need help please people.
my phone hasnt been charging properly for a few days now, to get it charging now i have to get one of my missis hair bands and wrap it round my phone and then round the usb cable so it stays in , although today it doesnt want to charge at all now .
ive noticed that the connection in the phone is loose and you can move it round a litle bit,
now the bit i need help with , is do i take the phone apart and try to fix it.?. im thinking of doing this but unsure about taking phone apart ( dont think my phone is under warrenty anymore,) and im guessing the usb connection on the phone is fixed onto a board.
is it worth me trying that or should i just take it to a repair shop ?
take a dry toothbrush, give the usb port a good scrub. dirt often builds up in the bottom of the port and stops the usb plug pushing deep enough to get a good contact.
Have a good inspect of the usb port, bright light and magnifier is good, see if you can see buildup, or a bent connector, or somesuch.
Also look at the usb plug on the cable, its uncommon but not unknown for the metal outer enclosure to open slightly, and make for a weak contact.
Sometimes a cable simply doesn't fit well for no obvious reason, , i have a generic cheap ebay cable that will only work when angled up or down, like yours, but looks perfectly fine, and feels to fit the socket, while the HTC cable works perfectly, so i know its not the port.
If it all looks good, then chances are you have a dodgy connection from the usb port to the mainboard, which will get worse every time you wiggle and bend the cable to get it to work. In this case, you COULD try a repair, but there have been reports on here of some repair shops pronouncing it too fiddly to replace teh usb port, and a new mainboard would be the only other option.
edit - just reread your post and seen that you can wiggle the port. Broken solder, gotta be. Its not an easy solder, so if your a dab hand, then go for it, if not, see above.
Hi iainbp, heresandyboy had this same trouble in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=903977 from post 16.
It looks tricky!
Just a thought though, I recently bought a cheap phone charger with multiple interchangeable heads for different phones. The microUSB one became difficult to charge with and it took me a while to realise that the metal bit at the end had detached from its plastic casing, and when I plugged it into the phone it just got pushed back into the casing. (got my money back)
Possible with yours?
Related
Hi, I broke my universal last night :.(
I was using a charger that came with my gps, and it fell 30cm off the bed table and hit the floor, striking the charger cable. The gps charger is longer, so without the rubber collar to absorb the shock, the usb plug twisted inside, and broke the usb connector off the motherboard.
pics: http://boldra.com/images/universal/
I use my universal very heavily, so I want to get it fixed as soon as possible. I've done simple repairs on laptops and phones before, including soldering on a power connector in a dropped vaio. How would people rate the difficulty of this one?
The first issue will be to get hold of a suitable screwdriver, but I'll also have to source a new usb connector.
Has anyone got any experience or tips they could share?
Thanks!
Boldra
Boldra said:
Hi, I broke my universal last night :.(
I was using a charger that came with my gps, and it fell 30cm off the bed table and hit the floor, striking the charger cable. The gps charger is longer, so without the rubber collar to absorb the shock, the usb plug twisted inside, and broke the usb connector off the motherboard.
pics: http://boldra.com/images/universal/
I use my universal very heavily, so I want to get it fixed as soon as possible. I've done simple repairs on laptops and phones before, including soldering on a power connector in a dropped vaio. How would people rate the difficulty of this one?
The first issue will be to get hold of a suitable screwdriver, but I'll also have to source a new usb connector.
Has anyone got any experience or tips they could share?
Thanks!
Boldra
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Click to collapse
Hi first of all, based on my experience with opening universal - when you start opening PLEASE READ OPENING INSTRUCTIONS on FTP - there is PDF file for this. And second one - try ty find a cheam MP3 player with same USB connector - you will never belive what is inside of those tousands MP3 players - I even find inside one a DiskOnChip for universal
Thanks, they look like two very good tips! I was actually going to check out the second hand shop for old cameras with mini-usb connectors, but mp3 players sound like a good idea too.
Boldra
I had the same problem. I fixed it myself too. I just used the USB connector that was broken off and soldered it back.
I don't think a new connector is going to be needed. More likely your biggest problem will be broken off tracks on the motherboard.
Thanks Patrick, I love the net! I've never personally met anyone with the same device, but now here I am talking to someone who's actually had exactly the same problem!
I've now opened the case up (after downloading the beautiful maintenance manual), and it looks like there are indeed a couple of bits of the mobo broken off and stuck to the connector.
I've had a look with a magnifying glass, and it looks like the 4th connector in particular is going to be difficult to match up. I've been checking out the USB spec, and, if I'm reading it right, this connector is only used for a usb hub. I think on the universal it's not actually connected to anything. Really, I'll just be pretty happy if I can just get connectors 1 & 5 joined up again, so I can recharge!
The other thing I'm worrying about is how I can firmly attach the connector back onto the board so that it doesn't easily break off again. I'm considering a drop of superglue to fix the usb connector onto the mobo before starting the soldering. How did you solve this problem? Are you relying entirely on solder to take the load?
Boldra
Boldra said:
The other thing I'm worrying about is how I can firmly attach the connector back onto the board so that it doesn't easily break off again. I'm considering a drop of superglue to fix the usb connector onto the mobo before starting the soldering. How did you solve this problem? Are you relying entirely on solder to take the load?
Boldra
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Don't even think about it !!! If you put some glue there you can say goodbye to your device if it brokes again you cannot protect device from this - is more cheap to repair him again
You should put this warning up:
Warning, HORROR pictures ...
must be over 21 to watch ...
Boldra said:
Thanks Patrick, I love the net! I've never personally met anyone with the same device, but now here I am talking to someone who's actually had exactly the same problem!
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Click to collapse
If you search the forum here you will notice there are hordes of people with the same problem. It's safe to say this is a design flaw of the Universal.
Boldra said:
I'll just be pretty happy if I can just get connectors 1 & 5 joined up again, so I can recharge!
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Same here. I stopped messing with it when it started charging again. It doesn't connect through USB anymore, but I can do that via bluetooth as well.
Boldra said:
The other thing I'm worrying about is how I can firmly attach the connector back onto the board so that it doesn't easily break off again.
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Click to collapse
I put some extra solder on the large pads on the side. I have a feeling that that helped put it on the board more sturdy. I also changed the way I use the Universal. Before I would use it with the charge cable atached so the battery would stay full. Now I never move it around when the cable is attached. So now when the Universal is charging, the first thing I do is take the charge cable out and then open the unit and switch it on.
superglue will not work. you must solder it back on.
from those pics it's impossible to estimate the damage.
open it up and take some new pics.
I'm starting to have real problems with my USB plug. At first it would drop charger plugs when it was on the wall, so I put it upside down. But now I can't connect to the PC all the time either. I have to jiggle the plug a bit or even breathe down in it (the moist makes the connection better). Has anybody else had that problem and fixed it in any way? I suppose the plug is soldered on in such a way that it has to go to a workshop, right?
i strongly suggest you to send it for repair or resolder the base of the connection(this is user servicable provided you have some soldering skills) so it doesnt wiggle. i'd probly even suggest to hotglue the plug but before you do so make sure the plug is sitted properly and it does sync
the same thing happened to me and with a bit of jiggle the plug broke off and now its permenently damaged(ie it will never sync via USB again) so far with self repair i only manage to make it charge
i got no idea how to reattach a 10pin mini USB plug to my board and some of the copper tracks looks damaged which means if i send it to the shops, its a $500 repair and a board swap
The USB connector on my Evo is now so loose that I can hear it bouncing around when I shake the phone. USB connection doesn't work at all, no charge or PC connection. I think the connector is detached from the PCB (assuming it was attached to the PCB to begin with).
Obviously I need to fix this thing. Any suggestions? I think I need a T5 screwdriver to open up the case. Don't know if I can reattach the connector w/ a soldering iron?
I'm really disappointed that this thing broke so fast. I don't recall mishandling it.
might be easier to just warranty or return it. can't you return for another one within 30 days. say you got a defective unit.
Yeah I can try the return / repair route but the phone is from Google I/O... I guess it's best to try though.
Attention do this at our own risk as it may damage our phone.
My used samsung galaxy pocket-neo was becoming impossible to charge causing me to break the adapter cables with constant wiggling and balancing acts to get it to work. I took it apart and the micro usb socket looked like an extremely difficult soldering job to replace.
The solution I am using for more than a month with no adverse effects is to cut the plug off and strip the 2 power wires at one end of an old usb cable. There are 4 different coloured wires, red, black, green and white. The green and white wires transmit data, whilst the red and black are the power lines. Red is positive, Black is negative. The sleeve of the cable has a metal mesh which is not necessary for my purposes so I electrical taped it back onto the cable.
The next step is to remove the battery of the phone: I have only done this on phones with removeable batteries. The ones I have used have three terminals; one is plus and one minus, the middle one is for a thermistor in the internal of the battery so that it doesn't overheat. Check the plus and minus with a tester to be sure and look at the way it mounts into the phone. The corresponding terminals in the phone are where I connect the wires.
Now here is the complicated part, - or negative(black) goes to the one negative copper pin in the back of the phone. The positive +(red) wire however needs to bridge the other two pins for reasons that I would like to find out. The white and green wire got taped up seperately to avoid short circuits and I replaced the battery to hold the wires firmly in place and closed the back of the phone. Plug the phone into a charger or external power pack (DC 5v) and it will work fine with no overheating, I suggest this be monitored for a while as it may vary with other hardware.
There may be better ways to do this, as far as I can tell in my case I am not actually charging the battery, instead the phone is running directly from the external power source. The strange thing is that the software(CM11) battery icon slowly discharges and after about 10 hours tells me I need to charge the battery but never turns off and when I restart it is immediately back up to full.
I have tested with a normal cable and the micro usb is still working even though it is still only working when I constantly wiggle the cable, I have cleaned it and as far as I can see its not going to ever work properly.
It would be good to know why the battery does not chargewhen using this method. I imagine it has to do with the internal workings of the phone that control the charging, discharging and battery temperature.
Making the old hardware live longer.
Replacing the micro usb is doable with a hot air gun a pair of tweezers, a clunky spring loaded solder sucker, a flux pen and two pairs of 3.5 x magnification reading glasses. You dont need any fancy rework station or microscope, assuming you have steady hands, reasonably good eyesight, and some soldering experience. I just tried this myself yesterday and fixed and Ace 3 and two S3 mini boards from my junk pile, and while it was a little tricky, it didn't require any brain surgery skills, just care, patience and some previous smd soldering experience.
Proceed as follows, mask off all of the surrounding components with kapton tape, apply lots of flux from your flux pen, then heat the plug carefully, pointing the hot air across the plug and away from the rest of the board. Grab the (hot) metal can of the USB plug with the tweezers, and gently lift it. Only remove the plug when all the solder is melted, and it feels loose, to avoid pulling off any tracks. Remove those tracks, and the phone is for the bin. Next, clear any holes that are required to mount the new plug, take care at this stage, as it is imperative that the replacement plug sits flush on the board otherwise the pins on the plug, wont touch the pads on the board, and worse still, you wont get the case back on at the end of the process.
To fit the new socket, clean the pads... no really clean them.... now make sure they are clean, and then flux them and tin them. Fit the new plug, and check that it sits flush to the board. Tack down one metal lug only on the can of the new plug. Check again that the pins are lined up, and carefully drag solder them. Check for shorts. Check again... clean the pads and check again. If you are happy, tack down the remaining three lugs, make sure they are flush and that there are no blobs of solder on the tops of them. Clean the board again. Test... Profit
Total time including additional swearing, re-cleaning... re-re-cleaning and re-fitting.. about 30 minutes and two strong coffees.
The replacement USB plugs are readily available on ebay typically around the £2 ($3) mark, but there are several different styles, and they are different, so make sure you use the correct one for your board.
Now back to your question... why does your battery not charge when you tack the wires to it... simple... it is trying its best not to explode. The USB port provides 5V, but the battery needs between 2.8 and 4.2 vots.. depending on its current state of charge, and this is what the charge controller chip within the phone provides. Anything else and the protection circuit kicks in.
I suggest if you don't fancy repairing the USB plug yourself, you get one of those cheap "universal" usb phone chargers from China, they cost about the same as the replacement USB plug, but are (marginally) less likely to blow up your battery.
itsthatidiotagain said:
Now back to your question... why does your battery not charge when you tack the wires to it... simple... it is trying its best not to explode. The USB port provides 5V, but the battery needs between 2.8 and 4.2 vots.. depending on its current state of charge, and this is what the charge controller chip within the phone provides. Anything else and the protection circuit kicks in.
I suggest if you don't fancy repairing the USB plug yourself, you get one of those cheap "universal" usb phone chargers from China, they cost about the same as the replacement USB plug, but are (marginally) less likely to blow up your battery.
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Good description of the soldering job, the samsung pocket neo is very small but I look forward to having a go at fixing it properly one day, I dont yet have a magnifying glass or solder sucker, but I want to get them. Without these tools the job would be near impossible.
Little update: the phone is charging, I have disconected it and it holds its charge nicely, the internal software just doesn't register the trickle charge it is recieving, I have loads of old chargers and new usb cables and my old second hand phones micro usb port is way too damaged to work anymore with any charger. I use it as a modem principally, so it is connected every day and providing wifi to multiple devices and has no problems with over heating. Now nearly two months have passed and it works fine. Using this method it is possible to completely remove the battery as well. The phone is running directly off the 5 volt power with no ill effects.
It would be convienient to connect it directly to a pc in usb debug mode occasionally, and this is a very good reason for eventually fixing the usb plug.:good:
Occasionally since I got the phoone I've noticed that the audiobooks I've listened to have suddenly stopped, and prompting me to press play again; it always seemed to happen when I had a hand in my pocket, so I probably just assumed I had touched the screen or something. It was annoying, but I just continued on.
Then late last week after it happened while I was at my desktop and just moving the phone, I investigated a bit more closely.
I found that I could wiggled the headphone USB dongle, and the fit was not as solid as you'd expect (of course, I hadn't really checked this earlier, just putting in and taking out USB connectors up to this point). As I wiggled it, the audio would stop as if my headphones were disconnected and reconnected. Which must've been what had happened before.
Then I checked with my charging cord. Same kind of fit, I could wiggle the connector a few degrees. Enough for me to raise some concern about it being a faulty USB port, or it having somehow gotten loose in the shell.
This is probably RMA worthy, I'm guessing. The question is what will OP do? Replace the whole phone? Repair it (repair what exactly, I'm wondering)? I've not dealt with their support before, and I couldn't really find any suitable thing under their repair service categories.
Could some people check how snug their USB connector fit is and report back to me, so I could find out if this isn't how it's supposed to be?
First check your USB port for lint. I typically use a needle to clean mine out (Don't short any of the pins if using a metal needle). Lint will prevent the cable from fully seating and cause it to feel loose.
OhioYJ said:
First check your USB port for lint. I typically use a needle to clean mine out (Don't short any of the pins if using a metal needle). Lint will prevent the cable from fully seating and cause it to feel loose.
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The USB port is totally clean. Couldn't even spot any dust particles under a bright light.
I know the 3.5mm headphone jack isn't technically rated for as many cycles as a USB C connector but I still feel it held up to abuse like being in a pocket better than any type of USB connector.