[Q] Dead Screen, but Nexus 5 otherwise boots - Nexus 5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

My Nexus 5 took a dunk two days ago. Screen was off when I got it out and it wouldn't wakeup so I assumed it was off, but looking back it might still have been on and the screen was simply dead already. I took it apart and disconnected the battery and then left it in rice until today. I reassembled it and tried to turn it on, but nothing seemed to be happening until my N5 vibrated. I decided to plug it into my PC and adb picked it up and started spewing a logcat. Then Pushbullet started forwarding notifications, so it's clear that my device is on and working, but the screen is clearly dead.
Is there any possibility of fixing it?
EDIT: Seems to randomly reboot every once in awhile.

Sure can, for about $50usd u can get a complete new screen/LCD/digitizer and to replace it is fairly easy, I actually offer screen replacement, fixes to and can provide tutorials, as I just finished the same fix on my phone, let me know if I can be of any help...

soupysoup said:
Sure can, for about $50usd u can get a complete new screen/LCD/digitizer and to replace it is fairly easy, I actually offer screen replacement, fixes to and can provide tutorials, as I just finished the same fix on my phone, let me know if I can be of any help...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How easy is "fairly easy"? My hardware skills aren't that great and I might not have the needed tools.

japzone said:
How easy is "fairly easy"? My hardware skills aren't that great and I might not have the needed tools.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you buy an entire front panel (glass, LCD, digitizer, etc) it shouldn't be too hard and is mostly a swap.
If you buy individual parts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYG66MFuwcU & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XevDmI5zpjw
Water damage is one of the worst things you can do short of complete destruction, and it might be a good idea to consider just purchasing a replacement device as it could fail at any moment afterwards.

so did you find a solution

In the end I backed up all my stuff using ADB and bought a new phone. Wasn't worth the trouble of fixing when I couldn't be sure that it was simply the screen that was busted. With there being so many decent devices these days in the $200-400 range it was better to just invest in a new phone. I picked up a lightly used OnePlus One to replace it, and then got a new ZTE Axon 7 Fall of last year.
Check Swappa if you need a good deal on a phone.

Related

Can't turn on or charge...worried

Hi
I think I've killed my phone. I have voided my warranty. Please help/comfort me!
The story so far...flashed stock ROM with ARHD, no problems everything fine. Broke screen in pocket while at work (fuzzy lines across screen), phoned htc to explain problem, they told me to send in for repair but said that the repair would not go ahead if any mods such as custom ROMS had been installed - I told the guy that a custom ROM had been installed (probably my biggest error!). Bought new lcd/digitizer combo from ebay (ukeasybuy), and installed following an online guide (I was very meticulous and followed the guide to the letter with great care). Initially seemed fine but then quickly started doing weird stuff on its own accord, not responding to button/screen touches, would have to press the power button twice to get it to play normal. Yesterday the phone threw a wobbly and crapped out, switched itself off. Tried many times to power on, eventually managed to get into 4ext recovery where I started a restore to earlier nandroid backup, phone switched itself off again after about 20secs through the restore process (battery at this time was at 57%). Now can't seem to power on at all (tried loads of times), no charge light when plugged in, seems bricked.
When installing a custom ROM if you brick your device does it happen instantly or is it something that can develop over time? Only that for a brief period after installation it seemed to be fine, I made sure I had flashed the correct firmware package for the ROM.
I have done some research, but stumped on what to do now...my only thought is that I do have gadget insurance through barclays but wonder if they will just refer me to HTC??
Your thoughts and advice greatly appreciated..
Xenon
Bump
The turning off of the device itself can be a precautionary measure to protect itself. I'm guessing maybe the LCD was installed wrong and is causing a short within the board.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using xda premium
I followed the iFixit guide to install the new screen/digitizer.
As I mentioned I was very careful to follow it carefully, the only extra thing I did was to add some double sided sticky pads inside to stick it back together again as the thin tape supplied was damaged and discarded when taking the phone apart.
Should I try and take the phone apart again and look for any mainboard damage and/or potential areas where shorts may have occurred?
What do you think about the insurance cover, is it worth a shot? what would be the best way to approach the subject?
Many thanks!
Xenon
Maybe you did install it correctly, but there could also be the possibility that the screen is defective. But i would suggest checking the main board for a short.
Good luck
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using xda premium
I have taken the device apart again, but no signs of any shorts / problems or anything suspicious. I don't want to spend anymore cash on a new screen without knowing its that that is causing the problem.
Perhaps its one for the scrap heap
talk to whoever supplied you with the screen and tell them you think the screen is defective. say you have installed it to the letter and it is giving you issues. any respectable ebay seller should be willing to hear you out at least. hope youve not left feedback already though as they may think your a chancer :/
Unfortunately feedback was left once I first turned on the phone and the screen lit up. I will give it a try but I won't keep my fingers crossed!
What about the gadget insurance that I have, is it worth trying to get the phone repaired or replaced through them, or will they just send me back to HTC because the phone is less than a year old?

[Q] Screen problem

Hi guys, I m new here. Recently, I dropped my phone and it was okay for the day...However, the next day, the screen has a little problem.
The sensitivity is cool, still the same. No crack whatsoever.
However, the screen sometimes become blurred/double image (as shown below) or completely went black.
With "luck", the screen would turn on. If not, it will stay black for most of the time.
I called the service center and was told that my phone was no longer under warranty. Thus, the repairing fee would be quite hefty according to the operator.
Guys, if I may ask, what's the problem with this? How can I solve this and how much would it costs? Would a factory reset be useful under such circumstances?
Thanks in advance.
I don't think a factory reset is going to do any good, it looks to me like a hardware fault. You can try replacing the display yourself, there are guides on YouTube. There are three different types of screens that went into this phone so you need to make sure you get the right one, I believe they're differentiated by colour coding on the connecting flat cable (you might want to check this). You'll need to disassemble the device to identify it. You'll want to get the screen + digitizer as separating the two without breaking either is almost impossible. From memory I think you can pick them up for under $100.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
I don't think a factory reset is going to do any good, it looks to me like a hardware fault. You can try replacing the display yourself, there are guides on YouTube. There are three different types of screens that went into this phone so you need to make sure you get the right one, I believe they're differentiated by colour coding on the connecting flat cable (you might want to check this). You'll need to disassemble the device to identify it. You'll want to get the screen + digitizer as separating the two without breaking either is almost impossible. From memory I think you can pick them up for under $100.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Too bad I have no idea how to fix it myself. The service center is charging me roughly $250-300 (after conversion of my currency)
Thanks tima. Do you happen to know what kind of screen i should get? I heard some screen leaves gap at the top of the phone.
As long as you match the screen to the one I'm your device it should be ok.
Sent from my Evita

[Q] Screen Issue Needs Help Being Diagnosed

Alright so here's the deal. I had an incident with some liquid. The phone worked for months after that. Then weird things began to happen. First the mircophone went out. Then, after I tried to clean the mic, the screen went blank and I couldn't get anything to show up. After doing some looking around, I found out that the daughterboard at the bottom routes the screen and has the mic on it. SO, I replaced the daughterboard. And now I can get the screen to come on, well, sometimes. And the digitizer is just as touch and go. Occasionally it decides to work, and most of the time it doesn't. So I guess what all this comes down to is, does this sound like a screen & digitizer issue, or is the motherboard (and thus the whole phone) shot?
ANY help is GREATLY appreciated!
Your phone is fried
As soon as I hear phone problem and water in the same post, my advice is usually the same. Move on. ?
Unfortunately with water, it can get time consuming and costly.... You fix one thing, only to find something else doesn't work.... And so on and so on. Water is evil, and in most cases, lethal.
You've seen replacing one part has only partly helped. To me, if a phone gets wet and serious issues follow. Save your time and money for a replacement.
Sorry for the bleak outlook... But fixing water damage is a rough process usually.
Good luck in whatever direction you go! ?
Thanks for the input. I've unfortunately already purchased a G2 to replace it. I've tried, but it's not worth the time and money. Loved my Nexus 5 and I'm sad to see it go.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA Free mobile app

Nexus 5 Audio and Black Screen Issues

Hi everyone, I'm have an issue with my Nexus 5 and hoping someone here can tell me whats going on.
It started off with the sound always cutting out, and I have to press the back part near the "S" logo for it to return.
Eventually the screen would go black but I can clearly see a back light is on. Now not only does the sound cut out, and screen goes blank.
It has become very sluggish to reboot it. I hold the power button until the phone reboots "Google" logo appears and the android animation. Now during this time the phone will be so slow to the point of being crippled out and i have to reboot it again and again until it is normal speed returns. Often it will black out during this time.
I'm just trying to understand what is failing. I tried safe-mode and it still has the issue. I cleared cache, reset the phone everything, nothing appears to fix the issue at all.
edit: I forgot to add, when I'm on YT or listening to music or browsing the web, even though the screen is blank with just the back light on, the sound is still going (when it works). I get text/call notifications still during this time.
My Phone Details.
Nexus 5
Android version, 6.0.1 (MOB30Y)
no ROOT
No replies at all, I guess I may have to garbage the phone. Idk what else to do with this device to fix it.
Please don't throw it away.
You said that pushing at a specific spot fixes the problem (or improves the audio situation). This means that it's a hardware problem. I have disassembled it many times and I know the layout. Behind the 'S' of NEXUS is actually the motherboard cover, and under it are 2 connectors; one for the battery and one for an extra 'board' that is located right underneath the LG logo on your back cover. On that 'board' is your screen connector, and also the speaker rests on there, as well as the primary microphone, 3G and 4G antennas and of course the USB port. The connector for this extra board is actually located a bit to the left on the 'S' (when you look at your phone from the back, it's more below the camera).
Now I have to note this: While using my phone, I have experienced some UI hiccups. At random times (very rarely) everything would just freeze for a few minutes, though music would still play. The power button was useless apart from the hard reset, it was so badly stuck. This was a software problem, although it appeared MOST at one point when my motherboard was faulty. Since I got a new device, it happened again but only once. I'm not sure that this is what you are experiencing. If this is the case, then it's a software fault. Never happened on CM so you can give it a try.
But since it's probably a hardware problem, you can always check it out yourself. Obviously if you have warranty you are covered. Otherwise, you can try disassembling it, at least take the back cover and the motherboard cover off, it's ridiculously easy, there is a disassembly guide from ifixit (I think) online, just be careful not to break the clips of the back cover (xp talking). If you open it, keep away metal things and the first thing you do after you remove the motherboard cover is remove the battery (xp talking again). Obviously turn off the phone properly before you attempt anything. Everything is sensitive in there so be careful. What you should look for is the long connector that connects the extra board that is located at the bottom of the phone with the motherboard. That's what you are pushing so if it's not sitting correctly, then that's your problem.
Plus, everything in there, apart from the motherboard, is cheap and can be found on eBay so don't worry if something is broken (unless it's the motherboard, then no hope ).
I hope I helped.
Firstly thanks for the reply. I did manage to remove the back and get to the connector you were saying. I reseated this and noticed the phone was working much better. I noticed the following still.
When it starts acting slow/crippled pressing this connector fixes the issue. However once the screen goes black with just a backlight this method is rendered useless. Also sometimes when I plug in the wire to charge it will cripple and or go black. So I wondering if the board is shot as you suggested to order a new one, or is it the connector strip ?
Again thank you for the response.
It seems like this board is causing everything. First, check the connector on the motherboard. Make sure that nothing is wrong on the motherboard. Then you can remove the bottom black plastic thing that has the speaker on it and 2 antennas. Then, inspect this board. Check the connector of the display. There is only one big connector on it. This board is glued on the frame of the phone. You can remove it but do it carefully. Do it slowly so that you don't break it. First, remove the antennas extension cables from either this board or the motherboard, and then pull it out.
This board is definately responsible for the black screens and audio issues (unless your display is faulty, check its connector), but I'm not sure about the phone being sluggish. Since this board offers input to the motherboard, I suppose that it could be its fault.
Remove it and inspect everything. Then, if you want, you can order a new one. If you come across D820 and D821 models, I don't think that this part of the phone has anything to do with it so don't worry.
I will take a further look into this for sure, and report back. If you can provide which motherboard is required for my device, so I can also read into this and so that I may order it right-away. Is there any model number or something that indicates which board to order once it is open?
Thanks again!
omega59 said:
I will take a further look into this for sure, and report back. If you can provide which motherboard is required for my device, so I can also read into this and so that I may order it right-away. Is there any model number or something that indicates which board to order once it is open?
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need to change the motherboard, not to mention it's very expensive and hard to find. What you need to replace is probably the flex cable that goes below the battery. For example this.
This is not model specific, you can use it with all available Nexus 5 models (D820/D821, 16/32GB) so it doesn't matter what device you have.
FYI, if you think that you should replace your motherboard (you probably shouldn't), you need to take into account the storage (16/32GB) and the network differences (D820 or D821, the only difference is about the 4G networking, the american version has some bands enabled and some others disabled, and vice versa)
Okay, I just ordered the replacement flex cable. It is going to take about a month before it arrives from HK , I hope it fixes the issues. I will respond to this post once it is here and installed. Thanks again.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271660361300?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
omega59 said:
Okay, I just ordered the replacement flex cable. It is going to take about a month before it arrives from HK , I hope it fixes the issues. I will respond to this post once it is here and installed. Thanks again.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271660361300?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in the meantime, pray it isnĀ“t a motherboard issue, the conector can go bad and lose a few solder joints
I have exactly the same problem... I unmounted motherboard and clean everything but didn't help to much... did you find any solution ??
Siamer no solution just waiting for my delivery of the part. However it is getting worse with the blackscreens and crippled lag.
omega59 said:
Siamer no solution just waiting for my delivery of the part. However it is getting worse with the blackscreens and crippled lag.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my is the same. sometimes is working for few hours without any problems and than starting again, on the biggining it was power button problem but not I don't even touch that button (I use vol button to turn on) and sometimes screen getting black (with backlight on) and can't do anything so have to reboot... it's so anoying! Hope that parts will fix it, please let me know if you will find some solution. Today I will open phone and clean all connections etc...
Thanks,
siamer
I believe the part may fix it. I noticed if i run my finger along the strip the phone may uncripple itself or just turn black all together. I'm hoping it fixes it. I will report asap but this HK shipping is so slow it will be a month. Also there is no tracking
ATM i'am just trying to becareful with it trying not to trigger the issue. I just did an OTA update using FlashFire (6.0.1 (MOB31E) i wish v.7 will be available for my Nexus 5 ha ha!
Also if the Nexus 7p arrives I may just buy it to replace this Nexus5.
omega59 said:
I believe the part may fix it. I noticed if i run my finger along the strip the phone may uncripple itself or just turn black all together. I'm hoping it fixes it. I will report asap but this HK shipping is so slow it will be a month. Also there is no tracking
ATM i'am just trying to becareful with it trying not to trigger the issue. I just did an OTA update using FlashFire (6.0.1 (MOB31E) i wish v.7 will be available for my Nexus 5 ha ha!
Also if the Nexus 7p arrives I may just buy it to replace this Nexus5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Omega59.
Today I bought air compressed can(name: air dust) and open my nexus 5 as much as I could. I clean everything, every connector, every cable etc. and last few hours is working fine... even power button is working ok. I will let you know in next few hours how it will be, hope will be still ok
Good luck!
siamer
[edit]
there is still same problem, working better than before, black screen not showing so often but still showing... I think tomorrow I will order oneplus3... Would be nice wait to see new nexus but how... :/
Yeah I'm not sure when the Nexus 7p will arrive, they not even advertised much. I will assume next year?
OnePlus 3 looks nice, but compared to Galaxy 7 it's a bit better slightly. You should check out comparison charts
Maybe they are making a OnePlus 4 soon.
oneplus 3 already ordered. I don't like samsung. I would say nexus "7p" or "pixel xl" will be launch october as always prabaly 4th of october - leaks saing that... next oneplus will be launch around july next year as I know. the only phone that I was thinking about was oneplus, htc10 or new nexus but can't wait to see nexus...
today by excident I broke screen in my nexus 5, got a little bit angry
Regards,
siamer
omega59 said:
Siamer no solution just waiting for my delivery of the part. However it is getting worse with the blackscreens and crippled lag.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You probably don't want to hear this, but if it's getting worse, it's probably because of the pressure you apply to it, you make it worse. Be careful when you apply pressure around the motherboard since it's very sensitive. You REALLY don't want to break the motherboard. So if you find yourself pushing on the motherboard too often, you might want to leave it and wait for the replacement part so you won't ruin it.
Waiting for your news...
My part arrived yesterday. I put it in was pretty easy, however the first attempt i had to redo the top connector bc it was still black screen and no audio. After I disconnected the top connector ran some alcohol over it, re-put the top part things are working okay.
Just a note, the little USB connector (charger slot) seems to be very tight compared to the old one. Maybe bc it's new and not as worn down. But even just to put the wire in, requires more of a push, same with removing it.
I will see how it goes before I can really say that was the issue. I will report after a few days about it.
siamer said:
oneplus 3 already ordered. I don't like samsung. I would say nexus "7p" or "pixel xl" will be launch october as always prabaly 4th of october - leaks saing that... next oneplus will be launch around july next year as I know. the only phone that I was thinking about was oneplus, htc10 or new nexus but can't wait to see nexus...
today by excident I broke screen in my nexus 5, got a little bit angry
Regards,
siamer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think N7P will be out this year, they have not advertised anything and we are almost in Oct. Right now they are all rumors.
omega59 said:
My part arrived yesterday. I put it in was pretty easy, however the first attempt i had to redo the top connector bc it was still black screen and no audio. After I disconnected the top connector ran some alcohol over it, re-put the top part things are working okay.
Just a note, the little USB connector (charger slot) seems to be very tight compared to the old one. Maybe bc it's new and not as worn down. But even just to put the wire in, requires more of a push, same with removing it.
I will see how it goes before I can really say that was the issue. I will report after a few days about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I changed my screen and housing it was difficult to slide the USB connector in too. Just make sure that everything is in place, there is a rubber think for the microphone, maybe that's what's in the way. Don't stress the connector too much.

Repairing Damaged Screen on OnePlus One

Around May 2016, I jumped into a pool with my OPO in my pocket. About 10 seconds afterwards I realized what I had done, and pull the phone out of my pocket. The screen wouldn't turn back on, and it started continuously buzzing. Eventually it stopped and I tried to dry it off best I could. Blowing out what water I could and stupidly purchased a bag of rice I kept it submerged in for awhile. Nothing worked of course.
Eventually I took it apart. The battery glue was so sticky, the battery started to distort as I tried to pry it away from the body of the phone. I figured at that point, it was pretty much destroyed. But I took it apart and used some alcohol to clean up some of the parts. At that point I just decided to order a new phone since I already had it for about 2 years anyway.
But now I want to get it working again to recovery some data and images.
I purchased a replacement battery, soaked the main board in alcohol, cleaned up some of the connectors, etc. Reassembled it, and to my surprise it worked again! Well, except the display. But the digitizer still worked, the capacitive buttons worked, and I could hear sound even. Seemingly everything worked but the display. I can even see the backlight come on sometimes but with no actual picture and some noticeable water marks. I was even able to fiddle around with the digitizer, unlock the phone, connect it via USB, and recover some of what I wanted. However, I was hoping to get the display working so I could recover additional data.
So I purchase a screen assembly (display, digitizer, and front body) off ebay. But same problem, I see the backlight come on sometimes, but no picture. I tried cleaning all the contacts again and re-seating them several times to ensure all connections were okay. Still, no picture on the display.
So I thought maybe I could have ended up with a bad display off eBay. So I ordered another. Still the same issue.
What could I do? Is there anything in particular I should try that might help? Is it the daughter board maybe? That might be easy enough to replace.
orificium said:
Around May 2016, I jumped into a pool with my OPO in my pocket. About 10 seconds afterwards I realized what I had done, and pull the phone out of my pocket. The screen wouldn't turn back on, and it started continuously buzzing. Eventually it stopped and I tried to dry it off best I could. Blowing out what water I could and stupidly purchased a bag of rice I kept it submerged in for awhile. Nothing worked of course.
Eventually I took it apart. The battery glue was so sticky, the battery started to distort as I tried to pry it away from the body of the phone. I figured at that point, it was pretty much destroyed. But I took it apart and used some alcohol to clean up some of the parts. At that point I just decided to order a new phone since I already had it for about 2 years anyway.
But now I want to get it working again to recovery some data and images.
I purchased a replacement battery, soaked the main board in alcohol, cleaned up some of the connectors, etc. Reassembled it, and to my surprise it worked again! Well, except the display. But the digitizer still worked, the capacitive buttons worked, and I could hear sound even. Seemingly everything worked but the display. I can even see the backlight come on sometimes but with no actual picture and some noticeable water marks. I was even able to fiddle around with the digitizer, unlock the phone, connect it via USB, and recover some of what I wanted. However, I was hoping to get the display working so I could recover additional data.
So I purchase a screen assembly (display, digitizer, and front body) off ebay. But same problem, I see the backlight come on sometimes, but no picture. I tried cleaning all the contacts again and re-seating them several times to ensure all connections were okay.
What could I do? Is there anything in particular I should try that might help? Is it the daughter board maybe? That might be easy enough to replace.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since the whole thing involves water,there might be several parts which are damaged. I suggest get your device checked from a professional repair shop.
I was hoping I can learn more about what a professional repair shop might do to diagnose the problem.
orificium said:
I was hoping I can learn more about what a professional repair shop might do to diagnose the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have multimeter and knowledge of hardware?
Just toss it away after transferring the files.
It's not worth the hassle, trust me.
I repair OnePlus One's everyday and the water-damaged ones take way too much time.
Mr.Ak said:
Do you have multimeter and knowledge of hardware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I do. I've done many laptop repairs and repaired a few smartphones in the past but never dealt with water damage like this before.
DevSquad said:
Just toss it away after transferring the files.
It's not worth the hassle, trust me.
I repair OnePlus One's everyday and the water-damaged ones take way too much time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have any advice as to what my next steps would be after having tried two replacement screens. Literally everything works on the phone except the screen doesn't light up. Even the digitizer works. Well I can see the backlight come on sometimes, but no pixels. I've cleaned an re-cleaned the connectors many times using 91% isopropyl alcohol.
Is there any particular resistance or continuity I can check that might indicate what component is bad? Information about the pinouts somewhere?
Maybe there's another part of XDA or another forum that goes more in-depth into smartphone repair? If anyone has any recommendations, I'd greatly appreciate it.

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