information is vital to anyone who is replacing their G2 digitizer, but most guides and videos make no mention of it.
I used a lamp to heat up the glass to remove it the first time. Took too long the second time so I used a hair dryer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I did buy mine from amazon.co.uk, there were a few for sale,, the one I bought was supposed to be a genuine t-mobile g2 replacement (refurb I think, pressumably this just means that it was from a second hand g2 that had problems and the digi was taken out - and I'm pretty certain this is the case as mine has a thin film (which u leave on) over the back of the digi covering the tracks etc, which had a few very small air/dust bubbles under it (just noticeable when screen off), where I own a desire z, so now it sais t-mobile instead of htc, but I can live with that.
The small grey bits that you talk about were floating about or stuck on my digi when I pulled it off the main chassis. I had a look, and as far as I could work out, were possibly just for giving colour to the tiny led's that give you light to the home/search keys etc (I may be wrong on their use), but if you look closely, the tiny grey things have even smaller rectangles on them that relate to the positions of the led's on the circuit board. So I picked the remaining ones off the old digi, put them back in their correct holes and stuck the new digi in. I've had no problems (with a digi from amazon with no little grey things on it) so far, but maybee this is due to mine being a second hand original part..
Edit : Now after reading your post again, you're talking about bits that are actually on the digi itself, not the white caps that I'm talking about! Whoops. I didn't notice any grey spots on the digi itself, but I guess I must have them..
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

ian577416 said:
I replaced the touch screen as well and the problem persists. Plus I never ran into a part that required a heat gun did I use the wrong item?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rekon u replaced the wrong thing! Maybe the lcd?
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

i just replaced mine with this one:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/230685692541?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
actually it says HTC on it and looks a lil bit differently than on the picture.
never the less, i replaced it really carefully and checked every connecting.
But somehow the Touchscreen doesn't work at all.
Can anyone help me ? what could be the problem ?
Wrong digitzer ?
is it okay, that the digitizer has direct contact to the frame where it is glued to ?

jmpcrx said:
... as will be replaceing mine v soon due to 'invisible finger problem' that's driving me nuts..
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!
I have the same problem, I have asked it already here
So you had invisible finger press in the screen, and the screen was bad responsive?
...Just to make sure my problem is digitizer problem! The service wont change it in warranty unless the problem is there all the time! But its driving me crazy! why is it happening randomly, why isnt it all the time? How could i make the screen to do this problem when i'm at the service?

Nexus on water (help)

Hey people. I have a situation here. I dropped my phone getting out of my truck yesterday and it was pouring rain, just my luck!in Vegas pouring rain. Anyway, I had no idea my phone was on the ground until about 20 or so minutes my girlfriend found it and told me about it. I immediately took it apart and put it in a bowl of rice. This morning I turned it on to see of it worked, it booted up fine. When it got to the lockscreen I couldn't unlock it. Only the right third of the screen worked .I could pull the notification drawer down but that's really it. So it put it back in rice. Now my question is, should I leave it in another day ,2 or more? Am I just screwed or can I still rescue it? Its so sad. On a serious note though, how can I go about to at least back up my stuff or can I not do that. If there is really anything I can do, please help me. The screen has no water damage, and I was under the impression that the whole screen has to stop functioning, not just a part of it. Thanks in advance, and I will check this thread later tonight since I don't have a phone and wont be home until tonight. Thanks in advance for any help/advice. Extra info, phone is rooted running CNA the black theme version by daxmax. I have a backup of aokp, I don't know if that is relevant or not.

Had that problem with an old Android when I dropped it in water. One side wouldnt work for a few hours so I tossed it back in rice. The screen eventually started working again so I assume it was still wet and needed to dry some more.

Put it back into the rice and don't touch it, the more you turn it on, the more damage it does, let it dry first, and open up your phone to wipe dry any water you see if you are comfortable with it.
Beamed from my Grouper

That's bad. My gio had a water damage before, now my screen has some water spot and my volume button is completely broken. After 6 months now my vibration doesn't work anymore. I suggest u to sell it if u found no error, because they maybe will have some problems in the future. Just my suggestion
Sent from my GT-S5660 using xda app-developers app

I must express a word of caution before trying my method of cleaning PCBs. As I do not know how sensitive the components are on the GNex board, some research/googling of certain components may be required. This is a general cleaning practice for water damaged PCBs.
You can try cleaning the motherboard with isopropyl alcohol. 70% or higher. Get an old toothbrush, clean that first, the get a shallow tray and submerge the board. Gently brush the board all over and pull it out. Next, get a hair dryer with a cold setting and blow cold air on it for a few minutes until the alcohol has evaporated. This helps clean out any water spots and corrosion that the water may have caused. Just make sure all the alcohol has evaporated. This will also help with getting any water that may be hiding and reeking havoc in small spaces.
Assemble and see if it helps.
Lastly, you attempt this at your own risk, I am in no way responsible for any damage or further damage caused by this method.

warglock said:
I must express a word of caution before trying my method of cleaning PCBs. As I do not know how sensitive the components are on the GNex board, some research/googling of certain components may be required. This is a general cleaning practice for water damaged PCBs.
You can try cleaning the motherboard with isopropyl alcohol. 70% or higher. Get an old toothbrush, clean that first, the get a shallow tray and submerge the board. Gently brush the board all over and pull it out. Next, get a hair dryer with a cold setting and blow cold air on it for a few minutes until the alcohol has evaporated. This helps clean out any water spots and corrosion that the water may have caused. Just make sure all the alcohol has evaporated. This will also help with getting any water that may be hiding and reeking havoc in small spaces.
Assemble and see if it helps.
Lastly, you attempt this at your own risk, I am in no way responsible for any damage or further damage caused by this method.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will be better if you use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol, it dries faster and 70% Isopropyl Alcohol usually leave water marks. Just that 91% Isopropyl Alcohol is kinda expensive.
Beamed from my Grouper

Isopropyl alcohol is fairly cheap a couple dollars at your local pharmacy for a 500ml bottle to save a 350+ dollar phone seems pretty worth it to me. That said do not use anything less than 90% if you want to splurge you can also go the route of pure distilled deionized water (this can get rather pricey). I'd suggest disassembling your gnex as far as you feel comfortable and use the methods described by others above. Do not use any heating implement to dry anything as there is a high likelihood of warping or otherwise damaging electronic components (principally the PCB)

Well thank you all for your input, it seems my Nexus survived. I took it out of rice this morning and it was working again like a charm. No water marks, vibration works fine, and smooth sailing so far. I have taken or apart before, but I don't trust myself to clean it and mess with the motherboard. As long is it works I am happy, just ordered a new housing though, since it got a nasty scuff from dropping it. RICE is amazing is all I can say
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Dropped Galaxy S3 in Bathwater

Hey everyone, so my buddy recently dropped his Galaxy S3 in bath water. He ended up buying a new phone thinking the phone was dead but he turned it on a few days later and it worked. Everything works EXCEPT the touch buttons next to the home button. I bought the phone off of him for $150 thinking I can fix it but as I research video and threads online.. it seems much harder than I thought. I know that soaking the phone in 99% isopropyl alcohol can fix a lot of water damage problems but I'm not sure if I should soak the motherboard in it as it's working fine other than the touch sensor buttons. Should I dip only a part of the front frame (where the touch sensors are) in isopropyl alcohol stopping right below where the LCD screen starts?
I'd like to change the frame as well since there are some scratches here and there along with the home button. It works but the button is scratched up a bit.
Do you guys have any advice for me? The phone is currently disassembled btw if that helps.

Could always download lmt launcher and not worry about it?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium

Or modify your build.prop to add capacitive buttons
Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

Just use a ROM that has navbar settings and dont worry about the buttons. I dropped my old optimus t in water and yea it comes back to life , but the uncertainty of how long it will work is terrible. A few weeks after it happend phone screen flickering and it just died.
Best thing to have done was pull the battery and let it dry for two or three days
Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

Lots of ways to just bypass the buttons all together. Like thwy all said use a custom ROM and nav bar. Just let it dry and leave it be. Good luck.
Oh and give lmt launcher a shot too
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

I would definitely research cleaning it properly.
The water residue will eventually crust up and cause connection issues or shorts.

CZ Eddie said:
I would definitely research cleaning it properly.
The water residue will eventually crust up and cause connection issues or shorts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you think is a good way to clean it? Dip the main board in isopropyl alcohol?

I am a tech junky, the first thing I would do is take it 100% apart and clean every inch on the inside. Eventually the stuff inside of that phone will turn cruddy from the bath water. $150 for a SGSIII is a hella good deal, rip it apart and give it a good cleaning.

Thanks yeah I thought it was a great deal, I could've asked him to drop it less but I felt bad since he was my friend. Phone is brand spanking new and only used for 2 months.
I'm thinking about buying a new whole front piece (LCD, digitizer, frame) though.. what do you guys think? I can get it online for $230ish and not sure how much I can get for my existing front piece.

artluo100 said:
Thanks yeah I thought it was a great deal, I could've asked him to drop it less but I felt bad since he was my friend. Phone is brand spanking new and only used for 2 months.
I'm thinking about buying a new whole front piece (LCD, digitizer, frame) though.. what do you guys think? I can get it online for $230ish and not sure how much I can get for my existing front piece.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would try to fix it before going for a new front piece. Getting that new front piece + the 150$ you already paid = the price of a brand new S3 on ebay.
If it's himidity keeping them from working, leaving the phone in a seeled bag of rice for a couple days can fix it.

If you have the $$$ laying around to do it I would say go ahead. It may help the resell value down the road. I can't stand this phone naked, it feels like a big wet bar of soap in my hands. I would preserve the $$$ spent and put it in an Otterbox Commuter.

I was thinking about making back the money by selling the original piece. Not sure how much I can get for that though. The only thing holding me back is replacing the silver bezel around the LCD. You have to remove everything and swap it over including LCD, glass, buttons, etc. Sounds like a big risk for someone like who who has never done this type of work before.

artluo100 said:
I was thinking about making back the money by selling the original piece. Not sure how much I can get for that though. The only thing holding me back is replacing the silver bezel around the LCD. You have to remove everything and swap it over including LCD, glass, buttons, etc. Sounds like a big risk for someone like who who has never done this type of work before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well if getting someone to do it for you doesn't cost much, could be something to look into.

Yeah currently looking for someone to do that for me. Not sure where to look... all these cell phone repair places want to replace the whole piece PLUS they keep your LCD for "recycling" which means they'll take my LCD, repair it and sell it to the next sucker for $200 something.
I'm in NYC btw.. so by any chance any of you know someone in the area who has experience doing this, please let me know. Thanks!

artluo100 said:
Yeah currently looking for someone to do that for me. Not sure where to look... all these cell phone repair places want to replace the whole piece PLUS they keep your LCD for "recycling" which means I'll take your LCD, repair it and sell it to the next sucker for $200 something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha. Well mobiletechvideos.com is well known around here, could be an option. I dunno how he proceeds though.

BWolf56 said:
I would try to fix it before going for a new front piece. Getting that new front piece + the 150$ you already paid = the price of a brand new S3 on ebay.
If it's himidity keeping them from working, leaving the phone in a seeled bag of rice for a couple days can fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

Soaking it in 99% isopropyl alcohol right now. gave the mainboard a scrub down with a toothbrush about 1.5 hrs in. Also scrubbed the back of the touch screen, whichever resistors and chips I saw.
Fingers crossed.

Quick question.. how long should I let the parts dry after taking it out of the alcohol? It seems like alcohol evaporates pretty quick but the smell of it stays.