Database Users

How I Fixed My Speaker Problem (Walkthrough with photos)

Disclaimer: This procedure voids the warranty and you can potentially damage your device.
This guide is for informative purposes only. Perform this procedure at your own risk.
This procedure was performed on an MDA2 (aka XDA2, Qtek2020, I-Mate2, etc).
Original Problem: The speaker stopped working.
Note: There seems to be a similar problem but it requires a totally different approach to fix it and it's out of the scope of this procedure. The problem on my device was somewhat different since when the speaker didn't work, the microphone was still functional. So the problem resides on the speaker connector, not the headphone jack.
Note2: English is not my first language, so please excuse any language errors you may encounter.
Let me start by saying that I have a big passion for gadgets and technology, so I was not going to let go on the opportunity to learn and inspect the guts of my brand new MDA2. You may ask yourself, why in the world don't you send it for repairs if it's a brand new device? Well, the answer is very simple, I bought this device over the Internet and I simply lost hope of being helped by the guys at the place I bought it from, they simply never answered or returned my calls and emails. I grew desperate and tired of using the headphones ALL THE TIME, even for alarms and reminders! and as I said before, I was driven by passion and thirst of knowledge and curiosity so I decided to fix it myself (even with the risk of damaging the device in the process). Let me add that I have some basic knowledge in electronics, and by no means this is my first device I fix. I have some experience. (I have fixed some damaged digitizers on a HP Jornada 568 PocketPC and Compaq iPAQ 3630 Pocket PC, fixed a volume slider on a SE T68i Phone and a SE P800 Smartphone to name a few).
Let me tell you that the MDA2 has been by far the easiest to fix. It's very well designed in terms of components and component placement, and the quality of the materials (plastics and electronics) is exceptional. But this is not a hardware review, so I'll start the walkthrough right now...
This is my victim... i mean... MDA2...
These are the tools required to complete the operation:
Torx #6 tool
Very small Phillips screwdriver (+)
Very small flat screwdriver (-)
Credit Card or similar card
A steady hand
Then I removed the SD Card and Stylus.
Proceed to remove the screws, there are two TORX#6 and four small Phillips (+). Be sure to put them on a safe place, they are very small screws and you don't want to loose them.
There are a couple of hidden Torx#6 screws under that black antenna cover, so we need to remove it. The plastic used in this part is not as dense as the rest of the casing (yes, the casing it's made of plastic!), so we need to be very careful not to break it, so apply very little force.
Start by using the flat screwdriver and insert it in the Stylus silo and use it as a lever (as shown), you will hear a "click" when the lock snaps. You will need flexible hands and dexterity since at this point you will also need to insert the flat screwdriver on the side square hole to release this side of the cover. (see next picture).
Here you can see the two squared-shaped holes where you need to insert the flat screwdriver to release the locks. Be very careful since there are some electronic components just below the square holes and do not apply excessive force to release the locks. Remember, the plastic is very thin on this part.
Now the other side, here you need to also use the flat screwdriver as a lever to release the lock on this side. Be very careful, since you will apply some force on the volume slider.
Now with the bottom part of the black cover released, you will notice there are some more locks to release on the top (just on the edge of the SD slot. DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THE COVER YET!
One more time we need the flat screwdriver as a lever. Insert the flat screwdriver (as shown) but not too deep. Apply very small force in the direction of the arrow and the edge will snap off releasing the cover.
The black cover is now free.
These are the two hidden Torx#6 screws. Proceed to remove them to release the antenna.
The antenna has been removed.
So far so good, now the toughest part of the whole procedure, opening the MDA2 case. You need to be very patient, do not rush since the finish on the case is very easy to scratch and dent. Proceed with the small flat screwdriver and you need to start from the bottom of the MDA2, In my case as soon as I removed all the screws I noticed a small gap on the bottom so I started from that point, but if you don't see the gap, you can start from the headphone jack hole. Please be gentle and don't try to rush.
At this point you can use a credit card to help release the locks that are located all around the case, this way you won't scratch or dent the case. Start counter-clockwise, that is to the left of the headphone jack towards the Stylus silo. Once you manage to release all the locks on that side of the case, just lift it very slowly and the opposite side will snap off very easily. However, be very careful on that side (where the buttons and volume slider is) since in that particular place the plastic is more fragile because of the holes needed for those controls.
Once the MDA2 has been opened in half you can see the three small black Phillips screws (+) (see picture). Proceed to remove them. Please avoid any contact with the electronic components, since at this point any static charge can damage your precious gadget. And also make sure you don't drop the screws or touch the components with the screwdriver, since the MDA2 it's still very alive. See that coin-shaped thing on the opposite side of the screws? That's a LiPo Battery, and it's keeping your data from being erased. By the way, don't try to beat the 20 minute retention time of the battery, you have made a backup right? So go slowly...
Ok. So far so good... This is the speaker, well, actually that's the speaker encased in a small black boxy thing with two gold plated connectors. (see next Pic for a close up).
As you can see, the two gold plated connectors on the speaker container match the two spring connectors on the mother board.
Ok, here we need to be very, very careful. I pulled both springs as shown on the picture above to give them a little more pressure when assembled again and I also cleaned the gold plated connectors on the speaker container. Make sure you apply only the necessary force to pull the springs since they could be disoldered if too much force is applied. Use common sense.
We're almost done!
Now proceed to put everything back together. Remember to put back all the screws in their correct positions and do not apply excessive force or you will damage the thread and make things worse that they where in the first place. Proceed to close the casing by doing the opposite. Start by placing the case on the buttons and volume slider side first then the opposite side.
You may notice that the camera lens will not allow the case to go all the way, but if you do it slowly it will budge.
Proceed with the rest of the assembly in reverse order.
That's it... You can proceed to test the speaker.
My MDA2 has been working flawlessly ever since!!! :wink:
I hope this procedure was helpful.
Best regards,
Rayan

All red crosses instead of pictures...

And then the pictures came
Nice walkthrough you've made !

thanks for the very good explanation!
Illustrated by pictures is always great!
Thanks

Thanks, this is my way of saying "Thank you" to this marvelous community! 8)
P.S.- If you don't see the images, please try again later, since those images are hosted on my webserver and sometimes I need to reboot it... sorry...
Best regards,
Rayan

Just a little bump since I've noticed that many people want to open their beloved devices and I thought my walkthrough might help...
MODS: Any chance to make it a "Post it?" :wink:
Best regards,
Rayan

Excellent post, cheers, and if English is your second langauge then I'd never have known it! There are plenty of people for whom it is their first langauge who can't write as well as you!

Wow. Your documentation is better than what comes with the XDA itself! And your English is better than most people in the US. Great service to the XDA community.

Excellent work, man!

Thanks guys!
I'm glad you liked it!
If anyone has questions about the procedure, please don't hessitate to ask!
Best regards,
Rayan

Great! Somethings in life are free, for opening your XDA II there's Mastercard!!!
hahahahaha

pictures are gone? or is it just me?
did anyone kept a copy?

Sooooo sorry guys... I switched to a new hosting company and recreated my website but forgot to restore those images... I will take them back online ASAP!

waiting for the pics to comeonline again!
please do it asap!
thanks

any luck putting the pictures back online ?

Hello folks!
Sorry for the loooong delay, but as you can see, the pics are back!!!
If you have any questions about the procedure, don't hesitate to ask.
Best regards,
Rayan

Can someone help me?
I had the same problem myself, except that i've done all the stuff you said and i still have the problem... I can hear the phone ringing, but no sound comes from the device (Alarms, appontments, Media Player, etc). When i answer the calls i can't hear any sound from the people who is calling me... Can someone help me?
:shock:

Gents,
Slightly off topic, so please bear with me.
My M1000 has had a problem ever since I got it. The camera seems out of focus as soon as I try to make pictures past say 1,5 meters. Would the serrated ring around the camera lens perhaps be used to focus the device?
Thanks!
Stefan out

I tried to move the serrated lens just to play with it and see if I could get better focus and remember that it was really hard as if it was glued or something.
However, I didn't apply much force but seems like it's meant to be some sort of focus adjustmet, specially because it looks very close to the lens in my webcam when disasembled.
Should you give it a try, let us know...

is there a way to power an ipaq 3630 without the power adapter but with a different battery? like a cel battery? how is the power conector to the ipaq and battery?

Wizard Repair Guide?! Mines Broken :(

Hey Guys,
Well, I'm a bit gutted really! I dropped my XDA Mini S on the floor with the charger in and the connector IN the phone has come apart from inside the phone. The little metal bit is practically hanging out. I'm wondering, if i were to take the phone apart could i re-connect the little part? (I have a soldering iron if thats as simple as its going to be?)
Just wondering if anyone had any guides on how to take the phone apart and take a look at whats wrong?
Any help would be so much appreciated!
Many Thanks,
Tom

The service manual is hosted on the ftp site.
ftp://ftp.xda-developers.com/Wizard/Docs_Tutorials/
Hope this helps.

I suspect you probably broke the socket off, but if you have a soldering iron, you might as well try to get a new mini USB connector to work with.

You might try Pocket PC Techs:
http://www.pocketpctechs.com/main~unit~UTStarcom_XV6700-554~area~repairs~item~REP-USBCON01~name~UTStarcom+XV6700+Mini+USB+Connector+Replacement+Service.htm
I rang them up about an issue I had (screen on the fritz) and they seemed pretty knowledgeable and helpful.
Alternatively there's a company I found today in the UK. I can't vouch if they're good or not.
http://www.xdarepairs.co.uk/home.asp
Good luck.

Well I also have an issue with my wizzard... the mini jack connector (of the handsfree) is a bit loose.
What I am saying is that it does have a good connection with the rest of the circuit and sometimes the sound of the speaker goes off, then I have to insert the habdsfree and tickle it a little bit until it has a good contact.
? have some basic soldering experience,do you think I should give it a try?

Given my device has been apart too many times for me to admit to I thought I'd crack it open to take a pic for you guys. Not sure if this pic will help for those wanting to do some soldering:
Very large pic: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/216/452691530_f47801708f_o.jpg
Excuse the dust.

Ah! That picture at the bottom is exactly what I needed. The metal but at the bottom (the big sqaure) has totally sheared off....bloody thing. Thanks so much for the info on the repair guides. I may give those repair guys a call if i can't get it to work myself.
Thanks alot you guys
As for you WizeMan, it all depends on if you wish to void your warrenty or not. At the end of the day, I installed WM6 on my device so O2 would give me the finger if i tryed to claim. If I'm honest, I'm getting an upgrade next month so I'm not to bothered if I balls it up! Would be nice if I got it working though....
Lemmie know how you get on

unlock k-jam
i read all your write about how to unlock k-jam device but after all i get this message:
Lock Status: 0000000000000000
SIMLock Code: █⌠═eי∟80Γ█Σ☻< δ♠
how can i get it from this .........

lironasseo said:
i read all your write about how to unlock k-jam device but after all i get this message:
Lock Status: 0000000000000000
SIMLock Code: █⌠═eי∟80Γ█Σ☻< δ♠
how can i get it from this .........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A little bit of a thread hijack but that means it is SIM unlocked.

Let me tell you my news, my friends.
I opened my Qtek 9100 and fixed two serious issues regarding this phone, using... sponge (the one we use to wash the dishes)
1. I put some into the stylus socket (from the thin space it has) and also
2. On the top of the mini jack socket so when i assembled the housing it blocked it from moving (2 of the contacts are no more soldered and i dint have a soldering iron at that time)
Anyway, both operation went ok and my phone is more than fully functioning. Now the stylus is hardly (in a good way) comming out (it first gets longer then comes out).
I wanted to do also the safe singal fix, but didnt find the photos to apply it correclty, so if someone has them, please give link. If you need any info about the "Sponge" Hacks, just post or pm

WizeMan said:
Let me tell you my news, my friends.
I opened my Qtek 9100 and fixed two serious issues regarding this phone, using... sponge (the one we use to wash the dishes)
1. I put some into the stylus socket (from the thin space it has) and also
2. On the top of the mini jack socket so when i assembled the housing it blocked it from moving (2 of the contacts are no more soldered and i dint have a soldering iron at that time)
Anyway, both operation went ok and my phone is more than fully functioning. Now the stylus is hardly (in a good way) comming out (it first gets longer then comes out).
I wanted to do also the safe singal fix, but didnt find the photos to apply it correclty, so if someone has them, please give link. If you need any info about the "Sponge" Hacks, just post or pm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm still trying to get the a new fascia and will probably shove an eraser bit into the stylus spring mechanism to ensure the defect never happens. Also how did you discover the break in the solder joints on the headphones jack? I have a funny situation where the left channel of the headphones doesn't work but I suspected the headphones (the plug has to be pulled at an angle to get any sound out of the left) but now I am thinking it may be the socket itself.
By the way the reception fix pic doesn't load for me either but I unless you truly need it, don't waste your time doing it; I always have all 4 bars and sometimes have 2 bars.

AsGF2MX said:
I'm still trying to get the a new fascia and will probably shove an eraser bit into the stylus spring mechanism to ensure the defect never happens. Also how did you discover the break in the solder joints on the headphones jack? I have a funny situation where the left channel of the headphones doesn't work but I suspected the headphones (the plug has to be pulled at an angle to get any sound out of the left) but now I am thinking it may be the socket itself.
By the way the reception fix pic doesn't load for me either but I unless you truly need it, don't waste your time doing it; I always have all 4 bars and sometimes have 2 bars.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Allright here is the deal.
1. I found out the break in the soldier joints when i opened it. I was really suspicious about it because when i inserted my headphone jack into the connector, i had problem with the contact; the connector was loose and it muted my phones speaker. When i disassembled the phone using the service manual i saw with my eyes that the the joins where f-ed up.
2. I dont really need the signal hack i just wanted to experiment, i have 2.25.11 cingular radio rom and its great.
Btw i suppose you should better use the sponge, because the rubber may wear off but not the sponge...

Thanks for the tip on the sponge. I am going to grab a used but allegedly "like new" body from eBay and also get one of those covers as well.

Trinity rattling ...

Hi
Just some advice really... I have a M700 that I got off ebay and it works fine but I dropped it in the car a couple of days ago and everything is still fine except I believe something has come loose inside and it is now rattling... I think it is just a bit of plastic that may have snapped off as everything is working fine but I cant open the device and get it out as I will invalidate the warranty (VOID sticker) not sure if I can get the sticker off with steam and then stick it back on ... or shall I just go down the route of getting it to HTC for repair?? Any ideas ... just dont want to waste there time as there is no hardware problem...

I have removed warranty stickers from several devices using a hair dryer. I cannot ensure this works with the Trinity one, but I think it would. I haven't open my Trini yet.
Just warm the sticker up and, with a cutter or a needle, remove it carefully without breaking it.
Please take care of not warming too much plastic pieces so they are not distorted.
On the other hand, I opened once a Qtek S100 and, believe me, it is not so easy to re-assemble it again. Something fell down when I opened it and it took me some time to figure out where that part fitted.
Good luck!

Try with the stylus inserted in its own place.
I noticed that when the stylus is out of the pda, it's inside clip rattles...

Before opening...
Try shaking with your finger on the IR lens.
I had that sinking feeling too... but was happy to find out that it was just the plastic exterior IR lens cover..
good luck.

I had a rattle inside mine and it was one of the screws from the camera/loudspeaker board that had come out.
I found it very easy to open, and then just needed a small cross head screw driver to fix.
digi-tal

How difficult is to take apart an HTC Ozone?

Hi all,
My wife spilled a glass of beer on my PDA, and now the top front buttons don't react like before. Sometimes you don't hear the 'click' and you can feel like they got stuck.
The keyboard looks fine, so the problem is only the with the top buttons at the front of the PDA.
Have anybody tried to take apart this PDA? Would be easy to open it and clean everything before putting everything back?
Thanks a lot

I completely soaked my Ozone about a week after I got it... knocked it in the sink. I like to think that I was among the first to void my warranty, Lo..l?
The phone is really well constructed for what you need to do. All of the critical electronics are very well shielded on the board, nothing difficult about separating the board from the case.
Six 'star drive' screws on the case (that's where the warranty sticker is), one tiny phillips on the board - board pulls up off of pins, away from the usb connector and Bob's your uncle. The keypad is not fastened to the case, pull it right out.
Watch the ribbon cable for the lcd - I would not recommend disconnecting it. there should be enough play to allow you to work. Make sure you're working in a really clean environment, and check the inside of the plastic lcd cover obsessively right before reassembly. If you're anything like me that one little catpet fiber or cat hair or whatever the hell will drive you to take the phone apart again 4 days later...
Sorry about the ramble... it's late. Short answer is: Nothing to it.
Good luck!

Thanks a lot for your post. It was really helpful.
I will probably try it this weekend.
I'll post here the results
Cheers

So if I wanted to buy a different color keypad (dont like the green) it shouldnt be hard to take apart??...I change screens in Env/Voyagers a bit so have a little knowledge...

replacing G1 speaker

Hey guys,
The earpiece speaker on my G1 has developed a fault, the fault being it doesn't appear to work, how easy is it to source a replacement for it and how easy is the repair itself? is there any guides as to how to do it around? (i looked but i couldn't find anything).
I've tried flashing the rom and doing a hard reset but its still faulty.
The loud speakers working fine though so atm all my calls have to be done on the handsfree kit or via loudspeaker which can get annoying.
any help is much appreciated
regards
Streather

Are you using a ROM where sound works?
What ROM are you using?

Tried it with cynagen and the stock tmob one, same results.

Same problem
I'm using CyanogenMod 4.2.5. I dropped the phone about a foot (it fell out of my shirt pocket as I was tying my shoe!), and the earpiece stopped working. Everything else (speaker phone, etc.) works fine.
I've seen a number of similar cases in other forums, so I'm thinking that this is a weak point. I'll attempt disassembly and see if the speaker contacts got moved or something simple. Fortunately, replacement receivers/earpiece/speakers are available over the net.
Meanwhile, I'd love to learn of others' experience with this. The tech manual makes it look like you have to just about completely disassemble the phone to get at the earpiece, even though you can easily access 3 screws on the back of the lcd. Is there a shorter route to the receiver than a complete disassembly?
[update] I found some good info (including a technical manual) by Googling "g1 phone disassembly". And searching for "g1 speaker" on eBay gave some decent looking results.
[update 2] I disassembled my phone, took out the receiver, cleaned its contacts, replaced it, and and reassembled everything. That was a pretty serious chore, and it demonstrated that a nearly complete disassembly is required to access the receiver (yes, including all the stuff at the opposite end of the phone). I don't know how to test the receiver without being in cell range, which my house is not. But at least nearly everything else still works, except the camera--I need to tear back into the phone and make sure I fully seated the FPC. I think finding a replacement receiver will be a challenge--most of what turned up on eBay is actually the main speaker on the back of the phone, and I have yet to find a vendor that sells receivers.

Sadly, you will almost have to tear down the whole unit to get to it. It's not extremly diffucult, but you will need to be steady and gentle. Good luck.

Success!
I haven't seen many report back after tearing apart their phones to address issues with a bad receiver, so here goes. My simple-minded approach of opening it up, cleaning the receiver contacts with a pencil eraser, and ensuring good alignment before reassembling WORKED. I did not have to buy a new receiver.
Now if I can just get my camera to work again (I think I didn't get the cable well seated).
[update]: camera works! Seating that FPC took some nimble fingers--I got it on the 3rd attempt. I hope this proves useful to others who, like me, do not have the warranty option for various reasons.

I dropped my phone once, by accident, same thing happened. The speaker you use to put your ear up to when making a phone call doesn't work, but the speaker phone speaker works as does a bluetooth headset. Called HTC lied said that it just stopped working out of no where, they said its covered under warranty. Luckily the phone is under warranty until March and will be replaced.

I ran into the same problem. I was having intermittent problems with the earpiece. Yesterday I was able to take out the battery and put it in and it started working again. Today that didn't help either. I saw this thread and I thought that I'd try blowing really hard on the earpiece to see if that helps. It seems to be working again! I hope it continues to work.

dirtprof said:
Now if I can just get my camera to work again (I think I didn't get the cable well seated).
[update]: camera works! Seating that FPC took some nimble fingers--I got it on the 3rd attempt. I hope this proves useful to others who, like me, do not have the warranty option for various reasons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you post details on how to do this?
My camera stopped working too.

I personally found it easier when disassembling the phone to carefully lift the entire camera and IMEI sticker as a whole unit and remove it as part of the motherboard. That way you dont need to mess with that hard to reach connector. So from where you are at, lift the board back out, reattach the camera assembly, and reassemble as a unit. I think you will find it is MUCH easier

Seat the camera FPC fully
RueTheDay said:
Can you post details on how to do this?
My camera stopped working too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had to lift the motherboard up and away from the hook that held it down in order for the FPC clip to open fully. Then I inserted the FPC *fully* before closing the FPC clip (my failures resulted from not being able to fully seat the FPC because the FPC clip could not fully open as long as the motherboard was in place). Then the trick was to get the motherboard back under its hook without accidentally pulling the FPC back out again. What I did was to press it gently straight down, using my fingernail to ease it past the hook.
Good luck!

bump...
Yeah looks like all there is on Ebay for speakers is the back one, the one for the receiver earpiece looks like it has two wire connections at each end while the one for the back speaker has them right next to eachother.
So if anybody had this problem, it is very odd and might have to do with the spring connection maybe.
Still I had this problem before and it fixed itself randomly, but this problem came out of nowhere because 12 hours earlier I had dropped my phone on its back and it continued to work fine. Than on my way driving randomly it would not work and I barely set it down in my car.
Once again hopefully somebody has found a part for this because ebay only has back speaker parts.
Best bet is to blow on it and massage it or tap it until it works, damn this sucks because it is basically the very last step to get to after dissambling your phone. So much work to get to such a common problem for many people.
I almost wanted to try to shortcut it and undo the two screws on the screen section to move it around to make connection. Now I am the deusche bag with the bluetooth in his ear all the time.

I almost wanted to try to shortcut it and undo the two screws on the screen section to move it around to make connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was what I tried at first. It didn't gain me access to the speaker.
Taking the phone apart is a pain. You really need nimble fingers and faith that you're not breaking the phone when you're levering apart the *very* tightly held together plastic parts. HTC did not make this thing with servicing it in mind. Just be sure to have the right tools (including light and a good magnifying glass if you're over 40) and patience.

Removing the 3 screws that are accessible without disassembling the entire phone will get you in there if you are VERY careful. Unfortunately the one I tried this on did not work differently with a known-good speaker in it. You can delicately dig out the old speaker with a knife (Xacto) and drop the new one in. Takes patients, but not nearly as hard as disassembling the entire phone (been there, done that x10)
I have at least one spare speaker. Maybe more, gotta check my stockpile!

Hey,
My phone got dropped in a rum & coke on Saturday, so i soaked it in 90% rubbing alcohol and let it dry in a rice bath. after 4 days in the rice, it looked dry, so i turned it on. IT WORKS! The screen looks a little trippy (the pattern is even changing throughout the day) but the touch and accelerometer work great. The only real problem is the speakers sound like crap. the receiver is so quiet that it sound like they're wispering, and the back speaker is all crackely.
I found a replacement receiver speaker, but as i haven't taken it apart yet, i was hoping one of you could tell me if this looks correct.
http://www.tvc-mall.com/details/Replacement-Speaker-Earpiece-Receiver-for-HTC-G1-HTCO-G1/photos.htm
If so, i guess i'll order both speakers and attempt to replace them.

That looks about right. Bear in mind, of course, that those pictures are greatly magnified. If you haven't taken apart a G1 yet, you're in for a bit of nerve-wracking prying. Just go slowly and be patient. Getting all the way to the receiver speaker means taking the phone most of the way apart.

Thanks!
I have taken apart a phone before, the Dash (excalibur). I had to replace the screen, it involved removing almost every component.
I think i'll go ahead and order it, and cross my fingers. right now the phone isn't much more then a tiny computer, since i can't hear anyone and i don't have a Bluetooth.