I have a question that I've searched for, and can't find an answer to.
I've been reading about this red LED business (an unresponsive N4 that doesn't respond to a hard reset but flashes a red LED when USB is attached). Some people have gotten their phone to function again by:
1. Charging it normally
2. Unrooting it to stock with Wug's toolkit
3. Doing Faux's method of button presses
But quite a few people have indicated that NOTHING worked. They've had to get a replacement device from Google.
Maybe some people bricked their N4 without the red LED, or otherwise got an SOD that responded to nothing.
So here's my question:
Has anyone actually pulled the battery on their N4? In other words, open up the case (there's info how to exactly do that all over the web) and disconnect the battery as the ultimate hard reset? Did it work after that? What's been your experience...?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZDAIgwbXk4
That is a youtube showing the disassembly of the Nexus 4 including the battery removal.
Thanks for the link.
Permit me to clarify my question :
Has anyone pulled their battery on the N4 to reset their device (probably as a last ditch attempt to revive it)?
Sent from my Nexus4 using Tapatalk 2
reaper000 said:
Thanks for the link.
Permit me to clarify my question :
Has anyone pulled their battery on the N4 to reset their device (probably as a last ditch attempt to revive it)?
Sent from my Nexus4 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pulling the battery is not necessary. Holding the power button down for 5 seconds will cause a hard power-off and is exactly what a battery pull would do.
reaper000 said:
Thanks for the link.
Permit me to clarify my question :
Has anyone pulled their battery on the N4 to reset their device (probably as a last ditch attempt to revive it)?
Sent from my Nexus4 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same happend to me, i RMA, whole process took me 15 days.
And, belive me, your phone dont going to turn on.
abnormalreply said:
Pulling the battery is not necessary. Holding the power button down for 5 seconds will cause a hard power-off and is exactly what a battery pull would do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With all due respect, that's not exactly the same thing as a battery pull. Pulling out the power source physically guarantees the incompletion of an electrical circuit. Which might be necessary to fully reset a malfunctioning device.
That's why I started this thread: I'm sure a lot of us have done a battery pull on other phones with user-replaceable batteries, like a GNex or S3 or even prior generations, to reset a borked device. But has any among us done this with a Nexus 4 to try and revive it?
Sent from my N4 using Tapatalk 2
reaper000 said:
With all due respect, that's not exactly the same thing as a battery pull. Pulling out the power source physically guarantees the incompletion of an electrical circuit. Which might be necessary to fully reset a malfunctioning device.
That's why I started this thread: I'm sure a lot of us have done a battery pull on other phones with user-replaceable batteries, like a GNex or S3 or even prior generations, to reset a borked device. But has any among us done this with a Nexus 4 to try and revive it?
Sent from my N4 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You obviously have very little knowledge about how electrical circuits work. When was the last time that holding the power button down on your PC failed to shut it off? It's programmed at the hardware level. So, like I said: a battery pull isn't necessary. Also, we have this thread already. Try searching next time before making a redundant thread.
abnormalreply said:
You obviously have very little knowledge about how electrical circuits work. When was the last time that holding the power button down on your PC failed to shut it off? It's programmed at the hardware level. So, like I said: a battery pull isn't necessary. Also, we have this thread already. Try searching next time before making a redundant thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your kind and considerate reply. I already read the thread you linked, and found it insufficient. In fact, even this thread with multiple links did not answer the question I originally posed: Has anyone tried to do a hard reset via battery pull in the N4?
As for your gracious comment about my knowledge of electrical circuits, I will be the first to admit that I am not an electrical or computer engineer. However, I have worked in IT a little bit, and there have been multiple times when holding down the power button on a hung PC with a BSOD simply has not worked. We literally had to pull the (power) plug or battery to begin the troubleshooting process. As such, your analogy does not give me comfort.
So you say a battery pull is not necessary? Tell that to the fine people who've tried everything (but maybe not a battery pull) with a red LED and ended up having to use an RMA. Are you willing to bet the life of your firstborn that "holding down the power button" is absolutely equivalent as yanking the battery? If so, I wish I had your sense of absolute certainty. Maybe you're right, but there's only one way to tell,
So let me hear from people who have actually tried it.
I have been working on computers for over 10 years and not once did I have to remove the cable. ALWAYS the power/reset button worked. You don't know how they work do you? You ever put together a PC? Hooked up the power/reset to the buttons on the case? Ever use a screw driver to turn one on? You would know all of this if you have. Power/reset always work by design.
abnormalreply said:
You obviously have very little knowledge about how electrical circuits work. When was the last time that holding the power button down on your PC failed to shut it off? It's programmed at the hardware level. So, like I said: a battery pull isn't necessary. Also, we have this thread already. Try searching next time before making a redundant thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eric-1987 said:
I have been working on computers for over 10 years and not once did I have to remove the cable. ALWAYS the power/reset button worked. You don't know how they work do you? You ever put together a PC? Hooked up the power/reset to the buttons on the case? Ever use a screw driver to turn one on? You would know all of this if you have. Power/reset always work by design.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pushing a button to shut off is not the same as pulling the cable. Every semi descent IT/electrician should know that. In real life practise you can check it for yourself: pull the cable from you PC and push the power button aftrewards, you will see the LED will flash or even the fans will rotate. Its basically the first step to fix some "hang, freezed, etc." issues.
On topic: nope i did not disconnect the N4 battery
what if the pc didn't boot up?
you obviously would disconect the power before servicing a unit.
holding the power button isn't the same as disconnecting the battery you wouldn't check the phone or pc when its still connected to a power source, todays pc still have 5 volts standby so its not a hard off and can be triggered remotely that's why disconnection is the last resort.
then checking the battery,current and charging it via other means before determining its a faulty unit as a whole.
any other phone you would, as the battery wears over time and most probably isn't covered by warranty.
I haven't opened my unit, ask me in 11 months,
Eric-1987 said:
I have been working on computers for over 10 years and not once did I have to remove the cable. ALWAYS the power/reset button worked. You don't know how they work do you? You ever put together a PC? Hooked up the power/reset to the buttons on the case? Ever use a screw driver to turn one on? You would know all of this if you have. Power/reset always work by design.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now we're talking! Tell me how a screw driver turns on power... That's a mechanical switch, right? But a button that has more than one function must necessarily be more complex than on/off. This is the hardwired programming that was previously mentioned. Can this ever be borked by a software-driven event?
What if an overclocked kernel being taken to its limits by benchmarking software exceeds the safe power draw of the battery, causing all kinds of random damage in circuitry (maybe even the button's?) Is it conceivable that as long there is a power source, that damage would be ongoing? Therefore, isn't this somewhat analogous to exposing a phone to water, wherein the very first thing everyone recommends is to do what? Pull the battery. Or in the case of the N4, hold the power button for 10 seconds...
As for fixing computers, if something is going wonky and it might have something to do with the power supply (beyond a BSOD) possibly starting to short, I do think someone as experienced as Eric would also be pulling the plug, not sitting on a button.
It's pretty obvious that no one has opened the case and done a battery pull in response to the flashing red LED. I still suspect that has more to do with potentially violating the warranty, but I might be totally wrong -- almost everyone here seem to have such unshakeable faith in the button-hold reset being absolutely equal in every way to a battery pull!
Conclusion : if I ever brick this N4 and it has a flashing red LED, and it doesn't respond to the 10s power button hold, don't bother pulling the battery, 'cause I already did that.
Thanks for the discussion, folks.
It's been instructive, despite everything.
Sent from my N4 using Tapatalk 2
ATX power buttons are a simple two pin connection on the motherboard, momentarily bridging those two pins with a screwdriver = on/off
The service manual for the N4 confirms that a 10-second power button press does indeed cut the power circuit to the battery.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
reaper000 said:
Now we're talking! Tell me how a screw driver turns on power... That's a mechanical switch, right? But a button that has more than one function must necessarily be more complex than on/off. This is the hardwired programming that was previously mentioned. Can this ever be borked by a software-driven event?
What if an overclocked kernel being taken to its limits by benchmarking software exceeds the safe power draw of the battery, causing all kinds of random damage in circuitry (maybe even the button's?) Is it conceivable that as long there is a power source, that damage would be ongoing? Therefore, isn't this somewhat analogous to exposing a phone to water, wherein the very first thing everyone recommends is to do what? Pull the battery. Or in the case of the N4, hold the power button for 10 seconds...
As for fixing computers, if something is going wonky and it might have something to do with the power supply (beyond a BSOD) possibly starting to short, I do think someone as experienced as Eric would also be pulling the plug, not sitting on a button.
It's pretty obvious that no one has opened the case and done a battery pull in response to the flashing red LED. I still suspect that has more to do with potentially violating the warranty, but I might be totally wrong -- almost everyone here seem to have such unshakeable faith in the button-hold reset being absolutely equal in every way to a battery pull!
Conclusion : if I ever brick this N4 and it has a flashing red LED, and it doesn't respond to the 10s power button hold, don't bother pulling the battery, 'cause I already did that.
Thanks for the discussion, folks.
It's been instructive, despite everything.
Sent from my N4 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Engineer here: It is completely possible and very likely that holding the power button on your phone disables current from traveling from the battery to the mainboard.
The way you start a PC with a screwdriver is to bridge the pins that control power. You can do it with any material that has enough conductivity.
If the Nexus 4 was designed correctly (which I have full faith that it was) then pulling the battery is never necessary unless you have much larger problems that a battery pull cannot fix. (bad chips on the mainboard that control the power on/off mechanism) You would be wise to RMA the device regardless.
diablos991 said:
Engineer here: It is completely possible and very likely that holding the power button on your phone disables current from traveling from the battery to the mainboard.
The way you start a PC with a screwdriver is to bridge the pins that control power. You can do it with any material that has enough conductivity.
If the Nexus 4 was designed correctly (which I have full faith that it was) then pulling the battery is never necessary unless you have much larger problems that a battery pull cannot fix. (bad chips on the mainboard that control the power on/off mechanism) You would be wise to RMA the device regardless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to agree. I worked for over 15 years PC/Server repair, if it's even possible that their was a problem for which the power button did not work, it would have to be something physically wrong with the device which a user could not fix on a smartphone even after pulling the battery, other than by replacing the board itself. The power button off on a PC only fails when it's set to soft-off, which normally requests a normal shutdown from the OS. But as their is no secondary way to power cycle the N4 the power recycle is the more traditional off at the hardware level.
End lesson - if theirs a problem that the power button off does not solve and you can't recover the device, it's a problem better served by the manufacturer on warranty.
Sys Admin here as well and in my 10yrs i've NEVER EVER had the push and hold power button not work. Holding the button on the NExus 4 does create a short in the circuit between the battery and motherboard which is the same as pulling the battery.
You mentioned pulling the power cord the pressing the button will cause the fans to rotate a bit and lights to flash which is true, this is a result of capacitors however and their residual charge that they hold. When you press the power button the system pulls whatever power they have but since it's not continuous, the system then shuts back off instantly.
I have had experience (with dell computers) where the power button would not turn off the computer while on BSOD.
So I see where the op is coming from.
Still wouldn't risk the warranty.
Damn sealed battery, what was Google thinking
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
abnormalreply said:
When was the last time that holding the power button down on your PC failed to shut it off?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About a week ago I had to pull the plug on my Laptop to turn it off I am running Linux Mint 13 KDE with nothing special set up on it it just hung up.
Now with that said I have retired from 32+ years in electronics. I have built computers, repaired computers (among other systems) and taught computers. It is rare for a system like the Nexus 4 to not shut down the same as the battery being pulled. Since it was designed to behave that way. If you really did need to pull the battery then it must need warranty work as something is most likely physically messed up. That does not mean that the switch is guaranteed to remove power under all circumstances as it could go bad.
Attacking someone for not seeing things your way see them is bad form in a civilized community. Which this forum is supposed to be. Yet it happens all the time here at XDA and it is a shame.
Here's an update; it seems one brave soul did pull the Nexus 4 battery. Check out this thread : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2111947
And it solved his seemingly RMA-worthy red LED issue. At least till it happened again.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Related
I know that this questing was made thousand times...but my problem is a little bit different...
My dad has the N1 and he destroy the power button with his detestable streghness, and stubbornness to shoutdown the display everytime he did something...I hate his way to use phone and than blame me! -.-
So know I have to solve this problem...
First of all I have to power up the phone...I've follow the trick with the battery it started one time, then I can't start it anymore...
Then I'd like to know if I can take it to customer care also if there is a custom rom but I didn't unlock the bootrom just root it with "superoneclick root"
If my phone is not in warranty how much costs to replace the power button?
Can I repair it on my own? maybe the little power button inside is just moved and the button outside can't push it...
I've experience with a P990 that I've disassemble to change the cover...
Thanks a lot for your help...
Your problem is ABSOLUTELY THE SAME as any other "My power button died!" problem.
Please bother reading the zillion threads on the subject, looking at the price of flex cable on eBay, looking at the Nexus One disassembling guide on Youtube, and deciding what to do.
I don't see the fuzz about not getting the phone to boot up. Are you 100 % sure you're doing exactly as described?
First, plug in the USB cable or the charger, with the battery out. Insert the battery as soon as you see the led light lighting up. Now remove the battery and keep it out until you see the led light fading away. Now insert the battery again all while the charger or USB cable is still attached and it should boot up.
You might have to repeat it around four times, however.
When my power button first broke, I thought I was screwed and I tried the battery trick and it wouldn't work. Then I rechecked the how-to guide again, thoroughly this time and I managed to get it to boot up. It seems to boot up at a ranom amount of times. Sometimes, one single battery pull and insert is enough, while other times it takes two to four tries.
Now, though, I don't see the need of paying a lot of money to replace it as I have learned to live without it completely. With the use of either volume rocker wake or trackball wake. The latter I use all the time if it works well with the ROM I use. When I used Sense, I had to go with volume rocker, but it did the job. If I need a four-way reboot, I simply open "4ext recovery control" (which for the record is worth the money for the full app) and then enter "power menu" that way.
The power button on the Nexus One is really not necessary as there are plenty of workarounds.
This is like the millionth topic describing the same thing and I'm sure a simple search could have helped you more.
I've try your method and nothing I can't start my phone anymore, the light is always green and the last time I success to power on N1 was when the light was orange
I don't know what to do also because it's installed cyanogenmod and I think that is out of warranty....
If I just can power on the phone I can at least save the contact list
EDIT:
if I plug the phone to the charger with no battery, I have a led green and red that go on and off
This is normal and expected.
Green light means charged battery.
Alternating light means no battery.
Everything is just as it should be.
I guess you won't bother reading/trying, so I'm not sure why should anyone bother answering.
Jack_R1 I've read every topic on the board about the power button...so I don't want to make a bad discussion here with you...
I've read that I have to call htc or open it by myself...but I'd like to know:
1. the phone won't power on with green light... so the trick doesn't work?
2. can htc recognize that I have cyanogen if the phone doesn't power on?
3. can I repair on myself without buy a new power button that I can't find on ebay? or better I have to replace the entire flex mobo and the cpu?
RealPsygnosis said:
Jack_R1 I've read every topic on the board about the power button...so I don't want to make a bad discussion here with you...
I've read that I have to call htc or open it by myself...but I'd like to know:
1. the phone won't power on with green light... so the trick doesn't work?
2. can htc recognize that I have cyanogen if the phone doesn't power on?
3. can I repair on myself without buy a new power button that I can't find on ebay? or better I have to replace the entire flex mobo and the cpu?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Works for me.
2. Sure they can. They can also refuse repairing it or even charge you for it.
3. You only need to switch the flex cable. No need to replace both the logicboard and cpu.
I'm not sure why you can't get it to work. I think you're not exactly doing what you should with the battery trick. I'll try to explain as easy as I can:
1. Insert the USB cable or a charger and remove the battery.
2. The led will start to blink, but that is normal.
3. Insert the battery. Remove it again and wait until the led starts to blink
4. Now insert the battery again.
You shouldn't have to repeat this more than four times.
You can repair it yourself, if you search the forum, find the photo of the flex cable that someone posted with the exact point you'll need to solder to, disassemble your phone, and solder a very thin wire between this point and the power button. Personally, it took me 1 hour to do it for a friend, using lab microscope, super-thin wires and very thin soldering iron. If you have the equipment and the skills - go for it.
But if you had the equipment and the skills, you'd most likely be able to write "nexus one flex cable" on eBay and find this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-FLEX-CA...387?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a11775bcb
HTC quote for repairing out-of-warranty N1 with power button failure will most likely be equal to the price of used N1 these days.
It seems there are already several threads about this seemingly common issue with this tablet, but I've tried the normal checks and still can't get any life out of my dad's nexus 7 whatsoever.
I've found several threads stating it's just a loose battery, but in this case it isn't. I've checked absolutely every single connection I can get to without removing the void if removed bits, and can't find anything suspect. However it still won't turn on, won't charge, etc. It's not a faulty charger or cable either, we've all got android in my immediate family and we can't get any life out of it with any lead or charger. It was simply working one day, it was turned off the way it always is once my dad had finished using it, and now it simply won't come back on again.
I also saw some people say to get it into bootloader mode by holding volume down and power straight after plugging it in, but that too does nothing whatsoever?
Does anyone know of anything else I can try, short of sending it back to Asus?
How long have you had it?
This sounds like something that should be addressed as a warranty situation, as anything else may be kludgy at best, and may fail again just after your warranty runs out.
I wouldn't really waste any more time.
JMnsHO.... :beer:
My dad has had it about half a year, maybe a little more. But he bought it from Comet, who no longer exist since they went under just after Christmas, so he can't return it to them now. Unless it'd just go straight to Asus instead.
I had exactly the same issue.......I fixed it by disconnecting the battery and reconnecting which by the sound of your post you have already tried.......you should be able to go straight to Asus for repair.......good luck....
Sent from my Evo 3D GSM using xda app-developers app
After probably 30 days it would need to go back to ASUS anyway.
As I'd said, I wouldn't waste more time fussing with it.
They'll take care of it and still preserve the balance of the warranty.
If you messed with it too much, you may find yourself with none at all, and on the hook for the cost of the repair.
Make the call.. :thumbup:
Well I've not done anything that shows I've been in there like I say, so any manufacturer warranty should still be intact. Same goes for the software too, not rooted, on the standard rom and kernel, etc.
I was just hoping I could fix it for my dad without having to send it off.
Not yet, but anything else would be more 'intrusive'.
How long have you been working on it?
Not long, only 10 minutes here or there to see if I could find something loose. I might check the voltage of it's battery to see if it's flat, and also check to see if any power is getting to the battery while charging. That'll help prove if the battery or it's control board is dead or not.
Just checked the battery over. It's a 3.7v battery according to the label, and my multimeter shows 3.7v, so the battery is fine with no loose connections. At the connector for the power button ribbon cable, I get the 1.8v that should trigger the tablet to power up when the power button is pressed, and the power button is good too, only showing continuity when pressed. Again, no loose connections. But the bloody thing still won't turn on.
Any more ideas?
When you say that you "tried all the normal checks", does that include all of the fixes listed in the sticky dedicated to this subject?
billykxda said:
When you say that you "tried all the normal checks", does that include all of the fixes listed in the sticky dedicated to this subject?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, your thread is about a faulty or loose battery. As I've said, it's not a loose connection and I've now tested the battery too. Unless you can think of something that I've missed?
StuartTheFish said:
Yes, unless you can think of something I've missed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sticky has all of the well-researched methods of addressing the collection of related issues (won't turn on/won't turn off/battery status). It is not only about a faulty or loose battery - there's much more.
Give it a read and let me know if there's a fix in there for you.
billykxda said:
That sticky has all of the well-researched methods of addressing the collection of related issues (won't turn on/won't turn off/battery status). It is not only about a faulty or loose battery - there's much more.
Give it a read and let me know if there's a fix in there for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have read it all, and unfortunately there's nothing in it for me.
If your able to get to bootloader maybe try to power off then let it charge for awhile then boot, or hold the power button for a good min
It won't turn on at all, so it can't get into the bootloader. Tried already.
StuartTheFish said:
It won't turn on at all, so it can't get into the bootloader. Tried already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know you tried almost everything in the box, but when you plug it in the wall and press and hold the power button do you see the screen light up but still black?
If yes ( hopefully ) then continue holding power button then press VOL down til arrow pointing with START appears. Cycle through with VOL down til you see power off and select.
After it shuts down unplug from wall and replug and let it sit for a long awhile
If this didn't help at all sorry......good luck....warranty?
RubbleTea said:
I know you tried almost everything in the box, but when you plug it in the wall and press and hold the power button do you see the screen light up but still black?
If yes ( hopefully ) then continue holding power button then press VOL down til arrow pointing with START appears. Cycle through with VOL down til you see power off and select.
After it shuts down unplug from wall and replug and let it sit for a long awhile
If this didn't help at all sorry......good luck....warranty?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing happens whatsoever mate, even while plugged into the charger. Tried the original charger, my s4 charger, my old HTC chargers, from the pc via USB, etc. None of them make any difference.
Got a feeling it might be the motherboard, as it has power. Can't be the display since I've tried getting a logcat from it after holding the power button for a while to make sure it would have turned on. ADB just kept saying "waiting for device" as if it wasn't plugged in, confirming it isn't even turning on.
Can anyone think of anything I've missed?
StuartTheFish said:
Can anyone think of anything I've missed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can the pogo pins be used to charge? bit of a long shot and you`d need to buy/borrow a dock of some sort. Definitely sounds like a hardware failure issue.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Pogo pins?
It already seems to be charged though.
The HTC One (m7) was a incredibly designed device, with one problem repair-ability.
Some back story I created a 5v OTG charge out of cardboard, washers, and a hacked up USB - mUSB cord.
Worked great when I tested it, used rechargeable AA batteries. Well stupidly i crossed the negative and positive wires by accident. The phone instantly powered off. But no smell of smoke or burning. Would not power on and no charge light. Button reset would not work. Completely dead, or so you think!
This could be substituted with a nice power surge in normal circumstances, but I'll continue.
So I took a chance, disassembled the phone and disconnected that battery, low and behold it came back to life.
So there is very good circuit protection built into this phone. So as general advice, if you run it a situation where your out of warranty and your phone wont power on try disconnecting the battery before chucking it for a new one.
Only problem is they are so hard to get apart I shattered the LCD, touch part was ok though which is kinda funny. Anyways I got a whole new shell and screen assembly coming and I'm gonna modify the tabs so its easier to access the inside of the phone should the need ever arise again.
yeah, great tip, lets all smash our screens to reset the battery..
How about not rigging up a dodgy charging option and use it normally and safely, would be much less costly...
I think the story is interesting and adds knowledge to the forum. I wouldn't take it as a advice, but it does let you know that even when it seems that your phone has been killed by a hardware issue, it can still come back to life. Maybe if he had left it unplugged for some time it would eventually had worked without intervention.
twerg said:
yeah, great tip, lets all smash our screens to reset the battery..
How about not rigging up a dodgy charging option and use it normally and safely, would be much less costly...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure the tip wasn't "let's all smash our screens to reset the battery".. it was more along the lines of "you may not be dead in the water if you don't get any reaction from the power button". I think if he were to write a tutorial, "Smash the screen" wouldn't be a step...
homeslice976 said:
I'm pretty sure the tip wasn't "let's all smash our screens to reset the battery".. it was more along the lines of "you may not be dead in the water if you don't get any reaction from the power button". I think if he were to write a tutorial, "Smash the screen" wouldn't be a step...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My point is that he attempted to fix it himself, knowing it is a hard phone to open.
By doing so he shattered the screen.. this will happen to others so why follow the suggestion.
Would have been avoided if he did not make a dodgy peripheral and instead used known safe charging options..
I would send it in for repair instead of attempting an unknown fix.. Each to their own
i crossed the negative and positive wires by accident too and the phone wos death ,i do nothing ,after half hour power get back and phone turn on normally and work like nothing happend
Hi to everyone,
I bought my S4 in Germany and I live in France.
My phone, after 10 months started to exhibit strange behaviors:
- Turning off and then turning on by itself
- Turning off and then not turning on, so I had to remove the battery, reinsert it and it then vibrates and turns on for few seconds and then it turns off again
- Sometimes it is able to turn on and it worked
So, I sent it back to the reseller (it was not amazon directly). They told me it presented traces of water and they repaired it on goodwill even if the smartphone should not be repaired because water is not into warranty.
Anyway they sent it back to me, it worked for 1 month, and now I have a phone that doesn't turn on anymore. I told them, they told me it is not their problem and it is not anymore in warranty because I had ONLY one year of warranty (I bought it 'as new' on amazon). Anyway they sent me a new battery and I tried the battery on another S4, it is working, so the battery is not the problem.
I went to an authorized shop to get it repaired but they told me that they wanted crazily expensive money. So, I am a robotics engineer, I decided to repair it by myself and that is why I am here.
I want to ask you what could be the problem. I read until now 2 possible reasons:
1) The power button is faulty. In this case is there any way to connect the contacts the button connects with an hard connection?
2) The USB board is not charging the battery. I tested with a multimeter and the + - voltage on the battery was always around 2.62/2.64 V. I don't know if this is normal but I checked that the part is not expensive.
Thanks a lot for your help.
The USB board isn't expensive but I don't believe the USB board is the problem here. Lithium batteries come partially charged when new, so if the S4 didn't turn on after putting the new battery in it, then the only remaining issue is the power button. Buying a replacement power button should be just as inexpensive as that USB board. Plus, being a robotics engineer you should have basic knowledge of soldering, meaning you could replace the button yourself.
It does sound like a power button issue.
A set of 4 buttons is about 5 dollars on the internet.
I'd recommend opening the phone up and checking the power button with a voltmeter.
If it is the power button, then simply replace it. It doesn't seem hard. Here's a guy with a power button issue. You can see where to check and how to replace it.
Thanks. I will try with the voltmeter. Thanks a lot.
So, I unmounted everything and tested the power button. I am quite sure it is faulty. ( I will be 100 % tomorrow because I could test only with a really bad multimeter) .
Anyway I have a question in the meanwhile. Is it normal that the red charging led doesn't show up when I connect to the power supply ? I think it could be possible that the faulty button induces a problem like that but I would like your opinion about it.
Thanks.
I don't think the power button would affect the LED. A friend had a problem with the power button, but I don't think it cause any problems with the LED. I haven't noticed. But my friend would've noticed if there was any and would've told me, which wasn't the case.
I tested with the GOOD multimeter and it happens what it is showed in the video you posted me in a previous post.
The button has 3 pins:
pin1
pin2
pin3
If I check for continuity between pin2 and pin3 there is, as it should be in a working button.
If I check for continuity between pin1 and pin2 there is, as it should NOT be in a working button.
Having continuity on both checks means the buttons is continuously pressed. So I guess you will have to change it.
Yeah, I know. I already ordered it. It will arrive on Friday.
What I was wondering is if this could give also the problem of the LED. What do you think?
I removed the button. I placed the battery in the phone. Put the charging cable. But nothing is happening. This looks strange to me because without button it should at least appear the battery icon. What could it be ?
Thanks
Maybe your phone bootloader is so old that it came to a situation where samsung's signing for this bootloader version has expired then ABOOT doesn't allow you to boot.
Just a suggestion and nothing else.
But this could be else used by samsung to force you update your phone.
minidiable said:
I removed the button. I placed the battery in the phone. Put the charging cable. But nothing is happening. This looks strange to me because without button it should at least appear the battery icon. What could it be ?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not if the circuit isn't complete. The button completes the circuit, which would explain the lack of any indicators.
Killnolife said:
Maybe your phone bootloader is so old that it came to a situation where samsung's signing for this bootloader version has expired then ABOOT doesn't allow you to boot.
Just a suggestion and nothing else.
But this could be else used by samsung to force you update your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why should be that ? My phone was working perfectly before and at some point the bootloader is not good anymore. Anyway thanks for the hint
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Not if the circuit isn't complete. The button completes the circuit, which would explain the lack of any indicators.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. Thanks . This still gives me some hope. I will wait for the button and come back here soon.
Thanks a lot for your amazing help.
This community rocks
Today I was using my phone when it locked up, made a strange buzzing noise and then went dead.
It was on charge at the time but now if I plug in the charger I do not get the usual charging display and the phone won't switch on regardless of how long I hold down the power button with or without the volume +/- buttons.
If I connect it to my computer 'adb devices' doesn't find it either and that was working recently.
Is it time for a new phone or is there some other way of reviving it?
R.
dicko99 said:
Today I was using my phone when it locked up, made a strange buzzing noise and then went dead.
It was on charge at the time but now if I plug in the charger I do not get the usual charging display and the phone won't switch on regardless of how long I hold down the power button with or without the volume +/- buttons.
If I connect it to my computer 'adb devices' doesn't find it either and that was working recently.
Is it time for a new phone or is there some other way of reviving it?
R.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you need a new battery.
Yeah battery or a power related issue. Easy to fix if you know your way around these things they have videos explaining how to do the battery and stuff. But if you take it to a phone repair shop they should be able to fix it and not very expensively either
dontbeweakvato said:
Yeah battery or a power related issue. Easy to fix if you know your way around these things they have videos explaining how to do the battery and stuff. But if you take it to a phone repair shop they should be able to fix it and not very expensively either
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do batteries fail catastrophically like that? I've never had one do this before.
R.
dicko99 said:
Do batteries fail catastrophically like that? I've never had one do this before.
R.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course. Could of been something in the connector or ribbon. Just because it hasn't happened doesn't mean it won't.