Related
Hi Champs,
the Keyboard on my MDA Vario (T-Mobile) is very loose.
Meaning, that it slides out nearly by itself
Is there any way to make it harder / tighten it? Has someone done it and can explain on How To (maybe with pictures)?
Thanks in advance!
Oliver
Sorry that I do not have any solution for you and share your concern.
It is unfortunate that HTC did not learn anything from the Blue angel. I had the i-mate pda2k (blue angel) and it too had similar loose keyboard problem. Now we have the brand new Wizard and the same loose keyboard.
In the end I think it is our fault (myself included) because whatever they make we are prepared to spend our hard earned money on it
Just my views
Kind Regards
Noone has any tips or tricks to help on this?
It is getting worse! And T-Mobile claims that this is normal and will not exchange it :-(
Oliver
I did it once
Hi Oliver,
I did it once, my wizard wasn't to loose and in fact I didn't wanted to tight the keyboard but I feel it more tight after I disassembled my wizard (trying to fix the center-not-working problem of the touchscreen) I think that what did the trick was to tight the srews that support the screen when you open the keyboard (you won't be able to see them without disassembling). I whould advise you to search for some pics of the wizard disassembled and look for those srews.
PS: I see is a old post, wish it helps or already fixed =)
See the little bumps in this picture (red circles around them)?
Build those bumps up with some very thin coats of clear epoxy, or even with a very hard clear nail polish (allow to dry over night, either way, before closing the keyboard). That should keep your phone shut.
It'll still slip like a sweaty whore on a greased air mattress once you clear those bumps, but it should keep your phone shut until you want it open. You can do the same thing at the other end, but you'll have to disassemble for that, and if you're doing that, you might as well try Edgar's suggestion first, anyhow.
get this: when i use the **** button on the keyboard, it keeps locking in to shift mode. i then would have to hold shift to typ normally then relase shift to type a symbol. so one cone say the shift function is working in reverse. is there a fix?
collwatt said:
get this: when i use the **** button on the keyboard, it keeps locking in to shift mode. i then would have to hold shift to typ normally then relase shift to type a symbol. so one cone say the shift function is working in reverse. is there a fix?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Start a new thread, this one is about loose keyboards, not stuck buttons.
But to answer your question: Disassemble your phone and clean it thoroughly. Use cotton swabs or lint-free cloth, and isopropyl alcohol, and keep at it until you don't see any streaks or debris on anything. Blow completely dry with canned air, or allow to air dry overnight before applying power. Any streaks mean you still haven't got the dirt off (you just smeared it around). Once it's super clean, reassemble and test. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised by the improvement in the performance. Some get by without disassembly just by hitting the gaps in the buttons with canned air, but that's only a temporary fix.
Hi,
My stylus is constantly dropping out of the phone. I don't think it's a stylus or phone issue but general bad design since stylys inserted on the bottom of the phone. I saw some suggestions involving dissassembling phone and doing somestuff inside the phone but I'd rather not to go that far.
Are there any other easy ways of fixing this issue?
Please do search before posting
Example: write loose AND stylus in search field, lots of thoughts :wink:
That's right. A little search will give you quite a lot of options to fix your problem. But i think the simplest and most effective way is cut a piece of plastic straw which is a bit shorter than the length of the stylus, push it into the hole then you'll feel that it's like your brandnew wizard again!
an easier way is to wrap a bit of see through celotape near the nib. go around the stylus "twice" will feel like new when you put it back in the phone.
See image below
_________
____|____|>[/quote]
What fixed it for me is sticking small parts of grocery bags as suggesting into orifice. Works like a charm.
For the last couple of months my wizard has had a piece of Bluetack wedged up it's stylus hole. Hasn't fallen out since...
Hej,
the touchscreen of my O2 XDA Neo is dead... most of the time. After a long time (i.e. can't be told exactly) not using it, it works for a few strokes, so I can get the phone to run. Rapidly it changes then, first the right half of the screen ceases to work (nearly exactly the right half, fiddling with notes or align screen shows that), soon the whole screen doesn't react. Some time later it may work again.
Some of the software can be used by using only the navigation buttons, lot of the software (including dialing arbitrary numbers) can't.
Is there any way out? As the warranty is void, I don't hesitate to open the device, if it may help. But I guess it is not as simple as increasing or decreasing the pressure on the screens edges...
Or is there any input software that uses the navigation keys? The standard soft keyboard can't be used this way, the other additional keyboards I found surfing the net don't have this possibility too. (Is there a board here to ask for software for a specific OS? Or where is a good playce to do this?)
Thanks
Inmare
In short, sometimes it's working and sometimes it's not?
Maybe there is a loose connection somewhere? Although I'm afraid it won't be that easy, but who knows. Guess a touchscreen is quite a delicate piece of electronics.
I'm afraid I don't know any software for typing and stuff and using the keyboard with your keys etc.
It does for for some (short) time, then ceases to work - sometimes at once, sometimes slowly (first the right half, after some time the left).
I don't expect to be able to repair a defective touchscreen; I hope it's just a loose connector or such... this device uses star shaped screws smaller than grade 9, I have to get appropriate tools tomorrow (i.e. today as it is past 12pm... so yesterday is today too... so I already bought the tools yesterday? I need a digital diary again to keep track of this ). Lets see if I can get the device to be reliable again.
The digitizers are sold on eBay (example) for not much. Not sure how to install them tho.
Interesting. At least I now know the size of the screwdriver. And I see the connector... I think it is worth the try.
Here you can see the inside of the device. Looks like the digitizer and the display are packed together within a metal case, but maybe it is just the connector. Otherwise I will have to open this too.
I think I will do this in the far future. Next year
Thank you.
Hi Inmare,
is there any improvement
because I have the same problem with my jamin
what should I do?
Hi,
just another question by a lam3 user
After some day using my tytn, i noticed that the keyboard is very loose, just after locking it under the lcd.
to explain better: video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj56htWOHEk
as you see, the keyboard is very loose just after locking it.
My device id is 640, so it is affected by some keyboard sliding problems(is a v1605)...but my question is: There is something i can do to fix this?
i tried to tighten the screws i signed here
but without significative improvement.
this is a minor issue,i think, but if i can fix it my tytn will go better in my huge hands
however, no problem if the fixing procedure involves to remove the warranty sticker up the screw, the tytn is on italy and i do not think that vodafone uk will change it
many many thanks
gtazok
The screws you've tightened are just for the housing. To make the keyboard tighter, you need to take the device apart
These 2 links explain everything you need:
http://michael-channon.spaces.live....BlogPart&_c02_owner=1&partqs=cat=Hermes+Fixes
http://www.howardforums.com/showpost.php?p=9119842&postcount=1
Good luck!
underneath your main board is 4 screws tighten those and you should be set. If not you may need to by a new housing. I hope the tighten helps though.
omg, this will really need to open all the device!
damn, there is no other way?
I couldn't really tell from your video if it is the standard loose keyboard problem you've got, but my keyboard was loose in the way that when closed it could 'fall' open pretty easily.
I used the guides above, and while it does invalidate your warranty (unless you're able to remove the warranty sticker without breaking it), it is very easy to do and put back together.
my problem is, as shown on video:
when i try to press the power button, i apply some force to my forefinger to tighten the grabbing around the phone.
when i apply this force, the upper part of the phone(the part where is the buttons of mail and iexplore) slide off the housing, and go for about 2 mm (as shown in the video).
i will like to tightnen this, to do that the phone will never slide the keyb without apply *Decent* pressure.
the keyboard,however, stay solid when fully opened, and *decent* pressure is needed to restore it from the full opening to housing closed.
was i *almost* clear? i'm very sorry but i understand that my english is a mess and really confusing, but if someone could guide me, i can do photo, pictures and so on.
thanks
gtazok
Yep, that sounds exactly the same as my problem!
The 2 links above should help, as long as you're happy to take the phone apart. If you are willing, it is pretty easy to do, but will invalidate your warranty if you still have one.
A couple of taps on the indents on the sliders with a screwdriver will make the sliders much tighter, and you can test the tightness before putting it back together.
I went a bit overboard with mine and overtightened it, but now I prefer it that way -there's no way the keyboard will slide out without some effort
StarMonkee said:
Yep, that sounds exactly the same as my problem!
The 2 links above should help, as long as you're happy to take the phone apart. If you are willing, it is pretty easy to do, but will invalidate your warranty if you still have one.
A couple of taps on the indents on the sliders with a screwdriver will make the sliders much tighter, and you can test the tightness before putting it back together.
I went a bit overboard with mine and overtightened it, but now I prefer it that way -there's no way the keyboard will slide out without some effort
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
great, that was exactly was i searched so!
but..a couple of taps...i have noticed that the indents are "stamped", there is the possibility i will break it with too much force?
and, for opening the tytn, where i can find all the needed in one pack? i live in italy, but i have no idea of what screwdriver and things must(and where)buy.
maybe there is some omnicomprensive pack that could be shipped to italy without problem.
many thanks, i appreciate much
Gtazok
The metal is quite soft in the sliders so it is possible to hit it too hard, but I don't think you're likely to do that if you start softly and keep testing the slider tightness until it's right.
The only 'special' screws are the ones holding the case in, but they can be opened pretty easily with a small flat screwdriver. From what I can remember, the screws inside the phone are just small normal screws.
gtazok said:
omg, this will really need to open all the device!
damn, there is no other way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay If you do tighten those screws it will help that. I've seen them to be soo bad that if you tilt the device it slides open. Soo basically if you still under warranty send it to your provider other wise follow this guide.
ftp://ftp.xda-developers.com/Uploads/Hermes/Hermes_Manual_Hyins/Hermes_Service_Manual.pdf
This will guide you through the entire process of taking apart your Hermes. Good luck if you have any questions.
[email protected]
HI!!
just managed to re-close my hermes (first time i closed it without inserting the last cable LOL...i forgot it, but before powering off he comed to my mind..omg what i have risked not plugging last cable before closing??)
however, i did manage do disassembly only with a standard little screwdriver, not without problems
i just arrived to disassemble the keyb, and get rid on the rails.
I must admit that i NEVER have seen so much dust in a phone(i think mine was re-assembled from another).
i have extracted the rails, the 2, and tried to gentle tapping the indents.No way to go, i tapped *gently*(sometimes a little hard) but i really noticed no improvement
so,i thinked:
"if i change the rails, i will have a perfectly mirrored situation, with the keyboard closed it will be ok, with keyb opened it will be a little loose"
(remember, the keyb was loose when try to open it, not when to close)
So i changed the rails, switching them...
and now it's really better, the phone rarely go off his housing, closed, and go down a little more easily(but is acceptable, because i never do any "forcing" when it's open..)
maybe, with time, the opening will become a problem, with the keyb sliding to close when it's open.
However, maybe this not occour.So for now i'm happy
last thing. I noticed that on the page where the man tried to adjust the rails, he suggested
1)to tap the indents( tried, work very very little)
2)to insert pieces of ribbon
i not tried the second suggestion, because i have not understand WHERE to insert those pieces.Maybe he was suggesting to insert them at the end of the rails? where the carts block? if it is, why? i tried to pull up the small piece of "sheet"(i don't know if it's the correct term, sorry for my bad english ) on the border of the cart where it don't block, but whitout results..so inserting ribbon what improvement would have done?
thanks for the patience to read all my messed up english and many thanks
gtaz
the sliders are becoming loose as the beginning.
someone knows where to buy the sliders as a spare parts?
anyone know?
ok no way?
gtazok said:
anyone know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a look in this thread & mikechannon's link; if not there, then just pm / ask mikechannon...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=298784
galaxys said:
Take a look in this thread & mikechannon's link; if not there, then just pm / ask mikechannon...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=298784
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks
gtazok said:
the sliders are becoming loose as the beginning.
someone knows where to buy the sliders as a spare parts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you just need to increase those indents a bit more than you did. It is more successful to tap the indents using a small flat blade screwdriver and a small hammer. (Go easy of course and keep testing as you tap. You want a very firm click into place. You should hear the click and it should be really quite hard to move the slider over the indents using your finger tips)
The tapping technique is probably better than just pressing a screwdriver blade onto the indent. Pressing rather than tapping is likely to simply bend the entire metal strip and curve it slightly. This might improve the grip for a while but as the curve gradually straightens out again the slider will just become loose again. Using the tapping method I did mine well over a year ago and I have never had to redo it and it takes a very firm push an audibl clicks to open the device.
(Buying new sliders will not solve your problem. The vast majority, it seems to me were made withy too shallow indents. It may be worth buying new ones if the micro welds have sprung apart however)
Mike
hi
i dismantled my hermes one more time. This time i put out an hammer(a big hammer,indeed)so i "gently" hammered with a flat screwdriver the indents.
result? the keyb is now "really locked" when i open it..but the opening problem remain.
when i try to open it when it is closed, with my finger, i notice that the slipping of the upper left part(seeing the phone from the front) is EVER too loose, i reopened 2 times and tapped "not so gently" the incriminated indent, but i noticed no result. i also tried to exchange the sliders (the lower with the higher) but no improvement was done.
i think that is a defective implementation, because the "centre of pressure" is located in the upper part of the phone, so the phone is like to open more easily when it is closed. Did anyone noticed that?
however, the overall is increased, i think, about 30-40% more tighten as before, and that is no bad.
shame it has no solved my problem, but life it so bad that i can will be live happy with a little loose tytn
thanks
Gtazok
I agree that my the upper left keyboard slider has always been looser than the bottom...
good, that confirm my idea.
let us know if any other noticed the same thing.
thanks
gtazok
=======
Introduction:
=======
Hey everyone, I'm just posting this tirade about my problems with the X1's build quality here in case anyone else is suffering from the same problems I had, as well as some tips regarding disassembling and re-assembling the phone if you're brave/foolhardy enough to attempt repairs yourself, like me.
With contributions from others this thread could become a compendium of common hardware problems with the X1 and how to identify or fix them, as well as pitfalls to watch out for when repairing the device by hand.
I don't have any diagrams yet because I simply couldn't stomach opening up the shoddy device again to take photos.
=======
My X1:
=======
I bought my X1 on eBay second-hand (my first major mistake) so I was always a bit worried what would happen when the day inevitably came when I'd have hardware problems with the phone.
However, I bought it very shortly after the phone's release and the seller described it as unused. The phone appeared mostly unused when I received it, apart from a couple of tiny scratches on the casing.
The phone was functionally fine when I received it and showed no problems whatsoever for the first few months.
Like seemingly everyone my first hardware problems with the phone (I won't even get into the device's software failings) that developed over time were an unresponsive keyboard, cracks in the case and a non-functioning vibration motor.
The 'r' key on my X1 took considerably greater force to register a press than any other key on the device, while other keys intermittently ignored presses or interpreted a single press as 2-5 presses while typing.
The spacebar also intermittently became unresponsive, as did the 'up' key on the front-mounted optical joystick.
The vibration motor worked at first, but eventually gave only a single loud 'click' when the phone should vibrate.
The problems worsened over time and despite taking good care of the phone, the casing started to look badly banged-up - This is not a phone that ages gracefully.
=======
Replacement Parts
=======
In early December I ordered a replacement casing & keyboard from a supplier in Hong Kong on eBay (mistake #2), happyhouse.cn .
The parts were suspiciously cheap compared to the ones from non-ebay suppliers, so I assumed they would be imitation/unofficial parts, not from SE.
At first glance, the new casing and keyboard seemed like the real deal, but when I attempted to re-assemble the phone with the new parts I found that the phone's original screws didn't properly fit the sockets of the new casing and that the new keyboard didn't fit either the new casing OR the old one.
I ended up using a mixture of new and old parts to rebuild the phone.
=======
My Repairs
=======
Over the course of 'fixing' the phone, a few other problems came to light within the device's internals.
A couple of these problems were apparent as soon as I examined the device internally, while others became apparent when I rebult the device and tried to use it.
Keyboard:
The R key on the old keyboard had cracked at first, then eventually split completely into 3 parts during use. One part fell away while the other two remained stuck to the flexible plastic backing of the keyboard structure.
As I mentioned above, the cheap new keyboard did not fit the casing whatsoever (the scale of its design was wrong and it was in total 3-6mm longer than the original part).
I cleaned the original board (the plastic layer with the keys, not the circuit layer) in warm, soapy water and removed the broken R key by plucking it off the flexible backing.
I then plucked the 'r' key off the new keyboard and used it to replace the missing key on the old keyboard, with the aid of some 'Bostik Impact' adhesive.
I finally refitted the old keyboard (with a new R key) to the casing and prayed that it would still work.
It did, in the end, but the R key has less travel and tactile response than the unreplaced keys.
---Tip:---
The unresponsive (or over-responsive) behaviour of the keyboard can primarily be attributed to poor design, but the grit and dirt that enters every keyboard known to man similarly affects that of the X1 and worsens the problem.
Removing the plastic portion of the keyboard unit and washing it in warm, soapy water is a good way to at least regain the functionality that the keyboard had when you first got the device.
Vibration Motor:
I saw the physical evidence of the claim that the camera light LED is badly designed and prone to overheating, in turn killing the vibration motor.
In the original phone casing, the plastic housing that surrounds the LED had melted and resolidified over the course of the phone's life and there was minor scorching on nearby components.
The vibration motor for the device is situated directly beside the LED (to the left, while the rear camera lens is to the right) and seemed unable to function with the melted plastic in its way.
I cleared away the melted plastic but the motor still only 'clicked' when I later tested the vibration.
It seems that the motor gets burned out by trying to work when obstructed by the plastic, or the heat from the LED kills the motor internally.
One way or the other, it's dead.
---Tip:---
The recommendation to not use the light for extended periods of time on the X1 still stands, it's worrying to think of how much worse the damage could get if the light were left on longer.
It is an especially worrying issue when you consider that the light LED is so close to the main Li-Polymer battery of the phone.
Broken Side-mounted buttons:
The next problem I encountered in the original phone casing was that of the weak rubber straps that hold the side-mounted buttons (power, camera, volume-rocker) in place.
These rubber components are quite thin and weak, as well as prone to snapping when stressed.
The purpose of these straps is to hold the button in place (flush-mounted) and to provide the spring action and make the buttons return after pressing.
In my case, the strap holding the power button had weakened and the button stopped working properly, while the phone behaved as if the button was being constantly held in.
The phone constantly brought up the "Are you sure you wish to power off the device?" prompt in WinMo.
When I set about trying to remove the old button to replace it with a new one from my pack of replacement parts, the old rubber strap almost instantly snapped!
I replaced the old button eventually, but even now there is less travel in the button and barely any tactile response when it hits the internal switch on the PCB.
---Tip:---
When re-inserting the PCB during re-assembly, keep an eye on all of the side-mounted buttons to make sure that their inwards-pointing nub sits *above* the PCB and is able to reach the board-mounted switch that the button controls!
Incompatible Screws:
Beware that the screws from the phone's original casing do not properly fit the cheaper replacement casing.
This means that you will have difficulty in forcing the screws to fit (and possibly shear the heads off the screws, which is a pretty major problem in a delicate device like this where they will be difficult to remove).
If you force the screws to fit due to a lack of any replacement screws to use, they will likely not sit properly flush-mounted with the original casing, particularly on the front (touchscreen) half of the device; and this may prove problematic for the sliding mechanism.
Additionally, it means that the casing will not close properly, resulting in gaps between the casing and touchscreen as well as gaps along the sides of the device.
---Tip:---
If you must do your own repairs on the device, try to get the official replacement parts from Sony Ericsson.
Buying the cheaper replacements from eBay is a false economy and a major headache, take my word for it!
Malfunctioning Antenna:
When I first rebuilt the phone after repairs I discovered that I could only get very weak intermittent radio signals in places that I previously had full signal strength.
This problem occured only because of incorrect re-assembly by me, but it represents a pitfall that might catch someone else out when re-assembling their X1.
---Tip:---
When reattaching the Antenna unit (the black shroud that sits around the rear camera lens and which also contains the camera LED), be sure to firmly press on the left side of the plastic (where there are visible metal strips in the plastic) until you hear a click to signify that the shroud is properly attached.
Otherwise, the antennae embedded in the plastic will not properly contact the main PCB of the device and your reception for all radio antennae in the device (GSM, WiFi, etc) will be weakened or lost completely.
This problem was caused solely by my inexperienced maintenance of the device, but may be related to the weak-signal problems some people experience with the X1, at a guess.
Ammendment:
------
I may be mistaken on this one! I had originally thought that this component held the antennae, but after further experimentation I've come to think that the antennae may be housed alongside the speaker unit in the other end of the phone. The tip still stands, just to be on the safe side!
Malfunctioning Speaker/Microphone:
During use early in the phone's life I sometimes found that the phone's main speaker stopped working for apparently no reason and that squeezing the casing 'fixed' the problem until it occured again seemingly at random.
Within the rear plastic portion of the casing that forms the battery compartment there is a small module comprising the phone's primary speaker and in-call mic underneath the plastic piece that contains the SE circular logo.
These components make only surface contact with the main PCB of the phone and are not soldered in-place.
In my case, the small copper contacts that extend outwards from the speaker unit had become flattened somehow within the device and no longer reached their counterpart contacts on the main PCB when the device was closed-up.
---Tip:---
Extending the speaker contacts outwards with a fingernail seemed to rectify this problem for me.
Be sure to tightly screw the module back in when you're done, just to make sure of the circuit-contact.
Touchscreen Ribbon-cable:
This problem was mentioned by others in a thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=561151
I very rarely encountered that problem in my typical usage of the X1, but after my repairs this issue seemed to become exacerbated (probably due to strains placed on the ribbon cable during my reassembly of the device numerous times).
Currently my touchscreen works as it should in portrait mode, but I cannot extend the keyboard, as this causes the screen to still display a signal, but not respond to any touches.
Upon sliding the keyboard back in, the touchscreen is out of the alignment by about 5-6mm every time until I re-align it under WinMo settings.
In an attempt to fix this problem I covered the exposed portion of the ribbon cable with thin insulating tape, in the hope that this would stop the traces of the cable shorting against the metal casing.
Unfortunately, this hasn't proven enough and I have not yet solved this issue.
It looks as though I need to buy a replacement ribbon cable and fix the device that way.
========================
---Other Tips:---
+ Make sure you have all the tools you need.
Replacement parts come with the necessary tools, but if you don't get those you're going to need a tiny phillips screwdriver, a tiny 6-point star-headed screwdriver and a thin, stiff implement such as a credit card or guitar plectrum to open the casing.
I also recommend a snipe-nose pliers and a tweezers for more delicate parts.
Adhesives & Bonding Agents can be useful in certain applications, but use them sparingly (or don't use them at all, to have any chance of making the phone look untampered for warranty purposes!).
+ Don't expect cheap replacement parts to fit perfectly!
They're cheaper for a reason, you get what you pay for, except in the case of the phone itself.
+ Be gentle with all of the components.
The Xperia X1 feels nice and sturdy when it's assembled, but the individual components can be flimsy and brittle when separated.
Everything from the plastic casing to the circuitry inside needs to be handled with care and treated gently to avoid being broken.
That's everything for now, but if I think of any more issues or tips I'll amend this post.
Please feel free to comment with other issues and any other maintenance tips you've discovered and we can build a useful list for people to refer to.
========================
=======
Conclusion:
=======
Before opening my Xperia I didn't really know what to expect inside.
I'm very familiar with computers and I build my own systems as a hobby, but my knowledge of circuit-level electronics is limited and I have no prior experience of manually repairing devices like the Xperia.
My experiences show that some of the common hardware problems can be resolved by the end-user with some patience and the right tools or parts, but one needs to be extremely careful not to end up with more problems than one started with!
=======
Disclaimer:
=======
I won't be held responsible for any damage you do to your phone and I do NOT recommend that you actually perform any of these procedures.
It is better to let qualified technicians at SE's Warranty Service handle these issues.
I'm providing this information solely for those people who either want to do it or have no other choice to get their phone working again.
The information presented is a combination of information collated from guides that I've linked herein and my own experience but I cannot guarantee their accuracy beyond that.
Treat everything in these informational posts as opinion or observation, not fact!
=======
Links & Other Information:
=======
This post will contain any other helpful information or links pertaining to the disassembly, repair and reassembly of the X1.
This is Cellular Nationwide Network's selection of spare parts for the X1:
http://cnn.cn/shop/sonyericsson-xperia-c-28_638.html
This online store also offers the X1 replacement LCD/Digitizer unit:
http://www.formymobile.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=x1lcd
I have not bought from either of these stores nor can I verify the quality or compatibility of the items they offer!
I'm just listing them here in case people have trouble finding anywhere to get parts!
=======
Disassembly Summary:
=======
The device needs to be disassembled in the correct order as laid out on this page: http://www.formymobile.co.uk/xperiadisassembly.php
-Remove battery cover, stylus, battery, sim card & micro sdhc card and put them aside.
-Remove the plastic portion of the bottom-rear of the phone (where the SE circle is), using the proper tool, a credit card or a plectrum.
-Unscrew and remove the speaker module
-Remove the screws where the speaker module was
-Remove the covers over the screws at the other end of the phone and then the screws themselves (using the star-headed screwdriver)
-Remove the plastic battery compartment (which also takes the camera cover and stylus slot with it)
-Lift the small black tape and disconnect the plug that powers the camera LED
-Remove the screw in the top-right, then left the black lens-shroud it was holding down.
-Remove the small plug on the ribbon cable at the top-right (this connects the keyboard unit to the main PCB
-Pull the clips around the edges of the green PCB back gently to release it (but do not pull it upwards).
-Lift the PCB gently and (Very) gently remove the orange tape that covers the touchscreen ribbon cable attached underneath, then pry that ribbon cable's connector away from the connector on the green PCB.
-Lift the PCB away and put it aside
-The keyboard circuit and plastic pad can now also be lifted away if necessary.
--- This is where you can stop if your repairs/maintenance only affect the rear portion of the device. Only go further if you need to perform repairs on the front/touchscreen portion. ---
-Remove the four shallow screws underneath where the green PCB previously lay to separate the rear housing from the slider mechanism.
-Remove the four screws in the front portion of the phone, then pry the casing open with the tool/card/plectrum as before.
-The main ribbon cable is attached to a small PCB and some other ribbon cables which are concealed underneath the grey fuzzy foil on the surface in front of you.
-That foil can be removed but it is not necessary to do so unless you are replacing the LCD screen unit, receiver-speaker, front-camera or the ribbon cable assembly itself.
-The Touchscreen component is held down with small grey braided straps at the corners, peel these back to release the touchscreen from the front fascia.
Then do all of that in reverse to put the phone back together!
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Videos:
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I found these videos on youtube, I didn't record or upload them.
Video guide to Disassembling the Rear half of the device:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWDurQrRt-Y
Video guide to Disassembling the Front half of the device:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyGUbxFqvyc
Video guide to Reassembling the Front half of the device:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcDqyEyC_HY
Video guide to Reassembling the Rear half of the device:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0sOaIo6724
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Personal Comment:
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It goes to show that, as many of us are already aware, you must pay a premium price for this phone but it is NOT manufactured like a premium product.
If my situation were rare or I had only one of the above mentioned hardware issues with a new phone I could accept it, but things got ridiculous with the X1.
The build quality is very poor overall and Sony Ericsson should be ashamed firstly for releasing a device onto the market that functioned as little more than a flawed prototype for the X2; and secondly for charging upwards of €600 for the 'privilege' of putting up with its many problems and shortcomings.
I for one, won't be buying any more SE phones.
My next smartphone will be an Android device such as a Motorola Milestone if I ever pluck up the courage to spend that much money on a phone again.
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Disclaimer:
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I won't be held responsible for any damage you do to your phone and I do NOT recommend that you actually perform any of these procedures.
It is better to let qualified technicians at SE's Warranty Service handle these issues.
I'm providing this information solely for those people who either want to do it or have no other choice to get their phone working again.
The information presented is a combination of information collated from guides that I've linked herein and my own experience but I cannot guarantee their accuracy beyond that.
Treat everything in these informational posts as opinion or observation, not fact!
Useful post, but it really seems that the majority of your issues were caused by the imitation housing that you purchased, not by poor SE build quality. Of all the issues you mentioned, the keyboard issues are an SE/HTC quality control problem, I've experienced them as have many. The rest seem to have been caused by the imitation housing. This begs the quesiton, why didn't you just use SE's warranty service? They don't require a reciept or that you be the original owner. And trust me, they are several times better than HTCs warranty service.
sonus said:
Useful post, but it really seems that the majority of your issues were caused by the imitation housing that you purchased, not by poor SE build quality. Of all the issues you mentioned, the keyboard issues are an SE/HTC quality control problem, I've experienced them as have many. The rest seem to have been caused by the imitation housing. This begs the quesiton, why didn't you just use SE's warranty service? They don't require a reciept or that you be the original owner. And trust me, they are several times better than HTCs warranty service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd hardly call the problem of the non-fitting screws a majority! The rest of the issues were unrelated to the cheap replacement housing.
Maybe my post is confusing, but the issues with the keyboard, vibration motor, ribbon cable, side-buttons & speaker all existed long before I ever ordered the replacement casing!
Some, such as the ribbon cable and antenna were issues that cropped up or were worsened due to my inexperienced maintenance, but everything else was a fault of the build quality of the original device.
The incompatibility of the screws was the only problem specifically caused by the new housing, while its own supplied keyboard didn't fit the chassis, but that was a non-issue since I used the original keyboard anyway.
It could be said that my repairs would have gone significantly smoother if I had bought and used an official replacement housing from SE, but that would only solve the issues of the screws and replacement keyboard.
I put emphasis on the problems related to the cheap replacement casing primarily to warn people away from wasting their money on them the way I did.
I'll edit the original post for clarity.
To answer your question, I didn't use the Warranty service because frankly I assumed they would need a proof of purchase for the warranty (since most warranties do in my experience) and I had bought the device second-hand on eBay.
Secondly, sending the device in for warranty would mean going through the hassle of reflashing a stock rom and SPL to the phone.
Thirdly and most importantly, I wanted to try doing it myself for the experience and potential savings.
Obviously, I wouldn't recommend anyone to try and repair their own phone as I did, but if someone has had a phone sent back to them marked as "tampered" by the warranty service and are left with the options of paying for repairs, paying for a new phone, or buying parts and repairing it themselves.. well that option is there and this thread might help them.
Also, off-topic but I couldn't agree more with your signature. I tried a myriad of fancy ROMs and shell replacements for my X1 but never found satisfaction until I flashed a basic blank WM6.5 ROM and installed PointUI Home2!
Thanks this post helped me out, I suddenly lost my mic, took a look under the hood and found I had the same issue as you, the mic pins not touching. The pins are very weak so had to be careful but it works now!
tumpin said:
Thanks this post helped me out, I suddenly lost my mic, took a look under the hood and found I had the same issue as you, the mic pins not touching. The pins are very weak so had to be careful but it works now!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to help!
Definitely the most thorough repair and tips guide for the x1. A lot of the issues you had are the same as mine. Thanks to your suggestions I got my phone in almost working condition. Now I just need to find a way to get my keyboard working again.
Sent from my xperia x1 using XDA App
Thanks Zurechial for this thorough post. I for one, have been lucky in finding a repair guy (non-SE) who is an expert with devices like the X1. I had a problem that some water/moisture/sweat had seeped in the charging port and I could not get the phone to charge. He fixed it for me.
Now the only problem I face is that the camera is not working, and wifi is disabled. Any tips to get the Wifi working? It is shown as disabled in the Comm Manager and there is no WLAN MAC Address also for it.
brilliant post, thank you very much indeed. I have just ordered a cheap housing off ebay, i know what to expect now
What worries me the most though, is how the keyboard WILL fail eventually ><
The qwerty keyboard is one of the main reasons why i got the phone.
time to snatch back our lives suckers
Apparently, it's taken less than 20 years, to destroy the Consumer Electronics Industries, ability to Repair products, sold in this country. I saw the writing on the wall, in the early 80's, with the first lines of "off shore", throw away VCR's, that were priced cheaper than they'd cost to repair. The theory, if it breaks, throw it away & buy a new one. Who cares if it winds up in a land fill somewhere.
Now, we're up to $500 Cell Phones, with the state of repair being either, unit replacement, or, cannibalization of parts. And apparently no one cares. Is it our complacency or can we really afford as a society, to buy a new phone every time one breaks? God knows we're all desperate, for our phone usage.
It's time to snatch back the repair ability we once had. This is the age of recycling, and the highest form of recycling is repair.
As consumers, start demanding access to schematics, and, access to sources of component level repair parts.
IM
You help me...
I'm almost freaking out when signal on my phone show only 2 bars...
Anyway...
it's for additional information,
use handscoon, it gives somewhat confident and when using tweezer, hold it like using pen (I learnt it when I studied as paramedic) because it will give me strength while holdin it.
AND ask the seller to send housing with screw. I bought 2 housings, from ebay and another hongkong shop. Ebay is s%ck but that other hongkong shop is more fit.