Database Info

[Q] Disassembly for screen replacement

I know this is a hardware question, but I'm hoping someone might have an answer.
My son cracked the screen on his Galaxy S Blaze. I ordered a replacement screen assembly and found a video which I thought showed how to replace the screen, but it was for a different model. I have the cover off, the flex cables disconnected and the motherboard out, but I can't figure out how to remove the old screen from the front housing. Based on the other video, it should be a combination of heating the edge of the housing with a hair dryer until the adhesive softens, then prying it off. I've tried to do this with no luck, but it could be that I'm not prying hard enough - kinda scared to break it.
Does anyone know how to remove the screen - or better yet, know of a disassembly guide for the Galaxy S Blaze?
Thanks!

Heat, Heat and more heat...

Be careful with the heat as it can destroy amoled

a little off topic but...
One of the pins on my usb port got damaged. I was curious and took off the cover to have a look at what would be needed to replace it.... too much soldering that is above my skill level. Anyways, in the process of removing the cover, I lost functionality of my hardware buttons. I'm assuming I damaged the cables that attach them to the mobo. Didn't notice this until I put the cover back on and booted up. Does that seem right? Was I just being too harsh while taking it apart and ripped a ribbon or something of the like?

[Q] Motherboard replacement help

Anyone have a guide or tips on replacing the motherboard. My tablet bricked while updating to 10.6.1.8 and is stuck in the Asus splash screen. I've seen to utube vid on the screen replacement but can not seem to find a motherboard how to. It seems to motherboard must be removed during the screen replacement. Will I need paste? Is the large copper heat sink cover glued on? Any advise would be great.

Tabbajit said:
Anyone have a guide or tips on replacing the motherboard. My tablet bricked while updating to 10.6.1.8 and is stuck in the Asus splash screen. I've seen to utube vid on the screen replacement but can not seem to find a motherboard how to. It seems to motherboard must be removed during the screen replacement. Will I need paste? Is the large copper heat sink cover glued on? Any advise would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The copper pad has glue where the processor and the rams are. Some might have glue at the far left and right side. But you can lift it off (you will break the warranty seal in the process). If you're replacing the motherboard, you need to:
A. Disconnect (1) the battery (connector located underneath the copper pad); (2) charging cable (flat amber); (3) touchscreen cable (flat white or silver, sometimes covered with black tape); (4) lcd screen cable (strand of multi-colored wires taped down to the battery); (5) remove the small amber cable connecting the power switch to the MB; and (6) disconnect the speakers connector from the MB.
B. Remove all the tiny screws in plain sight holding the MB to the magnesium frame.
C. Lift the cameras off their slots with something non-metal, like a toothpick.
D. Lift the MB just a bit to make sure it's loose, then SLIDE it out to the left, paying particular attention to the power button module (small amber ribbon assembly at the top right corner). If you pull it straight up, you will rip it.
Reassembly is just the reverse. Be sure to connect the battery last, just before reinstalling the copper pad. Good luck. Go to this thread for pics.

Thanks for the pointers. Will I need any thermal paste for the processor?

Tabbajit said:
Thanks for the pointers. Will I need any thermal paste for the processor?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently, the copper pad is smeared with some heat-conducting adhesive at contact points with the processor and ram chips. Some people would just stick it back. It didn't hold as well the second time though, in my experience. I cleaned off the sticky stuff, used Arctic Silver 5 on both components, and stuck some copper tape around the pad's edge. Just personal preferences.

Tabbajit said:
Thanks for the pointers. Will I need any thermal paste for the processor?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i don't think it is necessary...

so there are 2 cables I am not able to disconnect. one is the larger longer cooper ribbon that connects to the charging\docking port. the other has a similar connection. it is under black tape and is between the mico hdmi output and a multi color ribbon. I was able to get the other ones disconnected. Please help. Trying to take my time but I am getting frustrated and worried I am going to break something
EDIT- I figured it out. The black part behind the tan connection part is tinny but flips up. I got it disconnected. That was easier than I though!

[Q] Broken touchscreen, wacky random digitizer.

I'm sad to say I finally destroyed my TF300. It fell from about 6 feet onto tile. The screen is cracked in quite a few places, but luckily it didn't spiderweb. The touchscreen kind of works, I say kind of, because it's touching in random places all over the screen. So my question is, can I possibly unplug the digitizer only since the LCD works fine? That way I can use the keyboard dock's mouse or a USB mouse and still use the device. Thanks in advance for any help.

this happened to me as well. On youtube there are many tutorials of how to replace the screen..
they will show you how to take the back casing off
then you can just unplug the digitizer cable (its the yellow cable with two connections on the bottom right of the back of the tablet) this will disable the touch but if you go that far you might as well replace the whole screen you can get online for $50.
and make sure to take note of the digitizer revision number as asus makes 4 different types and only the one will work on your tablet when you want to fix it...its a number on the digitizer cable either g01 g02 g03 or one other i cant remember off the top of my head

schkeet said:
this happened to me as well. On youtube there are many tutorials of how to replace the screen..
they will show you how to take the back casing off
then you can just unplug the digitizer cable (its the yellow cable with two connections on the bottom right of the back of the tablet) this will disable the touch but if you go that far you might as well replace the whole screen you can get online for $50.
and make sure to take note of the digitizer revision number as asus makes 4 different types and only the one will work on your tablet when you want to fix it...its a number on the digitizer cable either g01 g02 g03 or one other i cant remember off the top of my head
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I meant that I didn't want to fix the display, just disable the digitizer so that I can continue to use the device via HDMI. If I unplug the digitizer, will the LCD still work?

After unplugging the ribbon cable for the digitizer, most of the random touches have stopped. But now, even using the built in touchpad or a USB mouse, touches do not hold and can cause random presses to occur in various parts of the screen. Any ideas?

I'm not sure but could be a different problem? I've done the same to mine and my keyboard dock works just fine

savergn said:
After unplugging the ribbon cable for the digitizer, most of the random touches have stopped. But now, even using the built in touchpad or a USB mouse, touches do not hold and can cause random presses to occur in various parts of the screen. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Spontaneous presses? This is at random, some tabs have it, others don't. That ain't from the keyboard; rather from either the digitizer, though detached it might be, or the TS board, or both in close proximity with one another. I've experienced this and still have no idea why. I've had perfectly good dig and TS Board do it when the board is left dangling and not screwed down to the magnesium frame. The only way to stop is to replace the digitizer. Or you can try to yank the dig's ribbons off the glass, as I've noticed ghost touches produced by a dig with partially torn ribbons (on the glass side) that were still connected to the PCB. The dig is not repairable anyways. You're risking nothing.

graphdarnell said:
Spontaneous presses? This is at random, some tabs have it, others don't. That ain't from the keyboard; rather from either the digitizer, though detached it might be, or the TS board, or both in close proximity with one another. I've experienced this and still have no idea why. I've had perfectly good dig and TS Board do it when the board is left dangling and not screwed down to the magnesium frame. The only way to stop is to replace the digitizer. Or you can try to yank the dig's ribbons off the glass, as I've noticed ghost touches produced by a dig with partially torn ribbons (on the glass side) that were still connected to the PCB. The dig is not repairable anyways. You're risking nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you possibly have any photos or tutorials that might be able to help me out so I don't cause anymore damage to the tablet?

savergn said:
Do you possibly have any photos or tutorials that might be able to help me out so I don't cause anymore damage to the tablet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure where to start. If you've taken apart the thing before, i'd be easier. Remove the back. Turn off the service switch (Important). Otherwise, you might burn a coil on the motherboard. If you don't know what that is, look at the top of the motherboard. To the left of the power switch (thin amber ribbon for power on top side and volume on right side), there's a switch mounted on the other side but accessible from the top of the board. You'll see the printing "off" and "on" on this side. Slide it to "off" position. (Thumb attached shows location of switch at top, and where the ribbons should be cut off at bottom).
The ribbon part that's taped to the glass is hidden under the lcd. If you don't care, just snip it off where it meets the lcd edge. There's really no need to remove the lcd if you're not intent on replacing the digitizer. Again, since I am not certain what caused the ghost touches in your cases, it's possible they will continue. Hopefully, they won't. But at this point, the digitizer serves no function other than protecting the lcd surface on the outside. No need to save the ribbons.
To tell you the truth, I've tried using the tab with a dock and no touchscreen. You can live with it, but it's enormous inconvenience any way you use the device, from recoveries to roms to any app within. It's just not designed to be user-friendly that way. I eventually gave up and replaced the digitizer. You can find one for around $35.00 these days.

graphdarnell said:
Not sure where to start. If you've taken apart the thing before, i'd be easier. Remove the back. Turn off the service switch (Important). Otherwise, you might burn a coil on the motherboard. If you don't know what that is, look at the top of the motherboard. To the left of the power switch (thin amber ribbon for power on top side and volume on right side), there's a switch mounted on the other side but accessible from the top of the board. You'll see the printing "off" and "on" on this side. Slide it to "off" position. (Thumb attached shows location of switch at top, and where the ribbons should be cut off at bottom).
The ribbon part that's taped to the glass is hidden under the lcd. If you don't care, just snip it off where it meets the lcd edge. There's really no need to remove the lcd if you're not intent on replacing the digitizer. Again, since I am not certain what caused the ghost touches in your cases, it's possible they will continue. Hopefully, they won't. But at this point, the digitizer serves no function other than protecting the lcd surface on the outside. No need to save the ribbons.
To tell you the truth, I've tried using the tab with a dock and no touchscreen. You can live with it, but it's enormous inconvenience any way you use the device, from recoveries to roms to any app within. It's just not designed to be user-friendly that way. I eventually gave up and replaced the digitizer. You can find one for around $35.00 these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the information.
I don't plan on using it as a daily device, I just picked up my Note 3 the other day, and using the TF300 is going to feel like going back to the stone age. I really just wanted it to have basic functionality, because I still have the HDMI cable for it, and have XBMC and VLC installed on it, so I can play videos easily on my TV. It has Cyanogenmod on it right now, so really, it should be fine for a while. I could probably also hook up my dualshock 3 to it and game on a TV. Portable low-end console. I'll update the thread later if whenever I get around to cutting the ribbon cable. Thanks again.

How to Save Your Water Damaged Phone

If you happen to drop your phone in water, immediately get it out and
power it off, then what do you do to help save your poor phone? Put it
into a bag of rice to dry it? In fact, rice won't do too much to dry
your phone. :angel:It's better to wipe the parts with a clean cloth and lay the
parts in a drafty place; however, after the parts dry what do you do
about the water damage.
Step 1, Disassemble your phone.
After the phone has been retrieved it should be wiped completely dry
to remove any extra liquid, and then you'll have to tear down your phone
so you can assess the damage. However, special tools and skills are
required to tear down a phone, and we always recommend a qualified
person to do this job.
Step 2, Check if there is any erosion or debris in the connectors/other metal contacts.
Generally speaking, there will probably be some erosion on the
connectors or residue stuck on the board. Submerge the logic board in isopropyl alcohol, and allow it to soak long enough to loosen any hardened residue, and to displace any remaining water or other liquid. Use a ESD-safe brush to remove visible corrosion and residue.
Step 3, Check whether the device is short circuited or not.
Even after phone parts have been wiped and dried, some liquid may
still be left in inside, which will result in a short circuit. First of
all, you can use a multimeter to test if the battery is bad. In most
cases batteries are one of the first things to go. So you may need to
replace the battery. If the battery works fine you'll have to check all
the parts 1 by 1 to find the short.
Step 4, Check whether the LCD screen is dead or not.
Before you install the new battery we recommend reconnecting the LCD
screen and plugging in the charger in to see if the LCD screen still
functions. If the LCD screen is dead, it must have been damaged by the
liquid and can't be fixed by hand. The only way to fix the phone would
be to replace the LCD assembly.
The problem could also be caused by damage on the mainboard, so we
recommend testing the new LCD with the board before reassembling
everything.
Step 5, Reassemble all the parts and power on the device for testing.
Small parts with metal contacts are easily damaged by water, i.e. the
ear speaker. Once you've reassembled everything you should carefully
test smaller parts like the ear speaker and camera.
<MOD Edit - Link Removed>http://www.syncios.com/android/sync-transfer-itunes-music-to-android-phone.html

One problem ...if it is saltwater it is dead!

TaureanZen said:
One problem ...if it is saltwater it is dead!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh~ it depends ..... if you rescues promptly, it won't

Changing display

My display damaged and i wanna to ask you smth guys.
How difficulty is it to change it by myself?
I watch this video "
" and i concluded its pretty easy to change it. But the only tool i dont have is the heatgun the other tools i can buy.
Tell me your opinion. Is it easy to do?

Can't tell if it's easy, but in other situations that I needed a heat gun and didn't have one, I used a hair dryer, which is way more common to have at home, or at least easier to borrow from a neighbor or something like that

Watch tear down and repair vids.
If a repair shop will let you watch them do it.
ESD, learn and understand what it is. Discreet components ie the display and mobo are very susceptible to it out of circuit.
Bare minimum protection is a bare wood surface to work on and a relative room humidity of 50% or better. A earth grounded ESD mat and wrist strap is best
Disconnect the battery as soon as possible in the disassembly process. Discharge below 40% if possible before starting.
Have all the drivers, picks, fine precision tweezers, and tools needed. Excellent light and a 2X or so optical visor be nice.
Inspect for additional damage*.
Have a set of OEM seals and now's a good time to replace the battery if it's performance has noticably dropped.
Take pictures disassembling if needed. It must be put back together exactly as it was.
Do Not over torgue screws... less is better.
Be very careful not to damage the ribbon microconnectors.
Take your time, no rush.
*any impact that can break the display or bend the frame can damage the mobo. High G loads or direct impacts can damage chipsets internally, fracture solder joints and internally damaged multilayered mobo PCB internal traces.

I did it three days ago, bc my mix 3 had contact with water.
Its kind of easy to do with a hairdryer and a small plastic tool.
The hardest part is to glue it back together.
(But I have to say my screen didn't work afterwards. The expert in the phone repair store said its maybe a problem on the motherboard)

slowmotion11 said:
I did it three days ago, bc my mix 3 had contact with water.
Its kind of easy to do with a hairdryer and a small plastic tool.
The hardest part is to glue it back together.
(But I have to say my screen didn't work afterwards. The expert in the phone repair store said its maybe a problem on the motherboard)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the battery isn't promptly removed and especially if it's not immediately powered down the current can cause corrosion and short out circuits. The power section is particularly vulnerable. Try again, inspect mobo and the ribbon connectors for signs of corrosion and moisture. Use bright light and magnification.
Is it completely dry? A good soaking with anhydrous isopropyl will help remove hidden water. Again dry completely afterwards. Getting the underside of BGA chipsets dry is imperative.
The micro connectors tend to trap moisture too.
Careful use of compressed air can be very useful but the key word here is careful. Don't stick a nozzle with 100 psi an inch or two from the mobo! Either use low pressure clean, dry air or back it up for high pressure air.
Use your best judgment... it's a bit of an art.
After you dry it as good as possible let it sit in a warm, dry room with a fan on it. Complete drying may take days without disassembly.

Thank you for the tips! I will try it like you described

The same is true with flooded cars, promptly pulling the battery can limit the damage even save the vehicle.
Be wary on flood damage vehicles for sale now, always check for water lines/marks
Most will suffer impossible electrical problems forever. Brine water always kills...