Found possible cause of sudden death - Xperia Z3 Compact Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have had my Xperia Z3 compact for a bit over a year now, and experienced the "sudden death" problem a handful of times. The symptoms are pretty much the same as everyone else said: black screen, no response to power button, sometimes red light after plugging in but nothing on screen. Thankfully I have been able to revive it reliably by first holding Power + Vol Up for 20 seconds, release, then plugging in the charger.
After the last few incidents, though, I think I'm starting to see a pattern: the sudden death always happened after putting the phone on a metal surface. For example, the magnesium lid of my ThinkPad Yoga 460 laptop, or the (presumably steel) top of a washing machine. Every time I pick the Z3C up and notice it has died, it has always been lying on a metal surface before. However, it does not die every time I put it on a metal surface, so I can't reproduce the issue reliably.
I remember reading somewhere that the sudden death is caused by a hardware bug with power management. It sounds kinda plausible that being too close to a conducting surface may change the capacitance / inductance of something on the PCB just enough to trigger some kind of protection. So perhaps using a thick case may prevent sudden death by making the phone farther away from the surface it is placed on?

Related

HD7 build quality annoyances.

power button: Too recessed and flat, to the point where I now have to use my fingernail to power on the device.
volume button: Flimsy to the point where I can literally slide it up and down. I can also hear it jingle when the device vibrates.
Backcover Flimsy, moves around too much and is never tightly secured.
hardware: When I unplug my device from the charger and the screen is getting ready to time out, it flashes green, then times out... (this looks like it's going to create bigger issues down the road)
Power button: 1 in 20 HD7's I have exhibited the behavior you mention. It went away however. I would advise against using your fingernails if at all possible.
Volume Button: Again, 1 in 20 have this, and unfortunately it's the one I carry around. Two other HD7's I personally used did not have this.
I'd try to get it replaced if I were you.
I'm 2 for 2 on the first two annoyances (power and volume button).
I'm getting it replaced again (for the third time) tomorrow morning. I've also noticed these problems with the store models at various T-Mobile stores.
If I have the same problem with my third device, I'm returning it and getting my refund. Omnia 7, here I come.
Hmmm... I don't care much for the power button placement, but I haven't seen any of the other things you mentioned.
jimbonics said:
Power button: 1 in 20 HD7's I have exhibited the behavior you mention. It went away however. I would advise against using your fingernails if at all possible.
Volume Button: Again, 1 in 20 have this, and unfortunately it's the one I carry around. Two other HD7's I personally used did not have this.
I'd try to get it replaced if I were you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
regarding issue #1, how did the problem go away? did some mechanism inside shift causing the power button to pop out more? just wondering?
i also have the loose battery cover. very annoying.
also about the screen... havent seen this mentioned before. i have a slight gap at the left and right edges of the screen where it meets the chrome-ish border. its pretty easy for particles to get stuck in there. compared to the hd2, this gap is pretty noticeable.
I thought I was the only one with these issues lol, figured the recessed power button was just a design oversight
@jimbonics: just wondering, but why do you advise against using your fingernail?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
jimbonics said:
Power button: 1 in 20 HD7
Volume Button: Again, 1 in 20 have this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously? I checked a batch of HD7 in malaysia, and exceptionally, all of them had this issue. You're just so lucky you dont have it
daaango said:
why do you advise against using your fingernail?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe because of this ?
Thanks Shu and daaango.
I knew I wasn't crazy in thinking this was an issue only I was experiencing.
I've also read several phone reviews, and a lot of the reviewers mentioned about the power button being recessed and stating frustration waking up the device.
I don't know how HTC can fluff up something so important. I mean, what good is a product if you can't power it on; wake it up? One would think they would put emphasis on having a solid foundation on the power button.
Melcali: Yeah, on one phone the power button managed to become flushed, to the point the user had to use their fingernail (even though i found it easy to turn on with the flat of my finger, almost like it was capacitive). However, next day it had 'popped out' a bit and had become less recessed and hasn't been a problem for him since.
daango: In addition to what Shu posted, using your fingernail is likely going to cause you to press the button in harder than it needs to be, which would likely cause the button to be crammed in more and more over time. If it can't be prevented, it can't, I'm just advising against it.
I've got two unopened spares. I'm going to crack them open and see if the volume button jiggles.
Ah, thanks shu and jimbonics for explaining that
Honestly, I don't think it can be helped. Maybe my fingers are too round or something, but using my fingernail seems like the only option right now. I might try adding layers of tape on the button so its easier to press but idk yet... it might take away from the aesthetics
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
All five units I've come across so far -- my defective original (corrupted memory), my current one, a second defective one (also corrupted memory), its replacement, and an in-store demo phone -- have the same issues:
Recessed power button
Very difficult to press camera button (basically useless)
Loose volume rocker (the case opening is about 0.8 mm too long for the rocker, so it moves around)
Imperfect battery cover fit (the plastic cover flexes from the opening process, so usually doesn't fit perfectly)
Weak screen support in bottom-right (press a bit on the search key and you'll see waves on the LCD)
On the two that I've had long enough to use, the clear coat on the kickstand is flaking off, and the Windows Phone logo, which was barely visible to begin with, has almost completely faded away on one of them.
Kind of sad that HTC screwed up so badly given that the HD7 is a barely-modified HD2, which was among the best-built phones on the market.
amb9800 said:
All five units I've come across so far -- my defective original (corrupted memory), my current one, a second defective one (also corrupted memory), its replacement, and an in-store demo phone -- have the same issues:
Recessed power button
Very difficult to press camera button (basically useless)
Loose volume rocker (the case opening is about 0.8 mm too long for the rocker, so it moves around)
Imperfect battery cover fit (the plastic cover flexes from the opening process, so usually doesn't fit perfectly)
Weak screen support in bottom-right (press a bit on the search key and you'll see waves on the LCD)
On the two that I've had long enough to use, the clear coat on the kickstand is flaking off, and the Windows Phone logo, which was barely visible to begin with, has almost completely faded away on one of them.
Kind of sad that HTC screwed up so badly given that the HD7 is a barely-modified HD2, which was among the best-built phones on the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow, you have had a lot of problems. I'm still on my original hd7 since second week of november.
1. power button is slightly recessed, but no problems pushing it with my finger (not nail)
2. camera button does have some orange on it, but it functions properly.
3. volume buttons work fine, maybe a little slide to the rocker, but doesn't effect controls
4. no flaking of clearcoat, no wp7 logo coming off, no lcd discoloration no matter how hard I press on the search or back buttons.
5. Back cover fits properly. I haven't had much reason to pull it off after initial placement of sim card, thanks to phone not constantly freezing. There is a slight gap where the back cover meets the smaller cover.
What are you subjecting your phones to???
I agree the hd7 build quality might not be iphone, but it's holding up well for me. It's not like we have a lot of choices on t-mobile, the dvp has way more problems at this point.
amb9800 speaks the truth. I went through 3 different units that had defects to varying degrees. I had similar issues with the EVO as well. HTC are notorious for shoddy craftsmanship.
I have the same problems they started AFTER my 30 days .. So i havent tryed to go and change at my local T-Mobile!! Is there any loop in the contract or something that would let me change it for anither phone and pay difference/get a refund xD
have the same problems as the op

[Q] Power button issues

So, i was using xperia z for 2.5 weeks and everything was great so far.
But four or five days ago i noticed that power button changed the way it presses. Now, if i havent turn the screen on for some time, the button makes a little crunch when it is touched. This effect repeats in lighter way on the secong press of the button, and there is no such issue if button is in constant use. But the problem appears again, if device has not been used for an hour or more.
And the proccess of pressing is sort of going in two stages: in the beginning goes the crunch (the feeling is like the button scratches something with some resistanse. There is also a little dangle of the button while unpressed), next the gap ends, button touches its membrane smoothly and silently. Sure, the issue is not really unbearable, but it does concern me as it is the only big problem i experienced on my device.
So, should i wait for issue to disappear itself, is it possible to make any steps to improve the situation on my own or is it better to visit service centre at once?
I forgot to mention this: device has been used gently and carefully, it has never fell down, it has never been used or carried in conditions that could possibly make damage to button, neither sand nor dirt could penetrate button's mechanism and so on.
Get a replacement to be honest I wouldn't want water getting in. Sounds like the button has loosened or something.
This has happened to people with game controllers with the Wii, ps3 Xbox etc
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2
The problem has surprisingly disappeared today. There is still a little gap, but annoying sounds went away and the pressing of button feels just fine.
I guess i'll immediately visit service center if the issue will happen again, though.

Moisture Under Glass

I've seen some threads about this on other tabs, like the Galaxy Tab 10.1, but not on the Asus tablets yet. On my TF701T, I noticed over the past month that when I take it out of the case I have for it (a neoprene case with a zipper), it has a spot in the middle about the size of two quarters that looks like moisture under the glass.
Within a few seconds of turning it on (and sometimes not even turning it on), it disappears by quickly getting smaller and smaller into the center.
All of this, not a big deal.
However, last night I saw something even more odd....the spot disappeared with the exception of a ring of moisture (instead of a full circle) that stayed and wouldn't go away (again, slightly larger than a quarter). Touching parts of the screen would jiggle the ring. It seems like something was happening in the LCD display.
In the past when it went away, I assumed the screen was warming up and causing it to go away. However since it didn't this time, I thought something was damaged.
I saw a bizarre thread somewhere that suggested to put it in the fridge or freezer for a short time and the cooling would make it go away....if I remember correctly, it may have implied that the LCD and digitizer where touching or stuck together. I figured, what the heck, I stuck it in the freezer for a few minutes. When I got it out, it was nice an cold, and the spot was gone.
Has anyone seen this? Anyone know anything about what this would occur and why the cold would fix it?
Thanks,
chris
I had exactly the same issue you described. The moisture spot would always go away eventually. However, one day, while in use, the screen suddenly died. The tablet was still working fine (confirmed with an hdmi cable). I was unlocked, so the tablet became useless. I have no idea if the moisture and screen failures were related or not, but if you are not unlocked, I'd probably try to get it repaired.
I suspect that what you and I have is a gap between the LCD and the digitizer. We have (3) tf701t's in our house now and no moisture spots yet on any of them.
Hope this helps.
derekk1 said:
I had exactly the same issue you described. The moisture spot would always go away eventually. However, one day, while in use, the screen suddenly died. The tablet was still working fine (confirmed with an hdmi cable). I was unlocked, so the tablet became useless. I have no idea if the moisture and screen failures were related or not, but if you are not unlocked, I'd probably try to get it repaired.
I suspect that what you and I have is a gap between the LCD and the digitizer. We have (3) tf701t's in our house now and no moisture spots yet on any of them.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, good to know. I am unfortunately already rooted and running sbdags rom. It is interesting that it only happens when I have had it in the case for a little while. Hadn't happened again for about a week, but started happened again last night. Fortunately, it went away on its own again very quickly. Oh well, it is what it is.
blickley said:
I've seen some threads about this on other tabs, like the Galaxy Tab 10.1, but not on the Asus tablets yet. On my TF701T, I noticed over the past month that when I take it out of the case I have for it (a neoprene case with a zipper), it has a spot in the middle about the size of two quarters that looks like moisture under the glass.
Within a few seconds of turning it on (and sometimes not even turning it on), it disappears by quickly getting smaller and smaller into the center.
All of this, not a big deal.
However, last night I saw something even more odd....the spot disappeared with the exception of a ring of moisture (instead of a full circle) that stayed and wouldn't go away (again, slightly larger than a quarter). Touching parts of the screen would jiggle the ring. It seems like something was happening in the LCD display.
In the past when it went away, I assumed the screen was warming up and causing it to go away. However since it didn't this time, I thought something was damaged.
I saw a bizarre thread somewhere that suggested to put it in the fridge or freezer for a short time and the cooling would make it go away....if I remember correctly, it may have implied that the LCD and digitizer where touching or stuck together. I figured, what the heck, I stuck it in the freezer for a few minutes. When I got it out, it was nice an cold, and the spot was gone.
Has anyone seen this? Anyone know anything about what this would occur and why the cold would fix it?
Thanks,
chris
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have also noticed the same spot after pulling my tablet out of the neoprene case. I have been getting itchy to root but now I will hold off. Maybe I should try the freezer fix?
Thanks for post!
ASUS Tf701 moisture ring center of glass
I had this happen in the past, but it always went away when I turned the tablet on. I always store it in a leather case, the screen never touches anything. It recently came back and will not go away. I've been reading threads about putting it in the freezer for a short time....my question is, how long have people left it in there, 2 minutes, 5 minutes? The spot is driving me crazy since it now won't go away.
Thanks for your assistance!
Roni
I have the same problem with my TF701T. But I noticed it isn't moisture between the screen but digitizer and the LCD screen touching eachother? If you bend the tablet really slightly towards you, you'll see the "moisture" go away. Don't have to apply too much force. Might be just design flaw IMO.

[Q] TF701T won't stay powered off while in KB dock

Hi all. I'm having a problem getting my tablet to stay powered off when it is docked with the keyboard. When I power the tablet off and close the lid, invariably it ends up turning itself back on. At first I thought something might have been hitting the (terribly placed) power button in my bag, but I discovered it happened when sitting flat on my desk with nothing near it. I suspect the reason is because the connection between the tablet and the KB dock is loose and the tablet tends to wobble slightly, but I have not tried to fix that as I don't want to damage anything. A few other posters talked about using foam tape in the joint to take up the excess space and tighten it up, so I might try that, but I was just curious if anyone else had experienced the same thing and what, if anything, was your fix (for the power issue).
Same problem
Hi there,
I've experienced the same problem during a flight. I turned the tablet before going the Xrays in the airport, and it was turned back on on the other side. I'm agreeing on the connector theory that might be lose, or something in the docks that trigger the power on. When the tablet is not on the dock, it won't power by itself.

Sudden problems with screen

I haven't had a single problem with my tablet until yesterday when after taking it from my bag after a car ride the screen only had some flickering lines on it. After applying a little pressure and hitting it lightly, it turned on, but now it's totally unusable. It didn't fall. What may have caused this?
imgur.com/a/oFbbi
Maybe the screen connector got loose. You'd have to open it to check.

Categories

Resources