_____________________________________________
!!! 25+ ESTIMATED SUCCESSES!!! (Either reported or from thanks on this post)
_____________________________________________
For TL;DR - start at [[ WILL THIS HELP YOU? ]]
This ABSOLUTELY fixed my AT&T Note 3's GPS. However:
:::: DISCLAIMER :::: I had an unusual chain of events leading up to this fix. I hope it fixes your Note 3's GPS, but there's really no way to tell - unless you decide to try it. It may not help you at all. So, what have you got to lose? Well, take a look at [[ WILL THIS HELP YOU? ]] and [[ RISKS ]].
[[ INTRO ]]
If you're here, most likely your Note 3's GPS doesn't work, and you're desperate like I was for a fix. Here's the chain of events that led to my fix:
1. Got AT&T Note 3 - **out of the box** it had the 'blurry' camera issue, but outstanding GPS (consistent 3 second satlock).
2. Sent Note 3 in for Samsung Warranty Repair to fix the 'blurry' camera.
3. Samsung fixed the camera.
4. Disappointingly, Samsung broke the GPS (by bending the 'leaf' pin circled RED in my pic below, I assume inadvertently during reassembly).
5. Got Note 3 back - camera fixed, GPS broken by Samsung.
6. After observing an iFixit teardown, I followed this chain of logic: A - Since Samsung replaced my camera, and B - the camera is separate from the main board that the GPS is on, then C - Samsung must have only replaced the camera, and left the GPS alone. D - Therefore, Samsung did not replace my exceptional GPS, that, sadly, is now broken. E - Something else must have broken the GPS. F - I read a thread suggesting that tightening the 12 screws on the back fixes the GPS, then G - I decided it's time to check on the leaf pins after looking at the iFixit teardown. Below is what I found.
[[ WILL THIS HELP YOU? ]]
Hopefully. I have no idea. Maybe. Decide if the [[ RISKS ]] are worth it to find out if one of your 'leaf' pins are bent or damaged (mine was bent by Samsung Warranty Repair, as explained above).
[ 1 ] Yes, if one of the 'leaf pins' is bent, dislodged, or otherwise not making contact.
[ 2 ] Yes, if one of the contacts that the leaf pins touch is oxidized. (Remove oxidation by scraping it off.)
--- Thanks to evilpotatoman for reporting this fix! ---
[ 3 ] Yes, if one of the 'leaf pins' is squished and is not pressing hard enough against the contact. (Bend "leaf pin" outward to make tighter contact.)
--- As suggested by evilpotatoman ---
Also, perhaps adding a small piece of stock paper under the offending leaf pin will make it keep contact better. ( !!!! Be careful - don't add too much paper, which could stress the pin or contact !!!! )
--- As suggested by superdookie67 ---
[4] Yes, if a screw is loose. This may happen if you remove the back cover frequently, which loosens the screw that keeps a solid connection between the leaf pin and contact near the back cover fingernail hole.
--- As suggested by yedidi2006 ---
Let's be honest: since Samsung Warranty Repair dislodged my Note 3's leaf pin, isn't it plausible that a maybe even a few Note 3's shipped with bent leaf pins?
I'M WILLING TO BET YES. So please reply and let everyone know if this fixes it.
[[ RISKS ]] (Honestly, this is a pretty basic procedure. But here goes)
1. Potentially voiding warranty, though I have no idea how it can be proven (put some new Loctite on the screws afterward if you're paranoid.)
2. (Only a risk for those who are completely careless) Potential damage to internal equipment.
3. Losing 30 minutes of your life. Personally, I love tearing stuff apart whenever I have an excuse, so for me this wasn't a risk.
[[ INSTRUCTIONS ]] (See attached pics for details)
1. See your favorite teardown site for even more details. Remove the back cover, stylus, SIM, and microSD.
2. Remove the 12 Phillips screws on the back. They are sealed with Loctite, so don't damage your phone with too much force.
3. !!!Carefully!!! remove the inner plastic shell (clipped in).
3a. !!!Only lift up!!!, perpendicularly from the screen to avoid damaging the leaf pins.
3b. !!!Take your time!!! Gently open around the edges until all edges and clips are loose.
4. Observe the leaf pin locations shown below.
5. Samsung bent my leaf pin circled in RED below. This one is clearly related to the GPS, because bending it back restored my GPS to perfect functionality.
6. !!!!Extra Carefully!!!! bend the leaf pin back into position, if you find a dislocated leaf pin.
7. Replace the inner plastic shell, making sure to not damage the leaf pins.
8. Replace the 12 screws (with new Loctite, at your discretion).
9. Obviously, replace the SIM, microSD, stylus, and back cover.
10. Fire it up.
11. MOST IMPORTANTLY, reply back if this helps - maybe this is a fix for many of the Note 3's that shipped with terrible GPS reception.
________________________
Nope, I looked in and my 'leaf' pins were all properly shaped. I even slightly bent it to look more like yours, and still having GPS issues.
Sorry to hear that didn't fix it for you. Thanks for posting your results though.
If someone is feeling ambitious (and somehow doesn't care about their warranty), the other thing I was thinking is to clean off / polish the contacts that the leaf pins touch, but that's almost certainly a warranty-voider. Not to mention it could possibly damage or ruin the contacts.
Sent from my SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
Switched my rom back to stock NB4 rooted, having no gps issues now (if I remember, it worked just fine on NB4 before). Bent pins may be a problem for others though.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
Interesting, well at least it's working again.
I'd be stoked if someone else fixed their GPS because of a bent leaf pin, since it's such an easy and decisive fix.
Sent from my SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
wish i had seen this earlier. I had mine done just like what you did plus the pins from the backside of the motherboard. mine wont lock unless i am outside and had clear view of the sky (no signal if inside the car). and had to conclude that its the hardware and not the software. after doing all of those pins. i got lock in less than 3 secs!
damn note 3.
also, i had to spray those pins with an electronic contact cleaner before I put them back together
jay185 said:
wish i had seen this earlier. I had mine done just like what you did plus the pins from the backside of the motherboard. mine wont lock unless i am outside and had clear view of the sky (no signal if inside the car). and had to conclude that its the hardware and not the software. after doing all of those pins. i got lock in less than 3 secs!
damn note 3.
also, i had to spray those pins with an electronic contact cleaner before I put them back together
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fantastic, glad to hear it worked :good: Thanks for posting your results.
Is there a fix for the compass not working correctly? Sometimes when I'm driving, it makes it look like I'm traveling sideways. This is on GoogleMap. My GPS has been working fine since the first day.
hp79 said:
Is there a fix for the compass not working correctly? Sometimes when I'm driving, it makes it look like I'm traveling sideways. This is on GoogleMap. My GPS has been working fine since the first day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My guess is that this fix should work for any subsystem that uses one of the leaf pins (of course only if said subsystem has a bent leaf pin).
We'd have to determine where the compass is located and if it uses the pins. Otherwise, I'm not aware of a compass fix. Mine has exhibited that behavior too. I'll report back if I find anything.
Sent from my SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
Thanks!
I was suffering from little to no GPS fix. Opened it up per your instructions to find that my gps pin wasn't bent, but the terminal to which it contacts was oxidized. I bent the pin up to ensure a tight fit and I marred the terminal with a razor to remove the oxidation. My GPS works flawlessly now.
would anyone know among those pins, where exactly is the gps antenna connected to?
ok nevermind. i figured it out. its the 2 pin at the top right (where the volume keys are)
SchecterRocker said:
For TL;DR - start at [[ WILL THIS HELP YOU? ]]
This ABSOLUTELY fixed my AT&T Note 3's GPS. However:
:::: DISCLAIMER :::: I had an unusual chain of events leading up to this fix. I hope it fixes your Note 3's GPS, but there's really no way to tell - unless you decide to try it. It may not help you at all. So, what have you got to lose? Well, take a look at [[ WILL THIS HELP YOU? ]] and [[ RISKS ]].
[[ INTRO ]]
If you're here, most likely your Note 3's GPS doesn't work, and you're desperate like I was for a fix. Here's the chain of events that led to my fix:
1. Got AT&T Note 3 - **out of the box** it had the 'blurry' camera issue, but outstanding GPS (consistent 3 second satlock).
2. Sent Note 3 in for Samsung Warranty Repair to fix the 'blurry' camera.
3. Samsung fixed the camera.
4. Disappointingly, Samsung broke the GPS (by bending the 'leaf' pin circled RED in my pic below, I assume inadvertently during reassembly).
5. Got Note 3 back - camera fixed, GPS broken by Samsung.
6. After observing an iFixit teardown, I followed this chain of logic: A - Since Samsung replaced my camera, and B - the camera is separate from the main board that the GPS is on, then C - Samsung must have only replaced the camera, and left the GPS alone. D - Therefore, Samsung did not replace my exceptional GPS, that, sadly, is now broken. E - Something else must have broken the GPS. F - I read a thread suggesting that tightening the 12 screws on the back fixes the GPS, then G - I decided it's time to check on the leaf pins after looking at the iFixit teardown. Below is what I found.
[[ WILL THIS HELP YOU? ]]
Hopefully. I have no idea. Maybe. Decide if the [[ RISKS ]] are worth it to find out if one of your 'leaf' pins are bent or damaged (mine was bent by Samsung Warranty Repair, as explained above).
Let's be honest: since Samsung Warranty Repair dislodged my Note 3's leaf pin, isn't it plausible that a maybe even a few Note 3's shipped with bent leaf pins?
I'M WILLING TO BET YES. So please reply and let everyone know if this fixes it.
[[ RISKS ]] (Honestly, this is a pretty basic procedure. But here goes)
1. Potentially voiding warranty, though I have no idea how it can be proven (put some new Loctite on the screws afterward if you're paranoid.)
2. (Only a risk for those who are completely careless) Potential damage to internal equipment.
3. Losing 30 minutes of your life. Personally, I love tearing stuff apart whenever I have an excuse, so for me this wasn't a risk.
[[ INSTRUCTIONS ]] (See attached pics for details)
1. See your favorite teardown site for even more details. Remove the back cover, stylus, SIM, and microSD.
2. Remove the 12 Phillips screws on the back. They are sealed with Loctite, so don't damage your phone with too much force.
3. !!!Carefully!!! remove the inner plastic shell (clipped in).
3a. !!!Only lift up!!!, perpendicularly from the screen to avoid damaging the leaf pins.
3b. !!!Take your time!!! Gently open around the edges until all edges and clips are loose.
4. Observe the leaf pin locations shown below.
5. Samsung bent my leaf pin circled in RED below. This one is clearly related to the GPS, because bending it back restored my GPS to perfect functionality.
6. !!!!Extra Carefully!!!! bend the leaf pin back into position, if you find a dislocated leaf pin.
7. Replace the inner plastic shell, making sure to not damage the leaf pins.
8. Replace the 12 screws (with new Loctite, at your discretion).
9. Obviously, replace the SIM, microSD, stylus, and back cover.
10. Fire it up.
11. MOST IMPORTANTLY, reply back if this helps - maybe this is a fix for many of the Note 3's that shipped with terrible GPS reception.
________________________
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you go? To an AT&T store or bestbuy?
My phone had no GPS issues at all until a couple of days ago after I dropped it flat on its back (with a thin cover on it) and picked it up with no scratch on it. Now I have NO GPS at all (I'm not sure it is because of the fall or something else. It fell several times before and it didn't mess my GPS). I tried every single GPS fix app in the Play Store that used to actually solve my GPS issues and nothing. I downgraded from KK to JB thinking it might have been KK that was causing the problem and also nothing. Now when I try to use my GPS, it hangs on "searching for GPS" forever. I'm thinking of re-flashing stock and un-rooting to take It back to them (I need your advice on where I should go, please). I don't want to start disassembling my phone first.
Thanks man.
from my 3rd beast of a phone..!!
I'm genuinely glad to hear this has helped at least 2 or 3 others! It was such an annoying issue for me that I hoped it would help someone else.
evilpotatoman said:
Thanks!
I was suffering from little to no GPS fix. Opened it up per your instructions to find that my gps pin wasn't bent, but the terminal to which it contacts was oxidized. I bent the pin up to ensure a tight fit and I marred the terminal with a razor to remove the oxidation. My GPS works flawlessly now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great news! Let's just say that your MJ5 restoration thread has saved me more than once, so I'm glad if I can pay it forward in any way. :good: I'll modify the instructions to suggest checking for oxidized contacts like yours were. Thanks!
jay185 said:
would anyone know among those pins, where exactly is the gps antenna connected to?
ok nevermind. i figured it out. its the 2 pin at the top right (where the volume keys are)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reporting this. I actually bent the top left pin (where the power key is) to fix mine, so it would appear that either the top right or left pins could be causing issues for people.
K-Alzwayed said:
Where did you go? To an AT&T store or bestbuy?
My phone had no GPS issues at all until a couple of days ago after I dropped it flat on its back (with a thin cover on it) and picked it up with no scratch on it. Now I have NO GPS at all (I'm not sure it is because of the fall or something else. It fell several times before and it didn't mess my GPS). I tried every single GPS fix app in the Play Store that used to actually solve my GPS issues and nothing. I downgraded from KK to JB thinking it might have been KK that was causing the problem and also nothing. Now when I try to use my GPS, it hangs on "searching for GPS" forever. I'm thinking of re-flashing stock and un-rooting to take It back to them (I need your advice on where I should go, please). I don't want to start disassembling my phone first.
Thanks man.
from my 3rd beast of a phone..!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I shipped my Note 3 to be repaired by Samsung Warranty Repair somewhere in Texas (free of charge, since it's still under warranty) (if that's what you're asking - I didn't get it repaired at AT&T or BestBuy). I am by no means an expert on this, but from what you've described my first guess is one of your pins got dislodged somehow (presumably from the fall). Honestly this procedure isn't overly difficult, but I understand if you don't want to crack open your phone. Until I did open my phone though, I was having nearly identical issues as you are (hanging on "searching for GPS" , the GPS Status app could only find 2 or 3 satellites instead of the usual 12-19, etc, etc, etc).
Samsung Warranty Repair bent my GPS pin, causing it to malfunction. While I sincerely want to recommend that you send it to Samsung to fix, just be aware that things can go wrong - I speak from experience.
Thanks again for everyone's responses!
SchecterRocker said:
I'm genuinely glad to hear this has helped at least 2 or 3 others! It was such an annoying issue for me that I hoped it would help someone else.
Great news! Let's just say that your MJ5 restoration thread has saved me more than once, so I'm glad if I can pay it forward in any way. :good: I'll modify the instructions to suggest checking for oxidized contacts like yours were. Thanks!
Thanks for reporting this. I actually bent the top left pin (where the power key is) to fix mine, so it would appear that either the top right or left pins could be causing issues for people.
I shipped my Note 3 to be repaired by Samsung Warranty Repair somewhere in Texas (free of charge, since it's still under warranty) (if that's what you're asking - I didn't get it repaired at AT&T or BestBuy). I am by no means an expert on this, but from what you've described my first guess is one of your pins got dislodged somehow (presumably from the fall). Honestly this procedure isn't overly difficult, but I understand if you don't want to crack open your phone. Until I did open my phone though, I was having nearly identical issues as you are (hanging on "searching for GPS" , the GPS Status app could only find 2 or 3 satellites instead of the usual 12-19, etc, etc, etc).
Samsung Warranty Repair bent my GPS pin, causing it to malfunction. While I sincerely want to recommend that you send it to Samsung to fix, just be aware that things can go wrong - I speak from experience.
Thanks again for everyone's responses!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate it, man. I heard from some friends that it could be this http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...-services-are-experiencing-outages-right-now/
So before shipping my phone, I'm going to wait a little bit longer to see if this is the issue. I still have a long while on the warranty
I would like to say this fixed my GPS on my AT&T Note 3.
I didn't have to un-clip the complete back, just the top left section enough to see the two antennas.
Now my GPS works normally.
Funny thing is my Note 1 had the same problem, which I fixed in the same way over 2 years ago..
What I am guessing is that when we put pressure on the phone we squish the antennas down so when the pressure is relieved they are no longer in contact.
Seems to be a design flaw in all generations of the Note phone.
Samsung should change how this connection is made, as the flaw will continue to occur.
thank you for the post!
Itworked but only for a few minutes
SchecterRocker said:
For TL;DR - start at [[ WILL THIS HELP YOU? ]]
This ABSOLUTELY fixed my AT&T Note 3's GPS. However:
....
[[ INSTRUCTIONS ]] (See attached pics for details)
1. See your favorite teardown site for even more details. Remove the back cover, stylus, SIM, and microSD.
2. Remove the 12 Phillips screws on the back. They are sealed with Loctite, so don't damage your phone with too much force.
3. !!!Carefully!!! remove the inner plastic shell (clipped in).
3a. !!!Only lift up!!!, perpendicularly from the screen to avoid damaging the leaf pins.
3b. !!!Take your time!!! Gently open around the edges until all edges and clips are loose.
4. Observe the leaf pin locations shown below.
5. Samsung bent my leaf pin circled in RED below. This one is clearly related to the GPS, because bending it back restored my GPS to perfect functionality.
6. !!!!Extra Carefully!!!! bend the leaf pin back into position, if you find a dislocated leaf pin.
7. Replace the inner plastic shell, making sure to not damage the leaf pins.
8. Replace the 12 screws (with new Loctite, at your discretion).
9. Obviously, replace the SIM, microSD, stylus, and back cover.
10. Fire it up.
11. MOST IMPORTANTLY, reply back if this helps - maybe this is a fix for many of the Note 3's that shipped with terrible GPS reception.
________________________
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately it didn't work... I also found that my note 3 is a little different to your photos where the two leaf-pins are mounted side by side.
I followed your procedure, found what I think must be the same leaf pins you refer to, but they didn't seem to be bent or misshaped. I bent them up slightly anyway,since I'd gone to so much trouble to tear it down, before reassembling the device.
When I first switched it on I thought I'd had a win: Using the 'GPS Status' app I quickly acquired 4/ 23 satellites, where normally I see 0/23 (or 0/xx) the xx number varies.
That soon increased to 11/ 19 and I thought yes its fixed AT LAST!!
For once I was even able to locate my device in Google Android Device Manager too - it rarely ever works. The only one that does is 'Where's My Droid' as it can find it using the WLAN and the mobile phone towers that my SIM is connected to. It appears that Google's ADM MUST use GPS only, because whenever Where's My Droid finds it via GPS (which isn't too often), Android Device Manager also works (finds it ok)... It was this constant failing of ADM which eventually brought me to the conclusion that the problem is to do with GPS (I've tried EVERYTHING to fix this over several months) and how I eventually found your post, which unfortunately doesn't seem to have helped me.
It does seem a bit odd though, that it worked for a few minutes after firing up the phone.
I just wonder if some component is failing once it reaches a certain temperature?
If so, I might was well forget it (warranty void - had to remove a sticker that was over screw # 12) and buy a new phone, but NOT a note 3!
I checked this with the recent gps trouble I've had with my tmobile version. I noticed mine were smashed down as low as they could be. Pulling them back up a bit, my gps does seem to be better now. I was wondering, would sticking some stock paper or anything under them help to keep them raised and connected to the other side?
And thanks so much for this post, I had been working on this problem forever.
ko9pora said:
Unfortunately it didn't work... I also found that my note 3 is a little different to your photos where the two leaf-pins are mounted side by side.
I followed your procedure, found what I think must be the same leaf pins you refer to, but they didn't seem to be bent or misshaped. I bent them up slightly anyway,since I'd gone to so much trouble to tear it down, before reassembling the device.
When I first switched it on I thought I'd had a win: Using the 'GPS Status' app I quickly acquired 4/ 23 satellites, where normally I see 0/23 (or 0/xx) the xx number varies.
That soon increased to 11/ 19 and I thought yes its fixed AT LAST!!
For once I was even able to locate my device in Google Android Device Manager too - it rarely ever works. The only one that does is 'Where's My Droid' as it can find it using the WLAN and the mobile phone towers that my SIM is connected to. It appears that Google's ADM MUST use GPS only, because whenever Where's My Droid finds it via GPS (which isn't too often), Android Device Manager also works (finds it ok)... It was this constant failing of ADM which eventually brought me to the conclusion that the problem is to do with GPS (I've tried EVERYTHING to fix this over several months) and how I eventually found your post, which unfortunately doesn't seem to have helped me.
It does seem a bit odd though, that it worked for a few minutes after firing up the phone.
I just wonder if some component is failing once it reaches a certain temperature?
If so, I might was well forget it (warranty void - had to remove a sticker that was over screw # 12) and buy a new phone, but NOT a note 3!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to take it back... It worked!
When I wrote the above reply, I didn't realize that I was too far inside my house (under it's steel roof). As soon as I went outside or even near a window it all worked great and still does, but I guess no GPS works too well when its effectively shielded under an iron roof...:laugh:
superdookie67 said:
I checked this with the recent gps trouble I've had with my tmobile version. I noticed mine were smashed down as low as they could be. Pulling them back up a bit, my gps does seem to be better now. I was wondering, would sticking some stock paper or anything under them help to keep them raised and connected to the other side?
And thanks so much for this post, I had been working on this problem forever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear it worked! I agree, perhaps sticking a little paper under the pin that's causing trouble may help it keep contact. I'll add that suggestion into the original post.
ko9pora said:
I have to take it back... It worked!
When I wrote the above reply, I didn't realize that I was too far inside my house (under it's steel roof). As soon as I went outside or even near a window it all worked great and still does, but I guess no GPS works too well when its effectively shielded under an iron roof...:laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good deal! I'm in the same situation - under a steel roof. Basically, my house similar to a Faraday cage, blocking out almost all radio communication (cell, AM/FM, TV, you name it.)
Sounds good, looks like we've got about 5 successes so far!
YES! I had absolutely no GPS, popped open the phone - the leaf was already bent back as in your "after" picture, but I just propped it up to get better connection, and now I finally have a GPS signal, 13/25 satellites within 30 seconds of my first test. Thank you so much for posting this.
PREFACE
So, I figure I'd type this up for posterity in case anyone else wants to perform this repair. If software has not resolved your FP issues, there is a pretty good chance it falls to a hardware problem. Thankfully, once you've dealt with the screen, this phone is actually mercifully easy to repair. As there are no guides in English I was able to find, I decided I would take pictures as I did this (no way to setup a useful recording, sadly) and do a bit of a write up with some instructions and my experience doing it. If you already know how to do this sort of thing - you can probably skip past this, it's not terribly enlightening. For those doing it for the first time or as a novelty, however, I suspect you'll be pleased to have some degree of guidance in a language you understand.
In terms of how this is going to work:
Throughout the guide I will be posting the unedited images and additionally images with colour overlays on them. Please do not take these as absolute gospel as I'm working from memory, particularly in regards to screws. I will reference colours when I refer to specific components, screws exempted for obvious reasons.
Please at least take a quick scan of the guide before commencing work. I know I'd have appreciated it if the portuguese tutorial I was forced to follow on YT hadn't skipped much of this information. It added extra trouble for no good reason. Plus, it's good to do this because it lets you frame each instruction in context, and avoid silly mistakes.
And while I wish I didn't have to say this, here you have it.:
<Standard Disclaimer>
You're doing this yourself, of your own volition. I am not an expert and I do not represent myself to be. My only prior experience is repairing iPhones at a red-themed office retailer. Don't expect much. I am giving you a rough guide on how to do this which you may choose to follow or not to varied consequences. I do not assume any liability for any damage or mistakes, even if such should come from errors in this guide. Basically, if something goes badly, leave me out of it, I assume no responsibility for it whatsoever. Be safe, use common sense, and don't force anything you don't think should be forced. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, don't. It's not hard, but it is easy to screw up.
This project may well violate your warranty depending on applicable statutes. And inapplicable ones - let's be honest, I don't think any of us bought this expecting full service. If you break the warranty sticker, you will almost certainly be denied should anything go wrong in the future, irregardless of cause. It's going to China, so.... don't expect them to humour you when you mention that warranty is supposed to be based only on actual provable damage. Blah blah, if you're looking at this you already know that. In sum: consider your warranty to be null and void.
TOOLS
Note: All prices given in CAD. Shipping not included. No affiliate links - I'm literally just saving you time on the search. This stuff is all based on things I've used, so it's solid enough for the price.
First things first, you will definitely want to ensure you have some very basic tools. You can find most of these extremely cheap on Aliexpress.
1. Watch Tools Screwdriver, specifically Phillips ( + )
2. Suction cup
So, very basic, but you can either use just the generic kind with the metal loop for pulling - this is what comes in the kit I will link below. Alternatively, you can use a clamp-style one (like this ($4.38)), which I would probably suggest as it allows you to use it like a handle when holding the screen and avoids touching near the back of the screen.3. Narrow flat things; guitar picks, etc.
Ideally, these should be made out of a material with a bit of give, like plastic. You won't have much travel room between the edge of the phone and the sensitive part of the screen when opening it, and metal will possibly do some damage if you screw this up. I unfortunately have some minor damage on my screen now. More on that later.4. Spudger/Flat implement like a Slot Screwdriver
There are lots of flex cables with their caps, along with some narrower parts that could use a gentler plastic tool for prying them off. Prying is a strong word - they're designed to come off readily, but still.
If you need these tools, a cheap kit can be had at a solid price here ($12 CAD as of posting)
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
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It does come with some other stuff, but I didn't really find those to be useful. Check the listing for a full accounting.
5. Heat Gun/Hair Dryer
Get a heat gun - this project actually benefits quite a bit from having a solid supply of heat. A hair dryer could probably do it, but it costs about the same, so.....
6. ADB/Fastboot
It seems that you need to load EUI in some capacity (aka, the stock OS) before the FP sensor will take. It needs at least one calibration done from the EUI rom, after which point I was free to flash it. Currently using AOSPEx 8.1 on the D66 modem. If you, inexcusably, do not have ADB or Fastboot, I would recommend downloading it here. For other tools of this nature, search the XDA forum for this phone. It's not that hard. Thx.
Extras:
Heat resistant gloves
You could probably use like gardening gloves or something for this. Basically, the phone frame is metal. Metal gets hot quickly, and more than once during this did I pick it up and recoil because I forgot about that. Having gloves that let you manipulate it while its hot would probably be much to your benefit.
If you want a clamp style suction cup for this project, it can be had by searching "suction tool phone" or at the link, here ($3.29 CAD as of posting).
Not required, but I would very strongly recommend a working mat with magnetism. One solid option w/ dry erase marker surface available here ($7.96)
Screen/repair adhesive. None to recommend, as I opted for the cheap route, but if you do this properly and carefully the adhesive will still be perfectly sufficient to put the screen back in without adding any more. If you want professional/clean, however, you may wish to consider getting a decent tube of this stuff.
PART(S)
Only one. You'll need a fingerprint scanner!
This is the one I used, this is a recent repair though, so YMMV. See the link here ($6.73) only 12 days from China to my front door here in Canada! Not bad.
INSTRUCTIONS
Alrighty, so into the meat of it then. Please be very careful to be deliberate about doing this repair. As I said, once the screen is off, the rest comes fairly easy, but that first part is the real challenge here, and you don't want to mess up if you can avoid it. New screens seem to go for about $30 with shipping on Aliexpress, though, should you need it.
Some updates:
- Do be careful with that screen. Sadly I seem to have been a little hard on mine and cracked something. It's now.... spastic. New screen arriving soon though, I'll post that too.
- I'd wear gloves doing the screen thing, even just standard latex ones. They won't help with heat, but you really do not want to be touching the back end of the screen if you can avoid it.
- The FP sensor is still working quite nicely, at least! Seems like the repair took. [07/14/2018] Still working fine, survived several AOSPEx updates.
Also, a critical note for newbies: DO NOT STRIP THE SCREWS. If they are not coming, they are not coming. Maybe try some heat first or something. But as far as fixing a phone goes, the single worst thing you can do outside of obviously breaking it is to strip a screw, because that basically necessitates the first thing, AND YOU DON'T WANT THAT. Happened on my first iPhone repair, and we had to smash the screen (thankfully that was what was being repaired) to get the screw we needed out. It's serious, do not force the issue.
Part 1: Prep
1. Delineate an area you can work in, with some space. Later in the repair you will likely need space for your screen, your fingerprint scanner, the metal backplate, and the upper motherboard, along with screws, tools, etc. Allow space to SAFELY set down the heat gun, as it will be hot and you don't want things burning your house down or damaging other items in your workspace.
2. Get all your tools you will need close and nearby. Nothing sucks more than having a screen you need to hold attached to the phone while your pliers are across the room. Or whatever. That didn't happen, but yea, keep your tools close.
3. BACK UP YOUR DATA. Sudden data loss is not an expected result of this repair, but it is always possible, and you should be backing your stuff up anyway.
4. Remove your SIM tray and sim cards. Put these aside.
5. Power off the device.
Part 2: Removing the Screen
WARNING
- DO NOT TOUCH THE SHINY BACK PART OF THE SCREEN. OR WEAR GLOVES, BUT YOU SHOULD STILL TRY AND AVOID TOUCHING IT.
- IF YOU ARE USING A MAGNETIC MAT OR HAVE MAGNETS, DO NOT PUT THEM IN CONTACT WITH THE LCD SCREEN.
- The screen is fairly fragile and has limited flexibility
- Do not use the heat gun directly on the screen. It's a great way to kill pixels.
- This phone does not use screws that are all the same size, but they do share thread widths. To avoid possible damage, make certain to remember or note where each screw came from.
- The metal frame gets HOT QUICKLY. You should wear gloves or otherwise be careful touching the phone after using the heat gun.
- Do not use the heat gun on its high setting. You should be able to get your hand about 1.5' to 2' away before it starts to feel "burny".
- Most entry space into the phone is around the bottom capacitive keys. DO NOT GO IN FROM THE SIDES OR TOP, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
- Try to stay vertical, and do not go too deep with the picks
Continuing On:
So you know where you're putting your tools, here's what the back of the screen looks like:
That blue area is the shiny part (I lifted this from a seller's listing, it's protective film). This matches almost exactly with the margins you see on the front side of the screen. No touchy this part. The chip at the lower end seems to be for the capacitive keys. Be gentle when you're getting the screen off. There's more room at the bottom, but you don't want to damage anything. Nothing else of interest really. The narrow side margins in particular are why I say to avoid sticking the pick under the screen; try keeping it perpendicular.
1. Use the heat gun around the frame of the phone, for a while. Give it controlled bursts and be careful not to damage the screen, keep it moving and don't focus long in one place. If you see any distortions forming, STOP.
2. Focus particularly on the bottom; direct most of the heat toward the frame, rather than the screen. There is lots of adhesive on the flipside, and it needs to be fairly warm before it'll be compliant.
3. At the BOTTOM (Side with Capacitive Keys + Charging Port) of the phone place your suction tool of choice. The phone should still be warm to the touch, if you can keep it a bit warmer and have gloves, all the better.
4. Start pulling away from the main phone body with the suction cup on the bottom of the screen. You should see it start raising up from the frame, first some grey, and then black space.
5. Take your narrow implement (guitar picks, etc.) and ON THE BOTTOM SIDE, start to gently pry along the edge. It should be coming up - make sure that you've heated all the sides of the phone though.
6. Once you can get the pick fairly vertical, (facing toward the back of the phone, perpendicular to the screen face), start SLOWLY inching along the sides. Be careful not to let the screen re-settle for the parts you've already finished - I'd keep extra picks on hand for this.
7. Apply heat as needed and slowly inch around the perimeter of the phone. Try and avoid the urge to pry upward - there isn't a lot of space between the sides and the sensitive area of the screen.
8. It's glue, so the screen will feel like it's sticking in. Pay attention to the screen to make sure it's not warping, but otherwise, pry it as required. It should come off without *too* much trouble, make sure most of the work is coming from the suction tool.
9. Only lift the screen up a bit - it has a flex cable attaching it to the main body you'll have to deal with.
10. Remove the screws holding in the metal plate above the end of the flex cable. Take off the plate, and using a FLAT item, such as the spudger pictured above, gently pry away the connector. It should not require much force at all. See image:
Set your screen aside, SAFELY, and again, DO NOT TOUCH THE SHINY PART
NOTE: DO NOT TAKE THIS AS GOSPEL, but I filmed it when I replaced my screen with a new one due to damage I caused trying this the first time around. Read the instructions, don't just watch the video.
Oh.. and a spoiler, I won't be back with the installation, because I forgot to record that xD
Part 3: Removing the Metal Back Plate
Congrats! You've made it through what is arguably the hardest part of this repair.
WARNING
- Screws are of varying lengths. Ensure you keep them where they belong and use the same screw for the same slot.
Continuing On....
1. See the light blue dots in the diagram below. Remove these screws.
Note: You will see a screw about 2/3 from the bottom on the right that is slightly sunken from the others. This is for the part holding the buttons in place - it will not obstruct your work, so I would suggest not removing it.
Note: The screw surrounded in red has been cleverly hidden under a warranty sticker, at least in the x829. Poke into it, unscrew, and revel in your freedom.
2. Note the small red thing in the top left area, to the left of the camera. This has a flex cable, but it is threaded through a hole in the metal plate. Be nice taking the plate off, and push it out through that hole. We can get it back in later, easy.
3. Provided you have removed all applicable screws (and confirm this visually - I may have forgotten some), you need to lift this plate off the phone. I would suggest (gently) putting the spudger into that squarish hole toward the bottom left and using it for some leverage.
4. Metal plate off. Excellent. Proceed.
Part 4: Removing the Mainboard
No real warnings here. Basically, there's a lot of flex cables, you'll need to unhook them from the mainboard. Some screws too, at which point the mainboard should come off easy peasy.
Note, you are only working in the upper half of the phone. Don't go pulling anything from the bottom half.
Diagram (note, I'll probably reference these colours when referring to stuff):
Unedited:
Do not remove the screws from orange. You don't need to remove this part, and honestly putting the buttons back in properly is a PITA, so just don't. Note: in future images this is missing, because I accidentally did. Do not do that.
To remove flex cables, find the metal cap and GENTLY pry it upward and off. You should not be using much force. Good order:
1. Remove red (lower mainboard) and yellow (battery)
2. Remove blue (this is the antenna! Be gentle. Don't do it so hard it comes out of orange, you'll see it's sort of locked in there).
3. Remove green (buttons panel)
4. Remove Light-blue (fp scanner. This cable wraps around underneath the board. You'll see.)
5. Magenta - you can remove this if you want. It's that thing I mentioned threads through the backplate previously.
6. They're somewhat blurry in the image, but notice the two pink spots. These are screws that need to go. You will also need to remove any remaining screws from the very top of the phone, by the camera assembly.
7. Good, once the screws and flex cables have been removed, try and find a point of leverage (careful of the battery!) to lift up the board. It should come off totally. Per usual, be gentle. This is purely because our fingers are fat and we probably can't grip it well enough that way.
8. Place the board aside. We're going to be whipping out the heat gun again, and the last thing we want is our camera near that. Keep the camera on the board, don't remove any plates.
Part 5: Removing the FP Scanner
Excellent! Almost there!
Basically, the FP scanner has lots of adhesive on it, so get things hot. Most of it should probably be done from the back of the phone, but you'll wanna heat it a bit from the inside too. BEWARE THE BATTERY. BATTERIES LIKE TO EXPLODE IF THEY GET HOT OR COME FROM SAMSUNG. TRY TO AVOID THAT.
Once you've got enough heat, using a clever combination of scraping (a razor blade would probably work nicely here) and pushing through the FP sensor on the back (since it's just held in with now-weakened glue) should get the thing out.
Your phone should look like this. Keep in mind I removed that button cover at right. Don't do that, but just so you don't freak when yours is still there (it is re-attachable, but it's a PITA, so just don't). You're good. Breathe.
Hurrah!
Part 6: Putting in the New Scanner
I think common sense dictates this part, but it is technically the crowning moment, so....
Basically, the one you got from your supplier of choice should have a bunch of tape on its outward (aka, toward the spot you press, back of the phone location) face, and a little more on the actual scanner. Remove these protective films, carefully orient the scanner so it matches the pre-removal picture above, and then press it in and let the adhesive do its thing. The squarish bit on the blue (not light blue) should stick down slightly. You could always use some basic adhesive or something, but it's really not a problem.
Part 7: Putting it Back Together
So, I'll skimp a bit (do ask if you really need me to expand) on this, as it's basically just this tutorial in reverse. However, I do feel it important to mention a few notes so it goes smoothly for you.
- The FP scanner wraps around onto the mainboard; make sure you've got it through when placing the board.
- The battery (yellow) and lower-mainboard (red) connectors really like to get underneath the mainboard as you're sliding it back in. Maybe use some tape or something as a temporary measure to prevent that.
- I've found sliding the board in from the left-bottom toward the right-top seems to work well. Be careful of the buttons flex connector (green). It really likes getting trapped in there - keep in mind it goes ABOVE the board.
Provided you've gotten the board put back in properly again, screw it in, and mount the flex cables.
The general trick with these is get them close to the location. Try and press them in (nicely!) with your fingers until you get a click. If you do, use the spudger and sort of press along its top like you would on a zip-loc bag or such. They should all click right in. Make sure they're all attached before going further. You may need some pliers for putting the antenna back on. It basically just squeezes onto the little peg you took it off of.
Once the mainboard is seated, push the front-facing camera a bit to make sure it's stuck cozily in; if you took it off, at this point make sure to reattach the proximity sensor (magenta in the cable diagram). It'll feed up through a hole in the top leftish area of the metal backplate. Once the plate is in place, push this around a little too, it should be like the camera and fit cozily in.
For the screen, Try it out before putting the backplate back on, just to avoid anything stupid. Once it's good, take it out, put the backplate on (careful of the proximity sensor! Make sure you thread it through the hole as you're doing this), and put the screen cable back in.
Careful with the orientation at the bottom - I sort of don't get such great LED on the capacitive keys anymore. It's probably a bit misaligned. You may wish to heat around the edges of the phone fairly briefly just to make the adhesive stickier again.
Screen on!
Part 8: Software and Getting it to Work
Provided it's not a bad scanner (factory defect when it was sent or something) you should have a working scanner.
Depending on your software, particularly with custom roms, you may not feel like it. That's OK. What you need to do is:
BACK UP YOUR DATA (I told you! See! I told you!)
Flash one of the EUI stock roms. Wipe all data on the phone.
Skip through the setup, and go into settings. Clean your scanner, and click "Calibrate Scanner" in the Fingerprint and Security menu. Try setting up an FP. IF it works, wonderful! If not... well.... hopefully your scanner you just bought isn't bad. I don't really know much about this part of things, so... you're on your own. Let's assume it works. Positive thoughts.
Once you've done this and you've successfully added/tested a fingerprint, you should be at liberty to flash what you like - provided it's not what killed it in the first place. I'm using AOSPEx 8.1 at the moment, and the FP is actually more responsive on that than stock EUI.
Follow rooting tutorials and stuff for this part. I've already written enough.
END OF GUIDE
I hope this helps anyone looking to replace the scanner. Let me know if it can be improved or I'm missing things/clarifications. If you need additional assistance there are tons of Hindi or Portuguese repair guides on YouTube that you can at least follow in principle. If you speak either of those languages fluently, probably best to use those instead of this guide as those people seem to do it for a living. There are tons of offers for parts on Aliexpress, so just look through and pick something that looks good - make sure it has plenty of feedback though, and actually read it where possible.
Good luck!
very nice! thanks!
Excellent post!
I kinda messed up and now my **** is stuck in my car's exhaust system. ?? Please help.
Can we please not junk this up with unoriginal jokes? I'd prefer the only content is clarifications/suggestions or legitimate help requests.
I am happy to se this precisious tutorial with screenshots, thanks for your work for community ! )