Question Pixel 5/5a Motherboard Failure Cause? - Google Pixel 5a

Anyone know if the motherboard failure cause has been discovered on the Pixel 5/5a?
I'm willing to open the phone up and see what DIY solution I can get to repair my Pixel 5a. It will not boot and only outputs the QUSB device message through USB (I'm assuming stuck EDL mode).
It would be nice to know what causes the problem before digging in blindly.

The only thing I can imagine from my own technical knowledge would be possible manufacturing defects, similar to the RROD on the Xbox 360. I've never had a problem with my Pixel 5, but my wife's 5a suddenly froze one day with the same result as you. We ended up having the motherboard replaced under warranty.
If you're especially enterprising you can try disassembling the device and very carefully reflowing the solder with a heat gun...but this is assuming it's a hardware problem. There's a possibility of a SoC problem that randomly corrupts certain parts of memory, resulting in a failed bootloader, but troubleshooting this would be at the level of Qualcomm internal engineering - and Qualcomm/OEMs don't even fix stuff like this, they just replace the board and call it a day.

I'm curious as to why this happens as well. My 5a is still working, but it's only a matter of time.
I hypothesize the 5a suffers from a similar issue that the LG G4 had, overheating and/or poor quality solder. I still have a G4 and throwing it in a oven for a bit usually fixes it for long enough so I could migrate.

V0latyle said:
The only thing I can imagine from my own technical knowledge would be possible manufacturing defects, similar to the RROD on the Xbox 360. I've never had a problem with my Pixel 5, but my wife's 5a suddenly froze one day with the same result as you. We ended up having the motherboard replaced under warranty.
If you're especially enterprising you can try disassembling the device and very carefully reflowing the solder with a heat gun...but this is assuming it's a hardware problem. There's a possibility of a SoC problem that randomly corrupts certain parts of memory, resulting in a failed bootloader, but troubleshooting this would be at the level of Qualcomm internal engineering - and Qualcomm/OEMs don't even fix stuff like this, they just replace the board and call it a day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been able to randomly boot the phone twice using the power + vol up + vol down combination, but I cannot get it to work again. The fact that I was able to get the phone boot at all when it was in this state makes me think it isn't a corrupt software/bootloader, but something hardware related.
I was hoping to avoid having to reflow the whole motherboard. I don't want to accidently cause other damage. But if it must be done, I may have to resort to that.
The main reason for this endeavor is the need to get important un-backed up data of the phone. I know I should have had it backed up, but I would never expect a phone to just crap out like this.

MikeDev101 said:
I'm curious as to why this happens as well. My 5a is still working, but it's only a matter of time.
I hypothesize the 5a suffers from a similar issue that the LG G4 had, overheating and/or poor quality solder. I still have a G4 and throwing it in a oven for a bit usually fixes it for long enough so I could migrate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you explain more about the process you used for the G4 and the oven? How long, what temps, etc...?

paulgiro said:
Could you explain more about the process you used for the G4 and the oven? How long, what temps, etc...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I extracted the motherboard, put it on a wax cooking sheet in a pan, put it in the oven preheated to at least 360F (it's been forever so I don't recall the exact temp). I left it to reflow for like 10 minutes, and put it out to cool for half an hour. Re-assembled it and powered it on with it laying on a ice pack wrapped in a small cloth to keep it cool and minimalize condensation while I recovered data. YMMV.

MikeDev101 said:
I extracted the motherboard, put it on a wax cooking sheet in a pan, put it in the oven preheated to at least 360F (it's been forever so I don't recall the exact temp). I left it to reflow for like 10 minutes, and put it out to cool for half an hour. Re-assembled it and powered it on with it laying on a ice pack wrapped in a small cloth to keep it cool and minimalize condensation while I recovered data. YMMV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! This sounds more promising than me attempting fine precision heat gun maneuvers.
Were there components on both sides of the motherboard? Is there a risk of something falling off the bottom when in the oven?

paulgiro said:
Thanks! This sounds more promising than me attempting fine precision heat gun maneuvers.
Were there components on both sides of the motherboard? Is there a risk of something falling off the bottom when in the oven?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the G4, most of it is covered by a metal shield that doubles as a heatsink for some components (I modded my G4 to have cooling pads on the SoC and wireless chips post-reflow, as well as modifying the chassis of the phone to act as one giant heatsink).
As long as it stays relatively still, it should be fine. I'm judging that based on the fact that my oven has a small recirculating fan inside, so as long as that's turned low or off, it should be ok.
I recommend not touching it after reflow for like 5 minutes so the solder can cool down enough to harden before putting it out to return to room temp. Being too hasty could accidentally disconnect a component or two.
Edit: Yes, there was components on both sides. The 5/5a should be a very similar story. Of course, I recommend keeping a close eye on the motherboard, I would hate for you to accidentally cook it.

MikeDev101 said:
On the G4, most of it is covered by a metal shield that doubles as a heatsink for some components (I modded my G4 to have cooling pads on the SoC and wireless chips post-reflow, as well as modifying the chassis of the phone to act as one giant heatsink).
As long as it stays relatively still, it should be fine. I'm judging that based on the fact that my oven has a small recirculating fan inside, so as long as that's turned low or off, it should be ok.
I recommend not touching it after reflow for like 5 minutes so the solder can cool down enough to harden before putting it out to return to room temp. Being too hasty could accidentally disconnect a component or two.
Edit: Yes, there was components on both sides. The 5/5a should be a very similar story. Of course, I recommend keeping a close eye on the motherboard, I would hate for you to accidentally cook it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all the detail! I really appreciate it!

I wouldn't actively cool the board if you try the oven method. Just turn the oven off and let it cool down by itself in the oven. Using ice or cold air is a good way to thermally stress the board to the point where it might fracture, and with the extremely fine pitch components, that would be fatal.

MikeDev101 said:
On the G4, most of it is covered by a metal shield that doubles as a heatsink for some components (I modded my G4 to have cooling pads on the SoC and wireless chips post-reflow, as well as modifying the chassis of the phone to act as one giant heatsink).
As long as it stays relatively still, it should be fine. I'm judging that based on the fact that my oven has a small recirculating fan inside, so as long as that's turned low or off, it should be ok.
I recommend not touching it after reflow for like 5 minutes so the solder can cool down enough to harden before putting it out to return to room temp. Being too hasty could accidentally disconnect a component or two.
Edit: Yes, there was components on both sides. The 5/5a should be a very similar story. Of course, I recommend keeping a close eye on the motherboard, I would hate for you to accidentally cook it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should I remove the metal plates and heat pads if any when I got to do this over the weekend? Or will those all be ok still on the motherboard?

Mine gone into a boot loop while I was doing an nearby share. It was a tv series and files were bit big.
I think it was due to corrupted memory as v0latyle mentioned.
Couldn't find any solution yet.

sampathjanitha said:
Mine gone into a boot loop while I was doing an nearby share. It was a tv series and files were bit big.
I think it was due to corrupted memory as v0latyle mentioned.
Couldn't find any solution yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope it's not corrupted memory and a physical issue. Since I am able to randomly get it to boot and turn on for about 5 mins (about 1 in 100 tries), I don't believe it's a software issue.
I still need to try reflowing the solder on the board and hope that it's a loose memory chip or something.

paulgiro said:
I hope it's not corrupted memory and a physical issue. Since I am able to randomly get it to boot and turn on for about 5 mins (about 1 in 100 tries), I don't believe it's a software issue.
I still need to try reflowing the solder on the board and hope that it's a loose memory chip or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried it and got any results?

sampathjanitha said:
Have you tried it and got any results?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still haven't tried yet. It's been difficult finding time with the baby not being predictable these last few weeks. I have gotten the phone screen off, but haven't gotten to the motherboard yet.

paulgiro said:
Still haven't tried yet. It's been difficult finding time with the baby not being predictable these last few weeks. I have gotten the phone screen off, but haven't gotten to the motherboard yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Plz give us an update once you were able to test it.
I have brought back my phone from the repair shop,
They have re flashed the eeprom, but there's no luck.
Still getting into stuck at Google image.

sampathjanitha said:
Plz give us an update once you were able to test it.
I have brought back my phone from the repair shop,
They have re flashed the eeprom, but there's no luck.
Still getting into stuck at Google image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bad news. Tried reflowing the motherboard tonight. Baked in the oven at 390F (200C) for 10 minutes. I could smell the flux/solder when it was baking, so I assume it was at a good temperature for reflow. Put it all back together and still no boot. Can still get the QUSB device over USB though, so I didn't cook it too much.
I'm at a loss now unless someone has any other ideas. I really just need to get the files off pf the device.

paulgiro said:
Bad news. Tried reflowing the motherboard tonight. Baked in the oven at 390F (200C) for 10 minutes. I could smell the flux/solder when it was baking, so I assume it was at a good temperature for reflow. Put it all back together and still no boot. Can still get the QUSB device over USB though, so I didn't cook it too much.
I'm at a loss now unless someone has any other ideas. I really just need to get the files off pf the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the oven method does not work on this device.

Seems like it doesn't. I also took off the heatsink/covers on the chips and inspected for any burnt looking parts. I didn't see anything conspicuous either.

Related

Screen replacement after water damage?

So... teardown videos on YouTube fooled me and I thought that this phone is water-resistant. I washed it under tap water (multiple times, actually). After the last time, the screen stopped working, but the phone appears to be OK — even the touch clearly works. I've already disassembled the phone and cleaned the connectors with 95% alcohol, but the screen still doesn't work. Is buying a replacement screen and hoping for a cheap repair the smartest thing to do? After all, the motherboard can also be borked.
EDIT: the screen is completely black
BlueOner said:
So... teardown videos on YouTube fooled me and I thought that this phone is water-resistant. I washed it under tap water (multiple times, actually). After the last time, the screen stopped working, but the phone appears to be OK — even the touch clearly works. I've already disassembled the phone and cleaned the connectors with 95% alcohol, but the screen still doesn't work. Is buying a replacement screen and hoping for a cheap repair the smartest thing to do? After all, the motherboard can also be borked.
EDIT: the screen is completely black
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've replaced the screen after dropping the phone. Was only a small chip in the bottom corner, didn't look much at all, but the screen was completely dead. I was in a similar dilemma of wanting to be sure it was only the screen before spending about $100 on a screen. I booted into fastboot, then connected to a PC, then done the fastboot devices command, which returned a valid ID, so I knew the phone wasn't completely dead. Also connecting to the PC and booting the phone, the PC recognised the phone was connected, though without being able to unlock the phone I couldn't check anything else. That was enough for me to go ahead and order the screen. Now everything works fine.
Robbo.5000 said:
I've replaced the screen after dropping the phone. Was only a small chip in the bottom corner, didn't look much at all, but the screen was completely dead. I was in a similar dilemma of wanting to be sure it was only the screen before spending about $100 on a screen. I booted into fastboot, then connected to a PC, then done the fastboot devices command, which returned a valid ID, so I knew the phone wasn't completely dead. Also connecting to the PC and booting the phone, the PC recognised the phone was connected, though without being able to unlock the phone I couldn't check anything else. That was enough for me to go ahead and order the screen. Now everything works fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for sharing your experience! In my case, the phone clearly isn't dead, but I wonder whether some circuitry on the motherboard that's responsible for making the display work might be fried. Well... if that's the case, I can always sell the replacement screen after testing, but I'm not sure that someone will buy it for a good price.
Also... where did you get your screen from? On AliExpress, they are as cheap as $50, but most of the cheap ones are clearly some fake crap — TFT/IPS LCD, smaller than the original, fingerprint scanner not working... I guess I need to buy something more expensive. Have you noticed any difference between the original screen and your replacement?
BlueOner said:
Thanks for sharing your experience! In my case, the phone clearly isn't dead, but I wonder whether some circuitry on the motherboard that's responsible for making the display work might be fried. Well... if that's the case, I can always sell the replacement screen after testing, but I'm not sure that someone will buy it for a good price.
Also... where did you get your screen from? On AliExpress, they are as cheap as $50, but most of the cheap ones are clearly some fake crap — TFT/IPS LCD, smaller than the original, fingerprint scanner not working... I guess I need to buy something more expensive. Have you noticed any difference between the original screen and your replacement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was 4 months ago I got mine from AliExpress, at that time there wasn't any of these cheaper ones for sale. Looking at these cheaper ones they are TFT, though it's not always obvious in the description.
One seller is selling both TFT and OLED and are clearly labelled in the options. So from this assume that all cheaper ones are TFT.
It is a bit of a minefield. I doubt that any of the sellers have the actual original genuine screens. It took me a couple of days to go through all the listings and determine which one would most likely be good quality.
I eventually went for this one, which was slightly more expensive than most. Now though it appears to have gone up about $15 from when I bought it.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_d7OqLlE
At that time it had the best reviews, which appeared genuine. There were others with a higher review count, which appeared to be just as well reviewed, but reading the reviews you realise they are fake. Many reviews, supposedly from the USA, written in very poor pigeon English.
Also saw some stores with high review count, but then realised that most reviews are for completely different products (a common trick by some Ali sellers, completely change an existing listing so a new product looks like it's got high reviews)
The screen is good quality. It took about 3 weeks to arrive, but it was about 2 weeks after I damaged it before I ordered. So it was around 5 weeks after I last used the phone before installing it. After that time it's hard to judge if it is as good as the original. To look at and use the phone you wouldn't think it was a non original replacement, to me it seems to be as good as the original, without doing a side by side comparison. As far as an oleophobic coating, I couldn't say, it's had a screen protector since installing.
BlueOner said:
I washed it under tap water (multiple times, actually)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Umm. What? Even with IP rated phones you don't wash it with water. IP rating generally means that its good for accidental drops into water or for use in light rain. Why on earth would you wash it? Yes, I know jerryrig says there's some water ingress protection but it doesn't mean you should wash it with water. It just means you're good for use in light rain at best.
lambstone said:
Umm. What? Even with IP rated phones you don't wash it with water. IP rating generally means that its good for accidental drops into water or for use in light rain. Why on earth would you wash it? Yes, I know jerryrig says there's some water ingress protection but it doesn't mean you should wash it with water. It just means you're good for use in light rain at best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I know. Very stupid. At least y'all can learn from it and avoid making the same mistake.
Robbo.5000 said:
The screen is good quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's reassuring!
Robbo.5000 said:
it's hard to judge if it is as good as the original. To look at and use the phone you wouldn't think it was a non original replacement, to me it seems to be as good as the original, without doing a side by side comparison.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I guess that even if it's a bit worse, replacing the screen is better (in my case) than dealing with an older/cheaper phone or throwing a nice sum of money on a phone in similar price range. I will report my experience after replacing the screen, maybe it will help someone. I'm definitely not going to find another guy with 9T (Pro) because of the coronavirus, but comparison with another high-quality AMOLED phone is another way to check the quality.
So... I wanted to order the screen, but when I checked whether the phone still works... it appeared dead. It charges, is visible in USB devices (but no fastboot etc.), the notification LED blinks, but that's all. It worked perfectly some time after the water damage occured, so I guess that the damage progressed. Yes, I didn't clean the phone thoroughly after disassembling it - I thought that the water probably evaporated anyway after using a heat gun, so, as I mentioned earlier, I cleaned only (easily accessible) connectors. Maybe it is something stupid (power button?), but it seems too good to be true. If I don't post another update, just assume that my phone died.
BlueOner said:
So... I wanted to order the screen, but when I checked whether the phone still works... it appeared dead. It charges, is visible in USB devices (but no fastboot etc.), the notification LED blinks, but that's all. It worked perfectly some time after the water damage occured, so I guess that the damage progressed. Yes, I didn't clean the phone thoroughly after disassembling it - I thought that the water probably evaporated anyway after using a heat gun, so, as I mentioned earlier, I cleaned only (easily accessible) connectors. Maybe it is something stupid (power button?), but it seems too good to be true. If I don't post another update, just assume that my phone died.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Press F in the comments section guys
My k20 pro Disable screen problem
Hi xda developers
After wetting the phone with a hand sanitizer and using the same wetness of the screen, I played the online game and put it in automatic game mode and rested for a while...
After waking up, I noticed that the phone was turned off, which was turned on by holding down the power button, but the screen is off...
Currently, only vibrators and notification lights work for the phone, and the phone is organized by a computer.
Also, the phone is charged and its sound can be heard while connecting it to the charger, and its sound can be heard in the same way to lock the screen.
Does anyone have an idea?
my phone just take s swim in the river yesterday, now its has no display but still on and even the touchscreen is working (i know is working cuz its register sound when i try to touch it everywhere). it have been dead first but then turn back on with everything work normal. but after about half hour, the screen suddnly dead.
after tear it my self i found where the water coming in, its from the 3.5mm jack. other holes have rubber protection but the jack has nothing. they even put water dammage indicator below the 3.5mm module....
i have try few method like clean the board with isoprofil alcohol but no avail. now im waiting my screeen replacement and will try to fixit my self.
IchsanWin32 said:
my phone just take s swim in the river yesterday, now its has no display but still on and even the touchscreen is working (i know is working cuz its register sound when i try to touch it everywhere). it have been dead first but then turn back on with everything work normal. but after about half hour, the screen suddnly dead.
after tear it my self i found where the water coming in, its from the 3.5mm jack. other holes have rubber protection but the jack has nothing. they even put water dammage indicator below the 3.5mm module....
i have try few method like clean the board with isoprofil alcohol but no avail. now im waiting my screeen replacement and will try to fixit my self.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello! Had exactly the same issue. Did it work to replace the screen?
My phone got into the sea (well the sea went into it), nothing happened for a while, and then it suddenly went black. Is working (like i can still use it as alarm lol) but the screen is not. Same as BlueOner, i'm afraid is not the screen itself but something in the mother board, so I would love to know if any of you were able to use it after replacing the screen or i will end up with the same issue.
Thanks!
saityro said:
Hello! Had exactly the same issue. Did it work to replace the screen?
My phone got into the sea (well the sea went into it), nothing happened for a while, and then it suddenly went black. Is working (like i can still use it as alarm lol) but the screen is not. Same as BlueOner, i'm afraid is not the screen itself but something in the mother board, so I would love to know if any of you were able to use it after replacing the screen or i will end up with the same issue.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's toast. Don't even bother. The sea salt is hygroscopic, conductive (with moisture), corrosive and -everywhere- now.
It not a question of if it will fail only when.
Tap water is similar but not near as aggressive. The smallest amount of salt (sweat) can change that if it gets inside too. Even so if the device >didn't have it's battery pulled immediately<, then completely turn apart and cleaned with anhydrous isopropyl alcohol it won't fare much better in the long term most likely.
Any water internally can cause massive damage quickly. Or the signs of damage can take months to fully manifest themselves especially if the battery wasn't quickly pulled.
Salt water is fatal because it's residue doesn't easily rinse off as well as what was stated above.
This is why manufacturer warranties refuse to deal with water damage.
It's the gift that keeps giving...
Occasionally you can get lucky if you act fast
My Buds case fell into my coffee cup and immediately crash dived to the bottom like the sub in Das Boot. Cream and sugar too.
I pulled it apart and rinsed it will RO water then with anhydrous isopropyl alcohol in less then 3 minutes. Got as much as the isopropyl out as possible without compressed air and allowed it to dry in a warm sunny spot. Couldn't disconnect the Li battery as it was soldered or spot welded in. After about 2 days of drying it worked and other a year and a half later still is working.
I am still surprised...
Hi. I got water damage. The screen can be turn on but its not responding at all. I can press the power button, the screen lights up, as normal. I just couldn't unlocked it. It wont accept any touch. Also i tried calling from another phone, sound okay, also led notification working.
I havent try the charging port yet.
Anybody have similar experience? Can someone explain my problem? Should i order new screen replacement? Im just afraid its not screen problem.
harithzaim88 said:
Hi. I got water damage. The screen can be turn on but its not responding at all. I can press the power button, the screen lights up, as normal. I just couldn't unlocked it. It wont accept any touch. Also i tried calling from another phone, sound okay, also led notification working.
I havent try the charging port yet.
Anybody have similar experience? Can someone explain my problem? Should i order new screen replacement? Im just afraid its not screen problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read my previous post.
You need to dry it out completely.

Question Dropped/broken screen? Testing/options?

Greetings,
Dropped my phone a full foot. Now the screen flickers green. I'm guessing the screen is broken. Any way to test that other than replacing it?
How do screen replacements go with this device? I'm pretty handy myself and might even attempt it if I could confirm it's the screen that's broken. I've done my own screen replacements before, but it's been some time.
Any chance the screen ribbon cable could be loose? There is no visible damage.
Thanks.
PS: of course, I have no insurance/protection. Oii.
Don't feel too bad, one time I dropped a pro cam on a ESD padded work bench top from about 6 inches and did more damage to that $7G cam than your smartphone retails for
$hit happens even in controlled environments... get a good case moving forward.
It could be a loose connector.
Or a fractured solder joint. The BGA chipsets don't like it when the mobo flexes.
You could replace the display only to learn it was actually a mobo failure. I lean more towards a mobo failure if there's no visible damage to the display.
Pull the cover and inspect it... an easy fix is always a great fix.
blackhawk said:
...Or a fractured solder joint. The BGA chipsets don't like it when the mobo flexes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oii... Thanks for this thought; I was afraid of something like this.
Makes me wonder if metal/glass phones hold up better?
ToryEarly said:
Oii... Thanks for this thought; I was afraid of something like this.
Makes me wonder if metal/glass phones hold up better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
May not be as bad as it seems...
On my Note 10+'s I use the Zizo Bolt case. Without it my first one would be history by now, if it doesn't corner hit on a drop it face plants. I've dropped it close to a dozen times from 1-4 feet onto concrete with zero damage. I don't like handling it without a case as it's a slippery fish
A good case reduces/lengthens the G loading spike making impacts survivable as well as protecting the exterior.
A 2 layer design like the Bolt provides excellent drop protection. It's important that the out shell or whatever holds the case together doesn't come loose on impact...
For those memorable flying end over end multiple impact events. Even with a small drop though I inspect for damage.
I'm actually in a similar situation. Dropped my phone from about 1 or 2 feet and I have the green screen flickering as well. The phone works. I can get call and talk via headphones. But my question that I'm trying to figure out is if there is a way to put the phone into file transfer mode from a connected computer since I can't do it from the phone.
GrandAdmiral said:
I'm actually in a similar situation. Dropped my phone from about 1 or 2 feet and I have the green screen flickering as well. The phone works. I can get call and talk via headphones. But my question that I'm trying to figure out is if there is a way to put the phone into file transfer mode from a connected computer since I can't do it from the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Developer options>usb settings.
You need to load the driver on the PC maybe too.
blackhawk said:
Developer options>usb settings.
You need to load the driver on the PC maybe too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not the issue (already rooted). The screen is non-responsive.
GrandAdmiral said:
That's not the issue (already rooted). The screen is non-responsive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh-oh. If it was working before the plunge you likely either had a connector dislodge or suffer a mobo failure from the impact.
It's happened to me twice both from barely 1 feet. The screen itself was not cracked. Ifixit luckily submitted it as a manufacturers defect since the screen wasn't broken. The first time they were nice enough to not wipe my phone. The second time they did wipe my phone without telling me. Something about their policy uh.
Ended up going with the poetic revolution case. And it's handled a 2ft drop without issue. Had the Spigen tough amor prior.
They said just replacing the screen resolved the issue.
Sorry to hear this OP.
$hit does happen.
I was using an old htc 10 for about 4 years, I finally upgraded to the Pixel 5 on release day.
About a month late, on my birthday I had it on my laptop and it drops flat faced down on the screen.
by some act of God I actually had a glass screen protector on it and had no damage!
I now don't use a scren protector, but oh well.
Somehow the back glass camera is cracked though, even though it wasn't ever dropped after this..
I think I'll look into the 5a instead of fixing it. It's not much more.
andybones said:
Sorry to hear this OP.
$hit does happen.
I was using an old htc 10 for about 4 years, I finally upgraded to the Pixel 5 on release day.
About a month late, on my birthday I had it on my laptop and it drops flat faced down on the screen.
by some act of God I actually had a glass screen protector on it and had no damage!
I now don't use a scren protector, but oh well.
Somehow the back glass camera is cracked though, even though it wasn't ever dropped after this..
I think I'll look into the 5a instead of fixing it. It's not much more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen protector will transmit a lot of the G loading directly to the phone. Something is going to absorb that energy one way or another. Not always obvious either.
Ideally if you have a good case with raised display guards it will soak up enough of the energy so that nothing is stressed to the breaking point.
Mobos and cams are intolerant of high G loading and flexing. A monetary G spike of 2000Gs* can be generated by a fall from bench height to a hard floor. Hard materials absorb little energy unless they bend or break; they can readily conduct it though to internal assemblies... or the other side of the phone.
*how to destroy an IC by dropping it on the floor.
blackhawk said:
*how to destroy an IC by dropping it on the floor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you're saying I should probably be really gentle with these ceramic TD8749s and MD8755s then?
V0latyle said:
So you're saying I should probably be really gentle with these ceramic TD8749s and MD8755s then?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they land on a hard floor on the body rather than leads they can pull enormous G's. As I got more experienced I was more careful not to drop IC's and to use ESD protocols with the more sensitive chips.
There are a couple of issues with dropped phones The internal bonds to the chip can be broken. Even more fragile is the mobo's solder flowed on components especially the BGA chipsets. No way to inspect those for damage. Internal mobo traces may also be opened. With bent frames and broken glass the odds the mobo or display will be damage increases.
Some of the cams have moving parts as well as their sensor's mounting points. More recently that became more of a concern to me as they aren't cheap and a pain to replace.
If the manufacturer uses lead free solder it's a death wish for the device. No lead solder is much more brittle and has poor flow characteristics making the bond is less secure.
Cell phones are exempt from the lead ban but who knows if they use it? No lead solder becomes even more brittle in cold temperatures. Conformal coating is also needed for fine pitch traces to prevent silver dendrites for forming with the no lead solder over time.
blackhawk said:
If they land on a hard floor on the body rather than leads they can pull enormous G's. As I got more experienced I was more careful not to drop IC's and to use ESD protocols with the more sensitive chips.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was being sarcastic can't be too careful with 50 year old IC's
V0latyle said:
I was being sarcastic can't be too careful with 50 year old IC's
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't recognize the numbers. LM3914, I still be careful with that cool IC

Pixel 4 XL Cracked Frame

Hey, I've just discovered that my Pixel 4 XL has a cracked frame just above the power button, the phone functions completely fine other than a random disconnect and reconnect to WiFi every once in a while (happens a few times a day) which think is just an Android bug?
Just wondering if anyone else has this cracked frame problem, I bought the phone used and noticed this from day one though I didn't think much of it, but upon flexing the phone the crack opens up and it's just on the one side. Do you guys think this phone will last or do you think this warrants a replacement? My main concern would be that there's motherboard damage and the days of this phone are numbered.
I've gotten the phone wet before and so it appears to still be water resistant somehow.
Do you mean replace the frame or the phone?
Try not to get it wet even if it's "waterproof"... there are many dead waterproof phones that got wet internally. Salt water is a surefire killer.
Flexing the mobo can easily damage it, don't. If you use a case be careful not to flex it taking it in or out of the case.
If may have a loose or damaged connector perhaps the wifi antenna itself. Could be the mobo; impossible to tell without opening it.
blackhawk said:
Do you mean replace the frame or the phone?
Try not to get it wet even if it's "waterproof"... there are many dead waterproof phones that got wet internally. Salt water is a surefire killer.
Flexing the mobo can easily damage it, don't. If you use a case be careful not to flex it taking it in or out of the case.
If may have a loose or damaged connector perhaps the wifi antenna itself. Could be the mobo; impossible to tell without opening it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean replacing the phone itself, I looked into replacing the frame and that would require replacing the screen too so I feel it would just be worth replacing the phone instead.
I've seen a few posts of cracked Pixel 4 XL frames, and right where mine cracked too so I'm just trying to figure if this is a common problem and if it would be worth replacing if it's just going to happen again. The motherboard of the phone is mostly on the left side of the phone, so I feel like the motherboard is likely safe, but I don't know how to be sure without opening the phone. Though I do need a new battery soon and a $30 cost vs a $400 cost is quite a bit better but again, I don't want to replace the battery if the phone is going to fail.
Charcoxl said:
I mean replacing the phone itself, I looked into replacing the frame and that would require replacing the screen too so I feel it would just be worth replacing the phone instead.
I've seen a few posts of cracked Pixel 4 XL frames, and right where mine cracked too so I'm just trying to figure if this is a common problem and if it would be worth replacing if it's just going to happen again. The motherboard of the phone is mostly on the left side of the phone, so I feel like the motherboard is likely safe, but I don't know how to be sure without opening the phone. Though I do need a new battery soon and a $30 cost vs a $400 cost is quite a bit better but again, I don't want to replace the battery if the phone is going to fail.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would put in a case to protect it. Frames appear to be available if you really like the device.
Of course there's the risk you throw beaucoup bucks into it and it end up puking on you anyway.
I wouldn't go too nuts especially when you could upgrade to a phone with a AMOLED display instead.

Galaxy S9 - green tinge screen, horizontal lines + flickering for months and now dead.

I posted this in the official Samsung forum but I get the feeling that nobody there has ever been inside a phone. Hopefully get better feedback here!
Going to provide a rundown of the phones history..
The screen started to go slightly green randomly about a year ago. But I noticed that turning the screen off and on again fixed it.
This issue became more and more frequent as time went on during a few months use.
Then it transitioned over to a permanent problem, with no amount of reboots or whatever to make a difference.
Then horizontal lines started to appear which would travel up and down the screen leaving the picture black in some parts.
Then I noticed another thing, turning the screens brightness down to about 20% removed the lines, and made the phone usable again (albeit still with a green tinge).
I thought that it must be a power issue rather than a screen issue, so changed the battery but sadly that didn't have any effect.
More months go by, and that 20% threshold got shorter and shorter until I had to keep it at around 10% brightness to get a full screen picture.
And now finally the phone seems to have died. It doesn't turn on anymore and there is no vibration so its definitely not just the screen being off.
FYI I couldn't see any signs of moisture and the moisture sticker hasn't tripped. But I still haven't ruled that out. I will examine further after getting some feedback..
I have of course tried all of the obvious like factory reset, clear cache partition and all that.
Before I open it up again I would like to know what people think?
Cheers!
Is the battery good? If the battery was really degraded though normally it wouldn't boot.
I wouldn't throw too much money at it especially when you can get a used N10+ for around $350 now. A substantial performance upgrade.
blackhawk said:
Is the battery good? If the battery was really degraded though normally it wouldn't boot.
I wouldn't throw too much money at it especially when you can get a used N10+ for around $350 now. A substantial performance upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi thanks for your reply!
Yes I have swapped out the battery for a new one. The way it deteriorated felt like moisture corrosion but didn't see any signs of moisture inside when I looked. It could be deeper underneath the mainboard though as all I did was replace the battery so didn't see further than that.
Yeah I won't put much money into it, but I do have a decent understanding of electronics so I was hoping there would be a fix which I am able to do at home with basic tools to hand. Many things can be fixed with a reflow and individual pieces are cheaper to replace than say an entire mainboard. But I have no knowledge on this sort of problem so I'll wait to see if anyone else has and then open it up again and take pics of what I find.
Cheers!
Chaotic Awesome said:
Hi thanks for your reply!
Yes I have swapped out the battery for a new one. The way it deteriorated felt like moisture corrosion but didn't see any signs of moisture inside when I looked. It could be deeper underneath the mainboard though as all I did was replace the battery so didn't see further than that.
Yeah I won't put much money into it, but I do have a decent understanding of electronics so I was hoping there would be a fix which I am able to do at home with basic tools to hand. Many things can be fixed with a reflow and individual pieces are cheaper to replace than say an entire mainboard. But I have no knowledge on this sort of problem so I'll wait to see if anyone else has and then open it up again and take pics of what I find.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Inspect the ribbon cable contacts for corrosion if you suspect moisture damage. Without a factory test jig finding say a solder fracture on a BGA chipset will be a lot harder. That's also another place corrosion from moisture damage can hide.
Generally with moisture corrosion damage will be evident on the buses and power supply section of the board.
If water damage is present the mobo is pretty much doomed because of the latent corrosion process. Water will also damage the AMOLED display pixels themselves if they're exposed.
blackhawk said:
Inspect the ribbon cable contacts for corrosion if you suspect moisture damage. Without a factory test jig finding say a solder fracture on a BGA chipset will be a lot harder. That's also another place corrosion from moisture damage can hide.
Generally with moisture corrosion damage will be evident on the buses and power supply section of the board.
If water damage is present the mobo is pretty much doomed because of the latent corrosion process. Water will also damage the AMOLED display pixels themselves if they're exposed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that. I suspect the screen escaped damage based on how it looked. All pixels were fine but those horizontal black lines would travel up and down so feels like maybe the controller or ribbon as you say because it felt like the screen was getting less and less power as time went by forcing me to keep lowering the brightness so that makes sense. Although it doesn't explain why it doesn't switch on anymore. Unless the phone is built not to switch on if the screen is disconnected?
cheers
Chaotic Awesome said:
Thanks for that. I suspect the screen escaped damage based on how it looked. All pixels were fine but those horizontal black lines would travel up and down so feels like maybe the controller or ribbon as you say because it felt like the screen was getting less and less power as time went by forcing me to keep lowering the brightness so that makes sense. Although it doesn't explain why it doesn't switch on anymore. Unless the phone is built not to switch on if the screen is disconnected?
cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure the power button and contacts are good. Since AMOLED displays have an active matrix it could be that or the mobo.
Maybe someone recognizes those syptoms... thankfully I never experienced them.
blackhawk said:
Make sure the power button and contacts are good. Since AMOLED displays have an active matrix it could be that or the mobo.
Maybe someone recognizes those syptoms... thankfully I never experienced them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your attention and advice!
Sorry for the delay. I have had it back open and inspected every part closely for moisture damage. Couldn't see any signs but while I was there I changed the battery which sure enough fixed the power issue.
Strangely, the screen worked 10x better for about an hour after reassembly! Then it started to go back to the usual black lines engulfing most of it at the mid-range brightness level but not at low or high brightness which I find very odd. Last time I'm sure it did it at any brightness level over around 15-20%
Anyway better to just let you see for yourself. I have taken some videos and photos.
At this point I'm thinking it has to he solely the screen thats faulty as if it was any sort of power issue then it wouldn't behave this way..
This video was taken straight after reassembly.
Your browser is not able to display this video.
The other was taken a few days later.
Your browser is not able to display this video.
Cheers!
You're welcome. Did you inspect the display ribbon cable contacts? Someone who repairs these could probably tell by that vid. Probably the display, but I would try to verify that before you throw money at it. For $350-450 you could get a used N10+, a huge upgrade but no 3.5mm jack. Samsung leaves more off every year, too bad the price doesn't go down too. schmucks.

S6 Edge - problems after battery replacement (feels slow, gets warm, left touch button does not work)

Hi all,
I want to start giving the old smartphones that keep accumulating in our family a second life - which primarily means replacing aged batteries.
I actually want to use my S7 as a bike computer with the Komoot app, but decided to get some practice on my wife's old S6 Edge, which conveniently partially disassembled itself (bloated battery had opened the back cover).
So I got myself a spare battery and proceeded with the disassembly. Disconnecting all connectors, replacing the battery, reconnecting everything, and putting back the 13 screws that connect the frame to the display all worked ok, and the device would start up.
Alas, there are now a few glitches:
- the device feels quite slow (at least according to my wife... but maybe that is just subjective, now being used to much more modern devices)
- the device gets really warm (primarily on the middle of the right side, i.e. where the main board is located), even without any apps running, the battery also drains quite fast
- the left touch button (which on this device brings up the "task manager"/"app switcher") does not work. The right touch button ("back") works ok, as does the home button.
Everything else seems to work fine.
I disassembled everything twice, cleaned all connectors with alcohol, reassembled, same result. All connectors appear to be properly connected.
Any idea what could have gone wrong?
Needless to say, with that not-so-great result of my first repair attempts, I hesitate to work on anything more valuable than the S6...
Any hints welcome.
Regards
G
Welcome to XDA.
A connector pin may have been be damaged, inspect.
Do a factory reset and see what you got.
If that fails the mobo may have been damaged. Out of circuit they are suspectable to ESD damage. ESD protocols should be followed when doing repairs. At the very least raised the RH to 50% in the room.
Grummbeerbauer said:
Hi all,
(bloated battery had opened the back cover).
G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It may not be your fault
The battery on my S7 swelled up a bit, so I got a new battery fitted, the shop had problems with the phone overheating so needed further testing. They had to replace the charging chip due to the battery swelling.
blackhawk said:
Welcome to XDA.
A connector pin may have been be damaged, inspect.
Do a factory reset and see what you got.
If that fails the mobo may have been damaged. Out of circuit they are suspectable to ESD damage. ESD protocols should be followed when doing repairs. At the very least raised the RH to 50% in the room.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was doing this on an ESD-safe matt, so that should be fine. Visually, the connectors are ok... but considering how small they are, I would probably need to check with a microscope (which I don't have... but I could try my macro lens.
There are two cable connectors with only two pins each (look a bit like mini koax connectors). The connect the charging board which also has the electronics for the touch buttons to the mobo. One appeared to have been squeezed, probably by the bloated battery. So I measured conductivity with a volt meter, they measured ok.
I guess I will write the device off... not worth to invest in more spare parts.
The S7, which I still like a lot , is a different thing. Would hate to break this, but the battery is nearly dead and might bloat anyway sooner or later. So on to the next test subject for my repair skills. ;-)
Grummbeerbauer said:
I was doing this on an ESD-safe matt, so that should be fine. Visually, the connectors are ok... but considering how small they are, I would probably need to check with a microscope (which I don't have... but I could try my macro lens.
There are two cable connectors with only two pins each (look a bit like mini koax connectors). The connect the charging board which also has the electronics for the touch buttons to the mobo. One appeared to have been squeezed, probably by the bloated battery. So I measured conductivity with a volt meter, they measured ok.
I guess I will write the device off... not worth to invest in more spare parts.
The S7, which I still like a lot , is a different thing. Would hate to break this, but the battery is nearly dead and might bloat anyway sooner or later. So on to the next test subject for my repair skills. ;-)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wear a wrist strap and make sure the room isn't dry. Wear cotton clothes. Static electricity is omnipresent. Nonconductive plastics are can build up a charge, even paper. Keeping the relative humidity above 40% is very important; just boil some water in the room if needed.
2-3x stereo magnification Optivisor probably do it. Very handy for detailed work.

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