The rattling noise and what causes it (with pictures) - Nexus 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

There are many complaints about a rattling noise from somewhere inside the N4 when shaking the device or setting it down on a table. I myself have this noise and at first I was concerned to what it was. I tried to figure it out and here are the results.
First of we have to differentiate between two different noises. (Correct me at any point if I should be wrong)
1.The noise from the autofocus system of the camera which is totally normal on most modern smartphones. You can normally only hear it when you tap on the back of the device and it’s not very loud.
2.The much louder noise you hear when you shake your device or for example set it down on a table or other surfaces. This noise is what I will try to explain here.
I can tell you right away that this louder noise is not caused by any lose electronic part inside the phone, so don’t worry. This noise doesn’t seem to be present on all N4 devices as some people say that they definitely don’t have it. Here is what I discovered.
The rattle comes from the “SimTrayEjector”. There is a mechanism you press to eject your simcardtray that pushed the tray out from the back of the slot. This mechanism is a moving part and causes the noise when you shake the device. I tried to take a few photos to explain where the noise originates.
On the first picture you can see where you press the pin on to the ejector. This ejector has some play and moves back and forth, this is what causes the rattle. You can test it by just pressing the ejector tool in a little bit and shaking the device. I think a simple rubber damper would have prevented the entire problem.
Here are some more pictures of the ejector. It moves back and forth.
I hope this helped to explain the the rattle and calm people down a little.

good, detailed post. this should probably be in the general section, actually
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Thank you, I wasn't quite sure where to post it, could someone please move it.
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lowrider262 said:
good, detailed post. this should probably be in the general section, actually
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This is the Q&A section. People were Questioning the rattle and he found the Answer. I think his posting section is appropriate.

I wonder if there is a way to dampen the ejector somehow. Maybe a tiny piece of rubber or something.
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Hi there!
Is there any proposed solution for this? Thanks
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OP, thanks for figuring this out, it would not have been an easy find.
I too was wondering if anyone had found a solution for this problem. My phone has both the rattle and the creaking, but I didn't want to exchange it for those two things alone (at least my screen was good). Some have posted solutions to the creaking, but the other people really complaining about the rattling seemed to have RMAed or just accepted it.
I did notice that taking the tray out and putting it back in reduces the rattling for a while.

Related

Call volume, others can't hear me very well

I have absolutely no gripes about the Samsung Galaxy S2, best phone I have ever tried....... Okay, just one gripe!
It pertains to the outgoing voice call volume. People I talk to often comment that it's often hard to hear my voice well. This has never been a problem with other mobile phones I have owned in the past. Does there exist a way to boost the outgoing voice volume on this otherwise excellent phone?
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I have the same problem i have have discovered its something to do with the noise cancellation. If u disable it people will be able to hear u more clearly. U can disable it while by pressing the menu key while ur in a call
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Sorry guys...no solution for that.I try everything..some woodoo **** etc..but no..
I sold my old g2 and buy new one..now my g2 rocks...
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I had a galaxy s2 that the first call I was hard to hear and also the wifi signal was rubbish in comparison to my galaxy s. This was a hardware fault with the sgs2 so I would suggest taking back to get changed under warranty.
Many people have reported poor call quality / echo etc. For many just removing the case helps.
I can't believe that by using a case, call quality is affected but its true. It happens to me. When people complain I remove the case and call quality is fine.
I now have one of those perforated cases (the mesh looking ones) and this doesn't happen any more.
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That's a good point, if the microphone for speaking on the bottom or the microphone on the top for noise cancelling is covered then, definitely, call quality will be terrible.
Try drilling a hole in the case if it does cover either hole...
I had the issue too - turned out it's the builtin noise cancellation that was the culprit.
If you're using stock rom, press menu button during a call, select more and turn off noise cancellation (or whatever it's called). Should give instant results. Unfortunately it seems like it's a per call setting change (ie. it's not remembered and you have to turn it off whenever the issue appears).
I'm using VillainRom 3.0 and installed VRTweaks - from there you can disable it permanently. I don't know if other rooms have that feature.
Hope it helps.
/Martin
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Considering it doesnt happen with stock roms, i would suggest posting directly to the appropriate custom rom thread or contact the developer directly.
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My experience has been that it's the other way around. When I was on stock rom, people couldn't hear me. The good custom roms have a tonne of built-in code; included is the increase in mic volume to 100% to remove the stock issue. You can do it manually on stock if you want but I think it resets if you reboot.
I have tried upping the mic volume via the factory settings, but it didn't really help much.
However, I do have a little intriguing update..
I thought I could see some debris inside the tiny microphone hole, so I decided to be a bit adventurous and got hold of a very thin needle and started prying it around inside the hole, trying to both expand the hole and as such and also remove any potentially blocking debris.
Result? It has been very promising, I've had two long lasting phone calls since then, and I asked the persons to whom I was speaking, if they could hear me better than usually, and the answer in both cases was a resounding 'yes'!
(I did the same needle trick on the top microphone aswell)
So far so good, it seems to have had a very positive effect indeed.
Word of warning though; you should do this with the phone turned off. I learned that the hard way. Apparently prying around with a needle can mess with some of the electronics ;-) in my case it caused my phone to semi-reboot and reset all my app folder organization, so I had to place all my apps in folders again, argh!
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sniiidk said:
I have tried upping the mic volume via the factory settings, but it didn't really help much.
However, I do have a little intriguing update..
I thought I could see some debris inside the tiny microphone hole, so I decided to be a bit adventurous and got hold of a very thin needle and started prying it around inside the hole, trying to both expand the hole and as such and also remove any potentially blocking debris.
Result? It has been very promising, I've had two long lasting phone calls since then, and I asked the persons to whom I was speaking, if they could hear me better than usually, and the answer in both cases was a resounding 'yes'!
(I did the same needle trick on the top microphone aswell)
So far so good, it seems to have had a very positive effect indeed.
Word of warning though; you should do this with the phone turned off. I learned that the hard way. Apparently prying around with a needle can mess with some of the electronics ;-) in my case it caused my phone to semi-reboot and reset all my app folder organization, so I had to place all my apps in folders again, argh!
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Very interesting! I wanted to try that some time ago but I did not dare.
Anyway, in my case, the top microphone works perfectly, because if someone can't hear me, I activate de speaker. And when I do this, the phone activates the top microphone instead of the bottom microphone.

[Q] Weird rattling noise when tapping top bottom of phone

EDIT: I found a thread about this same issue leading me to believe it's not an issue in the first place. Still, the thread seems to be more about this occurring when shaking the phone so it could be it's own thing...
Sorry if this has been covered already but I couldn't find any threads that addressed this particular issue.
When holding my N4 with the back facing downward and tapping the top bottom, there is a light rattle as if something were loose. There is no rattle if tapped elsewhere or if the phone is placed with the front facing downward.
I thought it might be the volume rocker, but holding that in place doesn't make a difference.
Anyone have anything like this? You might need to listen closely.
electrobento said:
EDIT: I found a thread about this same issue leading me to believe it's not an issue in the first place. Still, the thread seems to be more about this occurring when shaking the phone so it could be it's own thing...
Sorry if this has been covered already but I couldn't find any threads that addressed this particular issue.
When holding my N4 with the back facing downward and tapping the top bottom, there is a light rattle as if something were loose. There is no rattle if tapped elsewhere or if the phone is placed with the front facing downward.
I thought it might be the volume rocker, but holding that in place doesn't make a difference.
Anyone have anything like this? You might need to listen closely.
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You know what? Just notice that too. I hold both buttons down and still hear a rattle. I think its the vibration motor or the camera optics since the noise is coming from the top of the screen.
Yes, the general consensus is that it's part of the camera that rattles
jacklebott said:
Yes, the general consensus is that it's part of the camera that rattles
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Worth rma'ing?
onishchuk4 said:
Worth rma'ing?
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No. Almost every single phone on the market does this (the Nexus 4's might be more audible though, I don't know. Either way, it's not going to change by getting a different one)
I wonder if there is a way to diy fix it?
Its the continuous focus mechanism in the camera. All phones with continuous focus make some rattle.
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n82k said:
Its the continuous focus mechanism in the camera. All phones with continuous focus make some rattle.
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Yours makes a rattle sound too I'm guessing?
Yes, I'm sure they all do
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Oh well, I'm getting a replacement. Its annoying that it does this. Other users who have this phone say theirs doesn't make this sound. Plus, my gnex never rattled nor does my friends GS3. My screen might be not as sensitive or colors might be washed out. Those things don't bother me, but this just makes it sound like something is loose inside. If the replacement is like that too, then I guess I'll have to settle.

Tinkering sound when you shake it

I requested an RMA because of the buzzing noise near the earpiece and the sound of something loose when you shake the phone, but the RMA came with the same problems. Is this happening with everyone's phone? It's a bit unnerving..
My phone has both a slight buzzing and the shaking sound. The buzzing is so quiet I have to be smashing the phone against my ear to heart it. The shaking I believe one of the components of the camera. I believe the majority of the people here have the shaking "problem".
btse said:
My phone has both a slight buzzing and the shaking sound. The buzzing is so quiet I have to be smashing the phone against my ear to heart it. The shaking I believe one of the components of the camera. I believe the majority of the people here have the shaking "problem".
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Thanks for the reply. Good to know.
I think it's the accelerometer that do this noise, my N4 do the same noise as well.
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My sound is perfect. I do have a little rattle if I smack it gently with the palm of my hand. I don't do that much. No worries about it though for me.
I have a slight buzz if I hold it up to my ear, but never notice it otherwise. I think it rattles a bit also. Oh well, love it.
The rattle is the auto focus. it is not a defect
Treat your Nexus like a baby. Don't shake it.
I have earpiece sound as well as the sound of the camera-focus when I shake it. But I'm not going to RMA this as long as it does not harm my phone.
this is normal in all do not worry nexus
I'm pretty sure the shaking sound is actually the ejection mechanism for the SIM card. There was a post about it here somewhere.
linelock said:
I'm pretty sure the shaking sound is actually the ejection mechanism for the SIM card. There was a post about it here somewhere.
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No, that's actually the first thing I checked. The sound comes from the camera. At least in my case, maybe some people have different. Whatever, I'm gonna use for a few days and see if that bothers me.
Its the camera every phone I have does this.
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ste1164 said:
Its the camera every phone I have does this.
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Posts like yours make me want to stay with this phone Thanks dude LOL
ste1164 said:
Its the camera every phone I have does this.
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This is true, my iPhone 5 and LG Optimus G both rattled the same way as my nexus 4.
Not trying to sound mean, but use the search feature next time. There are already mulitple posts and I think 2 threads about this exact problem. Just a hint for future problems. Chances are, whatever problem you have has already been discussed.
Why do u shake ur phone ?

Multiple bumps on chrome bezel and loose rubber edge

Hi
I was just wondering if I was the only one with several fairly noticeable bumps on the chrome bezel.
Also, I think my rubber edging is loose as it can easily be made to click loudly if pressed gently anywhere near the bottom. Also, when a cable is plugged into the port it moves a fair bit and the slowest and gentlest movement upward creates a loud click. I think it is the metal on the male part touching the female part but it sounds louder than it should be, sort of like static.
So, should I be worried enough to contact Google?
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ORStoner said:
Hi
I was just wondering if I was the only one with several fairly noticeable bumps on the chrome bezel.
Also, I think my rubber edging is loose as it can easily be made to click loudly if pressed gently anywhere near the bottom. Also, when a cable is plugged into the port it moves a fair bit and the slowest and gentlest movement upward creates a loud click. I think it is the metal on the male part touching the female part but it sounds louder than it should be, sort of like static.
So, should I be worried enough to contact Google?
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I have a few of those little bumps on my chrome bezel as well. My first N4 (now on my replacement due to signal issues) didn't have them. At first they bothered me, but the rest of my phone works fine so I'm happy. I don't want to replace it and get a phone with a problem that I can't live with.
As for the creaking/click sound. My first phone did it and my second one does it as well, though not as bad. I think on my first one I actually made it worse because when I realized it made that click sound. I would often recreate it by pressing on that same spot. Not sure why. Maybe I hoped it would fix itself and suddenly go away. I'm sure you could replace it, but you may get another phone with a worse defect. If the only thing wrong with your N4 is that click sound, I'd just enjoy the device as is. If at some point in the future something more severe takes place, then I'd look in to getting a replacement. Over all the years of using cell phone. I realized there's no perfect device and I'm OK with that.
That sounds exactly like my phone and what I do yo recreate the sound. I try not to so it but I do sometimes hoping it has gone since last time. Maybe I should send Google an email letting them know and if it gets worse they can't blame me.
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ORStoner said:
That sounds exactly like my phone and what I do yo recreate the sound. I try not to so it but I do sometimes hoping it has gone since last time. Maybe I should send Google an email letting them know and if it gets worse they can't blame me.
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I suppose you could try that. It couldn't hurt to call them and relay your experience.
The USB port clicking when plugged in, is caused by the port not correctly installed into the phones housing. I had the same issue and to fix it I opened and disassembled the phone and moved the port lower into the opening so the port stays in place. The noise is caused by the port clipping the edge of the opening in the housing.
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PDP///M said:
The USB port clicking when plugged in, is caused by the port not correctly installed into the phones housing. I had the same issue and to fix it I opened and disassembled the phone and moved the port lower into the opening so the port stays in place. The noise is caused by the port clipping the edge of the opening in the housing.
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Thanks it helps to know what is causing the problem but to be honest I'd rather see if it gets worse and if it does get Google to sort it out than inevitably break it if I try and take it into my own hands. It doesn't inflict functionality at the moment and I'm going to start using wireless charging soon.
I'm glad you managed to sort yours out though!
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I have like two bumps on my top left corner. Do you have lines running down all corners? Is that possibly from molding?
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Hey guys, I've been searching for this problem.
I also got a bump on the top left of my phone, just right of the headphone jack. Tried to "push" it back with force, but it would not give.
Also, I got the clicky bottom, which is weird.
So, anyone knows how to fix these bumps?

[Q] Phone ratting...

Lovely phone. Lovely lovely lovely.
The thing is, if one rotates the phone in your hand so the rear of it is facing you and gently tap in the top left of he case, I hear a small rattle, almost like something is not seated properly or someone's not tightened a screw up.
Anyone else got this? Funnily enough I'm not too fussed about sending it back because in the past (with my Nexus 7) they've been very quick.
I have it too. But it's not too loud. If it happens when I shake the phone too much. I hardly notice it now.
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Camera focus is what it's said to be. They all have it to some degree (including non-nexus phones).
Interesting, and thanks for replying!
The chap on the end of the phone at Google Play Support said there was a known issue with a rattle nearby the sim tray but this was "new to him". He's arranging an RMA so if the replacement has the same problem I'll just have to lump it - until the GoogleMotorolaNexus comes out
someone else might have asked,
Maybe?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2059996&highlight=noise
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2013490&highlight=rattle
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2102939&highlight=rattle
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2081974&highlight=rattle
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2110335&highlight=rattle
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2017214&highlight=noise
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2061859&highlight=noise
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2128744&highlight=rattle
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2130690&highlight=rattle
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2102939&highlight=noise
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2081974&highlight=noise
It's common to all n4 phones. Your replacment will do this too. Hope that helps.
Hahahaha awesome collection of threads. You're probably correct. My first thought was the gyroscope for some reason. Anywho...
The rattle that a lot of people have is not the camera focus,it is much louder and much easier to recreate. It is a part of the sim card ejector, if you take it out and look, you can see it move with the rattle.

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