Bricked G1 - parts phone to replace motherboard - G1 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I bricked my G1 - and picked up a used one with a cracked screen to replace the mother board with. Have gone through the disassembly thread - and have taken phones apart before.
Quick question for anyone who has already done this. All things being equal, cosmetic condition, etc - which is an easier process
replacing motherboard - or replacing a cracked screen.
Is one safer than the other ??
Any feedback greatly appreciated - thanks

I just completed reassembly of mine. The motherboard would be the easier of the two, if only because you have to remove less parts to get to it.
Don't let difficulty be the deciding reason. Choose the combination of parts that are in the best condition. You'll have no problems.

i've bricked my g1 for about 2 yrs now and i've kept it since and even got another messed up g1 with screen problems to swap the motherboards. But i've never got around to do it simply because i saw a few vids on the disassembly of the g1 is quite complicated. Anyone know a quick and easy way to get to the motherboard please let me know.

Related

Need Parts for Nexus One

I cracked my screen so I decided to order a new one and fix it myself, while in the process I accidentally tore the top flex circuit board and now I can't find spare parts other than screens anywhere. Does anyone know where I can get some or have one that is broken I am willing to pay ...
Hate when **** like that happens. . . try to fix something and something doesn't go right.
Not sure where you can get the parts you're looking for, but wanted to give props to you for taking the initiative to try and fix it yourself. Alot of people will be like "that's what you get for not just sending it back to HTC and having them fix it." How're you going to appreciate the intricacies of something if you don't take the occasional risk like this?
Hope you find what you're looking for.
Ps. Have you looked at http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp to see if there's anything you could repurpose to work?
Ha yea, I am definitely a DIY-er. Unfortunately this is a risk I knew I was taking heading into it, wasn't too worried though because I have fixed a lot of cell phones in the past, just got a little too careless with prying open with a flat head screw driver, it slipped and cut right into the flex circuit board. Should have been a little more careful haha. New screen looks great though! Now only if I could get it to power on! Of course HTC tells me it will cost up to $300 to send it to them to fix it.
http://www.lunacommerce.com/154-nexus-one
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=7921c16b7b46096e&hl=en
Not sure exactly, but is this what you are looking for? http://cnn.cn/shop/google-nexus-digitizer-p-8252.html
Yea I tried that number and also that lunacommerce site is located in China, no prices on their website, no way to purchase anything other than contacting them first (which I have tried to no avail...). You would think some online store somewhere would have started selling spare refurbished parts. Whatever, guess I will have to pay HTC to fix it, kinda sucky.
If you find somewhere that can help you, please post back. I just had a similar experience, replaced the digitizer and the display wouldn't work afterwards. Figured I had damaged the AMOLED, so purchased another. Problem still persisted.
I've decided that I must have damaged the AMOLED connector on the logic board.
The upside is I can still use the phone when connected to a PC and using Android Screen Monitor.
So now I've ordered another Nexus One, I find it hard to get by without my daily Android.... it became an expensive drop of the phone.
Kman Gymrat said:
Not sure exactly, but is this what you are looking for? http://cnn.cn/shop/google-nexus-digitizer-p-8252.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No that is what I replaced in the first place. I am looking for the Logic Board. I will keep searching and update this thread if I ever figure it out. Going on 3 days without a phone and only being able to use Google Voice via my computer is starting to drive me insane!

[Q] Just bought nexus one - problem with screen calibration

Hello,
I have recently bought nexus one and now randomly I have problems with the screen - I click on one place and it does something totally differently. It is fixed if I turn off and on screen. Before posting the question I did do my homework - I found this
- Q5: Sometimes my screen registers touches in incorrect places, and I need to turn the phone off and on to make it work correctly again
A: This is a hardware problem, nothing can be done about it. Nexus One's digitizer sucks.
in FAQ and found out that screen can't be calibrated. Now the questions that I have are:
1) Do all of the nexus ones have this issue? Would you advice me to return the phone and get a different model or replace for the same model (I already have bought screen protectors and case).
2) How often does this happen?
3) Is this a truly a hardware issue or software issue?
If this is a hardware issue - can it be fixed by software (e.g. by restarting the driver for the digitizer every minute or something like that...). I've read somewhere on this forum (or on a different one) that motorola had similar issues and they have released a patch that has fixed the issue
4) Are their any hopes it will get fixed in future releases?
5) People who have the same phone - how often do you have to turn off and on it (the screen - not reboot)?
Any other issues I should be aware of?
About the phone - its android 2.3.4
1) Yes. Some are more affected, some are less, all have it. It also depends on a zillion of factors - including climate, average finger moisture, etc.
2) See answer 1.
3) I've never looked at the code, but Nexus One is out for a year. If it was possible to fix - I'd bet it would have been done by now.
4) See answer 3.
5) See answer 1.
You've done your homework, but still came to ask "just in case". Well, the answers didn't change for the last 1/2 year.
Thank you for the quick answer.
If all the phones have this issue - why people are still using them? Or this is something they have just got used to? Also I understand that the frequency is different for everybody, but can I please have some numbers? Its one thing if it does it once a day or once a week and totally different if it does it every hour or every 15 minutes of use... Can you please let me know how often it does it for your phone? Also are you using screen protector? Is there any corolation between screen protector and and frequency?
Screen protector is known to cause less sensitivity and less responsive screen, which might account for some of the trouble.
People got used to it.
It mostly depends on the moisture and heat - the hotter the phone, the more likely is the screen to fail. Without moisture and with casual use it'll fail once a day or so. When playing a game, it can fail more than once an hour.
stillwater2 said:
Thank you for the quick answer.
If all the phones have this issue - why people are still using them? Or this is something they have just got used to? Also I understand that the frequency is different for everybody, but can I please have some numbers? Its one thing if it does it once a day or once a week and totally different if it does it every hour or every 15 minutes of use... Can you please let me know how often it does it for your phone? Also are you using screen protector? Is there any corolation between screen protector and and frequency?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It happens to all nexus ones, its a hardware problem. But it only happens about once or twice a week, so most people just live with it. Just turning off then on the screen fixes it, so only takes a second to clear the error.
Also heat seems to cause it, particularly when its charging.
I go weeks without ever seeing the issue. Other times I see it once a week. It sucks but not a huge deal really.
Hi guys,
Just a quick question.... if this problem is hardware and relates to the digitizer then is it worth just replacing the digitizer?
I notice you can purchase a replacement digitizer on eBay.
Is it worth a try? And if so, is the N1 easy to take apart?
I've taken other phones apart and repaired them so have some experience.
If you replace it all you're doing is waisting your time. It will be the same thing. It is not like the digitizer is broken/failing or anything. It just sucks. Its not broken. Better way of thinking of it is a hardware limitation.
Hi guys,
Well, not wanting to be beaten by this screen problem, having suffered for over a year, I decided to take the plunge and buy a new digitizer off eBay. Cost about £20.
Found a couple of vids on Youtube which show you how to take the phone apart etc.
Two months on and all working fine. Not one single screen issue since replacing the digitizer.
Now a VERY happy Nexus One owner. Just wish Vodafone or HTC could have done the same thing on anyone of those four occasions I sent the phone for repair!!!
Now also running the MIUI custom OS... what a fantastic OS!!
Well, I'm pretty surprised no one filed class action suit against Google or HTC for supplying faulty digitizers on Nexus One
---------- Post added at 04:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:12 PM ----------
jamjam11 said:
Hi guys,
Well, not wanting to be beaten by this screen problem, having suffered for over a year, I decided to take the plunge and buy a new digitizer off eBay. Cost about £20.
Found a couple of vids on Youtube which show you how to take the phone apart etc.
Two months on and all working fine. Not one single screen issue since replacing the digitizer.
Now a VERY happy Nexus One owner. Just wish Vodafone or HTC could have done the same thing on anyone of those four occasions I sent the phone for repair!!!
Now also running the MIUI custom OS... what a fantastic OS!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow! which seller did you buy it from? is it an OEM part or third party? was the multi-touch issue fixed e.g. X-Y axis all over the place when fingers come too close together? does it now register more than 2 fingers?
The seller on eBay was e_cell. Search for this item to see the digitizer I purchased: 190567591678
It was listed as: 'GENUINE HTC NEXUS ONE G5 TOUCH SCREEN DIGITIZER + TOOLS'
I used a video on YouTube to dismantle the phone and insert the new digitizer.
Search YouTube for 'Google Nexus One Screen Replacement & Take Apart Directions'
Sorry I haven't include direct links but the forum wouldn't let me.
Note: Once I'd taken the phone apart I ran a warm hairdryer over the old digitizer in order to soften the glue that holds it in the frame of the phone. Then I slowly eased the old digitizer out of the frame and inserted the new one. The original adhesive in the frame will hold the new digitizer in place.
Tip: Make sure you remove any dust or finger prints from the new digitizer before reassembling the phone. You'll kick yourself if you forget to do this as they will be visible on the inside of the digitizer and it will drive you mad! I made this mistake and had to take the phone apart again to clean it up. DOH!
jamjam11 said:
The seller on eBay was e_cell. Search for this item to see the digitizer I purchased: 190567591678
It was listed as: 'GENUINE HTC NEXUS ONE G5 TOUCH SCREEN DIGITIZER + TOOLS'
I used a video on YouTube to dismantle the phone and insert the new digitizer.
Search YouTube for 'Google Nexus One Screen Replacement & Take Apart Directions'
Sorry I haven't include direct links but the forum wouldn't let me.
Note: Once I'd taken the phone apart I ran a warm hairdryer over the old digitizer in order to soften the glue that holds it in the frame of the phone. Then I slowly eased the old digitizer out of the frame and inserted the new one. The original adhesive in the frame will hold the new digitizer in place.
Tip: Make sure you remove any dust or finger prints from the new digitizer before reassembling the phone. You'll kick yourself if you forget to do this as they will be visible on the inside of the digitizer and it will drive you mad! I made this mistake and had to take the phone apart again to clean it up. DOH!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would love to know what sort of problems did the new digitizer fix?
My problem was when I touched one area of the screen another area would respond.
So a screen calibration issue.
It was most noticeable when texting. For example I'd press a key on the top row of keys and a key on the bottom row would respond.
A work around was to press the power button to put the phone into standby and press it again to continue using the phone. Sadly the problem would always come back.
I'd also have problems selecting App icons. I'd press one and another would respond.
I asked both Vodafone and HTC to swap out the screen but all they ever did was flash the rom or say they couldn't find any problem.
The issue I had is well documented on the internet.
So glad I never gave up on this.
wait so a new digitizer fixed the issue?
so theres a different version of this digitizer?
or is the model and product number still the same?
jamjam11 said:
My problem was when I touched one area of the screen another area would respond.
So a screen calibration issue.
It was most noticeable when texting. For example I'd press a key on the top row of keys and a key on the bottom row would respond.
A work around was to press the power button to put the phone into standby and press it again to continue using the phone. Sadly the problem would always come back.
I'd also have problems selecting App icons. I'd press one and another would respond.
I asked both Vodafone and HTC to swap out the screen but all they ever did was flash the rom or say they couldn't find any problem.
The issue I had is well documented on the internet.
So glad I never gave up on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sweet! I have the exactly the same issue! so yeah...i'll replace the digitizer. thanks!
---------- Post added at 04:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:12 AM ----------
jamjam11 said:
My problem was when I touched one area of the screen another area would respond.
So a screen calibration issue.
It was most noticeable when texting. For example I'd press a key on the top row of keys and a key on the bottom row would respond.
A work around was to press the power button to put the phone into standby and press it again to continue using the phone. Sadly the problem would always come back.
I'd also have problems selecting App icons. I'd press one and another would respond.
I asked both Vodafone and HTC to swap out the screen but all they ever did was flash the rom or say they couldn't find any problem.
The issue I had is well documented on the internet.
So glad I never gave up on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have the part number of this new digitizer you replaced? it turn out there are a number of OEM parts with different parts number
Unfortunately I can't state the part number as I don't have that information.
I simply searched eBay for a digitizer and looked for a good seller who appeared to be trusted and had a good feedback rating.
I'd bought from 'e_cell' before and knew they provided a good service.
All along I knew I was taking a gamble when buying the digitizer but the problem with the phone was so annoying I decided it was my last hope to get the thing working properly.
I've had the phone close to a year and a half, and during that time its spent most of its life either away for repair (Vodafone or HTC) or sitting in its box because I refused to use it. Instead I bought myself a second hand iPhone 3G off eBay to get by. Things were made worse by the fact I am tied into a two year contract with Vodafone.
So trying a new digitizer was my last throw of the dice, so to speak.
And the fact it worked is brilliant. I still feel this phone (Nexus One) is the best phone I've had, and I've had quite a few.
Please remember... if you decide to do what i did then see it as a gamble. There are no guarantees in life.
Oh, and be real careful when taking the phone apart and reassembling. It's not particularly hard but there is always a risk you may damage something. So be warned.
jamjam11 said:
Unfortunately I can't state the part number as I don't have that information.
I simply searched eBay for a digitizer and looked for a good seller who appeared to be trusted and had a good feedback rating.
I'd bought from 'e_cell' before and knew they provided a good service.
All along I knew I was taking a gamble when buying the digitizer but the problem with the phone was so annoying I decided it was my last hope to get the thing working properly.
I've had the phone close to a year and a half, and during that time its spent most of its life either away for repair (Vodafone or HTC) or sitting in its box because I refused to use it. Instead I bought myself a second hand iPhone 3G off eBay to get by. Things were made worse by the fact I am tied into a two year contract with Vodafone.
So trying a new digitizer was my last throw of the dice, so to speak.
And the fact it worked is brilliant. I still feel this phone (Nexus One) is the best phone I've had, and I've had quite a few.
Please remember... if you decide to do what i did then see it as a gamble. There are no guarantees in life.
Oh, and be real careful when taking the phone apart and reassembling. It's not particularly hard but there is always a risk you may damage something. So be warned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the information, so it turn out nexus one have quite a number of unresolved issues. I was wondering why didn't big G did not order product recall for people with faulty digitizer?
I looked around and found that a number of users have having all kind of issues after replacing the digitizer. Geez...what should I do? Perhaps I should take it to a professional phone repair shop?
poor reception
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=961274
broken digitizer connector
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=904013
replacement experience
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=797203
Well, luckily for me no problems as yet (though never say never!).
The most important thing when taking the phone apart is to take your time, and memorise where everything is located. Be firm but not heavy handed. There are some delicate parts inside the phone so you have to be careful.
Common sense really.
I've had no issues with signal strength. I get HSDPA most of the time, or standard 3G. My data (internet) is working fine and so is GPS.
Inside the phone there are a couple of connectors that control signal so you have to be careful and make sure if they disconnect that you reconnect them again properly.
I build and repair computers and laptops. If you've ever taken a laptop apart that has wireless LAN capability then you'll know there are specific wires which connect the antenna to the motherboard. The same applies in the N1 but on a smaller scale.
Good luck to anyone who tries this!
does anyone from the UK have a source to get a new digitizer from that fixes the heat related issue?
ebay has one for £22.50 (id: 10goodseller2012), and i'm almost ready to click BUY, just want to see if anyone else has more info before i 'blindly' click buy...
edit: i should add, 'e_cell' seller no longer has the N1 digitizers listed...
No matter what anybody says, replacing the digitizer itself won't fix the issue. It is deeper than that. It is the digitizer mixed with the onboard hardware to interpret the digitizer inputs. Usually it ends up just being heat related. I haven't had the issue with my phone for awhile, but that is because it doesn't get as hot as it used to with older versions of CM, but if I have it in the sun, in my car dock, using GPS, it will freak out all the time.
bassmadrigal said:
No matter what anybody says, replacing the digitizer itself won't fix the issue. It is deeper than that. It is the digitizer mixed with the onboard hardware to interpret the digitizer inputs. Usually it ends up just being heat related. I haven't had the issue with my phone for awhile, but that is because it doesn't get as hot as it used to with older versions of CM, but if I have it in the sun, in my car dock, using GPS, it will freak out all the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i too was sceptical, and i still am.
however, I've replaced the digitizer and so far it's perfect! i'm not sure it's placebo as i could get it todo it 100% of the time.
prior to ordering the new digitizer, i ran tests to see at what temp ranges the screen would play up - according to the battery temp (Battery Monitor Widget), it will play up over 40c.
what i SUSPECT is the fix, is the digitizer i bought is a newer hardware revision than the one i had. the new digitizer did come with it's own chip on the flexible PCB.
i did mean to write down the new digitizer number and compare from the old one to see if they have revised it - alas, i forgot to get the new number. (old one is 940-473-1r5)
its been installed for almost 2 hours now, and on test for around an hour to build up heat - screen on full, camera on, GPS on (using aLapRecorder HD) and it's perfect. before i could guarantee a problem with screen dimmed, camera on, GPS off, so early impressions are good!
I'll give it a proper test tonight on the way home from work - it'll have the windscreen blower aswell..

[Q] LG thrill will not power with new digitizer?

Hello guys I was wandering any of you can help me with a problem.
Ok so I have a LG thrill AT&T the digitizer is damage so I replace it did everything just fine take it apart carefully making sure I didnt break any thing anyway this not the first tim I change a digitizer did a lot of the on different Phone However with this Thrill after I carefully put it back together making sure everything is fine and plugin now the Phone will not power up all I get is the the little vibrating when I turn it on and it's light up I even put a sim in it and try to call it dont even ring took it back apart about three time and check everything nothing crack or broken the LCD looks fine no crack in that digitizer is brand new now of the ribbon is brooken still nothing anyone can help me out I would be greatful has to what to try next
Sounds like you are going into emg mode e.g. vol up and power.
If the phone is off and you plug it into your computer do you get the charging screen?
Follow-Up Needed from Original Poster
My nephew owns an LG THRILL 3D P925 from AT&T. He dropped it and broke the digitizer resulting in huge spider cracks. So, for his birthday I decided to be a great uncle purchase a digitizer online.
I received a P920 replacement digitizer. I was told this would be compatible with the phone by the company I purchased it from.
Everthing went really well with the digitizer replacement as the process was pretty easy. However, when I attempt to power on the phone, I get a vibration with zero activity from the LCD.
At first I thought that I somehow ripped the LCD cable or the digitizer cable; however, after close inspection, I do not see any flaws in either cables or their respective connection points.
I too feel like the phone is stuck in download mode. I wish I knew if the original poster has resolved their issue, and I would not mind continuing the discovery process on how to fully troubleshoot this with you John if you would oblidge. I did not think it would be beneficial for me to start a new thread considering I am experiencing the exact same issue as the OP.
Thanks in advance for any assistance from Anyone!
Bump..
Should I just start my own post?
I don't think another post would get anymore attention
sent from my acidhazard thrill
ibr4k4nothing said:
Bump..
Should I just start my own post?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.
How about you just PM the person and ask?
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S II w/ DUAL BOOT: CM9 / MIUI
I work in a computer store where we replace lots and lots of screens and digitizers....it is not unheard of to get a bad one......I have seen at least three this year.....

Faulty aftermarket digitizers

Hey guys. I have an HTC vivid. I dropped it and the screen cracked, but the phone worked perfectly (LCD is perfect). To fix it, I first bought a replacement digitizer from gounlock.com (SST Trading). This part had a dead zone, basically a horizonal bar 1/3 up from the bottom of the screen. I took the phone apart repeatedly and I'm 100% sure everything was installed correctly. I never contacted the company about the replacement since so much time had passed by when I finally installed the part. Next, I found people who had ordered from repairuniverse.com with good stories, so I ordered the digitizer from them. Instead of risking it, I paid a local repair shop to do the install, and there was zero response from the touch screen, even though it boots correctly. The shop reinstalled the part 3 times, still nothing. The seller gave me some line how the professional installer damaged the ribbon cable and I should order another part. To me, this is a bs excuse, because I've found plenty of threads about cheapo ebay digitizers not working or partially working in various HTC phones. They told me they test their parts, but im sure this doesn't involve actually installing on a real phone to make sure it actually works/is designed correctly, just that it might not have a manufacturing defect.
So, where can I order this part and not have problems? Unfortunately I don't have the original screen anymore to compare part numbers, although these things all seem to be low quality china knock-offs, hence why they frequently don't work.
Thanks for whatever advice you can give me =) It's been a very frustrating experience dumping money into this old phone to fix a relatively simple problem.
well, I probably threw more money down the drain ordering a third digitizer. At least this one only costs 10 bucks. If this one doesn't work I'm just going to sell the phone on ebay and someone else can try to fix it.

What's your experience of taking apart the M7?

I recently had the unfortunate occurence where my phone no longer charges and therefore I need to get the charging port replaced. I went to my local repair shop and paid £25 for them to replace it. I'll find out later today whether they've been able to do it or not.
That got me to thinking about how easy it might be to teardown the M7. I proceeded to watch the following video and saw that it doesn't seem like too much hassle and maybe I'd have been better off doing it myself.
Have any of you been in the unfortunate situation where you've needed to take apart your M7 and decided to do it yourself. If so, how did it go and did you manage to mess anything up by deciding to do it yourself instead of getting a professional to do it?
KidCarter93 said:
I recently had the unfortunate occurence where my phone no longer charges and therefore I need to get the charging port replaced. I went to my local repair shop and paid £25 for them to replace it. I'll find out later today whether they've been able to do it or not.
That got me to thinking about how easy it might be to teardown the M7. I proceeded to watch the following video and saw that it doesn't seem like too much hassle and maybe I'd have been better off doing it myself.
Have any of you been in the unfortunate situation where you've needed to take apart your M7 and decided to do it yourself. If so, how did it go and did you manage to mess anything up by deciding to do it yourself instead of getting a professional to do it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never done it, but from my observations here on the forums a few have successfully changed battery's while many others ended up with unreadable screens / broken antennas / broken usb ports / stuck in bootloader bootloop. I have disassembled lots of phones / PSP / Laptops / Ipods / iPhones and i would be pretty reluctant to try an M7.
KidCarter93 said:
I recently had the unfortunate occurence where my phone no longer charges and therefore I need to get the charging port replaced. I went to my local repair shop and paid £25 for them to replace it. I'll find out later today whether they've been able to do it or not.
That got me to thinking about how easy it might be to teardown the M7. I proceeded to watch the following video and saw that it doesn't seem like too much hassle and maybe I'd have been better off doing it myself.
Have any of you been in the unfortunate situation where you've needed to take apart your M7 and decided to do it yourself. If so, how did it go and did you manage to mess anything up by deciding to do it yourself instead of getting a professional to do it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never opened my M7 but I did on my One X to fix it many times, should be very similar. The hardest part is to remove the back cover for the first time without damaging it, looks like its even harder to do on the M7, its very fragile around the volume keys. Once its opened, if you take your time and use the right tools, its not that hard, but you never know what can happen. I did manage to break the tiny power button flex cable on my One X even if it was the 4th time I was opening it, and Im not a newbie with this kind of stuff (I'm an avionic technician). Just to say even a person with high electronic skills and good dexterity can easily break these tiny components...
---------- Post added at 08:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:31 AM ----------
And would also recommend wearing an anti-static wrist strap to prevent any damage to the chips caused by electrostatic discharge.

Categories

Resources