Related
Hey all. I have no sound. Zero. I tried re-flashing zeus - no go. Tried clearing/resetting everything via cwm - nope. I tried GTG twice - nada. Even back at stock, I've got nothing. I can hear my voicemail, but no system tones, no ringtones, no audio on videos - both youtube and local to phone. Alarms won't work. Nothing!!
After pouring over these threads, I tried headphones, and they work - but no headphone icon at top of my screen. I'm at my wit's end and am pulling out my hair. Does anyone have any ideas? Please?
Start with the simplest solution first. Is the media volume turned up? btw I don't have a headphone icon either but I'm not sure it had one to start with.
Running Zeus 6 also.
~wolverine~ said:
Start with the simplest solution first. Is the media volume turned up? btw I don't have a headphone icon either but I'm not sure it had one to start with.
Running Zeus 6 also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
uhhhh, yeah. I've checked all the sounds like 80 times - After each restore, reload, refresh, reboot, re-flash to stock, re-wipe, re-unameit. lol
I just hope it's not hardware related, although if it were, I'd think I'd have had to change something or move something that I hadn't. I just removed my ext sd card about 15 minutes ago, but nothing there either.
the best hope that you will have if it's not hardware related:
take out microsd card.
factory reset from /settings/privacy/reset
heimdall 1 click with repartition and bootloaders
do it twice for good measures
run the complete stock rom...
if that doesn't work, it may be hardware corrosion
I hav had this happen believe it or not i just gave the phone a slight twist holding it at the ends...sounds funky not a hard twist...but i got my sound back..i keep it in a ballastic case now...my infuse is a lil older and has seen to much desert heat...
True story...
Sent by Aeon (bigfau's) Awesomeness via me !
OK, y'all. I've got news and info on this issue. After trying everything possible short of throwing it into the river, I figured it was def hardware related. I, of course prayed & am convinced that is the real reason it started working, bit jic here is what I did. I checked online just to see (I'm not an idiot, I wasn't going to take it apart. Well, probably not). But I was still all for slapping and twisting and flicking the heck out of it. Then, I decided to look at the other side of it. So I removed the battery and there is a tiny little slit-like hole there. I got out a safety pin and just kinda wiggled of a bit mostly toward the inside of phone. Lo and behold sound was working when I turned it back on. I can't believe it! I'm so happy!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA
EDIT: It's easier to type on PC than on phone, so now I can make a short story even longer. haha. I should mention that this could be risky if done wrong, if that's not obvious for some people, and could screw your phone even more, so BE CAREFUL!!!
I'd consider using something flat enough to get in there, but not as sharp as a pin. I was just Macguyver-ing it. You do have to remove the batt cover, but don't need to take the batt out to get to the slit, but you may want to - in case of interference from metal pin and whatever. To be more specific to where this is: the external speaker is located on the backside of the phone - bottom, left. Duh, right?
Also, take this time to clean out any dust/crud that may have gathered in the tiny little cracks and corners, which accumulates more for those of us that remove the batt cover often, like putting phone in DL mode and such. Don't use alcohol or anything - this is a good place to use the pin or needle, and especially blow on it.
At one point, I had phone on and video going to gauge whether anything I was doing specifically was working or not. I never got sound to work that way, but it's still a plausible idea for someone else to try. Anyway, I hope this helps someone else out there. I like to include as many details as possible when I post stuff b/c it helps me when others are specific. So, let me know if this was helpful to you and good luck!
dde333 said:
OK, y'all. I've got news and info on this issue. After trying everything possible short of throwing it into the river, I figured it was def hardware related. I, of course prayed & am convinced that is the real reason it started working, bit jic here is what I did. I checked online just to see (I'm not an idiot, I wasn't going to take it apart. Well, probably not). But I was still all for slapping and twisting and flicking the heck out of it. Then, I decided to look at the other side of it. So I removed the battery and there is a tiny little slit-like hole there. I got out a safety pin and just kinda wiggled of a bit mostly toward the inside of phone. Lo and behold sound was working when I turned it back on. I can't believe it! I'm so happy!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good job.
to help other misfits, you can change the title of your op to [SOLVED] ..etc...
Some clarification on repairing speaker / restoring power
This is a great post and worked for me so I wanted to clarify some more detail.
Diagnosis: My external speaker would not work or work intermitently. I could hear on my handset and headphones but could not use speaker for conversations, media, etc.
I tried reseting with/without power on.
Tried factory resetting the phone.
Tried "headphone sex" (removing headphones in and out quickly as the software may have a glitch where it does not recognize the headphones were removed hence restoring external sound to the speaker) This is NOT a common problem with the Infuse but with other Samsung phones like the Captivate I believe.
After many people having similar symptoms I saw this post and figured it was a power issue/hardware not software problem.
Previous post....
1. I could not find a small hole to put a safety pin through (as previously posted). I used a paperclip as it is less pointy and less damaging and there wasn't a single hole to put it through.
MY RESOLUTION/REPAIR THAT SOLVED THE PROBLEM (same issue just different way to fix as I did not find any hole to put a pin through)
2. you will need to remove the back cover of the phone. Remove the battery cover, battey, sim card, and ext SD card. There are 6 small jewelry type screws. You should have an eyeglass kit screwdriver or jewelry kit with small screwdrivers. I did manage to use a small regular screwdriver but it really did not fit and could strip the heads of the screws.
3. Once the 6 screws are out, remove the back cover of the phone. Mine was a little hard to remove. The top is the earphone jack and the cover goes over the earphone jack, so great care should be made to try and take the top off last. For mine, the side was easiest to remove first( in the middle). Little by little you should be able to work your way around the edges until it is all separated from the screen/front.
*TIP Do not worry about parts coming out. The back cover is secured with the 6 screws. The rest of the phone and boards are screwed down to the front/screen so all you are doing is removing the back cover.
4. Once the back cover is separated from the front/screen, locate where the speaker lies in the back cover and where it comes to meet the front/screen. You will see two small gold square tabs on the back of the back cover next to the speaker. If you look where these connect to the front/screen you will see another two small gold tabs. These ones are NOT flat. They actually sit up and are hinge like. ***THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEM IS****.
5. As the phone ages and gets used aka banged dropped wet, etc, these tabs lose their "springyness" and pressure so they get flat and fail to contact the other tabs next to the speaker, resulting in no power getting to the speaker or intermitent power as they make contact. THIS IS WHY IF YOU READ OTHER POST ON OTHER FORUMS YOU WILL SEE PEOPLE SAYING THUMPING OR PRESSING ON THE SPEAKER MAKES IT WORK INTERMITENTLY!
6. Get a pair of tweezers and slide one side of the tweezers between one of the small gold tabs on the front/screen side of the phone. BE CAREFUL! The tabs are very small thin and fragile so go slow and make sure you are between where the tab mounts to the circuitboard and where it sticks up to contact the speaker tabs. SLOWLY work the tab up so that you restore the arch or springyness back to it. It should look like this <. Do the same for the other. Basically you are raising the tab so that when you put the back cover on it makes contact with the speaker tabs, hence providing the proper power to the speaker.
7. Put the cover back on, screws, ext SD card, sim card, battery, and batter cover back on. Power up and adjust your ringer volume. You should here the speaker working.
Awesome. I'm glad my post pushed you in the right direction and am certain your post, with more details, will be helpful to others in the future. Phones are so much better with sound, aren't they? :highfive: Have a wonderful weekend.
I also had the problem of no sound at all, but the head phones worked flawlessly. In my case this is what it was (don't laugh) I ordered a replacement body for my phone for like ten bucks on ebay, pulled the old one off...replaced the housing and everything SEEMED to work just fine. I really didn't notice that my phone was not making any sounds until about a week later and just figured that maybe I had installed something that was conflicting with the phone or simply needed to re-flash the ROM, so I went and did just that and nothing seemed to work. Back to stock....NOTHING...New kernel...NOTHING!! I was becoming hopeless at this point till I read this thread. I had to think back to when (I think) it stopped making any sound and could only come up with the day I replaced the housing, so I retraced my tracks. LOL and what I came up with made me chuckle a little, what had happened was when I took the old back off I did not notice that the speaker is highly camouflaged near the bottom of the housing and simply needed to be snapped out and snapped back into the new housing. After this.....VIOLA..SOUND! So, maybe this can help someone that may be having the same issue and just cannot get to the bottom of it..
Thanks XDA and its members:good::good::good::good::good:
No Sound On Infuse
bigjoe2675 said:
I hav had this happen believe it or not i just gave the phone a slight twist holding it at the ends...sounds funky not a hard twist...but i got my sound back..i keep it in a ballastic case now...my infuse is a lil older and has seen to much desert heat...
True story...
Sent by Aeon (bigfau's) Awesomeness via me !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to say that this method worked like a dream for me. I couldn't believe it when I tried it. I went to "settings" -> "sound" -> "volume" -> "Incoming call volume" and then adjusted it so it would make a sound. No sound was being made but I knew it should have been so I grabbed the top and bottom and slightly gave it a little twist, just barely and the ringtone came right on and has been working perfect since. The Infuse I have is 99.9% mint condition, never been dropped and has always been inside a leather case with a full fold over front. Not even a hair line scratch on the screen, back, sides or anywhere. This is why I couldn't understand why the sound just decided to go out for no reason but anyway, this fixed it and a big thanks to "bigjoe"! I thought I was about to have to buy a new phone because I can't hear (vibrate) more than a foot or so away.
Solution - Twist
Judge Joseph Dredd said:
I hav had this happen believe it or not i just gave the phone a slight twist holding it at the ends...sounds funky not a hard twist...but i got my sound back..i keep it in a ballastic case now...my infuse is a lil older and has seen to much desert heat...
True story...
Sent by Aeon (bigfau's) Awesomeness via me !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this info. I had lost a lot of volume. After reading your post, I tried the twist thing and bingo, it worked. Thanks very much.
Judge Joseph Dredd said:
I hav had this happen believe it or not i just gave the phone a slight twist holding it at the ends...sounds funky not a hard twist...but i got my sound back..i keep it in a ballastic case now...my infuse is a lil older and has seen to much desert heat...
True story...
Sent by Aeon (bigfau's) Awesomeness via me !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.... - just twisted my cell and BAM....sound I LOVE YOU!!!!! XOXOXOXO awesomeness indeed
Wow!
parkerhawn said:
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.... - just twisted my cell and BAM....sound I LOVE YOU!!!!! XOXOXOXO awesomeness indeed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just gave my infuse the twist and the sound is back!! Insane! PS. I could always hear my sound but it was so faint I had to put my ear up to the speaker before I could actually hear the sound!
This actually works!
thomasmaio said:
This is a great post and worked for me so I wanted to clarify some more detail.
Diagnosis: My external speaker would not work or work intermitently. I could hear on my handset and headphones but could not use speaker for conversations, media, etc.
I tried reseting with/without power on.
Tried factory resetting the phone.
Tried "headphone sex" (removing headphones in and out quickly as the software may have a glitch where it does not recognize the headphones were removed hence restoring external sound to the speaker) This is NOT a common problem with the Infuse but with other Samsung phones like the Captivate I believe.
After many people having similar symptoms I saw this post and figured it was a power issue/hardware not software problem.
Previous post....
1. I could not find a small hole to put a safety pin through (as previously posted). I used a paperclip as it is less pointy and less damaging and there wasn't a single hole to put it through.
MY RESOLUTION/REPAIR THAT SOLVED THE PROBLEM (same issue just different way to fix as I did not find any hole to put a pin through)
2. you will need to remove the back cover of the phone. Remove the battery cover, battey, sim card, and ext SD card. There are 6 small jewelry type screws. You should have an eyeglass kit screwdriver or jewelry kit with small screwdrivers. I did manage to use a small regular screwdriver but it really did not fit and could strip the heads of the screws.
3. Once the 6 screws are out, remove the back cover of the phone. Mine was a little hard to remove. The top is the earphone jack and the cover goes over the earphone jack, so great care should be made to try and take the top off last. For mine, the side was easiest to remove first( in the middle). Little by little you should be able to work your way around the edges until it is all separated from the screen/front.
*TIP Do not worry about parts coming out. The back cover is secured with the 6 screws. The rest of the phone and boards are screwed down to the front/screen so all you are doing is removing the back cover.
4. Once the back cover is separated from the front/screen, locate where the speaker lies in the back cover and where it comes to meet the front/screen. You will see two small gold square tabs on the back of the back cover next to the speaker. If you look where these connect to the front/screen you will see another two small gold tabs. These ones are NOT flat. They actually sit up and are hinge like. ***THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEM IS****.
5. As the phone ages and gets used aka banged dropped wet, etc, these tabs lose their "springyness" and pressure so they get flat and fail to contact the other tabs next to the speaker, resulting in no power getting to the speaker or intermitent power as they make contact. THIS IS WHY IF YOU READ OTHER POST ON OTHER FORUMS YOU WILL SEE PEOPLE SAYING THUMPING OR PRESSING ON THE SPEAKER MAKES IT WORK INTERMITENTLY!
6. Get a pair of tweezers and slide one side of the tweezers between one of the small gold tabs on the front/screen side of the phone. BE CAREFUL! The tabs are very small thin and fragile so go slow and make sure you are between where the tab mounts to the circuitboard and where it sticks up to contact the speaker tabs. SLOWLY work the tab up so that you restore the arch or springyness back to it. It should look like this <. Do the same for the other. Basically you are raising the tab so that when you put the back cover on it makes contact with the speaker tabs, hence providing the proper power to the speaker.
7. Put the cover back on, screws, ext SD card, sim card, battery, and batter cover back on. Power up and adjust your ringer volume. You should here the speaker working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-----------------------------------------
Thank you so very much, it helped a lot to follow your directions. I realized how hard it is to remove the entire cover so I used a very small flat screw driver (eye-glasses kit) and popped open only the bottom corner where the speakers were. I could then see the hinged-like tabs and used one hand to keep the cover from snapping back shut and the other hand to "raise" the hinged side of the tabs using the same tiny flat screw driver. I raised them high enough (gently) and put the cover back in place. I then put the battery back, turned on the phone and Voila! Sound is crisp and clear once again.
So I bought a second hand MT4GS today, but the buttons on the face of the phone don't work - it came rooted, s-off, with some buggy ICS Rom installed. I just installed Bulletproof in the hopes that it was just the other rom causing the issue, but the buttons (home, menu, back, genius) are still non responsive. The corresponding buttons on the qwerty slider work fine.
Any ideas or suggestions? Would it help to try flashing a zip to map those front buttons? Since they don't work in 2 roms, is it something physicial?
I would appreciate any advice you could give me, whether its a certain way to try and remap the keys to force them to work, or a rom that might fix it, or maybe a kernel that would be most compatible with a quick, stable rom with full camera features? I really don't care about being on the bleeding edge or having ICS, I just want a stable, every day use rom.
Thanks much!
Almost certainly physical. The flex cable inside has 5 dangly little fingers that go down in that area for the 4 buttons and the track pad. Very easy for that to get gummed up, and not an easy thing to fix (because this phone is kind of a pain to take apart). Still, you can find some videos on YouTube that show how to disassemble the phone. You can try it. Put it back together carefully enough, and those buttons might start working again. (If you're unlucky, you might need a new flex cable.)
OK, do I need anything besides standard precision torx to open this phone up? I haven't really peeked inside, since we only got it a couple hours ago.
Also, I noticed that the home button on the physical keyboard sometimes takes me home, and sometimes selects things, depending on what I'm doing - talk about weird! Either way, it's still better than my ancient and fading G1 I've been stuck using the last couple days.
So if I open it up, do I just want to blast it with canned air, or is that a big no-no? Get a little soft brush and brush around the fingers? Tell it sweet nothings and tuck it in bed?
Edited to add:
Aaaand while I was busy typing and researching, my husband is cracking it open like a kid opening a Christmas present - wish him luck!
Bah humbug, just a note to let you know that we got to the 8 screws that hold the keyboard to the sliding part, and 2 of the phillips screws are stripped. So we're putting it back together until tomorrow night, when we will try to figure out how to get those 2 screws out.
But hey, at least we took it almost all the way apart, and got it back together, and it is working as well as it was before - if we didn't totally break it, then we're still ahead of the game!
So now I'm looking for advice on the following:
1) best way to clean out those button flex cables (air, small brush, ?)
2) ways to keep this phone clean inside - previous owner must have worked in a dust bunny factory, based on the dust I found inside the half of the phone we got disassembled. Then again, I live in a desert, it's to be expected?
3) super-stable rom/kernel combo that also gives me the camera app goodness that this phone deserves (And be honest, if I need stock to get the camera working, I'll go to stock).
rhondalicious said:
So now I'm looking for advice on the following:
1) best way to clean out those button flex cables (air, small brush, ?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Compressed air or a small brush should work fine... If it is just a connectivity problem caused by dust or dirt or whatever.
rhondalicious said:
2) ways to keep this phone clean inside - previous owner must have worked in a dust bunny factory, based on the dust I found inside the half of the phone we got disassembled. Then again, I live in a desert, it's to be expected?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only way to really keep it clean on the inside is to take it apart and use some compressed air or a small brush to get rid of all the dust... Doesn't matter where you are located you are gonna get dust inside of a phone that has no dust covers... You can see if they make any cases that have dust caps for the ports (I'm not sure if there are any for the MT4GS or not... haven't looked...)
rhondalicious said:
3) super-stable rom/kernel combo that also gives me the camera app goodness that this phone deserves (And be honest, if I need stock to get the camera working, I'll go to stock).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the awesome sense camera I would recommend stock or if you want ICS then one of the Virtuous roms. Either Primmadonna (ICS+ Sense 4.0) or Inquisition (desensed with sense camera). I'm sure others have other opinions, but those are the only roms I have used... Well that and CM9 which is basically fully functional although it will never have the sense camera, but the AOSP camera isn't too bad. They are all super stable as well.
Those 8 little screws are easy to strip. They are only a couple of turns each, but if they don't budge ... well, I've got a broken phone just like that that I can't fix. If you figure out a way of drilling the out or whatever, I'd be interested to hear.
The dust in these phones is a well-known problem. In particular, dust can find it's way under the glass, and it's a complete teardown to clear that out.
Were the screws stripped when you got there, or did you do it? If someone had the phone apart before, it could be that the little flex cable fingers are just not in the right position. If that's the case, you just have to do it right. (Easier said than done since it's kind of tricky to work on it and keep everything positioned while you close it up.)
Those 2 screws were stripped when we opened it - we've tried a couple things and still haven't been able to get them out, but we haven't tried the trick of dabbing superglue on a screwdriver and letting it dry in the hole yet, and we haven't tried one of those screw extractors that is like an extra sharp screwdriver. We tried cutting a new slot with my dremel, but the cutting discs I have are too soft for the screw heads, we need a diamond cutting disc, I think. We also tried one of those drill chucks that has the 2 ends for reaming a new hole and unscrewing, but my husband is afraid to drill through the phone, and the chuck doesn't fit in my dremel.
I'm pretty sure whoever had the phone before me tried to fix it and gave up, that's why we were able to buy it off him for so cheap. I don't mind fiddling around with it, since the actual phone bit works just fine.
If I ever manage to get these stripped screws out, I'll let you know what works!
Those screws are definitely short in length, as you've seen from their companions, so I am also leery of drilling a millimeter too far.
Another thing I've contemplated is carving the plastic around the screw head so that the screw no longer holds anything in place. Haven't been bold enough to try it, though. I figure after that I would be able to get a grip on it with needlenose pliers and twist them out.
((My phone with the stuck screws is a water damaged phone that I bought used. [[Seller said "I don't know what happened to it", but, uh, it's a bit obvious once you look inside or even look at the sticker.]] Screen was flaky and I was going to take it apart and stare at it til I ran into those stuck (and rusty!) screws. Luckily, after a few days delay for head-scratching, the screen started working perfectly. I like to think of it as the Universe finally giving me a break.))
Would a cell phone repair place have better ways of getting those stripped screws out? My husband said I should find out what they would charge to open it up, but if I can't get the screws out, how would they do it?
And it's nice that your soggy-phone decided to start working for you, it's a pain dealing with wet phones, sometimes. My neighbor dropped hers in a big cup of soda once and I got to have futo leaning it out to help prevent sugar/corrosion issues. I only managed to keep it working for another 3 months, but by then she had already dropped it into a toilet.
rhondalicious said:
Would a cell phone repair place have better ways of getting those stripped screws out? My husband said I should find out what they would charge to open it up, but if I can't get the screws out, how would they do it?
And it's nice that your soggy-phone decided to start working for you, it's a pain dealing with wet phones, sometimes. My neighbor dropped hers in a big cup of soda once and I got to have futo leaning it out to help prevent sugar/corrosion issues. I only managed to keep it working for another 3 months, but by then she had already dropped it into a toilet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For wet phone the best thing you can do is to use milliQ water (distilled will do also), put the phone in it, it basically removes any ions from previous fluids (take the battery out!), then let it dry out (24h should do), please battery in and use... Worked for me few times...
Btw. Good rom is virtuous inquisition or Primadonna, cm9 did not work for me so good, too many unfinished things...
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using xda premium
If test look like the same for me like at this vid (>10post ;/ just post it on yt Sony Xperia Z3 common waterproofing defect in wrist strap hole) it mean i have untight xperia z3 ? If yes what i can do then? should i send it to service? (i don't put my phone to the water yet) 988->995 and slowly falling to 998 (with same preasure)
Zaiid said:
If test look like the same for me like at this vid (>10post ;/ just post it on yt Sony Xperia Z3 common waterproofing defect in wrist strap hole) it mean i have untight xperia z3 ? If yes what i can do then? should i send it to service? (i don't put my phone to the water yet) 988->995 and slowly falling to 998 (with same preasure)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fact that some freak thinks he can use a barometer to prove that his phone isn't waterproof doesn't make this a "common defect". I know nothing about physics, still I promise you that this test has zero meaning.
Now you can wait until you get some responses like "I would be worried, better send it in" and then you can wait some month to get the same phone back, or you just relax and use your phone. Good luck.
android404 said:
The fact that some freak thinks he can use a barometer to prove that his phone isn't waterproof doesn't make this a "common defect". I know nothing about physics, still I promise you that this test has zero meaning.
Now you can wait until you get some responses like "I would be worried, better send it in" and then you can wait some month to get the same phone back, or you just relax and use your phone. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It actually has a perfect physics explanation and not just Voodoo science. The barometer is a pressure sensor inside your phone and is very sensitive. If you put external pressure on your phone, either because of weather change, altitude change, or putting it in a pressure chamber, the sensor will read that change. When you press on the screen (gently) with some flaps open you won't see any change in pressure (the air that is "squeezed" by your pressing on the screen has a way out). If you close the flaps and the phone is water / air tight, then even a small pressure on the screen can "squeeze" the air inside, effectively increasing the pressure reading. You can try it with your phone and you'll see the difference.
In terms of using the phone vs returning, that depends if you plan to use it underwater or not. If the phone is not perfectly water tight it would still be usable under wet conditions, but going for a swim with the phone is highly likely to result in a dead phone. Before you say something like "why would you swim with your phone", it's a personal choice. Swimming with the phone is part of Sony's advertising and spec, so the phone should handle it.
tsachi said:
It actually has a perfect physics explanation and not just Voodoo science. The barometer is a pressure sensor inside your phone and is very sensitive. If you put external pressure on your phone, either because of weather change, altitude change, or putting it in a pressure chamber, the sensor will read that change. When you press on the screen (gently) with some flaps open you won't see any change in pressure (the air that is "squeezed" by your pressing on the screen has a way out). If you close the flaps and the phone is water / air tight, then even a small pressure on the screen can "squeeze" the air inside, effectively increasing the pressure reading. You can try it with your phone and you'll see the difference.
In terms of using the phone vs returning, that depends if you plan to use it underwater or not. If the phone is not perfectly water tight it would still be usable under wet conditions, but going for a swim with the phone is highly likely to result in a dead phone. Before you say something like "why would you swim with your phone", it's a personal choice. Swimming with the phone is part of Sony's advertising and spec, so the phone should handle it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Meaning: no phone that is not waterproof (airtight) can use a barometer. Bad news for iPhone six and dozens of android devices and their owners. Right?
I'd like to know if this is just a new device panic trend like bend gate
I tried the barometer test and I can cover the lanyard hole and see the same results. Number rises and if the hole isn't covered by my finger the number drops back down.
Pretty bummed if it's really a defect. I don't want to have to pay 175$ to t-mobile because an advertised feature is broken..
Was looking forward to swimming and submerging my xperia for the past 2 months.. Haven't even had the phone for a full week
Sent from my D6616 using XDA Free mobile app
I'm sure plenty of you have had the dreaded "Sim card removed" error (as shown in the attached image) on your S4. I started getting this message mere months after purchasing my secondhand AT&T S4 (no warranty). But fear not, with about 20 minutes of your time and less than a dollar worth of parts, you can fix it!
(1st attached pic)
Why Does This Happen?
This error is usually due to a faulty connection between the motherboard and the SIM / MicroSD card tray. Likely it is due to a bad solder job on that connector.
Does a new SIM Tray fix it?
Extremely unlikely. Purchasing a new SIM tray will likely be wasted money. (EDIT: A new motherboard may fix the issue, and several people have had success with a new SIM tray)
How do I fix it already??
This is what you'll need:
Your S4
A micro Philips-head screwdriver
Scissors
A foam earplug (or something of similar texture)
Step 1: Disassemble your phone. Pull off the back cover, remove the battery and cards, then unscrew all 9 of the micro Philips screws. Then, take your fingernail and pry off the bezel from the rest of the phone, and slowly work your nail around the bezel until it pops off. (Don't force it!)
(Attached images 2, 3, and 4)
Step 2: Use your scissors or a razor blade to cut a section off of the foam earplug which is about the width of two dimes. I also cut a 1/4 segment out of mine so you don't see it sticking out when you put the bezel back together, but you don't absolutely need to do that.
(Attached images 5 & 6)
Step 3: Press down on the connector for the SIM / SD Card Tray until it "clicks" into place. (It may not click if it is still somewhat in place) This is the connector which has a bad connection.
(Attached image 7)
Step 4: Place your piece of foam on top of the connector in a way that it is right beside but not overlapping the camera (as pictured)
(Attached image 8)
Step 5: Replace your back cover, making sure not to move the foam you just installed, press down on it in multiple locations until it pops back together all around, and screw it back down. Note: if the bezel appears to be bulging out, your foam is too thick! This won't cause any problems, but it will be a noticeable bulge on your phone.
(Attached images 9 & 10)
Step 6: Replace your back cover and enjoy! Note that if you continue to receive the error, you may need either a thicker piece of foam, or you may need to reposition the foam, or even just press down on the connector a bit more before installing the foam.
Thanks to the folks over at Android Central in the thread entitled: Galaxy S4: Major problem - SIM card not detected for info on how to fix!
After applying this fix (took me three times to get it right) I have not seen the SIM card removed error in almost two months!
Post your success stories!
EDIT: A year after I posted this, and people are still using this thread to iron out their issues. I'm glad I could start up a conversation about this problem, with many good suggestions as to possible fixes. I don't use my S4 anymore, but it makes for a great backup phone!
Anyway, I just wanted to let anybody who is looking for the answer to this problem know that my fix may or may not work for you. It worked in my case, but several commenters have noted that the problem has remained in their situation. I would like to point out a few helpful comments and possible fixes right here so you guys don't have to go searching through pages of comments to find different solutions.
Best solution by far is by @Gonemad to re-flow the solder to that connector and to the NFC chip using a heat gun. See post #98 on page 10 and Post 114 on page 12, with a guide on post 122, page 13.
A replacement motherboard may fix the issue as well, but that's assuming you're getting a new one and not a used one. With used, the replacement board may do the same thing!
many of us have shimmed the connector 1000 different ways and still get the error. oddly enough, for me the only thing that has reduced errors was removing my sd card.
iateshaggy said:
many of us have shimmed the connector 1000 different ways and still get the error. oddly enough, for me the only thing that has reduced errors was removing my sd card.
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Click to collapse
That's interesting, and a shame. There's not enough room on my phone for all my stuff, I need that extra 32gb!
"Does a new SIM Tray fix it?
Extremely unlikely. Purchasing a new SIM tray or even a new motherboard will be wasted money."
It did in my case. I got a sim/sd card tray from a Verizon S4, put it in my AT&T S4 and it worked great!
This problem is extremely annoying. Purchased a new tray too, and for a couple of days thought the problem is fixed. Nope. 5 days later same stupid message. I had already tried putting more support on the connector which did not fix the problem. They could at least make a cancel button on it instead of just "reboot". Will try without sd card. Apparently this happens on ALL high-end samsung phones. I am adding crapsung to the "never again" list (in addition to LG now).
If removing sd card doesn't fix it then it will either be new mainboard (they go for around $100 CAD shipped) or a new phone if I have the money. Nexus 6 looks good now. Don't buy crappy Korean brands. Even Chinese brands seem more reliable.
Question: Since you say that you've already replaced the sd/sim tray and the problem returned, did you try putting another sim card in there to make sure that it's not the sim card that's the issue?
Yes, new sim did not solve it. Now i am actually trying earplug thing. So far so good (2 days), but as with any other method the message is expected to pop up again. I am thinking i did try to add support before, but only for the connector part. Earplug will press on all the components around the connector and the connector itself. Will see. I did cut out a thicker piece than in the OP, and made a cut on the camera side instead of oppoate (like in OP).
Buyimg new mainboard seems like a waste of money now too. Since so many devices have this problem chances are another mainboard will be the same.
Edit: with or without sd card - same thing.
It's known that the IMEI numbers with the last 6 digits in this range: 000000 - 560000 have been known to have this issue. Mine was in that range and had the issue. I think the mainboards outside this range are fine.
Mine is not in that range.
Thanks a lot
It took me quite a few tries with the earplug foam to get it right. Finding the correct thickness and shape was the biggest thing. Eventually I got it right and I haven't had the issue return even once since. I'm glad some of you were able to get your phones to work by just swapping the SIM tray, that's pretty easy to do. I don't think I would even consider swapping the motherboard on a 2 year old phone, might as well just get a new phone at that point.
Sean89us said:
It took me quite a few tries with the earplug foam to get it right. Finding the correct thickness and shape was the biggest thing. Eventually I got it right and I haven't had the issue return even once since. I'm glad some of you were able to get your phones to work by just swapping the SIM tray, that's pretty easy to do. I don't think I would even consider swapping the motherboard on a 2 year old phone, might as well just get a new phone at that point.
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Good to hear that this is working for some users. I just went with the M9 about a week ago and am going to give my mother my S4. She wouldn't have any idea how to handle any sim errors so when I get some time, I'll be buying an earplug or two.
It has been 9 days and the error hasn't returned. Today i put in a thiner peice to get rid of the bulge on the back. Will see how that holds up, but so far so good. Thanks to the O.P.
As for the mainboard - I never loxk myself into a contract with a discounted phone, not that Wind Mobile Canada has an option for it. So i paid almost 600 CAD for this puppy and expected it to last. For me $100 is not bad for a fix compared to at least $600 for a new phone. Only if it was for sure, but is seems like a gamble to buy a new board. BTW my phone was locked to rogers so I had to unlock it and enable AWS band.
I would get(have tried other phones) but for all its bad the S4 is hands down the most durable and usable phone I have ever owned. I like my nexus 5, but it is a very fragile unit, and on its second screen replacement due to minor drops that the S4 takes with aplomb. I like the phone so much I have bought a used one off ebay just in case this one ever fails. MHO
fargonaz said:
I would get(have tried other phones) but for all its bad the S4 is hands down the most durable and usable phone I have ever owned. I like my nexus 5, but it is a very fragile unit, and on its second screen replacement due to minor drops that the S4 takes with aplomb. I like the phone so much I have bought a used one off ebay just in case this one ever fails. MHO
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I'm right there with you. I still love my S4, despite the SIM error and somewhat slow updates from Samsung / ATT. It's getting older but my phone is still very fast, has a beautiful 1080P AMOLED screen, takes awesome pictures, and now it's even running Lollipop! The only thing that might convince me to switch phones anytime soon is if the 2015 Nexus 5 refresh has a 5" - 5.2" screen (5.5"+ is just too big!), USB Type-C and the specs blow me away. Since that probably won't happen, it looks like I'll be using my S4 for a few more years.
I don't have these earplugs foams at home.. Which other material can I use for that?
I can't say anything else will be the same material. Just buy earplugs at a dollar store or something. They are cheap.
Mine had gotten really bad, to where it was giving the "sim error" message a good six or eight times a day. Did the earplug thing...didn`t fix squat. I took a narrow strip of a business card and "shimmed" the sim card in it`s slot (like many others have), but I made my shim extra long and folded it over a few times on top of the sim card receptacle as well. Been two days and so far so good. We`ll see how it holds up.
I had actually contacted Samsung about the problem and they claimed they had no knowledge of it`s occurrence. I emailed back and they said "we really have no idea what`s causing it. Sorry." I would call it a design flaw as every single person I know personally with an S4 has the problem, and there are hundreds upon hundreds of tales on the ol` internet about it, and even Samsung can`t fix it.
I've used this solution after my s4 gave the "sim card removed" error 5 times this morning. I used a piece of power sponge i.s.o. an earplug. Since then no error. If error occurs i'll respond again.
Thanx Sean.
I was having this problem. I did this fix but just used some folded up plastic wrap. Hasn't happened again yet.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Free mobile app
I've been playing around the service menu and tested the Pressure Sensor. In a solid waterproof phone, pressure should remain steady when acted upon by outside forces.
I simply tried to moderately blow some air into the USB port and there's a notable difference. Also removed the sim cap and sucked on the port. Air was clearly passing through.
I'm curious if it's just my phone with this issue in which case I'll replace it, or if it's a design fault, in which case you shouldn't submerge it.
In the screenshots you'll see the pressure difference. So please test this by accessing the service menu *#*#service#*#*, > tests > pressure sensor and simply blow some air into it.
And for the giggles and ranting, there's the sony talk thread https://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xper...s-waterproof/m-p/1237116/highlight/true#M2652
Sebi673 said:
I've been playing around the service menu and tested the Pressure Sensor. In a solid waterproof phone, pressure should remain steady when acted upon by outside forces.
I simply tried moderately blowing some air into the USB port and there's a notable difference. Also removed the sim cap and sucked on the port. Air was clearly passing through.
I'm curious if it's just my phone with this issue in which case I'll replace it, or if it's a design fault, in which case you shouldn't submerge it.
In the screenshots you'll see the presiune difference. So please test this by accessing the service menu *#*#service#*#*, > tests > pressure sensor and simply blow some air into it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In Xperia Z3 there was a hole in the lower-left corner that if not covered by hand also let the pressure to drop down.
I think that every phone has to have some kind of a "blow off valve" to prevent internal pressure from rising when the phone heats up to avoid damaging the seals around the screen and the back.
Note that when you cover the usb port pressure stays perfectly stable. The phone is still waterproof it just lets the internals "breathe"
mracer164 said:
In Xperia Z3 there was a hole in the lower-left corner that if not covered by hand also let the pressure to drop down.
I think that every phone has to have some kind of a "blow off valve" to prevent internal pressure from rising when the phone heats up to avoid damaging the seals around the screen and the back.
Note that when you cover the usb port pressure stays perfectly stable. The phone is still waterproof it just lets the internals "breathe"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's far more than a simple valve. For example if you have water in the port and you blow some air to take it out, that water will actually go inside the phone. I'm asking because if ever submerged, water pressure will be far grater than my air blowing capabilities ))) so things can get messy pretty fast.
It's far too easy to change the pressure inside it, so all I need to know is if other XZp are behaving the same way or if it's just mine.
Sebi673 said:
It's far more than a simple valve. For example if you have water in the port and you blow some air to take it out, that water will actually go inside the phone. I'm asking because if ever submerged, water pressure will be far grater than my air blowing capabilities ))) so things can get messy pretty fast.
It's far too easy to change the pressure inside it, so all I need to know is if other XZp are behaving the same way or if it's just mine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said Z3 behaved similarly and I have submerged this phone a couple of times and never had any problems with it. Note that air particles are much more able to squeeze through tight spaces than water.
Same principle aplies to waterproof jackets, they let the air pass through so that you wont get sweaty while at the same time the won't let water go through.
mracer164 said:
As I said Z3 behaved similarly and I have submerged this phone a couple of times and never had any problems with it. Note that air particles are much more able to squeeze through tight spaces than water.
Same principle aplies to waterproof jackets, they let the air pass through so that you wont get sweaty while at the same time the won't let water go through.
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Yes man, I know what a valve is and how it operates in a phone. I've been having xperias for over 5 years. I'm not on Talk.sonymobile, I'm on xda. So if you can try the test whenever you can. All it takes is 1 minute.
I opened this thread because I need to see if mine has those rubber seals too loose or if it's a general and normal thing. I asked for xzp owners to try the test because on my phone air passes virtually unobstructed.
Sebi673 said:
Yes man, I know what a valve is and how it operates in a phone. I've been having xperias for over 5 years. I'm not on Talk.sonymobile, I'm on xda. So if you can try the test whenever you can. All it takes is 1 minute.
I opened this thread because I need to see if mine has those rubber seals too loose or if it's a general and normal thing. I asked for xzp owners to try the test because on my phone air passes virtually unobstructed.
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Click to collapse
It works for me exactly the same way as you described. Sorry I didn't mean to patronise you in any way
There is a pressure regulation in every phone. The reason is the battery, in case the battery is defective (see Shamesung Note ), it will produce gas. This gas can later inflame, hence it is important to get it out of the device.
Illux said:
There is a pressure regulation in every phone. The reason is the battery, in case the battery is defective (see Shamesung Note ), it will produce gas. This gas can later inflame, hence it is important to get it out of the device.
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I know, I just spent a lot of money on this thing and I'd rather avoid damaging it. In my opinion that valve is way too lose.
Check this video out, I do not agree with this idiotic test but in the end the phone got water damaged. Vibrator Motor is right next to the USB port which in this video it keeps on vibrating even after device is off.
https://youtu.be/Z3JUGkXXXJw?t=17m52s
I might be a bit paranoid but submerging this phone is not a good idea. Maybe something like this will help https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91LUJPpD45L._SL1500_.jpg
mracer164 said:
It works for me exactly the same way as you described. Sorry I didn't mean to patronise you in any way
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I know, I'm sorry for jumping the gun. Didn't get a full night sleep.
I'm weary because I had Xperia XZ for a week, did the same test but the breathability on the usb port was minimum. Anyway, I'll be careful. My (very) old Xperia Z got water damaged in the pool due to a worn rubber band on the headphone jack. Damage was extensive.
Sebi673 said:
I know, I just spent a lot of money on this thing and I'd rather avoid damaging it. In my opinion that valve is way too lose.
Check this video out, I do not agree with this idiotic test but in the end the phone got water damaged. Vibrator Motor is right next to the USB port which in this video it keeps on vibrating even after device is off.
https://youtu.be/Z3JUGkXXXJw?t=17m52s
I might be a bit paranoid but submerging this phone is not a good idea. Maybe something like this will help https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91LUJPpD45L._SL1500_.jpg
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Click to collapse
If damaged by submerging, I'd send it on for guarantee and request a new one. It states IP68 proof, that means 30 minutens fully submerged.
Oh and btw, the guy actually FROZE his phone for 12 hours .
Illux said:
If damaged by submerging, I'd send it on for guarantee and request a new one. It states IP68 proof, that means 30 minutens fully submerged.
Oh and btw, the guy actually FROZE his phone for 12 hours .
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I know.... It's an idiotic test. But leaving that aside, it is compared to another waterproof phone which worked as good as new afterwards. So it's safe too assume that the USB might be letting in a bit more than just data and power.
It's a bit of a letdown, I'll wait for the teardown videos to see if they finally coated the motherboard and other boards against water ingress. Just like you see in the iphone and samsung.
Sebi673 said:
I know.... It's an idiotic test. But leaving that aside, it is compared to another waterproof phone which worked as good as new afterwards. So it's safe too assume that the USB might be letting in a bit more than just data and power.
It's a bit of a letdown, I'll wait for the teardown videos to see if they finally coated the motherboard and other boards against water ingress. Just like you see in the iphone and samsung.
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Well, I'm the kinda guy who tries out things if promised . What I can tell you, my phone spent a fair amount of time submerged already, I always wanted to try out underwater video recording. No real sense in it, but it's fun .
Still working and it's drying real quick.
Illux said:
Well, I'm the kinda guy who tries out things if promised . What I can tell you, my phone spent a fair amount of time submerged already, I always wanted to try out underwater video recording. No real sense in it, but it's fun .
Still working and it's drying real quick.
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Click to collapse
I know it's fun, it's even more so when you wash it in the sink in front of people haha. Can you please do me a solid and test the pressure sensor while blowing air into the usb? like I tried - 2 cm away, full lung pressure on the usb, and tell me if that pressure rapidly moves up. It will help me sleep better at night after I wash the thing haha.
Sebi673 said:
I know it's fun, it's even more so when you wash it in the sink in front of people haha. Can you please do me a solid and test the pressure sensor while blowing air into the usb? like I tried - 2 cm away, full lung pressure on the usb, and tell me if that pressure rapidly moves up. It will help me sleep better at night after I wash the thing haha.
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I'll do so in 13 minutes, im currently running a battery test. Just as side note, Amazon Underground seems to drain battery like hell on 7.1.
---------- Post added at 01:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:23 PM ----------
Sebi673 said:
I know it's fun, it's even more so when you wash it in the sink in front of people haha. Can you please do me a solid and test the pressure sensor while blowing air into the usb? like I tried - 2 cm away, full lung pressure on the usb, and tell me if that pressure rapidly moves up. It will help me sleep better at night after I wash the thing haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, done. Pressure going up rapidly. Consider it normal.
Illux said:
I'll do so in 13 minutes, im currently running a battery test. Just as side note, Amazon Underground seems to drain battery like hell on 7.1.
---------- Post added at 01:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:23 PM ----------
Ok, done. Pressure going up rapidly. Consider it normal.
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YAY!!!! Paranoid Parrot now returning to its cage :victory:
Mine does the same
I have the same problem and my xzp had water damaged,they changed me a new one which still have this problem....I will not try twice.Maybe this is a manufacturing problem.
sonyisall said:
I have the same problem and my xzp had water damaged,they changed me a new one which still have this problem....I will not try twice.Maybe this is a manufacturing problem.
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It's a design flaw then..... I'll buy the usb silicon caps just to be extra safe.... Shame they didn't manage to build this properly.....
Forgive me my ignorance. I know it's stupid question and I know answer will be yes, but it's always worth double checking.
So I can submerge xz premium without any usb/jack and other ports covers as they were just designed to be able to handle that?
SUPERSLEDZ said:
Forgive me my ignorance. I know it's stupid question and I know answer will be yes, but it's always worth double checking.
So I can submerge xz premium without any usb/jack and other ports covers as they were just designed to be able to handle that?
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Yes, that is the idea behind IP68 certification. I dumped my phone in the pool yesterday, just for fun. Just PLEASE make sure to dry the phone before charging it. I know that sounds stupid but there is some photos around of ppl claiming their devices just started burning. Due to the nature of energy transport in USB-C 3.1, that is almost impossible - unless you short-circuit it with water .