Related
So rather than sending back my Nexus 7, I decided to give something a try. I removed the back casing, which is very easy to do. I used a small flat screwdriver where the "leather" meets the plastic and gently wedged it in. The case popped right open and was easily removed. I then tightened all of the small phillips screws around the outside of the board on the back of the screen.
This immediately cleared up the creakiness and play that i was experiencing on the left side of the screen. I tightened all screws and not just the ones on the left side. Do this at your own risk, obviously, but this immediately rectified my issue!
7/22 update:
So on Friday, I noticed a slight creak returned. I removed the black strip of foam that has been discussed in this thread. Since Friday, with heavy use, no creak, no play, no screen rise I'll update again later in the week to confirm it hasn't returned.
8/02 update:
Since removing the sponge, the play in the screen and the creaks have not returned. I see others havent had as much luck with it but, for me, I can say it did the trick.
Update 1: People are reporting that after a few hours the issue came back. It does appear to be something else causing this. If your issue persists, Call Your Store!
Update 2: Included another guide in this post to try, thank you Luxferro & Evo_Shift
Update 3: Most of us Play Store people are closing in on 15 day replacement time. It's quick & painless, and you still get to use your tablet while the other one is being shipped. Call them, RMA it, get it taken care of.
Update 4: Added Washer Fix Guide. Received my new replacement from the google store. Worse than my older one. Uploaded a video below. Google told me to google the fix for it and try it.
NOTE: Me & Jam are not responsible for what damage you may cause. Nobody has noticed any warranty seals being broken.
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Do I have screen separation?
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http://www.7nex.us/wp-content/gallery/defects/buldge5.jpg
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Guide One - Washer Fix by dilldoe
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Main Idea: http://imgur.com/QbGxi | Original Post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29363298&postcount=638
UPDATE: PICTURES & GUIDE - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29422550&postcount=1
Using the thin plastic from a pill blister (allergy pills were right in front of me when I was doing this) I created a washer to space out the frame & screen.
Just cut a rectangle out and punch a hole at the end for the screw to go thru. I just used a sewing needle on a sewing machine, like a drill press, to make a starter hole and my smallest screwdriver to widen it. With the screwdriver still in the hole, I just ran my knife around it to trim off the excess plastic.
WHY A LONG RECTANGLE? so you can insert it and hold it in place while you work. don't want it accidentally falling into the device.
now just slide that UNDER the top frame and screw it back together. MAKE SURE YOU STOP ONCE IT'S SNUG. the screen should now be lower than the side bezel.
Do this to all the spots that are lifting. I just did mines on the lower left and upper right, since they both had slight lift.
After you're done screwing it all down, trim off the excess so you can put the back cover back on, not flush to the frame, just enough so you can hold it if you need to remove it.
Did this last night and this afternoon, still no returning lift.
edit: depending on how much lift you have, you might have to use 2 or more to fill the gap (or use something thicker like used gift cards)
Follow ups:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29384275&postcount=677
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29405347&postcount=710
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29402365&postcount=700
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Guide Two - Simple Tighten by cwc3/jam10238
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1) Grab something that isn't going to mar your nice silver plastic. People have been using guitar picks & even their fingernails
2) Stick that non-marring object between like seen here: http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/CAKD1lCgchEPlBI2.medium (they have a white cover while we have a black one)
3) Start sliding that object between the two, you will notice them starting to pop up. Try not to pry if you can, I had to a little.
4) Should now look like this: http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/1S3nvadn4UKYoEVx.medium
5) Tighten all the screws around the outside (Pretty much eye glasses size), on the black plastic and metal. Not too tight, or you might cause back-light bleed &/or strip the screw. In my case most were a little loose.
6) When putting the case back on, be sure your not just starting flat. Start at a angle, for example, with the right side portrait. Push/Pop it back on going around the tablet.
Pictures I took taking it apart:
http://i.imgur.com/4dG2d.jpg?1
http://i.imgur.com/ONTTp.jpg?1
http://i.imgur.com/A3zfP.jpg?1
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Guide Three - Advanced Tighten by Luxferro
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Original Post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=29022274#post29022274
1) Loosen all the screws around the outside w/ the panel on a flat hard surface (hard cover book)
2) Let the panel re-seat itself a bit
3) Just barely tighten all the screws.
4) Then repeat the tightening once they are all done to snug them up (not too much!). It should make your screen look perfect.
4a) After a bit of use you might need to snug them up once more - if the glass starts popping up again.
I tried this method of losening the screws after just tightening them failed me. And so far over 12 hours later my device still is good
Follow up:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29028109&postcount=235
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Interesting Links:
Someone removing some of the foam to compensate - Do not recommend (Warranty May Be Void)
Full ifixit teardown: http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nexus-7-Teardown/9623/1
Post a vid!
---------- Post added at 12:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:55 PM ----------
So the problem most of us have is cause ASUS didn't tighten some screws.. hahh
Thanks for TOFTT!
When you snapped the case back on there was no evidence that you opened it?
cwc3 said:
You brave, brave man.
For anyone as brave as him, here is a tear down guide: http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nexus-7-Teardown/9623/1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha! It really sounds a lot worse than it is. Removing my Galaxy Nexus battery cover is almost as difficult!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
jam10238 said:
So rather than sending back my Nexus 7, I decided to give something a try. I removed the back casing, which is very easy to do. I used a small flat screwdriver where the "leather" meets the plastic and gently wedged it in. The case popped right open and was easily removed. I then tightened all of the small phillips screws around the outside of the board on the back of the screen.
This immediately cleared up the creakiness and play that i was experiencing on the left side of the screen. I tightened all screws and not just the ones on the left side. Do this at your own risk, obviously, but this immediately rectified my issue!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brave indeed! Tempted to do this since I have the same problem but 1) don't wanna wait 1h on hold trying to get an RMA and 2) who knows when I'd be getting a new one.
In case I try this, and it ends up not fixing the issue and I decide to send it back later, do you think Google would be able to tell that device has been opened and potentially refuse the exchange?
Thanks
I might give this a try tonight after having an adult beverage to calm my nerves.
Thank you for doing it. I'll give it a go when I get home. Did you use a regular flat head or a plastic device friendly one?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
laverdure#1 said:
Brave indeed! Tempted to do this since I have the same problem but 1) don't wanna wait 1h on hold trying to get an RMA and 2) who knows when I'd be getting a new one.
In case I try this, and it ends up not fixing the issue and I decide to send it back later, do you think Google would be able to tell that device has been opened and potentially refuse the exchange?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think so, there is absolutely ZERO warranty tape or anything that is standard on electronics these days. Its literally like a big battery cover. I can post a video shortly of the process.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Pithism said:
Thank you for doing it. I'll give it a go when I get home. Did you use a regular flat head or a plastic device friendly one?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a very small standard precision flat head. Fingernails may even work it was that simple.....
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Were the screws that you tightened noticeably loose?
adamhlj said:
Were the screws that you tightened noticeably loose?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There were absolutely 3 or 4 that were a half turn loose.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Videos or pictures would be clutch
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
cwc3 said:
You brave, brave man.
For anyone as brave as him, here is a tear down guide: http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nexus-7-Teardown/9623/1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You only need to do step 4 in this guide and thats it. If you look at the image for step 5 or 6 youll see one of the screws i tightened in the lower right corner of the picture.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I have the minimal screen yellowing issue on the right side of the screen. Do you think this could possibly solve my problem?
Sent from my Nexus 7
I'm going to bookmark this for now, but not worry about it as it stands.
I finally noticed just a thumbs size spot in the upper left that i could sometimes hear a LITTLE give, but that was in my quiet bedroom.
Otherwise it didn't feel like it was really having any give or separation.
So for now, I don't think I'll tempt fate, everything else seemed good in my build quality based on what some folks are reporting. Lightbleed I know from my old G2x, and got none, no discoloration or dead pixels that I could see. So given my luck I would tighten up this little almost not noticeable issue, and ... cause 2 more things to start acting up for no discernible reason at all.
Thanks though.
Just used my finger nail. Came off no problem. just don't have a screw driver that small at work.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Pithism said:
Videos or pictures would be clutch
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, the teardown guide has better pictures than i could ever take. Once you pop the cover off, just gently give all exposed phillips screws around the outside a turn until tight. Dont force anything. Go the entire way around the outside then just pop the cover back on and power it back up.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Yea they are good pictures. I will look at those again. Really easy to do people
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Those who got it popped off successfully, post some pics/video!
For anyone having the infamous left side screen lift issue. This includes being able to physically see the glass protruding the silver bezel, screen sponginess, and being able to hear the screen stick/unstick from the adhesive.
After reading this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1800418 it is apparent the screws are a hair too long. When tightened all the way, they actually can press the screen glass out.
The easiest thing for anyone to try is to just LOOSEN the screws just 1/4 turn. You are loosening the screws so very little, that they will stay snug as far as holding what they are supposed to, but they will no longer push out on the screen glass. I didn't even bother with finding a screw driver, and just used my pocket knife. My screen was raised in the very middle of the left side, so I only loosened the 2 screws directly under the seperation. I suppose this will not work for everyone, but it's so simple and only took me less than 2 mins, you might as well give it a shot. Good luck!
Great thanks
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
If you're going to loosen screws you probably want to Loctite them.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29457665&postcount=41
eh hem...what gave you this idea? jk
Just don't overdo it and you'll be fine. No need for loctite, it's only a small turn and the screws are still plenty secure.
---------- Post added at 12:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 AM ----------
Loosening the screws in some areas will also help with backlight bleed. If you notice a spot near a screw that is really bright, it's most likely a little too tight.
I found this out by testing different "tightness" adjustments. When I went too far, I noticed back light bleed starting to show, loosen it up a bit and it went away.
This actually worked! So far, anyway. We'll see if it's a permanent fix, but it looks promising.
ferris2375 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29457665&postcount=41
eh hem...what gave you this idea? jk
Just don't overdo it and you'll be fine. No need for loctite, it's only a small turn and the screws are still plenty secure.
---------- Post added at 12:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 AM ----------
Loosening the screws in some areas will also help with backlight bleed. If you notice a spot near a screw that is really bright, it's most likely a little too tight.
I found this out by testing different "tightness" adjustments. When I went too far, I noticed back light bleed starting to show, loosen it up a bit and it went away.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol yeah I saw your posts. I mean, that's the same thing I thought of right away. The washers seemed to be a stiff foam, so they compress when screws are tightened. I figured I could loosen them but at the same time keep them snug.
But yeah man good stuff. Did it work for ya?
This.
The washer idea is smart, but for me it caused a more annoying problem. The frame was too thick and pulled the silver trim piece away from the screen and caused a creaking noise at the slightest touch that was way worse than the screen lift.
I just loosened every screw and tightened them back with basically no torque after they stopped turning. All is good now, no creak from the trim and no screen lift, though it's basically flush on he left side
Sent from my Nexus 7
jweitzel24 said:
This.
The washer idea is smart, but for me it caused a more annoying problem. The frame was too thick and pulled the silver trim piece away from the screen and caused a creaking noise at the slightest touch that was way worse than the screen lift.
I just loosened every screw and tightened them back with basically no torque after they stopped turning. All is good now, no creak from the trim and no screen lift, though it's basically flush on he left side
Sent from my Nexus 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool. So did you end up loosening the screws then? Meaning, when you re-tightened them, you didn't tighten them as tight as they were from the factory?
Very interesting... I thought the glass was supposed to be flush with the bezel, until I read your comment. After looking at it, the left side of my glass is also flush with the bezel, while the right side glass sits just a little lower.
That's no big deal to me though, as long as my screen is seated properly.
jaycustom said:
Cool. So did you end up loosening the screws then? Meaning, when you re-tightened them, you didn't tighten them as tight as they were from the factory?
Very interesting... I thought the glass was supposed to be flush with the bezel, until I read your comment. After looking at it, the left side of my glass is also flush with the bezel, while the right side glass sits just a little lower.
That's no big deal to me though, as long as my screen is seated properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably a little lighter than factory. Honestly, mine wasn't bad to begin with but like every other ocd person on here, I just couldn't resist opening it up and tightening the screws. At that point, the screen lift started getting worse and I moved on to the other half-dozen or so "fixes" when, it turns out, the screws being too tight was making everything way worse.
But yeah, its been a couple hours now and it still feels real solid. I've got a tpu case on order so regardless I'm done messing with it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
jweitzel24 said:
Probably a little lighter than factory. Honestly, mine wasn't bad to begin with but like every other ocd person on here, I just couldn't resist opening it up and tightening the screws. At that point, the screen lift started getting worse and I moved on to the other half-dozen or so "fixes" when, it turns out, the screws being too tight was making everything way worse.
But yeah, its been a couple hours now and it still feels real solid. I've got a tpu case on order so regardless I'm done messing with it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool beans. Luckily, like your N7, mine wasn't bad either.
Couldn't really tell it was lifted by looking at it, but it was the sponginess and that horrible stick/un-stick sound. This is the first fix I tried, and luckily it worked. Let me know how yours turns out, with or without the case..
I simply loosened all screws then tightened them up. Also, Part of a sponge bumper was tucked under a copper shield which I untucked.
Now when I push hard on the left part of the screen I don't get the tacky sound when i unpress it. Also, screen isn't as bulged. In fact you can't even tell anymore.
Neither was a real problem on my n7 but I prefer to make it perfect. This solved everything.
MikeMurphy said:
I simply loosened all screws then tightened them up. Also, Part of a sponge bumper was tucked under a copper shield which I untucked.
Now when I push hard on the left part of the screen I don't get the tacky sound when i unpress it. Also, screen isn't as bulged. In fact you can't even tell anymore.
Neither was a real problem on my n7 but I prefer to make it perfect. This solved everything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome. Mine wasn't bad either, so I just tried for something simple. It seems like the screws may be too long and pressing on the glass, so I thought to just back them off a hair. 2 minutes later the screen is perfect
jaycustom said:
Awesome. Mine wasn't bad either, so I just tried for something simple. It seems like the screws may be too long and pressing on the glass, so I thought to just back them off a hair. 2 minutes later the screen is perfect
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you take one of the screws out near the central left and shine a light straight down, you will notice that it is open on the other side as in the the screw can pass through. You will also see a portion of the LCD sticking out underneath those screw holes.
I think the LCD isn't suppose to stick out and get underneath the holes, because otherwise the screws won't hit anything and be tightened all the way. I think for some people without screen lift, the partially sticking out LCD might have been crushed and deformed with the screws or the LCD just isn't sticking out as much.
I've been screwing (pardon the pun) about with this some more today, what I have noticed with mine, is if I take the back off and remove all screws the screen sits perfect, put the screws back in, still seems perfect, clip the back on and the screen now sits above the frame on the left, wondering if mine is an issue with the back plate pushing something out of line.
This worked for a while for me but after it heated up the spongy noise returned. HOWEVER I did notice that loosening the screws did fix the touchscreen issue where it was unresponsive at times.
jaycustom said:
Lol yeah I saw your posts. I mean, that's the same thing I thought of right away. The washers seemed to be a stiff foam, so they compress when screws are tightened. I figured I could loosen them but at the same time keep them snug.
But yeah man good stuff. Did it work for ya?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha. I was just messing with ya. This is certainly better than adding a shim but I never had the problem. I just wanted to test this out and take my screws back a bit just in case. The other fix is not the way to go as it screws up the casing.
Still no issues though.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Summerfly said:
If you take one of the screws out near the central left and shine a light straight down, you will notice that it is open on the other side as in the the screw can pass through. You will also see a portion of the LCD sticking out underneath those screw holes.
I think the LCD isn't suppose to stick out and get underneath the holes, because otherwise the screws won't hit anything and be tightened all the way. I think for some people without screen lift, the partially sticking out LCD might have been crushed and deformed with the screws or the LCD just isn't sticking out as much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this.
I'm going to open it up again and consider using mini-washers, or something, just to ensure my now-tightened screws are not pressing on the LCD.
Genius. Popped the back off with a knife, loosened the screws down the left side of the screen a quarter of a turn, and now it's perfect - no more squeaking, no more raised screen. Took about 2 mins to do it.
Also, for those who want a decent cover, I bought a Belkin case from PC World yesterday (quite pricey at £30 but I like to try these things out before I buy them rather than just buy online). Even though it's designed for the 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab, it's a near-perfect fit for the Nexus 7. Speaker cut-out is in the wrong place but it doesn't affect the quality noticeably (besides, I hook mine up via Bluetooth to a Jawbone Jambox). Also got myself a sat nav mount and stuck it on the wall next to my bed, so my Nexus 7 is now a handy portable TV
I fixed mine without even getting inside. Just used a blowdryer and heat up the side while holding the screen down. Seemed to stay put and still is.
Simply awesome, completely fixed that annoying screen bulge on the left side!
Ok, so I have had the screen lift problem. It's on the left side worst in the middle. I decided I would take it apart and do the shims between the screws thing. But when I got it open the lift disappeared. So it's a problem with the back pressing up just enough... I noticed a pretty thick piece of foam right on the center left so I removed it. Just replaced the case and tada the tape is holding the screen flat just fine now. Just thought I would pass this on with the other fixes.
Danny80y said:
Ok, so I have had the screen lift problem. It's on the left side worst in the middle. I decided I would take it apart and do the shims between the screws thing. But when I got it open the lift disappeared. So it's a problem with the back pressing up just enough... I noticed a pretty thick piece of foam right on the center left so I removed it. Just replaced the case and tada the tape is holding the screen flat just fine now. Just thought I would pass this on with the other fixes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed last time I opened it that this foam had some compression marks. Likely from pressing against the back. Mine was slightly misaligned, so really only part was compressed. I had the same thought, i.e. remove it. Maybe align it, but it's glued on tight.
So I just removed it. I'll let you know how it turns out in a day or 2.
I also use 3 washers for the top 3 on the left, which helped huge. Hopefully this will make it perfect.
Update Sept 1. This definitely helps. Noticed from pics on another thread that some new models have this foam removed, as shipped. Interesting. Also, on new models, some have screws missing (2 and 4, starting top left). I tried removing screw 2 but when I woke up I noticed creaking and movement at the bezel, when I press my left thumb inwards, which is something I always do. So I put the screw (and washer) back in this morning. Perfect now. But removing this foam was essential, so thanks again.
Makes sense. The screen is dead flat, so it has to be the back case that is separating. Thanks for the info.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
this isn't new and has already been covered already.
dilldoe said:
this isn't new and has already been covered already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you point to where the foam issue was already covered? It was the first I saw.... maybe they have more pointers... Links?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
mike5065 said:
Can you point to where the foam issue was already covered? It was the first I saw.... maybe they have more pointers... Links?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1781237
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29028614&postcount=237
mike5065 said:
Can you point to where the foam issue was already covered?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was covered in the main screen lift thread, which is like 90 pages long and has every possible remedy tested, dissected and mostly debunked. The fact is there are several factors causing the lift and there need to be several solutions to really fix it 100%, and permanently. You can make it better in various ways, one of which is removing that foam, although I believe the foam is there to keep the back from flexing and compressing those metal "prongs", causing them to lose contact. So you might have other problems later without the foam. I probably wouldn't mess with it, personally.
I personally think a workable solution for most N7's with this problem would be to shave that foam down evenly by like 0.3mm, then clamp the screen to the trim and leave it in a hot car like that for a day or so to re-adhere, without the back cover on. Then cool the tablet down and replace the back cover. The hard part is evenly shaving down the foam; it is just a tiny bit too big. But it should be present.
Well I thought I could live with it but the lift is back.... I have also noted that my 8gb gets really poor wifi connection compared to my wife's 16gb. All the clips are still contacting the back plate but I can see no difference in signal with or without the back on. So, I just called google and they are shipping out a new unit for me tomorrow. Hopefully this one is better.
Took the back off to look at screen lift fix. Low & behold 3 screws missing on the LH side of the unit. Also some fingerprints on the copper plates, 2 loose (more than 1 full turn to tighten) screws on the RH side, metal tape/gauze over phone socket loose.
badasscat said:
...So you might have other problems later without the foam...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all this info. My foam was glued at about 25 degrees off-angle, and clearly compressed at the corner closest to the bezel, so a problem for mine' right from the factory. I didn't get it all off, but most for sure. Once removed, the bulge I had at that point between the bezel and rear case was gone. So was some screen lift' although the washers helped more for that. Not a big win, just another step forward.
I'm still curious why some pics on other thread show no foam, as shipped.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=30974024
From my looking, it's in a seemingly non-functional gap, and presses down a wide cable (or something). I earlier traced movement of that cable as the source of 'creaking' I was having, i.e. when it moved against another piece of plastic beside the bezel. I put some lithium where it rubbed and the creaking stopped. Mind you I did that (and the 3 washers precisely tightened) before i removed most of the foam.
My Tf101 was a lot less maintenance than this one. But once done (crossing fingers lol), it's causing my iPad3 to collect dust. This thing just screams. Loving it.
Again, thanks for the info.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
To all people who have this problem! I recently got the Nexus 7 3G and the back was creaking so badly you could easily hear it across a large room. The noise seemed to come from the "nexus" logo near the top of the device.
I found the culprit an double checked with an older 16GB model. They changed the design of golden contact springs for the wireless radios from a simple C shape design to some complicated folding Z shaped spring design. It is those springs that upon being depressed rub metal on metal and make this horrible creaking noise. I don't know how many 3G's are affected but mine definitely was.
My solution was to open it up, which is easy enough to do with a guitar pick or something similar, just check YouTube, and to bend the springs until they stopped making noises under load.
While I was in there I also added double sided tape wherever necessary to stop the plastic from creaking (because they left out a lot of the foam they put in the older models, maybe to fix the screen lift issue??) and I re-wrapped the battery protection circuit because the circuit board was rubbing on the battery and making noises as well. (also, my battery was strangely wedged sideways in it's compartment)
All in all it's rock solid now, no creaks, nothing. And it feels like a really quality device now. Suffice to say that I should never have had to do this in the first place in order to own a device that is in satisfactory condition and one is not embarrassed to pass along in a group of friends because of the noises it makes
fabian.ecker said:
To all people who have this problem! I recently got the Nexus 7 3G and the back was creaking so badly you could easily hear it across a large room. The noise seemed to come from the "nexus" logo near the top of the device.
I found the culprit an double checked with an older 16GB model. They changed the design of golden contact springs for the wireless radios from a simple C shape design to some complicated folding Z shaped spring design. It is those springs that upon being depressed rub metal on metal and make this horrible creaking noise. I don't know how many 3G's are affected but mine definitely was.
My solution was to open it up, which is easy enough to do with a guitar pick or something similar, just check YouTube, and to bend the springs until they stopped making noises under load.
While I was in there I also added double sided tape wherever necessary to stop the plastic from creaking (because they left out a lot of the foam they put in the older models, maybe to fix the screen lift issue??) and I re-wrapped the battery protection circuit because the circuit board was rubbing on the battery and making noises as well. (also, my battery was strangely wedged sideways in it's compartment)
All in all it's rock solid now, no creaks, nothing. And it feels like a really quality device now. Suffice to say that I should never have had to do this in the first place in order to own a device that is in satisfactory condition and one is not embarrassed to pass along in a group of friends because of the noises it makes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would u mind taking a picture of the inside where u added tape to stop the backplate from creaking and upload it. I've tried many things to fix it to no avail.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
i will as soon as i find some time. there is another thread here on xda. it's for the wifi model but i adapted the suggestions for my nexus 7. also, what i did for mine might not work for yours. my suggestion is, figure out where the noise is coming from, add some double sided tape or foam close it partially and try it. took me about 2 days of trial and error to achieve an acceptable state
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1848013
here is the link
fabian.ecker said:
i will as soon as i find some time. there is another thread here on xda. it's for the wifi model but i adapted the suggestions for my nexus 7. also, what i did for mine might not work for yours. my suggestion is, figure out where the noise is coming from, add some double sided tape or foam close it partially and try it. took me about 2 days of trial and error to achieve an acceptable state
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Thanks very much. My only creak is on the right side where the battery is and close to the bezel. Did u happen to have one there as well? Wish me luck lol off to void my warranty
Sent from my [insert phone model here]
fabian.ecker said:
To all people who have this problem! I recently got the Nexus 7 3G and the back was creaking so badly you could easily hear it across a large room. The noise seemed to come from the "nexus" logo near the top of the device.
I found the culprit an double checked with an older 16GB model. They changed the design of golden contact springs for the wireless radios from a simple C shape design to some complicated folding Z shaped spring design. It is those springs that upon being depressed rub metal on metal and make this horrible creaking noise. I don't know how many 3G's are affected but mine definitely was.
My solution was to open it up, which is easy enough to do with a guitar pick or something similar, just check YouTube, and to bend the springs until they stopped making noises under load.
While I was in there I also added double sided tape wherever necessary to stop the plastic from creaking (because they left out a lot of the foam they put in the older models, maybe to fix the screen lift issue??) and I re-wrapped the battery protection circuit because the circuit board was rubbing on the battery and making noises as well. (also, my battery was strangely wedged sideways in it's compartment)
All in all it's rock solid now, no creaks, nothing. And it feels like a really quality device now. Suffice to say that I should never have had to do this in the first place in order to own a device that is in satisfactory condition and one is not embarrassed to pass along in a group of friends because of the noises it makes
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Bookmarking so I recognize your nick on an upcoming "My wifi doesn't work!" thread.
Don't worry about your warranty! there is a "seal" sticker INSIDE the case but popping the back off will most certainly not void your warranty. it's more like the battery cover on a galaxy s3 or a nexus s than anything else!
fyi i had it on the right, left, and top of the device
Hi,
I ended up buying 3 Droid 4's before I found one I was happy with. So, I now have 2 spare ones:
1) Very nice condition but has dusk under the screen
2) Poor conditon, crackly phone speaker but nice screen
So, I was wondering whether to try and get the dusk from under the screen.
Or maybe I should try and swap the 2 screens around?
Or am I likely to end up ruining both of them, and I'd be better off just selling them both as they are?
Cheers
Once you detach the glue from the glue that's holding the glue in place for the back casing, the phone actually comes apart fairly easily. Though, putting the back casing back on, I've always found that the bottom edge will never sit flush again; easily trimmed off with a razor blade. Otherwise the edge will protrude and catch on things.
The dust might not actually be dust; while shopping for my LG Ally, I bought one that appeared to have dust behind the glass and opened it to clean it, only to find out that the inside facing was actually covered in weird pockmarks. It was the strangest factory defect I'd ever seen.
If it's fairly uniform "dust", you might have the same thing going on. One way to find out. You'll need T5, T4 and possible T3 screwdrivers/bits to break it all the way down to the screen.
The only things I'd say to really look out for:
There are two soft spongey adhesive pads that the keyboard-facing side of the mainboard uses to stick to the rest of the phone. Try not to tear these up when pulling the mainboard out. One is next to the power button, one is the same place on the opposite end. If you do rip up the one on the power button end, the button might not line up properly anymore (it barely does to begin with, thanks Motorola) and it'll be harder to activate.
Don't try to remove the screen glass from the bezel/frame unless you have a solid plan to reattach it. I've heard it's a real nuisance to get it to adhere properly again. Fair enough if the bezel is torn up but the screen is nice, just be aware that things may get really annoying.
I would say just flip the screens around. I replaced a digitizer in a Photon Q and it was a pain (still isn't working for me either).