Mainboard connector port broken - replacement available? - ZenFone 2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

It seems that I have either been too careless when changing my broken display, or I have a typical monday example from the production floor... Because the big flat cable connector mounted on the mainboard has cracked and a corner piece has broken off completely.
I managed to glue it back into place, but there's some plastic missing between the wired connection points. This means (seems to anyway) that my MicroSD slot is busted and is currently short circuiting the whole phone if any MicroSD is mounted.
Now my question:
Is there anyway to buy an entirely new one of these connector ports?
I've looked high and low online (eBay and otherwise), however I really don't know the proper terminology to search accurately.
I work in electronic manufacturing and we actually have connectors in stock, very similar to the one I need, but obviously similar doesn't cut it - I need the exact model used. If I had one I could easily solder it in place at work...
Does anyone have any ideas of how to find one?
I include one picture to clarify which connector I am talking about. It is not a pic of my actual mainboard, but a pic from eBay that I marked, just to give a general idea.

Related

External wifi antenna

Hello,
i want to connect external wifi antenna to S620 and i need some small help with that.
I dismantled the phone and removed shields from all ICs.
On picture 2 and 3 are Texas Instruments WiFi chips.
On picture 1 is other side of the board, with some metal piece and connector, which might be external wifi connector.
The connector is at opposite side in left bottom corner if you look at image 2, between PASS sticker and mounting hole, at the corner of large PCB ground pole.
Is that metal piece integrated antenna?
That connector is probably not U.FL.
Anyone know what type of connector is that?
Thanks.
Not sure but follow the link below for the service manual, it may give you some insight:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=402998&highlight=service+manual
if you managed tu connect it, let us know everything...
hope you can do it succesfully!!!
Ok, so i looked at the service manual, the connector is diagnostic (RF measurement) type, with switch.
MM8430-2600RA1
Probably will be in all HTC devices. So i will try to search on the forum, if anybody done this on different phone.
See page 9 and 10 for switch schematics and pinout
http://www.murata.com/catalog/o30e8.pdf
There are "probe" cables for it, but the probe connector is too big to hide under the cover.
I have a friend with experience with SMD, so i asked him if he can desolder it and solder pigtail with RSMA.
Cable can be taken out of the phone by using free space around hole which covers the GSM antenna connector.
I verified that by putting the cable in and closing the phone.
I also tried to hold stripped cable on the connector, with attached directional antenna and i picked up the APs in that direction, so it is working. (and really well)
The problem is that ground poles of the connector maybe connects ground to the power button, so after desoldering, it might not be possible to turn it on...
The safe way can be removing that piece of metal (yes, it is wifi antenna) and solder pigtail instead of it.
It should be simple, because under it are only two "paths" in PCB.
However, the best way is probably to solder it on opposite side, there is a PCB path from Wifi chips, going through the PCB, ending on middle pin of the connector.
But that cannot be done, because there is no way how to get the cable out of the phone.
I still prefer desoldering the connector, because it is placed "before" the antenna, so connecting it there would give a bit better results.
Edit: i searched the forum a bit, but all i found is service manual for Diamond, which seems to have U.FL connector. But i will not buy it because of that, only maybe when it will cost 80 USD like S620.

128MB upgrade clarification

I have bought a defective blueangel to harvest the memory chips, as I couldn't find a place to only buy two of them and now my uni is disassembled ready to go in along with the blueangel motherboard for the transplant. I have read the instructions in the wiki several times but the three photos are not the same. In the first photo which also displays the pins that should connected, the ram modules are not on positioned at the same place as the other two which show the motherboard on the workstation. My question is, there appear to be at least two varieties of uni motherboards. Are the pins the should be shorted the same?
Edit: My bad, the motherboard is the same, just the ram chips are not displayed in the first photo, at least not where they really are.
I wrote the 128mb upgrade page, if there is anything you need to know let me know, PM might be quicker.
The first picture is of a bare Uni PCB with 2 zooms showing where the shorting link is. The shorting link goes between the 2 square pads on the motherboard at the end of the row of 4 little brown blocks, ignore the round pads they are test points.
The other 2 pictures are of the Uni PCB with chips being soldered in to place all Uni's have the same motherboard.
Thanks for the reply, that was another point I wasn't sure about. Now it's all clear.

Can I replace the mic? Can't find replacement on eBay...

As title says. I have a problem with my HD, that the mic falls out now and then.
Sometimes just for a few secs, but also sometimes for longer periods which make it really hard to have normal conversations.
I've searched for a replacement mic on eBay, but can't find anything. Is the mic part of a "module" that need to be changed altogether?
Really appreciate any help on this matter.
Best regards
Kristian
Yes it's on the 'upper' circuit board (attached) and beneath a small rubber cover-right next to camera-I believe you need the whole circuit board-it could just be a dirty or loose connection though and may be worth checking where the upper board connects to the main board, A broken screen/parts only phone off ebay may be the best bet to repair it. Replace the upper board.
rootntootn said:
Yes it's on the 'upper' circuit board (attached) and beneath a small rubber cover-right next to camera-I believe you need the whole circuit board-it could just be a dirty or loose connection though and may be worth checking where the upper board connects to the main board, A broken screen/parts only phone off ebay may be the best bet to repair it. Replace the upper board.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummm... It isn't.
It is on the "Lower" circuit board, next to the headphone jack.
It is fixed to the mainboard and looks like a very precise and delicate procedure to replace.

Replacing the charging port

Hey all,
I just replaced the charging port on my m8 and wanted to let people know it is straight forward. My port got corroded and was shorting out, melting the adapter and not charging the phone. I sent it in hoping for warranty, but the replacement quote was $400! (due to S-off they "had" to replace the entire motherboard). The phone has a separate pcb with the micro usb charge port and headphone input.
example:
http://www.witrigs.com/media/catalo...a71cb48e3d52cb890e76f9e6353/1/0/109063-01.jpg
To remove this board you need to do a few easy things:
1) disconnect the ribbon and remove the insulating tape (to reattach to new part)
2) unsnap the small white power cable
3) loosen the screw on the motherboard near the headphone input. This is clamping down the assembly a bit
tools required:
phillips 00
t5 torx bit
spudger/guitar picks
I would recommend prying the phone out of the frame starting from the bottom. I started from the top and bent the thin strip of aluminum above the sim slot when prying it out.
Also, you can pry the bracket/spring off the top of the old usb port to give the new one a tight fit if your replacement didnt come with it (like mine)
Lastly, just note that power button fell out as soon as I pried the frame apart from the guts. This made it a bit of a pain to reassemble - just be sure to reassemble with the top in first. That will keep the power button in place.
The replacement part cost me $30, so it was definitely worth it! phone now works great.
bookfast said:
Hey all,
I just replaced the charging port on my m8 and wanted to let people know it is straight forward. My port got corroded and was shorting out, melting the adapter and not charging the phone. I sent it in hoping for warranty, but the replacement quote was $400! (due to S-off they "had" to replace the entire motherboard). The phone has a separate pcb with the micro usb charge port and headphone input.
example:
http://www.witrigs.com/media/catalo...a71cb48e3d52cb890e76f9e6353/1/0/109063-01.jpg
To remove this board you need to do a few easy things:
1) disconnect the ribbon and remove the insulating tape (to reattach to new part)
2) unsnap the small white power cable
3) loosen the screw on the motherboard near the headphone input. This is clamping down the assembly a bit
tools required:
phillips 00
t5 torx bit
spudger/guitar picks
I would recommend prying the phone out of the frame starting from the bottom. I started from the top and bent the thin strip of aluminum above the sim slot when prying it out.
Also, you can pry the bracket/spring off the top of the old usb port to give the new one a tight fit if your replacement didnt come with it (like mine)
Lastly, just note that power button fell out as soon as I pried the frame apart from the guts. This made it a bit of a pain to reassemble - just be sure to reassemble with the top in first. That will keep the power button in place.
The replacement part cost me $30, so it was definitely worth it! phone now works great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey there. Interesting to know that you replaced it all your self . Did you put everything back perfectly ? I mean the display being aligned properly to the body, the speaker grills being flushed with the body; ? Weird to ask, but did you damage anything while doing it all yourself ? Like the screen scratches, or something else ? Sorry, for asking these... Thanks in advance :good:
Tej XFire said:
Hey there. Interesting to know that you replaced it all your self . Did you put everything back perfectly ? I mean the display being aligned properly to the body, the speaker grills being flushed with the body; ? Weird to ask, but did you damage anything while doing it all yourself ? Like the screen scratches, or something else ? Sorry, for asking these... Thanks in advance :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't re-glued the speaker covers back on yet so I dont know if they will be perfectly flush or not, although they still look flat so I think it will look good.
The only damage is a slight bend in the frame on the screen side of the sim tray slot. The metal is thin, and I pried against it to get the hardware out of the frame. That is why I recommended to start from the bottom when separating the two. Doing this should allow others to avoid this problem. It is slight, maybe 1/4mm gap where it used to be flush along the side of the screen above the sim tray.
Otherwise everything was smooth. The screen/frame etc are still mint.
bookfast said:
I haven't re-glued the speaker covers back on yet so I dont know if they will be perfectly flush or not, although they still look flat so I think it will look good.
The only damage is a slight bend in the frame on the screen side of the sim tray slot. The metal is thin, and I pried against it to get the hardware out of the frame. That is why I recommended to start from the bottom when separating the two. Doing this should allow others to avoid this problem. It is slight, maybe 1/4mm gap where it used to be flush along the side of the screen above the sim tray.
Otherwise everything was smooth. The screen/frame etc are still mint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool, you've done it like a pro then. :good: .Any picture describing the damage would be helpful, if you can provide. Is the display mint ? No scuffs/scratches on it ? But, my speaker grills were damaged onto the edges after the repair was carried out. Does yours show the same sign ? I don't mean the flatness of the grills, but the damage that should be done, while prying out the grills. A picture showing your damage would be helpful to me. I could do the same, if you insist. Thanks ! :good:
Mine is busted. But I cannot find the PCB. The link in the op is dead.
Any ideas?
http://www.witrigs.com/oem-charging-port-flex-for-htc-one-m8
bookfast said:
http://www.witrigs.com/oem-charging-port-flex-for-htc-one-m8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually got one off eBay for $17.21. Works perfectly.
Just wondering....
Sounds like you were able to avoid some steps in the teardown guide, if I recall it was damn near a total disassemble. Do you have a lot of experience with phones? I want to fix mine, but don't need a tedious project right now. If I repair mine I'd like to put a mini USB in place of the micro if possible, I've seen too many damaged micro usb to trust or like them. As for the speaker grills, if you're picky buy replacements, they're cheap.
microphone on charging port?
bookfast said:
Hey all,
I just replaced the charging port on my m8 and wanted to let people know it is straight forward. My port got corroded and was shorting out, melting the adapter and not charging the phone. I sent it in hoping for warranty, but the replacement quote was $400! (due to S-off they "had" to replace the entire motherboard). The phone has a separate pcb with the micro usb charge port and headphone input.
example:
link
To remove this board you need to do a few easy things:
1) disconnect the ribbon and remove the insulating tape (to reattach to new part)
2) unsnap the small white power cable
3) loosen the screw on the motherboard near the headphone input. This is clamping down the assembly a bit
tools required:
phillips 00
t5 torx bit
spudger/guitar picks
I would recommend prying the phone out of the frame starting from the bottom. I started from the top and bent the thin strip of aluminum above the sim slot when prying it out.
Also, you can pry the bracket/spring off the top of the old usb port to give the new one a tight fit if your replacement didnt come with it (like mine)
Lastly, just note that power button fell out as soon as I pried the frame apart from the guts. This made it a bit of a pain to reassemble - just be sure to reassemble with the top in first. That will keep the power button in place.
The replacement part cost me $30, so it was definitely worth it! phone now works great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My HTC M8's main call microphone has stopped working, and through searches on Google it seems that perhaps that this mic (first mic, non-speakerphone mic) is built into the charging port. Is this the case? I cannot find anything that explicitly says this, and I'd love to get the phone back in working condition.
dm8233 said:
My HTC M8's main call microphone has stopped working, and through searches on Google it seems that perhaps that this mic (first mic, non-speakerphone mic) is built into the charging port. Is this the case? I cannot find anything that explicitly says this, and I'd love to get the phone back in working condition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too am also curious if the mic is on the usb part because my mic doesnt wrk when i make calls.
Will replacing the usb port fix the problem?
Harvey02 said:
I too am also curious if the mic is on the usb part because my mic doesnt wrk when i make calls.
Will replacing the usb port fix the problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I called HTC, the mic is on the USB port, although you should make sure that it's not a software issue first. There are several threads on the internet easily found through Google which discuss doing a factory reset to resolve this if it turns out to be a software problem.
Thanks for your reply. I did a factory reset when I got the phone but it still doesn't work. Does that mean it's not a software problem and that if I replace the usb it should work?
Harvey02 said:
Thanks for your reply. I did a factory reset when I got the phone but it still doesn't work. Does that mean it's not a software problem and that if I replace the usb it should work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would think so, yes.
Thanks! Do you know of any online source confirming that?
Harvey02 said:
Thanks! Do you know of any online source confirming that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but from what I've studied about it, it should work. Feel free to contact HTC, they actually have a live chat available somewhere on their website. Good luck to you.
Very interesting, I contacted htc and we went through diagnostics together and the rep said that I have to send it in. I asked him if the mic was on the usb assembly and he said that it wasn't and rather it was on the motherboard, and I clarified that we were talking about the primary mic which is located near the usb port. Confusing bec everywhere I saw online said that the mic is on the usb assembly. Go figure!
Harvey02 said:
Very interesting, I contacted htc and we went through diagnostics together and the rep said that I have to send it in. I asked him if the mic was on the usb assembly and he said that it wasn't and rather it was on the motherboard, and I clarified that we were talking about the primary mic which is located near the usb port. Confusing bec everywhere I saw online said that the mic is on the usb assembly. Go figure!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What did you end up doing? Did you discover if it was on the motherboard or the part with the USB port? I've waited a while to repair mine for other reasons, and I am now prepared to fix it. Any information would be helpful.
Just a few notes on my own experience.
I replaced the screen in my friend's M8 a few months ago. Seemed like everything went ok, except after I got done, the mic didn't work anymore. This is strange because it worked fine before, and all I did was remove/replace the circuit board in the process (yes, the small one at the bottom with the uUSB port). However, the upper rear microphone was still working I believe, because people on the other end of the line could still hear if the phone was put into speakerphone mode. I don't know why it would stop working all of a sudden.... Ran the HTC audio test using *#*#3424*#* to confirm main mic wasn't working and that the aux rear mic was.
Fast forward to this week, with my own M8. The uUSB connector was going bad, and I was having trouble charging, so I figured it was time to replace that circuit board. Ordered a new one and replaced, but when I got it back together, the USB port was fine of course, but my mic wasn't working now, just like my friends! On top of that, the headphone jack didn't work at all. Most likely the "cable inserted" signal wasn't getting back up to the motherboard, but didn't check. So pissed off. Also, the new board I got didn't have the bottom left RF connector/circuitry populated. Thinking from research that it might be for the GPS? I should have tested when the board was in there, but didn't. Fixed a bad solder joint on the original board's uUSB connector, which helped, but still charging is a bit messed up. I'd rather have a working mic and headphone jack and have to play with the cable to get to charge for a while until I get another board (from another supplier, jerks).
Yes, the mic is the small chip on the very left side of the board. It has a hole underneath the chip, going through the board and to the front face to receive the acoustics.
I don't know why the mic not working is so common after an HTC One M8 tear down, as it seems many others are having the same issue. One theory I have is that pulling the circuit board from the motherboard while power is still applied (not unplugging the battery first) might be jacking the microphone somehow. Just a theory, but I'd recommend to be safe that anyone replacing the board should unplug the battery cable before replacing the USB/mic circuit board.
I'd just like to chime in to say that I've read about some people having problems with the mic not working after replacing the USB board. From what I understand, there are two different versions of it, and replacing it with the wrong one can cause that very issue. You should look into it.
EDIT: Source - http://www.witrigs.com/blog/htc-one-m8-audio-jack-not-work-after-charging-board-replacement/
Mic broken after USB repair
Old thread but I have the same problem. Replaced USB board and now my mic does not work. However I am pretty certain I did order the correct board (had 2x connectors for my Verizon HTC m8). And my microphone jack work great which others indicate is often broken along with the mic. Anyone have any workarounds?

*Ripped off antenna from motherboard*

Hi guys i was replacing the screen on asus zenfone 2 after cracking it and while doing so i ripped of the port on motherboard to which the antenna connects like with roots . And right now i cant use my sim cards because no antenna)))
Any thoughts how can i fix it? or where can i buy new motherboard? Maybe asus service center can fix it for money? i mean phone is ideal but no antennat for now maybe i can solder it? Will it do the trick?
Did you ripped the connector in the upper (big) or lower (small) board?
Alexuzb1 said:
Hi guys i was replacing the screen on asus zenfone 2 after cracking it and while doing so i ripped of the port on motherboard to which the antenna connects like with roots . And right now i cant use my sim cards because no antenna)))
Any thoughts how can i fix it? or where can i buy new motherboard? Maybe asus service center can fix it for money? i mean phone is ideal but no antennat for now maybe i can solder it? Will it do the trick?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This can be sent to ASUS for out-of-warranty service. Unfortunately we are unable to provide an estimate until the phone is received and evaluated. If you would like to send in for service please feel free to contact me direct at [email protected]. Please include a link to this post when responding.
Sincerely,
Frank
ASUS_USA
Alexuzb1 said:
Hi guys i was replacing the screen on asus zenfone 2 after cracking it and while doing so i ripped of the port on motherboard to which the antenna connects like with roots . And right now i cant use my sim cards because no antenna)))
Any thoughts how can i fix it? or where can i buy new motherboard? Maybe asus service center can fix it for money? i mean phone is ideal but no antennat for now maybe i can solder it? Will it do the trick?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dear alex i have the same problem as yours and i know the fix, i manage to peel off the surface of the motherboard; using a thin razor blade, where the center pad is missing, the rest of it on the sides is ground, i manage to trace the track to a resistor inside of the shielding can, and i make jumper to the antenna cable and voila the signal is showing again and all working fine, if you can provide the photo of the board (remove the shielding) i can draw you the line to make the cable jumper...
Asus_USA said:
This can be sent to ASUS for out-of-warranty service. Unfortunately we are unable to provide an estimate until the phone is received and evaluated. If you would like to send in for service please feel free to contact me direct at [email protected]. Please include a link to this post when responding.
Sincerely,
Frank
ASUS_USA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is it alright if i email you, i happened to do the same while replacing my screen ?
touji said:
dear alex i have the same problem as yours and i know the fix, i manage to peel off the surface of the motherboard; using a thin razor blade, where the center pad is missing, the rest of it on the sides is ground, i manage to trace the track to a resistor inside of the shielding can, and i make jumper to the antenna cable and voila the signal is showing again and all working fine, if you can provide the photo of the board (remove the shielding) i can draw you the line to make the cable jumper...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a similar problem too and will appreciate if you could guide me on how to rather solder it inside the shielding can. I soldered it back to the original place but it is not firm and does not seem to have a solid base. I am yet to replace the screen which is damaged as a result of the phone falling off the roof of my car and being ran over by cars. I have attached a couple of pix for you to select from. Thanks.
www[dot]myfixguide[dot]com/manual/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Asus-ZenFone-2-Teardown-23[dot]jpg
the green area is encharge of 4g, if you were an EE or CE, you might know what you are doing
touji said:
dear alex i have the same problem as yours and i know the fix, i manage to peel off the surface of the motherboard; using a thin razor blade, where the center pad is missing, the rest of it on the sides is ground, i manage to trace the track to a resistor inside of the shielding can, and i make jumper to the antenna cable and voila the signal is showing again and all working fine, if you can provide the photo of the board (remove the shielding) i can draw you the line to make the cable jumper...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Touji, Thanks for the information.
I have the exact same problem (I even managed to damage connectors on both ends...).
Could you please describe more precisely what has to be done to solder the wire at the right places ?
Thanks,
Gaston
huotg01 said:
Touji, Thanks for the information.
I have the exact same problem (I even managed to damage connectors on both ends...).
Could you please describe more precisely what has to be done to solder the wire at the right places ?
Thanks,
Gaston
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, i have the same problem, how did you solved it?
Here there are the images of the connector and the motherboard.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
And here there are the links of bigger size of the images:
mobo1: s10.postimg.org/3v1v017yh/image.jpg
mobo2: s29.postimg.org/oukochbk7/image.jpg
Thank you so much.
cindybabe said:
I have a similar problem too and will appreciate if you could guide me on how to rather solder it inside the shielding can. I soldered it back to the original place but it is not firm and does not seem to have a solid base. I am yet to replace the screen which is damaged as a result of the phone falling off the roof of my car and being ran over by cars. I have attached a couple of pix for you to select from. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, how did you solved it?
i know that the center pad is already ripped off and nothing is left but if you see carefully under a magnifying glass, there is a small yellow dot that is the line under the center pad, use multitester to trace it to some resistor in area i have marked in red, so sorry i'm no longer in posession of this board because i have return it to my customer, and i did not make note of which resistor to jumper...
just try it yourself and post your results here, as for the antenna i cut of the connector and made a plain jumper to the ground and the other one to a resistor....
sorry for my late reply ...
touji said:
i know that the center pad is already ripped off and nothing is left but if you see carefully under a magnifying glass, there is a small yellow dot that is the line under the center pad, use multitester to trace it to some resistor in area i have marked in red, so sorry i'm no longer in posession of this board because i have return it to my customer, and i did not make note of which resistor to jumper...
just try it yourself and post your results here, as for the antenna i cut of the connector and made a plain jumper to the ground and the other one to a resistor....
sorry for my late reply ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not understand very well , say the yellow dot that indicated by the red arrow ? the connector was previously welded where there is a red circle .
I have to cut the metal connector and leave only the black wire antenna ? Thank you so much for the reply don't worry for the late response
i only mark an area not a specific point because i don't remember the line from center pad is connected to,
antenna connector welded to board if peeled off, the surrounding is connected to ground, the missing center pad you have to see using 10x magnifying glass and you can see there is a small dot still exist, you try using multitester then to find where is that dot ends, in the area i have marked, after you find it, cut off the antenna cable at the connector, and solder the outer cable to ground and the center to the part where you have found using mulltitester..
Alagi said:
I did not understand very well , say the yellow dot that indicated by the red arrow ? the connector was previously welded where there is a red circle .
I have to cut the metal connector and leave only the black wire antenna ? Thank you so much for the reply don't worry for the late response
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alagi,
In your photo of mother board, you use Red Arrow point a solder pad. Is the point to connected to Antenna center pad. Appreciated your reply.
Also appreciate expert can post a photo here to show found point for Antenna center point.
Thanks
connector's digitizer has broken,
can you help me the solution, please ??? i have a zenfone 2 with broken connector's cable display, where i must jumper the cable display if the connector's has broken on motherboard ??? thanks a lot.
I have same issue with antenna pad on mainboard ripped off.
And I found the soldering point is actually not as the previous pic posted above.
The actual center pad connected with the antenna goes to a cap as I pointed with yellow arrow, the circuit follows by my blue lines on the pic.
Been Tested. Give a try on yours, guys.
You guys are awesome!
Made an account just to say that you are all amazing. With the info on the thread I was able to fix my phone and saved a lot of money! Its a lot easier than I thought it would be, and I'm not the greatest solderer.
Take your time scraping the traces away, and put a dab of glue on the joints to firm them up. Don't rush and take your time people!
I had a picture to post as well but xda doesn't let accounts with less than ten posts can not have outstide links sry
unbentcrayfish said:
Made an account just to say that you are all amazing. With the info on the thread I was able to fix my phone and saved a lot of money! Its a lot easier than I thought it would be, and I'm not the greatest solderer.
Take your time scraping the traces away, and put a dab of glue on the joints to firm them up. Don't rush and take your time people!
I had a picture to post as well but xda doesn't let accounts with less than ten posts can not have outstide links sry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi crayfish, is there any way you could send me on that photo, or if you've made 10 posts now post it for everyone? I did the same thing and after two or three failed attempts I finally fixed my screen just to find out the antenna was definitely not working so I'm tempted to just cut my losses but if you managed it I might give it a go. Thanks!
Third time's the charm
chorgan said:
Hi crayfish, is there any way you could send me on that photo, or if you've made 10 posts now post it for everyone? I did the same thing and after two or three failed attempts I finally fixed my screen just to find out the antenna was definitely not working so I'm tempted to just cut my losses but if you managed it I might give it a go. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After typing out a mutliparagraph response and loosing it, I had to switch to my computer. I'll try to condense what I had previously typed out, I don't feel like doing all that again.
BUT after several weeks of my antenna fix I can tell you it is not perfect, least my fix isn't. Granted half reception (none inside buildings or in certain places) is better than none. But it doesn't seem to be a perfect fix. I have issues uploading anything like texts, images, etc. Downloading is unaffected. My phone is my only source of internet so I really notice this. My speed test results are looking like this: (mb/s) Down: high=29.59 Low=4.4 Up: high=2.48 low=0.13 Ping doesn't seem effected. My upload speeds used to be higher than my download... Before I even did the trace scraping fix, I emailed Asus about purchasing a Zenfone 2 motherboard from them (none on ebay/online) and they won't sell them to regular people. Super bummer, but its okay I ended up buying a new Zenfone2 (the zoom and lazer aren't worth it) it should be here today.
Got a little off topic there, but we're good. As for the fix itself?
I used a thumb tack for the scraping action, take your time and don't dig deeper than the trace! (pic below for the CORRECT trace) As for the antenna wire, Cut the end that has the broken off port still stuck in it and strip that sucker. Split the outer metal wires into two stands. Use your teeth or a lighter to expose the signal wire. Tin your fresh wires (less is more, its small pads and wires!) and turn your attention to the ground pads. They are the large pads left where the plug was sitting. At this point your trace should be visible, your antenna should be tinned, and your fingers crossed! I had forgotten to tin the trace and pads but It worked out because I tinned the wires with a tad too much solder so it was okay. But don't be like me, tin your pads and trace.
Start with the ground wires first being sure to check the length of your wires before hand, and get them on there! Once they are secured move on to the signal wire. I found this to be hard, it is by far the smallest thing I have ever worked on. Have good lighting, steady clam hands, and a magnifying glass! You don't want to break anything else here, even if you don't fix the antenna your Zenfone is a great media device! When you finally have that signal wire on, take a smoke break you need it! Next, turn on that phone and test the connection. If everything is peachy put a dab of glue on your fresh solder joints for protection. When putting the phone back together be careful not to pitch or snag any wires. Also, I cut the corner off the copper heat sink so that I would sit flush with the new fix.
Sooo ya. That's about it folks!
Good luck chorgan and may the force be with you.
I'll see any replies to this comment, so ask away if anyone has questions. I'm no expert, but I'm glad to help!
Almost forgot: https:// imgur.com/a/xC9Rc (I had to put spacing in to submit the comment, still under ten)
chorgan said:
Hi crayfish, is there any way you could send me on that photo, or if you've made 10 posts now post it for everyone? I did the same thing and after two or three failed attempts I finally fixed my screen just to find out the antenna was definitely not working so I'm tempted to just cut my losses but if you managed it I might give it a go. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Update: I just had a look inside and was planning to solder it tomorrow so I taped everything down and while I was at it, made sure the connector was realigned with its old home on the motherboard. When I turned the phone back on, my 4G worked. So it's possible (though I wouldn't stretch to saying it's a good long term solution) to just tape the socket back on as long as you apply enough pressure that it won't move around in normal use. I'll keep you updated on how long this lasts because it could be a much easier fix for us that aren't too handy with a soldering iron
---------- Post added at 08:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:45 PM ----------
unbentcrayfish said:
After typing out a mutliparagraph response and loosing it, I had to switch to my computer. I'll try to condense what I had previously typed out, I don't feel like doing all that again.
BUT after several weeks of my antenna fix I can tell you it is not perfect, least my fix isn't. Granted half reception (none inside buildings or in certain places) is better than none. But it doesn't seem to be a perfect fix. I have issues uploading anything like texts, images, etc. Downloading is unaffected. My phone is my only source of internet so I really notice this. My speed test results are looking like this: (mb/s) Down: high=29.59 Low=4.4 Up: high=2.48 low=0.13 Ping doesn't seem effected. My upload speeds used to be higher than my download... Before I even did the trace scraping fix, I emailed Asus about purchasing a Zenfone 2 motherboard from them (none on ebay/online) and they won't sell them to regular people. Super bummer, but its okay I ended up buying a new Zenfone2 (the zoom and lazer aren't worth it) it should be here today.
Got a little off topic there, but we're good. As for the fix itself?
I used a thumb tack for the scraping action, take your time and don't dig deeper than the trace! (pic below for the CORRECT trace) As for the antenna wire, Cut the end that has the broken off port still stuck in it and strip that sucker. Split the outer metal wires into two stands. Use your teeth or a lighter to expose the signal wire. Tin your fresh wires (less is more, its small pads and wires!) and turn your attention to the ground pads. They are the large pads left where the plug was sitting. At this point your trace should be visible, your antenna should be tinned, and your fingers crossed! I had forgotten to tin the trace and pads but It worked out because I tinned the wires with a tad too much solder so it was okay. But don't be like me, tin your pads and trace.
Start with the ground wires first being sure to check the length of your wires before hand, and get them on there! Once they are secured move on to the signal wire. I found this to be hard, it is by far the smallest thing I have ever worked on. Have good lighting, steady clam hands, and a magnifying glass! You don't want to break anything else here, even if you don't fix the antenna your Zenfone is a great media device! When you finally have that signal wire on, take a smoke break you need it! Next, turn on that phone and test the connection. If everything is peachy put a dab of glue on your fresh solder joints for protection. When putting the phone back together be careful not to pitch or snag any wires. Also, I cut the corner off the copper heat sink so that I would sit flush with the new fix.
Sooo ya. That's about it folks!
Good luck chorgan and may the force be with you.
I'll see any replies to this comment, so ask away if anyone has questions. I'm no expert, but I'm glad to help!
Almost forgot: https:// imgur.com/a/xC9Rc (I had to put spacing in to submit the comment, still under ten)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just saw this after my post about the the tape method. Thanks very much for the reply, pity I (hopefully) won't end up using it.
I had actually misunderstood the connector, I had been thinking that the two pads for ground were the onl y two contacts, and so one must be ground and one the signal wire at the core. That would have made for some heartbreak when I turned on my "fixed" phone. Hopefully mine stays cooperative, if not it's time to bust out the iron... or just buy a portable hotspot and a blokia. Anyway, I hope your luck is better with the new ZenFone.
Ps, I think my 4G may be a bit slower? I've had one drop off off where I lost signal completely but I have a feeling it's intermittently dying but not for long enough for the phone to register the loss. I'll try a speed test soon

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