Power issue/damage - G2 and Desire Z General

I have a Tmo G2 that's been functioning great until recently. I've had it in an Otterbox Commuter case since purchase in January. It was dropped twice I believe. Recently, though, any moderate tap to the back lower bit of the device, below the battery door, turns it off. Does anyone know what sort of issue this might be? Is it as simple as a broken trace/solder joint on the battery leads to the board? An unseated chip? Thoughts are appreciated before I tear this baby apart (no warranty on it, and I'm not too squeamish about working inside). Let me know. Thanks!
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Update: I've isolated the problem to the lower right corner of the phone, looking at it from the back. Popping the battery cover off and pushing on the lower right corner causes it to power off. Has anyone experienced anything with loose battery terminals?

Do you have an extended battery? Could be the metal on the battery making contact with and shorting out the sdcard holder slot. Put a piece of tape between the two.

No I don't have an extended battery. Everything's stock, plus the case. It could be a shorting issue, I guess. I'll try isolating any metal and see.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

Related

[Q] whats that little (gold plate) on the back of the MT4G!?

Hows it going guys!
After many days of using this awesome forum, I decided to finally join!
So to start things off, I will be asking you guys a question....
Anyone know whats the little gold plated thing on the back, behind the batt. cover of the phone, wondering if it has anything to do with the battery, or some sort of sensor???
There is also a white area on the back of the actual battery cover of the MT4G which I think is the contact point for the gold plated thingy!?
Thanks guys...
Regards,
blackeye
I think it has something to do with grounding, maybe for the screen. I could be way off.
Sent from my Glacier using XDA
estallings15 said:
I think it has something to do with grounding, maybe for the screen. I could be way off.
Sent from my Glacier using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sounds possible!
the reason I ask is because I decided to run my glacier without the battery cover using a case then i noticed my battery started acting funny, it didnt hold its charger very well and didnt charge fully......wondering if the 2 are related somehow!?
"Little gold plated thing" = contact point.
If it's behind battery cover, and battery cover has a matching "window" of bare metal for this contact - look for more contacts that touch the battery cover.
If you only find one - it means the battery cover is used as one of the antennas for this phone (cellular / WiFi / BT).
If you find several - it might be used as grounded shield.
Jack_R1 said:
"Little gold plated thing" = contact point.
If it's behind battery cover, and battery cover has a matching "window" of bare metal for this contact - look for more contacts that touch the battery cover.
If you only find one - it means the battery cover is used as one of the antennas for this phone (cellular / WiFi / BT).
If you find several - it might be used as grounded shield.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks man appreciate it!
So the glacier theoretically should get great reception then...I'm guessing!
Regards,
Blackeye
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA
Mine don't have them..I have 3, Me my wife & a spare..
Sent from my HTC Glacier using xda premium
The little gold contact on the battery cover has been discussed here before, probably in a thread that is buried. The conclusion: the ground contact point for the screen. Pic attached to show what the OP is talking about.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA
I couldn't find such thread in 10 min of googling, so I did what was probably done back then - verified the location of main antenna (which is on the plastic cover with camera glass), checked WiFi and GPS reception. None of those changed. It leaves either BT (which I can't check) or, indeed, grounding.
Jack_R1 said:
I couldn't find such thread in 10 min of googling, so I did what was probably done back then - verified the location of main antenna (which is on the plastic cover with camera glass), checked WiFi and GPS reception. None of those changed. It leaves either BT (which I can't check) or, indeed, grounding.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seams like it would between the two!!
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA
Just a thought but I could have to do with the sensor for temperature.
Temperature sensor can't be embedded in the back cover, and the point is for electrical, not thermal contact.
Upon further review, only 1 of the 3 mt4g's that I have has the gold plate at all. It's possible it could be nothing significant.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using xda premium
The thread I referred to earlier is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1205155.
In the first post, in the update area at the bottom of the post, it points to a thread in the sensation forum. The pics in that sensation thread show that they have a silver colored plate on their cover almost identical to the mytouch4G's gold plate. The plate is conductive paint that creates contact between the metal of the back cover and a gold pin between the sim and sd cards on our phones. It is located directly above the main board of the phone, near the bottom of the device. The pin can be bent or fatigued to no longer create a good, solid contact with the plate.
The main solution proposed in both threads is to gently lift the pin with a pick to raise its height and create better contact with the plate and is done to have better touch screen response.
dclaw_fantum said:
The thread I referred to earlier is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1205155.
In the first post, in the update area at the bottom of the post, it points to a thread in the sensation forum. The pics in that sensation thread show that they have a silver colored plate on their cover almost identical to the mytouch4G's gold plate. The plate is conductive paint that creates contact between the metal of the back cover and a gold pin between the sim and sd cards on our phones. It is located directly above the main board of the phone, near the bottom of the device. The pin can be bent or fatigued to no longer create a good, solid contact with the plate.
The main solution proposed in both threads is to gently lift the pin with a pick to raise its height and create better contact with the plate and is done to have better touch screen response.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is interesting!
So if true then the concept would be useless if we have cases on our phones...since our hands won't make contact with the back cover anymore....right!???
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA
blackeye09 said:
That is interesting!
So if true then the concept would be useless if we have cases on our phones...since our hands won't make contact with the back cover anymore....right!???
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it isn't using your hands to complete the circuit. The phone chassis is mostly metal, but the main board is surrounded by plastic. It looks like they found it more cost effective to ground to the cover than run a wire to a part of the chassis. Looking at the sensation cover, this makes sense. The sensation cover is metal and plastic and they put a contact point on the metal of it too. If it is anything like what I deal with at my work, then they are just trying to provide the phone with a system wide consistent ground. Without grounding the back cover, it could induce or conduct a static charge and possibly shock or create interfere to the main board. When the ground has bad contact, we notice a lag in screen responsiveness, but other things may be happening that we don't notice.
Someone mentioned that the antennas are located near the camera, which is true for at least the WiFi antenna. You will see a drop in signal if you hold the phone near the camera. They also mentioned that the top area of the phone has metal readily available. I would suspect that the other antennas are there too.
dclaw_fantum said:
No, it isn't using your hands to complete the circuit. The phone chassis is mostly metal, but the main board is surrounded by plastic. It looks like they found it more cost effective to ground to the cover than run a wire to a part of the chassis. Looking at the sensation cover, this makes sense. The sensation cover is metal and plastic and they put a contact point on the metal of it too. If it is anything like what I deal with at my work, then they are just trying to provide the phone with a system wide consistent ground. Without grounding the back cover, it could induce or conduct a static charge and possibly shock or create interfere to the main board. When the ground has bad contact, we notice a lag in screen responsiveness, but other things may be happening that we don't notice.
Someone mentioned that the antennas are located near the camera, which is true for at least the WiFi antenna. You will see a drop in signal if you hold the phone near the camera. They also mentioned that the top area of the phone has metal readily available. I would suspect that the other antennas are there too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good to know!
I might remove the case then, don't want to shock the main board!!
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA
blackeye09 said:
good to know!
I might remove the case then, don't want to shock the main board!!
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Having a case in your phone will not be an issue. The grounding happens using a self-contained circuit. The back plate may just be used as part of that circuit. Additional static from being in your pocket will be grounded with or without a case on the phone.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA

[GUIDE] How To Fix Squeaky Battery Cover!

Hi guys, I've owned an Xperia Play since July 2011, since then I've had some 'Battery Cover' issues. First, let's start off by talking about the battery cover itself, well actually there's not much to say. If you have an Xperia Play you already know the battery cover is very cheap, it's a large rectangular piece of plastic that covers the entire back on the phone, it's a pain to get it off and on at times. So not only it is cheaply made, it also has the tendency to start 'squeaking' or 'creaking' after a while. This simple issue can be fixed my ordering a new back piece to replace the old one, but note, if you swap batteries, swap SIM cards, swap SD cards, or anything that involves taking the battery cover off, it WILL, at some point in time, get worn out and slightly bent out of place. There's no escaping this problem due to it's design. In the past I've ordered about 3 Black battery cover replacements, and each one of them, after sometime, became creaky. Now maybe I'm just being picky but I REALLY hate picking up my phone and hearing that *squeaky* sound. It annoys the piss out of me. So I've came up with a way to prevent / fix this. What I'm about to guide you through is EXTREMELY simple and shouldn't cost you more than $2... ENJOY
SUPPLIES: Electrical Tape & Scissors
(1) Hold your phone to where the back is facing you, gently but firmly press all around until you've found your squeaky area. ( take a mental note of where this spot is )
(2) Remove the battery cover.
(3) Cut off a piece or two of electrical tape according to the size of the squeaky area, place the electrical tape on the inside of the battery cover where you took a mental note of.
(4) Put the battery cover back on! You're all done! No more squeaking!
It worked for me, it should definitely work for you! Try it out and post your results! Don't forget to *Thank* me!
(I've included a picture of what the results look like, lol I'm sure we all know what a piece of tape looks like on a piece of plastic but yeah here's one in case you don't!)
Thanks, no more squeaking!
I dont care about the squeaking that much, but still, u made my play better!
CyberScopes said:
Thanks, no more squeaking!
I dont care about the squeaking that much, but still, u made my play better!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I could help! Sure beats spending $10-15 for a new back.
Yep. I used strong masking tape.
Sent From My Sony Xperia Play. Press the Thanks button for Fun.
I've replaced the battery lid a few times but I've never had the creaking problem. I wonder if it has something to do with the CDMA version not having the space for the SIM card.
Anyway, I do agree that they are poorly made. My first one developed cracks around the pry point and around the top even before I got a second battery. Obviously, battery swapping means I open it more often than most users, but I was EXTREMELY careful. Eventually I lost the corner next to the power button. On my replacement I made sure to never use the pry point without relieving pressure by pulling the corners too (usually unclipping them first). I also used a stick-on carbon-fiber protector from the day I installed it till the day I replaced it. It eventually formed a crack by the pry point too. Argh!

Using phone without the battery cover (But using a case)

Do you guys think there would be any negatives to using the phone without the back cover on and just keeping it in a case like that? I have a TPU case that fits pretty tight even with the back cover off.
I ask because I just got an extra battery that I plan to be swapping out almost daily (as I'm one of those only getting ~3 hours of Screen On battery instead of 4-6 like some others) and it would be much easier to swap them out without having to take the case off AND the battery cover off every time. I also don't want the little tabs on the battery cover getting loosened or eroded if I'm taking it off all of the time.
Do you think this will increase the chances of damage happening when the phone falls? I doubt that 0.01mm piece of plastic does much to protect the phone but thought I'd ask what you guys think anyway.
I was also thinking, what if they made cases that were MADE to use with the battery cover off. If the cases were molded to fit with the battery cover off couldn't they make them even thinner? They could essentially make a case almost as thin as the battery cover itself, keeping the device at 7.9mm but it could give the extra protection of wrapping around the sides and giving the front of the phone that lip to prevent screen scratches :good:
Interesting idea. I just run the extended battery and not worry about it and carry the original in casse but thats doubtful. Do you have an external charger too?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
I did thwt with my Samsung infuse and it work great and I think it will work for this phone to
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
As long as you don't use nfc
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
drakeymcmb said:
As long as you don't use nfc
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nfc is in the battery. And one thing i can think of is sweaty palms or drops of water or any condesation going into the phone through the cut outs.
j510 said:
Nfc is in the battery. And one thing i can think of is sweaty palms or drops of water or any condesation going into the phone through the cut outs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh see there's something I didn't think of, and the reason I started this thread.
The phone will definitely be more susceptible to water/moisture damage as the back cover (seemingly) keeps it pretty water tight. If they made a case that clipped in as the battery cover and then went around the phone like a normal case that would be optimal.
play2lose said:
Ahh see there's something I didn't think of, and the reason I started this thread.
The phone will definitely be more susceptible to water/moisture damage as the back cover (seemingly) keeps it pretty water tight. If they made a case that clipped in as the battery cover and then went around the phone like a normal case that would be optimal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like the official s view or flip cover?
j510 said:
Like the official s view or flip cover?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I belive he means a normal case but it also acts as a back cover
Sent from my Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk
play2lose said:
Do you guys think there would be any negatives to using the phone without the back cover on and just keeping it in a case like that? I have a TPU case that fits pretty tight even with the back cover off.
I ask because I just got an extra battery that I plan to be swapping out almost daily (as I'm one of those only getting ~3 hours of Screen On battery instead of 4-6 like some others) and it would be much easier to swap them out without having to take the case off AND the battery cover off every time. I also don't want the little tabs on the battery cover getting loosened or eroded if I'm taking it off all of the time.
Do you think this will increase the chances of damage happening when the phone falls? I doubt that 0.01mm piece of plastic does much to protect the phone but thought I'd ask what you guys think anyway.
I was also thinking, what if they made cases that were MADE to use with the battery cover off. If the cases were molded to fit with the battery cover off couldn't they make them even thinner? They could essentially make a case almost as thin as the battery cover itself, keeping the device at 7.9mm but it could give the extra protection of wrapping around the sides and giving the front of the phone that lip to prevent screen scratches :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you have running in the background that you are only getting 3 hours of screen time? I nearly got 6 the other day.
Extended battery not an option? Thickness is a little more but it curves in hand so not bad. Dont have to remove back cover either.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Sushibagel said:
What do you have running in the background that you are only getting 3 hours of screen time? I nearly got 6 the other day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really sure, I'm constantly holding "home" and closing any open apps, and don't have any 3rd party apps even installed yet except for facebook, instagram, and a few games.
My shortest time has been 2 hours 40 minutes and longest has been 3.5 hours on screen time.
I think it's my location, I get really low bars/service in my area, and on ALL of my android phones I've been about an hour or 2 behind on "on screen" battery life than what others get (happened on my HTC One X, GS3, Note 2, and now GS4)

Back Cover Creaking Noise

Hi all,
I just got my new Galaxy S5 and the first I wanted to do was to take a few pictures underwater. However, after I put the battery on, I noticed that the back cover makes a creaking noise when I push it near the heart rate sensor and I can see the back cover near the sensor going down when I push it. Does this compromises the water resistance of the phone?
Regards
I'm thinking that there might be water remnants inside. Water + rubber is known to produce squeaking noise.
I still haven't put the phone underwater. I noticed the problem wheni was taking the phone out of the box. When I apply light force to the area around the sensor I can see the back cover moving up and down and it makes more of a clicking noise. Any ideas?
Sent from my SM-G900H using XDA Free mobile app
It could be a part inside is just bumping to another part. Alignment is not 100% perfect, especially the rubber part for water-resistance because it was just stuck to the cover and is originally not part of the cover itself.
Thanks. One last question. So, after the phone has been submerged and I take it out, fully dry it from the outside, is it normal to be water under the back cover? The part which is not covered by the rubber part?
Sent from my SM-G900H using XDA Free mobile app
Anyone?
Sent from my SM-G900H using XDA Free mobile app
Thin_Bezel said:
Thanks. One last question. So, after the phone has been submerged and I take it out, fully dry it from the outside, is it normal to be water under the back cover? The part which is not covered by the rubber part?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The rubber lining on the interior face of the back cover should keep any liquid from continuing its entry to the phone's internals, but it doesn't prevent the liquid from sipping through from the outside. Check out how large the notch at the power button area that you use to open up the back cover.
But you should dry the phone first as is for a few hours to be sure no more liquid could enter. When you're sure that it's safe, open the back cover then remove the battery and dry the phone face up so that any liquid residue will go down, at the same time dry the back cover separately too. And be sure that everything is dry, including the ports, before you reattach the battery.
And if the unfortunate event that the phone turned off when it was wet, do not attempt to turn it on. Remove the back cover and battery immediately and let them all dry for at least 24hrs, focus an electric fan to them if you can, to be sure that you max out the opportunity to dry them. And during the drying process, do not keep on touching them to avoid liquid moving inside.
I hope this answers your question.
Hi there, even I have the same problem. I noticed that both the the back cover and the s-view cover shows a slight on the power button side in the centre. I firmly believe mine is a phone manufacturing issue as two cover can have the exact same issues...let see if I can get replacement as its not cover problem. Check the attached pic
bryanfuryin22 said:
Hi there, even I have the same problem. I noticed that both the the back cover and the s-view cover shows a slight on the power button side in the centre. I firmly believe mine is a phone manufacturing issue as two cover can have the exact same issues...let see if I can get replacement as its not cover problem. Check the attached pic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's an alignment problem that I have explained to OP. That rubber lining for water-resistance is prone for misalignment and probably warping too. Rubber is known to stretch due to rise in temperature. If it warped or misaligned to an embossed area, that part will be more elevated than the rest.
I have same problem, but I got used to it.
When I put my back cover on girlfriends phone there is no noise.
Its like the problem is phone itself.
I tested its waterproof capabilities even though the back cover wasn't properly aligned. Every thing was good. No water got inside the internals.
Sent from my SM-G900H using XDA Free mobile app
You sir are brave!
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
xXFearXx said:
You sir are brave!
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, I was thinking the same thing, I would have never tried that, though it should of course not be any poblem since it is IP67 certified.
xXFearXx said:
You sir are brave!
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I 2nd that!
I wont "test" my water proof ability with a cover that fits correctly :laugh:
Even though no water gets in, I have a question again. The water does go inside the back cover but it doesn't go as the rubber line which is a good thing (That's how it is supposed to work).
I always wipe the water inside after a bath but if I am at a pool for example and I put the phone inside the water but then I don't wipe the water inside for about, 6-7 hours, would there be a problem?
Sent from my SM-G900H using XDA Free mobile app
Anyone knows if it is on to not wipe the inside of the phone for a few hours?
Sent from my SM-G900H using XDA Free mobile app
Thin_Bezel said:
Anyone knows if it is on to not wipe the inside of the phone for a few hours?
Sent from my SM-G900H using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That part is considered to be harmless to get wet, so it isn't a problem if you do not remove the water there for even forever.
I have one last concern and I hope other Galaxy S5 users can help. When you remove the battery cover, you will notice that the area where the side bezel and the back of the phone are connected, it looks like it is melted in order to prevent water.
However, not all the area looks like it is melted. For example, at the area of the bezel where the volume buttons are, there is a small gap between the bezel and the back part of the phone and I can put my nail inside the gap.
I am wondering if all units have this gap or if my device is faulty. Any help is appreciated.
Sent from my SM-G900H using XDA Free mobile app
Thin_Bezel said:
I have one last concern and I hope other Galaxy S5 users can help. When you remove the battery cover, you will notice that the area where the side bezel and the back of the phone are connected, it looks like it is melted in order to prevent water.
However, not all the area looks like it is melted. For example, at the area of the bezel where the volume buttons are, there is a small gap between the bezel and the back part of the phone and I can put my nail inside the gap.
I am wondering if all units have this gap or if my device is faulty. Any help is appreciated.
Sent from my SM-G900H using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the exact same small gap at the same location, so I think it is normal and is that way by design.
johan81 said:
I have the exact same small gap at the same location, so I think it is normal and is that way by design.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank god. I thought I was screwed. Especially because my beatiful S5 has been diving for the days in the pool. Enjoying vacations. Taken with the Galaxy S5 front facing camera
Sent from my SM-G900H using XDA Free mobile app

Fix for creaking battery cover.

I noticed my G3 creaked a lot when gripping it a certain way. I figured a little creaking is normal (coming from unibody HTC One m7). Checked my girlfriends g3 and it had no creaking whatsoever. Based on information from a different forum, i placed a folded up piece of paper between the battery and the battery door. This literally eliminated all creaking. I was concerned with the safety of this method so i removed it. After this i was playing with the battery cover and was able to bend it in ( so it's tight with the battery) and have virtually made it creak free!
Hope this helps anybody else whos OCD was nagging at them [emoji14]
UPDATE: Basically its caused by the battery being loose. Some batteries fit tighter than others. This can explain why some people have no creaking at all and others do.
I'll give it a try.. The phone creaking was starting to irritate me
Mine was rubbing against the volume/power button area when i pressed the area making an annoying creak sound. I sanded the inside lip of the back cover just a little bit with a small piece of nail file.
Please tell me this is not true!
The G2 back cover also creaked and I hated it!
I think the cause is that the battery is a little bit loose and when the phone is flexed the battery will rub. The only solution I've found to COMPLETELY eliminate the creak is with the folded paper trick...
Odd that my girlfriends G3 (white) is completely creak free.
If you feel it's the battery area, then try putting multiple pieces of electrical tape on the back of the battery. Therefore when you take off the back cover you don't have to worry about a card falling out.
Sent from my LGLS990 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
UPDATE: Any creaking you hear on your G3 is caused by the battery itself, NOT the phone or the battery door. I swapped batteries with my girlfriends G3 and I was not able to reproduce the creaking.
Basically its caused by the battery being loose. Some batteries fit tighter than others. This can explain why some people have no creaking at all and others do.
Regards
I used a thermal pad on my G2 to prevent creaking. You can get them in a variety of thicknesses, but usually a 0.5mm one is fine. Not only will it stop creaking, but it will also help remove heat from the battery.
Put the sticky side against the battery and leave the backing on the other side. Its not really that sticky, mores lightly tacky, so even if you remove all the backing it wont stick the back to the phone.
Something like these..
http://www.watercoolinguk.co.uk/p/P...k-05mm-120x20mm-2-Pack-for-Ramplex_21070.html
Mine is like a rock, no creaks at all ^_^ (unless I bend it, but that aint exactly real world usage..)My G2 creaked like mad though!
Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

Categories

Resources