[Q] Epic 4G power button not working... - Epic 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Here's the situation, My wife has the Epic 4G, this is her 2nd replacement,and cannot get another thru the insurance. She dropped the phone, from couch to the floor, not far at all, but still dropped. The power button doesn't work now - at all. If I plug in to charger, it does light up keypad, home keys, and battery charging icon. Just no response from power button.
My question is, is there any way to turn the phone on thru the PC maybe? As long as I can get it on, then we should be good. I googled all over, but no solution found yet. Hopefully there's some way to kick it on thru the PC. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Have you tried pulling the battery cover off to get better acces to the switch and jiggling it around a little. Maybe the switch button just got jammed in. try pulling the button outward with a sharp object. Basic stuff, i know...but it is just a switch.

Lol... thanks man. I tried everything you can think of, took the phone apart and everything. The power button is just done. I ended up running Odin3, and slid keypad open,held 1 button,and plugged in USB and she jumped into Download mode - Thank god. Ran ACS recovery.tar file,AND it reset! Now, as long as the battery doesn't die, I can wake the phone with Volume keys,and all is good. If the battery does die - then I can just run the Odin3 process again... women...lol!

check eBay for a parts phone. maybe you can frankenstein it back to good.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/Cell-Phones-Smartphones-/9355/i.html?rt=nc&LH_ItemCondition=7000&_nkw=epic%204g&_catref=1&_dmpt=Cell_Phones&_fln=1&_ssov=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m1539
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Wife did the same to hers, dead power button. She usually tries to keep it charged all time now, to keep it from turning off.
However, if the phone turns off or freezes, we get it turned back on by Plugging in the charger until the softkeys light up, and as soon as the battery icon turns green, unplug the charger. The phone should reboot, and if you timed it right, you'll see the samsung logo.

SerialKilla said:
Here's the situation, My wife has the Epic 4G, this is her 2nd replacement,and cannot get another thru the insurance. She dropped the phone, from couch to the floor, not far at all, but still dropped. The power button doesn't work now - at all. If I plug in to charger, it does light up keypad, home keys, and battery charging icon. Just no response from power button.
My question is, is there any way to turn the phone on thru the PC maybe? As long as I can get it on, then we should be good. I googled all over, but no solution found yet. Hopefully there's some way to kick it on thru the PC. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance![/QUOTE
i believe you need to buy a new power ribbon inside the phone.. sometimes they go bad. if you have the $8 insurance they should just fix it for free
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

masterbat6025 said:
SerialKilla said:
Here's the situation, My wife has the Epic 4G, this is her 2nd replacement,and cannot get another thru the insurance. She dropped the phone, from couch to the floor, not far at all, but still dropped. The power button doesn't work now - at all. If I plug in to charger, it does light up keypad, home keys, and battery charging icon. Just no response from power button.
My question is, is there any way to turn the phone on thru the PC maybe? As long as I can get it on, then we should be good. I googled all over, but no solution found yet. Hopefully there's some way to kick it on thru the PC. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance![/QUOTE
i believe you need to buy a new power ribbon inside the phone.. sometimes they go bad. if you have the $8 insurance they should just fix it for free
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 to this. My power button stopped working when I replaced my screen myself... it worked for a couple days and then stopped working. Brought it to sprint and they fixed it for free.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

samsung epic 4g d700
SerialKilla said:
Here's the situation, My wife has the Epic 4G, this is her 2nd replacement,and cannot get another thru the insurance. She dropped the phone, from couch to the floor, not far at all, but still dropped. The power button doesn't work now - at all. If I plug in to charger, it does light up keypad, home keys, and battery charging icon. Just no response from power button.
My question is, is there any way to turn the phone on thru the PC maybe? As long as I can get it on, then we should be good. I googled all over, but no solution found yet. Hopefully there's some way to kick it on thru the PC. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to have a jig to put the phone in download mode, then use odin to flash a stock modem this will cause the phone to reset. As stated before you can wake the phone from sleep mode by sliding it open. Just do not let the battey full drain or you will have to repeat the process. This process can be done with any "jig-able" samsung device that is flashed with odin.
Hope this helps

sinamod said:
You need to have a jig to put the phone in download mode, then use odin to flash a stock modem this will cause the phone to reset. As stated before you can wake the phone from sleep mode by sliding it open. Just do not let the battey full drain or you will have to repeat the process. This process can be done with any "jig-able" samsung device that is flashed with odin.
Hope this helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you put the phone into download mode without a power button? I thought it was the 1 key and power.

djhspawn said:
How do you put the phone into download mode without a power button? I thought it was the 1 key and power.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The usb cord turns the phone on, no need for a button
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium

flastnoles11 said:
masterbat6025 said:
+1 to this. My power button stopped working when I replaced my screen myself... it worked for a couple days and then stopped working. Brought it to sprint and they fixed it for free.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you have to unroot and return to stock before taking it in to sprint? =\
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Click to collapse

Silly work around
I had an Epic that did the same thing, I know there is a keyboard shortcut to power up the device but I'm not sure what it is. I was able to power mine up after about 15 minutes of smashing all of the keys on the keyboard at random at the same time. Perhaps somebody with a bit more time or understanding of the keymap might be able to figure it out.

Talk to your Local Sprint Store
For me it was the button that failed. Since the power button is a part of the keyboard assembly it required replacing the keyboard. I called over to the local Sprint store and, after some begging, they agreed to part with the keyboard from a bricked phone they had in the shop. It took very little time for me to replace it and get the phone up and running again.

Hi, my power button wont work either. It happened when I replace my screen yesterday. I cant take it to sprint because it is rooted with a custom rom. Does anyone know exactly what the problem is or what part I need. I am pretty good with androids so I think I could do it

Sometimes when you take it apart the cable goes bad ( happened to me twice) just replace the ribbon cable and all will be well
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2

mpalomba3 said:
Hi, my power button wont work either. It happened when I replace my screen yesterday. I cant take it to sprint because it is rooted with a custom rom. Does anyone know exactly what the problem is or what part I need. I am pretty good with androids so I think I could do it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to take it to Sprint, just Odin Stock FC09
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2

An easier method for ur madness
Had the same issue with my power button not working. I'm not sure why but if I use my lg usb cord to charge it the phone will boot it self. Now if I use my Samsung, or Motorola or even tried a blackberry usb cord they all will just charge the battery. Kind of strange but lot less hectic than booting through ur computer every time. Hopefully this helps

Stumbled across this thread while playing with an EPIC 4G with the same problem. Quite by accident, and before I saw this thread, same thing worked for me. A LG USB cord boots it .

Related

[Q] Can't turn on the phone

Hi Everyone,
I purchased galaxy nexus around a week back. Yesterday, it's interface hung up and it stopped responding. I had no other option other then to remove the battery and restart the phone again. I removed the battery and inserted it back but now the phone won't turn on. I've tried everything. I held the power button for atleast a minute and it didn't work. I pressed both volume down and power button but that didn't work either. I removed the SIM card but it still didn't work. I also put the phone on charge but still no response from the phone.
It does not show anything on the screen. Has anyone else faced this kind of problem? Is this a hardware problem? Is there any solution other then replacing the phone?
Looking forward for a reply. Thanks.
Try the power button again. If no worky probably gotta exchange it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
pakistani said:
Hi Everyone,
I purchased galaxy nexus around a week back. Yesterday, it's interface hung up and it stopped responding. I had no other option other then to remove the battery and restart the phone again. I removed the battery and inserted it back but now the phone won't turn on. I've tried everything. I held the power button for atleast a minute and it didn't work. I pressed both volume down and power button but that didn't work either. I removed the SIM card but it still didn't work. I also put the phone on charge but still no response from the phone.
It does not show anything on the screen. Has anyone else faced this kind of problem? Is this a hardware problem? Is there any solution other then replacing the phone?
Looking forward for a reply. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you've covered most of the methods/states of turning the device on.
All the states of pressing the power button with other options I can think of are: volume up/down/together, usb plugged in and usb removed. Could also try removing the battery in between trying these and varying the length of holding down the power button.
Having usb unplugged, no volume keys pressed and holding the power button for 2-3 seconds has worked best for me.
Otherwise, as suggested above, the other option is to return/exchange the device as defective.
Hope that helps!
How sure are you that the battery is not dead? Of course like you say, the device itself may be dead but still.
Try keeping the phone on charge for a few minutes (say 15) at the very least and then attempt to see if the charging indicator shows on the screen when you click the power button. If it doesn't, then like everyone says, exchange the device....
My 2p's worth...
Thankyou everyone for the reply.
@s1977 pretty sure. It had around 50% battery when it stopped responding. And I also put it on charge for atleast 3-4 hours. Didn't work.
I think the only option left, as you all suggested, is to get a replacement and that's what I was afraid of. I ordered this from the UK and now I'll have to pay extra courier charges + tax to get a replacement.
Anyway, once again thankyou all for your response.
pakistani said:
Thankyou everyone for the reply.
@s1977 pretty sure. It had around 50% battery when it stopped responding. And I also put it on charge for atleast 3-4 hours. Didn't work.
I think the only option left, as you all suggested, is to get a replacement and that's what I was afraid of. I ordered this from the UK and now I'll have to pay extra courier charges + tax to get a replacement.
Anyway, once again thankyou all for your response.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure you try holding the power button down firmly for awhile. Once it took about 10 seconds for me. I was starting to freak out.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

[Q] No display on Epic - Need Help Troubleshooting

Hola all!
I have been scouring the forums to try and find my way, but haven't had any luck. Tossing it out to you all so I can see if I can get some help.
Purchased an SPH-D700 on eBay and was told the digitizer/LCD were bad, but the phone was otherwise working. Received the phone and installed a new digitizer/LCD. Went to power it up and... you guessed it... no display.
Went to the forums and was able to follow the unbricking process. Phone went into download mode, but no digging android on the screen. Odin ran fine with no errors. Tried rebooting the phone, but still no bootup.
Any suggestions for my next step?
FYI, I have a open case on eBay to get buyer protection, but I would really like to get this puppy working. Any help wpuld be greatly appreciated.
Scott
The flat cable from the board to the screen might not be pushed all the way ito its connectors don't be afriad to put a little pressure on it either that oorr the flat cables bad
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
Display working, now no boot : /
Thanks for the tip, matrix!
I took the device apart and verified all the connections. I now get a display of the battery and it is showing 100% charged.
Next issue is that it will not start up if I press the power button. What should I try next?
Verify that the power button is pressin.g the in.ner power button u cud try re odoining if it worked before then.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
Won't power on...
Well, I was able to get it to go into download mode and use Odin, but now it won't power up.
The battery display comes up when plugged it and when the display auto-dims after sitting, the camera and volume up/down will bring it back up. The power button does nothing now. I think the issue is the power button itself.
I ordered a new Keyboard flex/frame on eBay for $15. I'll replace it when it comes in and keep you all updated.
Thanks for the help.
I have been reading in other threads if you repeatedly plug in and out the usb cable it will turn on
Sent from my Nexus Slide 4G

T989 keeeps vibrating, shows splash screen and turns off!!

Hi, today i received this T989 that has this strange behavior. When i insert the battery it will try to boot by itself without touching the power button. But then it will turn off by itself also and starts to continuosly vibrate like its trying to boot but it wont. If i try to get to download mode with the JIG it will get to download mode but once i take the JIG out it will turn off again. My question is, could that be because it is bricked? Or maybe the power button damage? Perhaps the phone got wet? The sticker is kind of red, but if it was, i dont think it was too much because ive seen worst phones inside, i mean theres no sign of damp inside. I ask because if the case is that it might be bricked i will send it to mobiletech so they can fix it. But if its hardware then i will just have an expensive lcd display for sell lol..........
enelyam said:
Hi, today i received this T989 that has this strange behavior. When i insert the battery it will try to boot by itself without touching the power button. But then it will turn off by itself also and starts to continuosly vibrate like its trying to boot but it wont. If i try to get to download mode with the JIG it will get to download mode but once i take the JIG out it will turn off again. My question is, could that be because it is bricked? Or maybe the power button damage? Perhaps the phone got wet? The sticker is kind of red, but if it was, i dont think it was too much because ive seen worst phones inside, i mean theres no sign of damp inside. I ask because if the case is that it might be bricked i will send it to mobiletech so they can fix it. But if its hardware then i will just have an expensive lcd display for sell lol..........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe a stuck rocker button?
Thought the power button might be shorted. But i dunno! I didnt want to touch the mobo but since it looks like theres nothing to do except try that i guess ill change that button and see how it goes....
enelyam said:
Thought the power button might be shorted. But i dunno! I didnt want to touch the mobo but since it looks like theres nothing to do except try that i guess ill change that button and see how it goes....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did this end up working for you? I'm having the same issue...
Fairly certain its a power button issue. Went through the same thing myself in late July. Samsung logo shows, then it attempts to boot up only to be shut down and have the vibration pulse for a long time.
If you're able to Odin it back to stock, you can try and get T-Mobile or Samsung to replace it for you. If not, mobile tech videos has a button repair service.
Best of luck guys!
Sent from my SGH-T989
Hello, the same thing happened to me. I was able to bring it back to life by removing the back plate and disconnecting the motherboard completely. Then i inserted the jigg and put the battery back in. After 2 seconds i removed the jigg and connected the usb cable. Then i opened up odin 1.85 and the yellow com part stayed on i then flashed the program and my phones been working ever since. Good luck. Let me if you try it and if it worked for you.
Mine does it too.
Definitely the power button.
any solutions for the problem?
i cant trade my cell phone because i am on brazil ...i bought the t989 on ebay last year
My T-989 does the shiver and shake but won't start!! Please HELP!!!
aest said:
Hello, the same thing happened to me. I was able to bring it back to life by removing the back plate and disconnecting the motherboard completely. Then i inserted the jigg and put the battery back in. After 2 seconds i removed the jigg and connected the usb cable. Then i opened up odin 1.85 and the yellow com part stayed on i then flashed the program and my phones been working ever since. Good luck. Let me if you try it and if it worked for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi I'm having the same problem as the original post - what's worst is that I'm in Argentina and I bought the phone on ebay. I will attempt your solution but what is the jigg???? As scared as I am to open up my phone, I am more scared about traveling for another month without a phone! :crying::crying::crying:
Any other suggestions before I perform an operation on my phone??
Please and Thank you!
Have you tried a different battery? It sounds like a bad battery. My wife's Skyrocket was doing this until I charged her battery outside of the phone. I wouldn't open the phone until you try charging the battery.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
Simple solution is to tap or beat on the power button with an eraser many times.
This problem is common on t989 and it is caused by sticky power button.
Tapping the power button with Eraser or rubber multiple times should do it.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
sharpeyedman said:
Simple solution is to tap or beat on the power button with an eraser many times.
This problem is common on t989 and it is caused by sticky power button.
Tapping the power button with Eraser or rubber multiple times should do it.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks,, It works..It wouldn't boot on just kept vibrating. I press the power button many times..and it boot it fine...:good:
Power button must be going bad on mine:silly:

Phone died?

Hello everyone.
I have been using Tasks ROM for a while now. Last night my phone had a random reboot and other than that, no troubles.
Well about 20 minutes ago, my phone just turned off and will NOT come back on at all. I have done nothing different, cant get in to get a logcat or lastkmsg. It will not even boot up to the samsung screen.
It will vibrate when I plug it in or take out the battery and reput it in.
The only response I am getting is taking everything out (batter/sim/sd) and plugging it into my comp. The response is a Red light in the notification LED and a short vibrate, then nothing.
I get a Samsung logo if I just pull battery and reinsert.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
So you can't get into CWM or TWRP? And what Galaxy S3 Variant are you using?
axel4401 said:
Hello everyone.
I have been using Tasks ROM for a while now. Last night my phone had a random reboot and other than that, no troubles.
Well about 20 minutes ago, my phone just turned off and will NOT come back on at all. I have done nothing different, cant get in to get a logcat or lastkmsg. It will not even boot up to the samsung screen.
It will vibrate when I plug it in or take out the battery and reput it in.
The only response I am getting is taking everything out (batter/sim/sd) and plugging it into my comp. The response is a Red light in the notification LED and a short vibrate, then nothing.
I get a Samsung logo if I just pull battery and reinsert.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks[/QUOTE
Ii it possible you may have a bad battery? How new is it?(not that age of it matters) Also, do you have a case on the phone? Check to make sure the power button is not stuck. If you can get to boot logo, then its not dead-dead. If you've had your phone for awhile, double check the battery terminals are not oxidized. Unlikley, but worth checking and maybe check battery wih voltage meter if you have access to one. Then charge it overnight and check it again. One last thing to try is plug it in with the battery out and see if that does anything. Have you flashed anything lately? Modem? Scripts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have taken the battery out and plugged the phone straight into the computer and all that i get is a red light where the notification light is and then it disappears.
As for age, its a little over a year old.
I wasnt doing any flashing at the time, it just went kaput right after a phone call.
I had a mophie case on it, but not right now. I guess ill take it a part when i can and throw som alcohol on the battery button to see if it loosens it up. But other than that, I'm at a loss.
Not trying to pay $80 for a craigslister either.
Bubba Fett said:
axel4401 said:
Hello everyone.
I have been using Tasks ROM for a while now. Last night my phone had a random reboot and other than that, no troubles.
Well about 20 minutes ago, my phone just turned off and will NOT come back on at all. I have done nothing different, cant get in to get a logcat or lastkmsg. It will not even boot up to the samsung screen.
It will vibrate when I plug it in or take out the battery and reput it in.
The only response I am getting is taking everything out (batter/sim/sd) and plugging it into my comp. The response is a Red light in the notification LED and a short vibrate, then nothing.
I get a Samsung logo if I just pull battery and reinsert.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks[/QUOTE
Ii it possible you may have a bad battery? How new is it?(not that age of it matters) Also, do you have a case on the phone? Check to make sure the power button is not stuck. If you can get to boot logo, then its not dead-dead. If you've had your phone for awhile, double check the battery terminals are not oxidized. Unlikley, but worth checking and maybe check battery wih voltage meter if you have access to one. Then charge it overnight and check it again. One last thing to try is plug it in with the battery out and see if that does anything. Have you flashed anything lately? Modem? Scripts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man, I don't know. Sounded like a charging issue at first, but looking I'm not so sure now. Anything stuck in your power slot? Maybe try leaving battery out overnight and see if it clears anything. If it starts to boot I would go right to recovery and try flashing something. I would be concernedabout going straight to download mode and using oOdin cause of it does during the flash that is really bad...
Can you get into download mode? Pull battery plug in USB and hold volume down and home buttons I think... when you plug USB in to computer does Odin recognize it at all?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
I just started having the same issue. I have a an ATT S3 running the newest Hyperdrive. Mine wasnt doing a random reset, but it seemed like it has been turning itself off. Totally intermittent, i couldnt pinpoint the cause.
Then just today when i went to see if i had any messages and the phone was off again (i had about a 60-75% charge) I hit the power button a few times and now i am getting the symptoms described above.
When i try to go into TWRP, i get the blue text at the top left of the screen, sometimes i make it to the first hyperdrive screen, then it goes black.
When I go to download I can get to the hit up or down screen, i hit up to go into download, i get to the next screen then it goes black again.
I did leave the battery out for about 15minutes and no dice. I even tried to leave it on the charger thinking i lost all charge or something.
I am just a mere user, but i have always been able to tinker around enough not to bother the devs and get my way out of these situations, but I think i am stuck. Anyone have any ideas?
Thank you!
nightwulfss said:
I just started having the same issue. I have a an ATT S3 running the newest Hyperdrive. Mine wasnt doing a random reset, but it seemed like it has been turning itself off. Totally intermittent, i couldnt pinpoint the cause.
Then just today when i went to see if i had any messages and the phone was off again (i had about a 60-75% charge) I hit the power button a few times and now i am getting the symptoms described above.
When i try to go into TWRP, i get the blue text at the top left of the screen, sometimes i make it to the first hyperdrive screen, then it goes black.
When I go to download I can get to the hit up or down screen, i hit up to go into download, i get to the next screen then it goes black again.
I did leave the battery out for about 15minutes and no dice. I even tried to leave it on the charger thinking i lost all charge or something.
I am just a mere user, but i have always been able to tinker around enough not to bother the devs and get my way out of these situations, but I think i am stuck. Anyone have any ideas?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe a stuck power button? Try cleaning it out a little. .. sounds like it's rebooting itself.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
blaker13 said:
Maybe a stuck power button? Try cleaning it out a little. .. sounds like it's rebooting itself.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am trying that, it doesn't seem like there is anything in there, but you never know.
If the power button was stuck on, wouldn't the phone keep trying to restart? Or no?
nightwulfss said:
I am trying that, it doesn't seem like there is anything in there, but you never know.
If the power button was stuck on, wouldn't the phone keep trying to restart? Or no?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe so, unless you pull the battery. In fact pull battery plug into usb and go into down load mode and see if it restarts. Or go into recovery without holding power button, and if you can then that means the power button is stuck on.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
blaker13 said:
I believe so, unless you pull the battery. In fact pull battery plug into usb and go into down load mode and see if it restarts. Or go into recovery without holding power button, and if you can then that means the power button is stuck on.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried that as well. Whenever it goes into download mode the screen goes black after a couple of seconds. And it doesn't boot into recovery as well since it seems to go dead too quick.
I mainly just want to recover my pictures at this point. I am leaving the battery out of the phone for the day and see if that makes a difference this evening.
I am out of ideas, lol
nightwulfss said:
I have tried that as well. Whenever it goes into download mode the screen goes black after a couple of seconds. And it doesn't boot into recovery as well since it seems to go dead too quick.
I mainly just want to recover my pictures at this point. I am leaving the battery out of the phone for the day and see if that makes a difference this evening.
I am out of ideas, lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take the six acres it and open her up, Take out button off and clean it and where it goes.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
blaker13 said:
Take the six acres it and open her up, Take out button off and clean it and where it goes.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure the flex cable on you're power button is not working as intended, could be a short from a rain drop or just everyday wear and tear another issue could be that the battery is fried and can't hold a charge, but this seems unlikely given you're circumstance.
I always tell people to utilize pie controls to save you're everyday use from wearing out our precious hardware buttons, My power and home only get pressed to wake the device, everything else is pie control via LMT launcher
That happened to me a few months ago. I was at work when it happened. The phone would just continually restart, vibrate, restart, back and forth. I ended up taking the battery out so it wouldn't get drained. Had it out for about four hours. Once I got home, I put it back in and never had any more problems. It was just a random thing, so try keeping the battery out for a while.
I'll keep my fingers crossed. I took the phone apart last night to clean it out and it was pretty spotless. But It keeps shutting off after trying to boot after a few seconds. I just hope I can get to a point where I can get my pictures off of it now.
nightwulfss said:
I'll keep my fingers crossed. I took the phone apart last night to clean it out and it was pretty spotless. But It keeps shutting off after trying to boot after a few seconds. I just hope I can get to a point where I can get my pictures off of it now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello all, as an update, I did nothing to my S3 over the weekend haping something magical could happen.
Today I went through all the normal steps again, and still a dead soldier. Now it wont ever SHow the Samsung logo however - just a short vibrate then nothing..
Still get a red light and a short vibrate when plugging into the comp without battery in though.
I have NOT taken it apart yet, but I will tonight most likely.
Thanks for all the suggestions and Ill keep this updated.
axel4401 said:
Hello all, as an update, I did nothing to my S3 over the weekend haping something magical could happen.
Today I went through all the normal steps again, and still a dead soldier. Now it wont ever SHow the Samsung logo however - just a short vibrate then nothing..
Still get a red light and a short vibrate when plugging into the comp without battery in though.
I have NOT taken it apart yet, but I will tonight most likely.
Thanks for all the suggestions and Ill keep this updated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello again,
Some news, I am able to get it into download mode for about 1 second then the phone shuts off - just like the other person in this thread with the same issue.
I took the phone apart and used a Qtip with 91% isopropyl Alcohol to try and clean the power button (which looks surprisingly clean). Still the same thing happening.
I'm running out of ideas here, so please chime in if you have any.
Thanks
axel4401 said:
Hello again,
Some news, I am able to get it into download mode for about 1 second then the phone shuts off - just like the other person in this thread with the same issue.
I took the phone apart and used a Qtip with 91% isopropyl Alcohol to try and clean the power button (which looks surprisingly clean). Still the same thing happening.
I'm running out of ideas here, so please chime in if you have any.
Thanks
Click to expand...
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I was going to try the alcohol tonight, but I am afraid that I will have same results. I am going to try a new battery from another s3 tomorrow. I will post the results.
nightwulfss said:
I was going to try the alcohol tonight, but I am afraid that I will have same results. I am going to try a new battery from another s3 tomorrow. I will post the results.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Final update (hopefully)
I got the qtip and scrubbed anything to do with the battery, pressed the power button, got more alcohol in by the button (not a lot) scrubbed some more terminals, and the battery terminals, etc. waited about ten minutes and put the battery in...
Low and behold, something worked and now the phone comes on.
I dont know which part of the scrubbing actually did it, but something worked.
All in all I have no idea what actually fixed it, but the point is that it works.
Thank you for who those that insisted that it was a power button issue - you were most likely right.
So here are my results as of today, and what I have tried to get to this point:
After my S3 died and wouldn't boot up into recovery i tried cleaning all the internals with alcohol. I cleaned thoroughly, and focused on the charging port, the power switch and battery terminals. The phone acted exactly the same.
I then tried putting it in a bowl of rice for about 24 hours. I was thinking that it might have been caused by some condensation. No success.
I was thinking since the power would turn on whenever i plugged the battery in, that maybe the switch was stuck. I took it apart again and tested the switch with a multi-meter. The switch seemed fine. It was responding when i pushed it, so i figured that wasn't the problem.
I kept reading that apparently this is an issue with the mother board. I tried the broken PS3 method of heating up the motherboard with a heat gun in hopes to re-seat something that may be loose. This did not work either. After this, I figured i was SOL since I was out of ideas and out of warranty (which didn't really matter anyway since I am running Hyperdrive).
Earlier today I figured the best tool in your toolbox sometimes is a hammer. I started tapping the phone on the side of my table, especially around the power button, while trying to turn it on. It didn't seem like it was doing anything either. I then plugged the phone into the charger since i thought the battery was totally dead.
A few minutes after i walked away from the phone, I came back into room and the red charging light was on. I tried turning it on, and holy cow it works...wtf...
I have no idea what made this work. It could be a complete coincidence. But, this phone has not worked since last Saturday. I just kept messing with it and may have just gotten lucky. I don't think banging your phone will fix this, but if truly was a hardware issue, maybe something in the phones mother board is becoming loose from the extreme heat they endure at times. I know my S3 has gotten pretty hot when I use it to navigate and leave it in the case.
I don't know if any of this will help anyone, but this is my experience so far of my S3 having what I think is the sudden death failure. I will followup with any updates if it decides to act up again.

Help! Screen broken? Phone dead?

Okay ladies and gentlemen, please take the time to help me out, as I've never had this happen before...
I should state that I am on Slim Bean weekly (4.3) and BionicSheep kernel.
Today I went to the gym, used my bluetooth headset as usual. I turned off my bluetooth when I got home and rebooted my phone (bluetooth won't turn off without a reboot). I laid my phone down (I didn't check to see if it rebooted), took a shower and played video games for about an hour.
When I checked to see if I had any texts, I noticed my phone wouldn't wake (I figured it had a hardboot), so I tried holding down the power button to reboot, which didn't work. I pulled the battery and saw the Bionic Sheep splash screen, then nothing. Tried the power button again, nothing. Now when I pull the battery, I see the Bionic Sheep splash screen about 50% of the time, if that... usually I feel a little vibrate, then see nothing. I have the USB Jig for download mode, which I used and it went into download mode, but then the screen disappeared...
What can this be? Dying phone, breaking screen? HELP!
EDIT: Just tried recovery. I see the blue writing in the upper left that says "Recovery Booting..." then nothing, just a black screen
Then you're not booting download mode, thats recovery trying to boot. Hold home, volume DOWN and power. When it starts to boot/vibrate release power only.
If you can get here flash stock/root66 firmware via odin and report back.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
DocHoliday77 said:
Then you're not booting download mode, thats recovery trying to boot. Hold home, volume DOWN and power. When it starts to boot/vibrate release power only.
If you can get here flash stock/root66 firmware via odin and report back.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
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Sorry I meant recovery, not download. Sorry for that. I tried download too as stated earlier.
Do you happen to have the links for odin and stock recovery? If not, i'll take a look in a sec.
EDIT: Just downloaded odin from your sig, I'll check for stock firmware in a sec.
But a new problem, like I said before my phone goes into download, but it only stayed on the screen for a few seconds, then turns off. Odin isn't recognizing the phone at all...
I just tried to do it again, download mode only stays on for about 3 seconds. Odin recognized it for the few seconds its on, then it disappears... any ideas?
Does the phone power on by itself if you remove and replace the battery?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
DocHoliday77 said:
Does the phone power on by itself if you remove and replace the battery?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Yes sir it does, don't have to touch the power button at all.
I've tried download and recovery mode dozens of times now, the phone just powers off after a few seconds and won't turn back on until I pull the battery.
doubleohseven said:
Yes sir it does, don't have to touch the power button at all.
I've tried download and recovery mode dozens of times now, the phone just powers off after a few seconds and won't turn back on until I pull the battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So i've ruled out the screen at this point. Even though im 99% sure it was over 75% charged, im letting it sit/charge for a few hours an try again.
Been googling about similar problems... could this be "sudden death syndrome"?
doubleohseven said:
So i've ruled out the screen at this point. Even though im 99% sure it was over 75% charged, im letting it sit/charge for a few hours an try again.
Been googling about similar problems... could this be "sudden death syndrome"?
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Click to collapse
If it powers on without having to press the button, then I am 95% sure that is the problem. The power button is perpetually pressed. It could be the switch is loose or jammed, which I believe is usually the case. It is possible that there could be a short, but I doubt it as this has been happening more and more frequently lately. Some have reported being able to fix it themselves by opening it and either replacing or reseating the button, while others opt to take it to a local shop and have it fixed. (if you do, do not let them attempt to flash anything or they will brick it).
You can try to tap on it to jiggle it unstuck, but if you get it working again, this will certainly only be temporary.
DocHoliday77 said:
If it powers on without having to press the button, then I am 95% sure that is the problem. The power button is perpetually pressed. It could be the switch is loose or jammed, which I believe is usually the case. It is possible that there could be a short, but I doubt it as this has been happening more and more frequently lately. Some have reported being able to fix it themselves by opening it and either replacing or reseating the button, while others opt to take it to a local shop and have it fixed. (if you do, do not let them attempt to flash anything or they will brick it).
You can try to tap on it to jiggle it unstuck, but if you get it working again, this will certainly only be temporary.
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Okay ill give the power button a try before calling the insurance later today. Thanks for your help.
Do you happen know how t mobile insurance works? I'm really low on cash so i'm hoping there isn't a deductible for first time "offenses"...
EDIT: Quick question though, if it was in a constant boot loop with the button pressed, wouldn't I feel it vibrate multiple times and/or see the screen flash multiple times? I only feel/see it do these things once, then its gone.
I just took it apart and the power button was fine, so i'm now guessing this is something more serious...
Well I went through T mobile and am getting my phone replaced for $5. It's on backorder though so I have to wait 5-7 days before they even ship it, which kinda sucks.
Anyways I am hoping they don't see that I flashed a custom ROM. The once in awhile it does show the splash screen, it shows a little sheep on the bottom (due to the Bionic Sheep kernel), and the DL mode that stays on for about 2-3 seconds shows a flash count of 1. I am hoping they don't see it, or don't take the time to check after realizing that it's not functioning properly...
So did you get a warranty replacement then? (Insurance requires a $150 deductible, but it doesn't matter if it's been rooted) If so, they might see that and then charge you, I'm really not sure... I've heard of them doing that and also heard they don't even bother looking.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
DocHoliday77 said:
So did you get a warranty replacement then? (Insurance requires a $150 deductible, but it doesn't matter if it's been rooted) If so, they might see that and then charge you, I'm really not sure... I've heard of them doing that and also heard they don't even bother looking.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
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I called T mobile tech support, and they only charged me $5, not $150. The refurb should be here on Thursday, I guess I'll find out soon enough if they charge me for the rooting (im pretty sure they won't notice since the screen is on for less than 3 seconds, but who knows).
I can always try the 'when in doubt, deny deny deny' technique. Lol
I've been with them for awhile and sent back multiple rooted phones and have never been charged
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Supamike88 said:
I've been with them for awhile and sent back multiple rooted phones and have never been charged
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
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Thank you for the words of comfort. Lol
doubleohseven said:
I called T mobile tech support, and they only charged me $5, not $150. The refurb should be here on Thursday, I guess I'll find out soon enough if they charge me for the rooting (im pretty sure they won't notice since the screen is on for less than 3 seconds, but who knows).
I can always try the 'when in doubt, deny deny deny' technique. Lol
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Click to collapse
How long have you had the phone? If it's still under warranty then it's just the $5. But in my case where it is a year and a half old and there is physical damage, I seriously doubt they'd go for that!
That also means I might still just get a refurbished T999. Insurance claims go through Asurion, while warranty goes through T-Mobile. And unless I'm mistaken, Asurion has their own stock of refurbs...
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

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