Nexus 4 Battery Bulging & Out of Warranty - Nexus 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hey guys, I have a Nexus 4 that I bought around end of 2012 and it is now out of warranty. Recently, the battery started dying around 50% after updating to Kit Kat 4.4.2 and now it's bulging and breaking the glass in the back plate. I stopped using it, fearing it would explode. What should I do since I am out of warranty and I bought this phone off Craigslist, so it's not like I can claim hardware replacement anyways. I just ordered a battery replacement kit off Amazon and hopefully this will bring life back to the phone.

I would probably keep that in safe somewhere deep in the Atlantic Ocean until you got your stuff together to replace the battery.. That does not look good at all!
I've opened up my N4 for the first time a few days ago, using iFixit's Essential Toolkit. Also went through the process of removing the battery (to take a good look at the usb-flex but that's irrelevant) and it's actually pretty easy! Just make sure you do heat up your battery first with a heatgun or a hairdryer because that'll loosen the adhesive holding the battery a little. Good luck!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Do you mind taking a look at what I bought off Amazon? I don't really know if I got the right tools or battery pack for the job. Thanks bro. Sorry I can't post links on here but what I bought are:
Tool Repair Kit Precision Screw Driver Set Torx + Flat Head + Safe Plying Prying Pry Tool for Motorola Verizon Sprint ATT Cingular Razor and More
Internal Battery LG BL-T5 BL T5 2100mAh for LG Google Nexus 4 E960 / Optimus G E970 / Optimus G LS970
Thanks again. I got a new phone but hoping to fix this phone for my dad. It would be his first smartphone.

jin512 said:
Do you mind taking a look at what I bought off Amazon? I don't really know if I got the right tools or battery pack for the job. Thanks bro. Sorry I can't post links on here but what I bought are:
Tool Repair Kit Precision Screw Driver Set Torx + Flat Head + Safe Plying Prying Pry Tool for Motorola Verizon Sprint ATT Cingular Razor and More
Internal Battery LG BL-T5 BL T5 2100mAh for LG Google Nexus 4 E960 / Optimus G E970 / Optimus G LS970
Google change b
Thanks again. I got a new phone but hoping to fix this phone for my dad. It would be his first smartphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
go to YouTube and search for How to replace battery on nexus 4 .there's a couple of videos that will show you how.

I am just a little afraid of the quality of the replacement battery pack. The seller has a 92% rating and although it says LG OEM, I highly doubt it. Hopefully the battery is reliable and won't explode. Damn Google and LG won't do anything for my poor phone...
mickey1999 said:
go to YouTube and search for How to replace battery on nexus 4 .there's a couple of videos that will show you how.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

jin512 said:
Do you mind taking a look at what I bought off Amazon? I don't really know if I got the right tools or battery pack for the job. Thanks bro. Sorry I can't post links on here but what I bought are:
Tool Repair Kit Precision Screw Driver Set Torx + Flat Head + Safe Plying Prying Pry Tool for Motorola Verizon Sprint ATT Cingular Razor and More
Internal Battery LG BL-T5 BL T5 2100mAh for LG Google Nexus 4 E960 / Optimus G E970 / Optimus G LS970
Thanks again. I got a new phone but hoping to fix this phone for my dad. It would be his first smartphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Are these the products you bought?
www.amazon.com/Repair-Precision-Motorola-Verizon-Cingular/dp/B001KBEO1O
http://www.amazon.com/Internal-Battery-LG-2100mAh-Optimus/dp/B00DRODFNK
If yes, then you should be fine. The repair kit includes a T5 Torx screwdriver which you'll need to remove the 2 screws at the bottom of your device. Also, the 'Safe Plying Prying Pry Tool' (which I guess is the blue/green plastic thing on the right) is pretty useful, but I prefer using a guitar pick to open up the phone.
As for the battery, I'm no expert myself but the reviews are looking pretty good. I'd say it is genuine.
Good luck and maybe this video might help:
What phone did you get by the way?

Hi, thank you for the prompt response. These are the products that I have bought. I hope everything works out. I ended up following the hype and getting an iPhone 5S. Definitely missing stock Android and a larger screen.
Waterdroid said:
Hi,
Are these the products you bought?
www.amazon.com/Repair-Precision-Motorola-Verizon-Cingular/dp/B001KBEO1O
http://www.amazon.com/Internal-Battery-LG-2100mAh-Optimus/dp/B00DRODFNK
If yes, then you should be fine. The repair kit includes a T5 Torx screwdriver which you'll need to remove the 2 screws at the bottom of your device. Also, the 'Safe Plying Prying Pry Tool' (which I guess is the blue/green plastic thing on the right) is pretty useful, but I prefer using a guitar pick to open up the phone.
As for the battery, I'm no expert myself but the reviews are looking pretty good. I'd say it is genuine.
Good luck and maybe this video might help:
What phone did you get by the way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

jin512 said:
Hi, thank you for the prompt response. These are the products that I have bought. I hope everything works out. I ended up following the hype and getting an iPhone 5S. Definitely missing stock Android and a larger screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. If anything goes wrong, I'd be glad to help you out where I can.
I'm glad you got an iPhone. IMHO iOS lacks way too much customization, but you'll appreciate the endless list of accesoires, cases, apps, etc. for your device. And if you don't, just get rid of that thing and get yourself an Android device again, it's only a phone after all .
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Haha. You speak exactly what is on my mind. iOS has its advantages and disadvantages. The accessories and support from Apple is great and the apps are all very uniformly designed. However, the screen's kind of small and I can't really use widgets. I miss customizing and rooting and installing custom roms. I am looking at the Nexus 5 haha or the Galaxy S5, although I do prefer stock Android experience. Maybe I will make the change back. I don't know. For now, iPhone 5s.
Waterdroid said:
No problem. If anything goes wrong, I'd be glad to help you out where I can.
I'm glad you got an iPhone. IMHO iOS lacks way too much customization, but you'll appreciate the endless list of accesoires, cases, apps, etc. for your device. And if you don't, just get rid of that thing and get yourself an Android device again, it's only a phone after all .
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I disassembled my phone to take a look at my battery and oh my god was I scared. Here are some pictures for you guys to see.
*For others who have a bulging Nexus 4 or have battery dying around 50-60%, you should probably stop using your phone as this might be what is happening to you. Good luck.

Is your phone better now after the battery replacement...? Do let us know..
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

My phone is working excellent. I replaced the battery with an OEM LG battery and now battery life on Kit Kat 4.4.2 has never been better.

I just had to replace the battery on my nexus 4 today (the pictures that the OP posted, are an accurate representation of what my battery looked like).... here's the story:
Been 5years since i first got my Nexus 4 and during that time ive used it quite extensively. It's had it USB port replaced as it shorted itself oh so randomly while charging... Now, it's been almost two years that it has been retired after getting myself the OnePlus X. Although i do go to it time to time to install stuff and just play with it, i never noticed anything physically wrong it with, cause there wasn't.
Ill say, a month went by since the last time i had used the phone.... So, today i decided I wanted to install the latest version of LineageOS on it, after the dev went on a little break.
When i picked up the phone, i noticed that the phone felt weird in my hand, but even more so when i laid it down on my desk... it wobbled... i was like wtf?
While then examining the phone, i noticed that there was a slight bulge happening where the area the battery is... so in my head im like hmm... i think the battery might need to be replaced soon.
Anyway, while playing with the phone, it eventually just shut off on me... tried to power it back on... nope... so im like... "needs to be replaced... 'soon'... yea, more like now..."
luckily i had already purchased a new battery at the same time i ordered the new USB port for my phone when the usb shorted.
30min later:
battery was replaced, no more bulge and phone powered back on! and to my surprise, the battery was at 62% charge! not bad for 2yrs unused! hahaha
P.S. my phone isnt cracked like the OP's Nexus 4... that's just holy w-t-f!

Related

nexus one, you will be remembered

The touchscreen died.
Last night when I used it, I notice the touchscreen has no more response.
Tried to power cycle (I still can use the trackball) and it doesn't help.
It's time to say goodbye and you're remembered.
I think I read it was $115 to replace the screen by sending it to HTC, you have this option still I guess.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
R.I.P
Give it a good send off if you decide to ditch it. Perhaps strap it to a bunch of fireworks and launch it from your garden? Youtube video is mandatory.
R.I.P. mine is showing symptoms too. And yes please do an attention-sucking funeral.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
Bummer! I would frame it because it will be a collector's item someday
hell, give it to me, i replaced my digitizer for 30$ and my phone still does anything i could ever need it to do, and if it cant do i then i can turn on the tether and my laptop can.
replacing the digitizer isn't too much of a pain in the ass other than removing / replacing the glue. i used some heavy duty 3M double sided tape which was just slightly too thick but it'll work until the nexus 3 comes out.
also, might it be a software issue? i've been having random touch screen problems ever since i installed the latest OTA (2.3.4) including non responsiveness and random input.
yeah i used spray adhesive on the tray that holds the led and digitizer, masked off properly worked like a charm
My N1 is showing this symptom too Something bad is coming
I Am So Sorry for Your Loss, You Have My Deepest Sympathy
Buy N1 cheap
I don't have enough posts to show a link but www . icemonkey . com has new N1's.
They have a ton of new in box N1's. My gf just ordered one.
Again, New In Box N1 269.99
alansdaman said:
I don't have enough posts to show a link but www . icemonkey . com has new N1's.
They have a ton of new in box N1's. My gf just ordered one.
Again, New In Box N1 269.99
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is a good deal So tempted to order one as a spare...but the shipping/import duty costs would be nasty.
order a digitizer from ebay..... I did it with mine, because my digitizer was cracked. But now its good as new!
If you want to buy a new one, check out swappa .com
My n1 has always had touchscreen issues...so non-responsiveness is nothing new to me. But thanks for the link, I'm def gonna order a spare just in case mine does go completely out b4 the n3 arrives.
Edit: Or not...looks like they already sold out
Power button died on mine and it seems like I get storage error every few days? I i've had a my N1 since day one but it looks like I was might be getting that galaxy s2 sooner than expected.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA Premium App
lol loved mine too, enough so that although I picked up an sgs2 I still have the nexi, a first time for that. I have always sold the old when the next thing came along.
I feel your pain. Please do give your N1 a proper send off.
However, with that said, granted that our work-horse phones are subject to daily wear & tear, but how are you guys handling your N1s? No reason why a digitizer becomes inoperable due to wear because it inherently has no moving parts. Unless of course it gets scratched or dropped.
I'm aware of the inferior digitizer with its multi-touch issue, but simply turning the screen off/on "resets" it. Other than that, it's still as responsive as day one.
N1s (especially when it first came out) aren't cheap. Gotta handle them, or any smartphone really, with kid gloves. I'm still using the cover that came with it and it has saved my N1 from quite a number of drops.
Bottom line, (modded) N1s should continue to keep up (and in some cases still kick ass) with newly released smartphones if we just handle them with a modicum of care.
this sums it up:
jacka$$1 said:
I feel your pain. Please do give your N1 a proper send off.
However, with that said, granted that our work-horse phones are subject to daily wear & tear, but how are you guys handling your N1s? No reason why a digitizer becomes inoperable due to wear because it inherently has no moving parts. Unless of course it gets scratched or dropped.
I'm aware of the inferior digitizer with its multi-touch issue, but simply turning the screen off/on "resets" it. Other than that, it's still as responsive as day one.
N1s (especially when it first came out) aren't cheap. Gotta handle them, or any smartphone really, with kid gloves. I'm still using the cover that came with it and it has saved my N1 from quite a number of drops.
Bottom line, (modded) N1s should continue to keep up (and in some cases still kick ass) with newly released smartphones if we just handle them with a modicum of care.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey man dont let it go just yet. A power cycle isn't all you can do. First try to wipe and flash a new rom. If that dosnt work use fast boot and restore everything to original including your boot loader. I really hope its not dead. If you dont want to buy a new screen there are people who will, so please sell it or give it away on craigslist, you cant just give up on such a legendary phone.

[Q] Just dropped my Nexus - can it be saved?

So...I just died a little inside...
What I've foolishly done is dropped my Nexus 7 screen side down onto floorboards and as you can see in the attached picture...something has gone awry. I'm assuming that it's the digitiser that's broken??? - is there anything I can (relatively) easily do with limited knowledge of this kind of stuff (via tutorials?)? Or would I be best replacing the device? When the screen is on, the individual bars change colour, cycling through purple, black, but mostly white. The tablet makes the unlocking sound and I can VERY faintly see some aspects of my home screen.
Any help would be appreciated. Rotten start to the new year.
Located in Melbourne, Australia, if that's of any use...
you could check out Tablet repair shops on Craiglist . They usually fix cell phones and tablets for 10 to 40 bucks. Its worth it.
if you are good with tools you could pop it open your self and see if any cables are messed up, give you a better idea on what you need to replace
soloman56 said:
So...I just died a little inside...
What I've foolishly done is dropped my Nexus 7 screen side down onto floorboards and as you can see in the attached picture...something has gone awry. I'm assuming that it's the digitiser that's broken??? - is there anything I can (relatively) easily do with limited knowledge of this kind of stuff (via tutorials?)? Or would I be best replacing the device? When the screen is on, the individual bars change colour, cycling through purple, black, but mostly white. The tablet makes the unlocking sound and I can VERY faintly see some aspects of my home screen.
Any help would be appreciated. Rotten start to the new year.
Located in Melbourne, Australia, if that's of any use...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I try to repair anything I can, Its usually cheaper and also a good chance to gain experience with this stuff. I cant tell you how many screens ive had to replace on my wifes Iphone haha. As far as tutorials go youtube has a whole bunch of them some are more thorough then others Heres a good one to get ya started. Nexus 7 Tear Down
Here is a written tutorial for removing the screen assembly. Between these two you should have no problems! Nexus 7 screen repair
If it still has warranty, you can copy everything you need off the SD card and get it replaced. You can try sending it to a repair shop, but it might be cheaper to buy a new one.
called asus and they told me that it'll cost $220 to replace the device as they won't repair it. I've copied everything over to my pc and I'll probably have a crack at giving it a tear down and fixing it. otherwise I think I'll upgrade to the 32gb as I've found 16gb to be too restrictive. annoying (for me) that there will be a new model in ~6 months time...
cjsspape said:
I try to repair anything I can, Its usually cheaper and also a good chance to gain experience with this stuff. I cant tell you how many screens ive had to replace on my wifes Iphone haha. As far as tutorials go youtube has a whole bunch of them some are more thorough then others Heres a good one to get ya started. Nexus 7 Tear Down
Here is a written tutorial for removing the screen assembly. Between these two you should have no problems! Nexus 7 screen repair
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just completed the tear down - my battery took ages to remove due to an insane amount of glue (yay for asus build quality?). was interesting to go through the process, but, sadly, the issue with the digitiser persists. I'm going to do some shopping around and see how much I can get the 32gb model for in store, other wise I may even buy (a grey import) one from kogan.com.
Is the screen actually cracked? I could not make it out from the picture.....If not why could you not just get it sent back as faulty? If there is no physical damage how could they tell? But then again you have opened it now............... Good luck.
Sent from my shooteru using xda app-developers app
viper08 said:
Is the screen actually cracked? I could not make it out from the picture.....If not why could you not just get it sent back as faulty? If there is no physical damage how could they tell? But then again you have opened it now............... Good luck.
Sent from my shooteru using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No cracks and I thought of this straight after tearing off the security stickers Thing is, two out of the three security stickers I was told to remove in the tear down tutorial were already missing. Also, there were several black (ink/oil?) smudge-y finger prints on the copper shielding when I opened it...hmmm
RIP Nexus 7......
replace!
quicker and cheaper...
repair would cost around 70-80% of a new nexus 7

[Q] Wireless charging orb damaged my N4...

Alright, let me keep this simple. I was charging my Nexus 4 on my wireless charging orb yesterday. I did not notice that it was slipping off the orb since I was eating, and by the time I finally noticed, it fell to the ground. When I picked it back up, I noticed that the back of the phone was cracked. The crack on the backside was pretty bad that it actually affects the camera; when I try to take a picture, I noticed that there is a really bright area on the bottom of the picture (most likely from the cracks). I bought the N4 from day 1 and got it a week after, so I don't think calling Google Play support would help me there. If I call LG and explain to them that the cracks were caused by the phone slipping off the orb, would they allow me to send it in for repair under the limited warranty provided along with the phone?
UPDATE: I just called LG and just asked for how much it would be to repair it. Did not explain or anything. They told me that it could be $140-200; could be more, could be less. Is there any other cheaper alternatives to getting the back cover fixed? I really don't want to pay that much, but if there is nothing I can do, then I might as well.
NelsonTheMoron said:
Alright, let me keep this simple. I was charging my Nexus 4 on my wireless charging orb yesterday. I did not notice that it was slipping off the orb since I was eating, and by the time I finally noticed, it fell to the ground. When I picked it back up, I noticed that the back of the phone was cracked. The crack on the backside was pretty bad that it actually affects the camera; when I try to take a picture, I noticed that there is a really bright area on the bottom of the picture (most likely from the cracks). I bought the N4 from day 1 and got it a week after, so I don't think calling Google Play support would help me there. If I call LG and explain to them that the cracks were caused by the phone slipping off the orb, would they allow me to send it in for repair under the limited warranty provided along with the phone?
UPDATE: I just called LG and just asked for how much it would be to repair it. Did not explain or anything. They told me that it could be $140-200; could be more, could be less. Is there any other cheaper alternatives to getting the back cover fixed? I really don't want to pay that much, but if there is nothing I can do, then I might as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously Doubt LG will repair it without cost... Mainly because you shouldn't have set the phone so close to the edge of the table/desk when it was being held up by rubber and magnets. Its not impossible for it to slip off.. Specially IF you have a case on the phone, which reduces the strength of the magnets grip.
No cheaper way to get it fix other than through LG.. At least none that I have found.
There aren't 't any magnets in the orb that hold the Nexus 4. I've heard the back late is easy to change. Maybe you can find one cheap on ebay or somewhere else and change it yourself.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Could you please edit the title of your post? This is very misleading. The orb did not damage your phone. It's sudden stop on the floor is what damaged your phone.
grubbster said:
Could you please edit the title of your post? This is very misleading. The orb did not damage your phone. It's sudden stop on the floor is what damaged your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. Thanks
grubbster said:
Could you please edit the title of your post? This is very misleading. The orb did not damage your phone. It's sudden stop on the floor is what damaged your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed
Should be I'm not that bright and leave the orb on the edge of my desk... Doh! Lol
Sent from my Nexus 4
TheIntruder said:
Agreed
Should be I'm not that bright and leave the orb on the edge of my desk... Doh! Lol
Sent from my Nexus 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gravity ftw.
@OP I'm gonna suggest you do a search for replacement back. Don't take me wrong, not trying to be a prick. I'm driving and wanted to let you known there might be an alternative. There are 1-2 threads, one guy asks people to pm him to buy the back. Also I think its simple to replace it by just removing the two screws. One thread a guy mentions he sent his back to LG and it cost him $64 total and two weeks. There are backs online about $35-50.
Hope that helps

[Q] Phone issues galore

Hey, I know this is by far the most stupid thing I've done in a long time, so please don't point it out to me, but I traded my Galaxy S4 + cash for a G2. I checked out the phone for a bit to make sure it was fine, and so far it only has 2 issues, one of which I can fix.
1. The phone is an in-store demo unit, it keeps playing through Verizon's demo software, which I don't mind, I can fix that.
2. The phone's battery is dying, as in it's max charge yesterday was 37%, today it's 35%.
Now, I hate to ask this because I feel like a total derp, but is there anything I can do about the battery (I know it's internal, but is it able to be repaired)?
It isn't molded plastic so you can definitely change it. Haven't seen any threads on it yet though. As for point 1, try to get into factory reset mode and do that.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
From what I heard and read the back cover is simple to remove. Just put your nails into the small gap between the silver band and the cover and move it along the edges, I'm sure the cover should come off. The battery should be accessible, not sure if you need to unglue it or solder it off, which shouldn't be a difficult task. Then search eBay for a battery replacement which shouldn't be hard to find just search for the Korean model of the LG G2.
Sent from my LG-D801 using xda app-developers app
shook187 said:
From what I heard and read the back cover is simple to remove. Just put your nails into the small gap between the silver band and the cover and move it along the edges, I'm sure the cover should come off. The battery should be accessible, not sure if you need to unglue it or solder it off, which shouldn't be a difficult task. Then search eBay for a battery replacement which shouldn't be hard to find just search for the Korean model of the LG G2.
Sent from my LG-D801 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Korean model has a 2600mah battery, while the other models have 3000mah. It's not the same battery, it might not even fit.
Do you have insurance on the line? If so just have it replaced.
Sent from my VS980 4G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
no insurance
I don't have insurance, but if I did, would it even cover my phone that has been swapped?
Edit: Also I contacted the seller and he said that the phone "requires" a special charger, which I know it says it's not the correct charger when I plug it in, but I don't think it "requires" the LG one, but I could be wrong I suppose, I am using a 2.0A charger from my old Note II
Have you tried to just do a factory reset on it to solve the issues??
turnturn1225 said:
Hey, I know this is by far the most stupid thing I've done in a long time, so please don't point it out to me, but I traded my Galaxy S4 + cash for a G2. I checked out the phone for a bit to make sure it was fine, and so far it only has 2 issues, one of which I can fix.
1. The phone is an in-store demo unit, it keeps playing through Verizon's demo software, which I don't mind, I can fix that.
2. The phone's battery is dying, as in it's max charge yesterday was 37%, today it's 35%.
Now, I hate to ask this because I feel like a total derp, but is there anything I can do about the battery (I know it's internal, but is it able to be repaired)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is 'go to the police' an option?
WheresTrent said:
Is 'go to the police' an option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would a store be selling off a demo phone of the latest model. Sounds very fishy.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

battery change

Any oficial way to change the battery of a Nexus 6p? Mine is working horrible lately
The battery in this phone is a known issue. There is a way to do it and if you Google tutorials for it you'll find quite a few. If you have never disassembled a smart phone before I don't recommend doing it your self. I would recommend buying all of the spare parts and paying a cell phone repair store to complete the project for you.
I replaced mine. It wasn't too bad, however, the black plastic rim around the screen is SO fragile and chipped in a couple of places. Other than that, pretty easy to do.
I would take it to a shop. Atleast they have the correct tools and hopefully not damage the phone. I also have to replace my battery as it started to act up.
Thanks for the info. I live in Mexico so I don't really rely on any phone repairing store.. haha. I guess I will have to wait for the pixel 2.. and hope that the battery on that will be more durable
If you get yourself a really fine blade, some guitar picks and this site it's not too hard. Just test the new battery out before you close it back up. I did it flawless the first attempt but when the replacement battery was defective out of frustration I marked up the sides taking it out a second time. Also when prying on the battery just remember there is a important cable running through the middle underneath. Ultimately your decision of course maybe just selling it down the road and getting a newer model if you can hold out. ?

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