_____________________________________________
!!! 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.
Related
Hi, I hope someone can help me.
I dropped my phone a couple of months ago and now I'm experiencing a problem. It appears to work fine for hours then suddenly starts losing signal strength to the point where it goes altogether. I can start a call with 5 bars and be cut off with no signal in a minute even though I've not moved. It will nearly always lose the signal when I'm on the phone but takes longer when just in other use. All remaining elements of the phone work fine. Please can someone suggest what it could be as it is getting me down...thanks
I'm sure it's a hardware problem.
have got the same problem.Did you already find the problem.In the beginning the signal just dropped but know i even cannot find any service at all.
gr
I've had some luck by raising all the contacts under the sim card but the signal still comes and goes when I use the phone ??
Snap!
I droppped my phone the other day and it is doing exactly the same thing. Mine is a Qtek S110. I used to 'lurk' on this forum ages ago.. but [email protected] BACK to seek help! If and when I get my phone fixed I WILL post and let you know what it is, if I havent already found the solution here!
I think it definately has something to do with the SIM holder, whenever the signal decays and vanishes, if I take out the sim and put it back in it comes back straight away. if I just take out the battery and replace it doesn't
ok.. next time i lose signal I will do that. maybe even run some isopropyl alcohol over the contacts to make sure they are clean.
I will keep you posted in my findings!
(oh.. i tried a makeshift external aerial last night to see if I could see if it was an internal aerial fault. It didnt make any difference, so either my homemade job was [email protected] or it isnt an aerial problem, I'm yet to find out!!)
Cheers!
oh poooop..
that unfortunately didnt work for me.. Oh well. i even tried cleaning the contacts and making sure the 'sprung' contacts were connecting with the Sim correctly.
I actually lost signal until it came back 15 mins later.. hmmmmmmm!!!
Can anyone advise where I can look on the circuit board to see if there is any damage. I am capable of doing this and making a basic repair !!
I had a look at the mda strip down guide on here, but I could see any reference to the aerial or anything. I think I'll have to send off for repair! Doh!
I emailed HPC and they wouldn't take mine back as apparently it was not sold in the UK.
I think I'll give xdarepairs.co.uk a go. a mate of mine said they were good n' quick.
merceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
no wurries!
the unit that sorunded in red (in the Attached picture) is connected to the main board with tiny connector, and this connector is a male to female connector. the male is solderd to the main board and the female to the unit. my guess is that one of the connector parts (the male or the female) was disconnect from its soldering, and you need to resold it. but it is just my guess based on my experience.
I was taking a look at the mda-jam.pdf guide to removing the case and it suggests that the aerial contact on the board you have pictured is with the front panel.
Can anyone confirm if indeed, the aerial for the phone is the metal casing? That would suggest that the dents in the front of mine could have affected that very contact.
Would still like an answer to my previous post.. but I think I may have fixed my phone temporarily.
Using the above information I got a flat bladed blunt instrument (in this case a normal dinner knife) and carefully placed it into the empty sd card slot. Using the diagram from the case removal guide I applied pressure with the knife to the area where the 'aerial connector' rests against the front bezel, inside, whilst at the same time pushing on the front outer casing with my thumb in the same position.
The thought process being, that it may have worked loose.
Sure enough I have noticed a vast improvement in signal yesterday and today. I am going to keep an eye on the phone today when I go out to see if the signal stays up!
YAY!
Okay.. latest update.
The signal did drop out a little bit throughout the day, So I have taken it upon my self to put my electronic training to good use.
Using the (now much read) case removal manual I carefully .. and I MEAN carefully took my phone to pieces.
I was convinced that the reason my signal kept dropping out was either that something had worked loose or that there were some contacts that needed cleaning or reseating.. as I was able to get a signal by squeezing the case at the top.
So.. Here's what I did (In reverse order)
Page 9 straightened and cleaned the 3 contacts on the RHS plastic plate with isopropyl alcohol. Also cleaned the corresponding contact points on the main PCB with alcohol and dried with a lintless bud.
Page 10 3 contact points, top right and top edge left are the contact points I refer to above. Also cleaned the 2 sprung contacts at the bottom of the PCB RHS page 10
Page 16 cleaned sprung 'Aerial Output' contact with alcohol.. also pushed connector outwards to make a betterr contact. Also cleaned 'contact to the antenna' area and dried thorughly with a lintless bud. Any other contacts I could see were cleaned and dried too.
Whilst putting the phone back together I was very careful not to touch any components. Battery contacts and Sim contacts were also cleaned.
One thing to note in the manula is that it it possible to unclip the connector for the camera prior to removing the plate in page 8. However, it is probably best to follow the guide, if you are unfamiliar with the type of connectors used. They can break easily.
My phone booted correctly and is currently on charge.. I am checking functionality at this very moment and can see that the signal is good and all other parts / hardware functions appear to be good. watch this space! It COULD be one fixed phone!!
I can't remember who on this forum wrote the mda-jam.pdf manual, but I would like to publicly thank you as you have helped fix my phone!
I hope its worked !!! Let me know !
OK!
Well so far I have noticed a dramatic improvement on how the phone was. I am sitting here with full signal, whereas on Saturday I had between 2-3 bars.
I lost a little signal earlier today but as soon as I held the phone up, the siganl came back. So, it's not perfect, but the phone is useable now.
As long as it lasts for the rest of my contract, I'll be happy!!
Dood.
Hey Guys,
Well, I'm a bit gutted really! I dropped my XDA Mini S on the floor with the charger in and the connector IN the phone has come apart from inside the phone. The little metal bit is practically hanging out. I'm wondering, if i were to take the phone apart could i re-connect the little part? (I have a soldering iron if thats as simple as its going to be?)
Just wondering if anyone had any guides on how to take the phone apart and take a look at whats wrong?
Any help would be so much appreciated!
Many Thanks,
Tom
The service manual is hosted on the ftp site.
ftp://ftp.xda-developers.com/Wizard/Docs_Tutorials/
Hope this helps.
I suspect you probably broke the socket off, but if you have a soldering iron, you might as well try to get a new mini USB connector to work with.
You might try Pocket PC Techs:
http://www.pocketpctechs.com/main~unit~UTStarcom_XV6700-554~area~repairs~item~REP-USBCON01~name~UTStarcom+XV6700+Mini+USB+Connector+Replacement+Service.htm
I rang them up about an issue I had (screen on the fritz) and they seemed pretty knowledgeable and helpful.
Alternatively there's a company I found today in the UK. I can't vouch if they're good or not.
http://www.xdarepairs.co.uk/home.asp
Good luck.
Well I also have an issue with my wizzard... the mini jack connector (of the handsfree) is a bit loose.
What I am saying is that it does have a good connection with the rest of the circuit and sometimes the sound of the speaker goes off, then I have to insert the habdsfree and tickle it a little bit until it has a good contact.
? have some basic soldering experience,do you think I should give it a try?
Given my device has been apart too many times for me to admit to I thought I'd crack it open to take a pic for you guys. Not sure if this pic will help for those wanting to do some soldering:
Very large pic: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/216/452691530_f47801708f_o.jpg
Excuse the dust.
Ah! That picture at the bottom is exactly what I needed. The metal but at the bottom (the big sqaure) has totally sheared off....bloody thing. Thanks so much for the info on the repair guides. I may give those repair guys a call if i can't get it to work myself.
Thanks alot you guys
As for you WizeMan, it all depends on if you wish to void your warrenty or not. At the end of the day, I installed WM6 on my device so O2 would give me the finger if i tryed to claim. If I'm honest, I'm getting an upgrade next month so I'm not to bothered if I balls it up! Would be nice if I got it working though....
Lemmie know how you get on
unlock k-jam
i read all your write about how to unlock k-jam device but after all i get this message:
Lock Status: 0000000000000000
SIMLock Code: █⌠═eי∟80Γ█Σ☻< δ♠
how can i get it from this .........
lironasseo said:
i read all your write about how to unlock k-jam device but after all i get this message:
Lock Status: 0000000000000000
SIMLock Code: █⌠═eי∟80Γ█Σ☻< δ♠
how can i get it from this .........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A little bit of a thread hijack but that means it is SIM unlocked.
Let me tell you my news, my friends.
I opened my Qtek 9100 and fixed two serious issues regarding this phone, using... sponge (the one we use to wash the dishes)
1. I put some into the stylus socket (from the thin space it has) and also
2. On the top of the mini jack socket so when i assembled the housing it blocked it from moving (2 of the contacts are no more soldered and i dint have a soldering iron at that time)
Anyway, both operation went ok and my phone is more than fully functioning. Now the stylus is hardly (in a good way) comming out (it first gets longer then comes out).
I wanted to do also the safe singal fix, but didnt find the photos to apply it correclty, so if someone has them, please give link. If you need any info about the "Sponge" Hacks, just post or pm
WizeMan said:
Let me tell you my news, my friends.
I opened my Qtek 9100 and fixed two serious issues regarding this phone, using... sponge (the one we use to wash the dishes)
1. I put some into the stylus socket (from the thin space it has) and also
2. On the top of the mini jack socket so when i assembled the housing it blocked it from moving (2 of the contacts are no more soldered and i dint have a soldering iron at that time)
Anyway, both operation went ok and my phone is more than fully functioning. Now the stylus is hardly (in a good way) comming out (it first gets longer then comes out).
I wanted to do also the safe singal fix, but didnt find the photos to apply it correclty, so if someone has them, please give link. If you need any info about the "Sponge" Hacks, just post or pm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm still trying to get the a new fascia and will probably shove an eraser bit into the stylus spring mechanism to ensure the defect never happens. Also how did you discover the break in the solder joints on the headphones jack? I have a funny situation where the left channel of the headphones doesn't work but I suspected the headphones (the plug has to be pulled at an angle to get any sound out of the left) but now I am thinking it may be the socket itself.
By the way the reception fix pic doesn't load for me either but I unless you truly need it, don't waste your time doing it; I always have all 4 bars and sometimes have 2 bars.
AsGF2MX said:
I'm still trying to get the a new fascia and will probably shove an eraser bit into the stylus spring mechanism to ensure the defect never happens. Also how did you discover the break in the solder joints on the headphones jack? I have a funny situation where the left channel of the headphones doesn't work but I suspected the headphones (the plug has to be pulled at an angle to get any sound out of the left) but now I am thinking it may be the socket itself.
By the way the reception fix pic doesn't load for me either but I unless you truly need it, don't waste your time doing it; I always have all 4 bars and sometimes have 2 bars.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Allright here is the deal.
1. I found out the break in the soldier joints when i opened it. I was really suspicious about it because when i inserted my headphone jack into the connector, i had problem with the contact; the connector was loose and it muted my phones speaker. When i disassembled the phone using the service manual i saw with my eyes that the the joins where f-ed up.
2. I dont really need the signal hack i just wanted to experiment, i have 2.25.11 cingular radio rom and its great.
Btw i suppose you should better use the sponge, because the rubber may wear off but not the sponge...
Thanks for the tip on the sponge. I am going to grab a used but allegedly "like new" body from eBay and also get one of those covers as well.
Hi all,
during these months I have had a lot of problems with GPS Fix with my Z3C. These problems occurred after the update to 6.0.1 and I thought that It was a software issue.
In my case, GPS works well after upgrade but It degraded little by little. Applications like GPS Status reported a very very low satellite signal.
Reading every possible forum, I found some guys that explain how to "solve" the problem plugging the usb and powering the phone. An other post specified that the solution was not the "powering" and the fix become better if you lightly pulling the usb connector to you... and It was true! So the problem was not software.
So I opened the phone, disassembled the mainboard from the chassis and tryed to understand what part was involved in the "usb pulling solution".
I found that many connectors (like a little pin) were connected to some particular parts to the chassis (as if it were used as antenna).
In this photo you can see where the mainboard connectors impact on the chassis.
(Sorry the forum prevent me to post link or image)
And this is the specific connector involved in "usb pulling solution"
(Sorry the forum prevent me to post link or image)
It seem that this connector was linked in the edge of connection area, not in the middle as the other connector.
So I gently bent the connector upward and reassembled the phone.
After that, the GPS Status reported a signal very high. Never seen a signal so hight before!
The fix was very fast and the accuracy was constantly under 3mt
I'm not an expert, I'm only a normal user. I hope that this thread can help some other like me that need GPS works very well for run, drive and play.
Thank you for this post - I've been fighting with my GPS for months and am about ready to open up the phone too. Any chance you could post the images externally somehow? It would make this a lot easier to follow for me.
Wulfhere said:
Thank you for this post - I've been fighting with my GPS for months and am about ready to open up the phone too. Any chance you could post the images externally somehow? It would make this a lot easier to follow for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm trying to post images but the forum reply me in this way:
"To prevent spam on the XDA forums, ALL new users prevented from posting outside links in their messages. After approximately 10 posts, you will be able to post outside links. Thank you for understanding!"
I'm asking to the moderatos if is possible to unlock me.
I will let you know
Anyway... start watching "sony z3 compact disassembly" on youtube. You need some tool to do this without destroy the phone. But trust me, is not so difficult. In particular, take care about the battery door opening.
gepp81 said:
I'm trying to post images but the forum reply me in this way:
"To prevent spam on the XDA forums, ALL new users prevented from posting outside links in their messages. After approximately 10 posts, you will be able to post outside links. Thank you for understanding!"
I'm asking to the moderatos if is possible to unlock me.
I will let you know
Anyway... start watching "sony z3 compact disassembly" on youtube. You need some tool to do this without destroy the phone. But trust me, is not so difficult. In particular, take care about the battery door opening.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just add a few 'well done Mr Developer' messages to a few threads, you'll soon get to ten
great news waiting for photos, maybe link to photopucket or something ?
Nice you've fixed it yourself!
gepp81 said:
It seem that this connector was linked in the edge of connection area, not in the middle as the other connector.
So I gently bent the connector upward and reassembled the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've already disassembled a plenty of Sony phones (from Xperia X10 pretty much to every single later Sony phone that was available in Poland) and the issue with bent connectors is very very common. I also had this problem in my Xperia PLAY where my WiFi and cellular network connectors were bent and were linked on the edges of the plates.
ALL Connectors
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pgldca344e3h7be/WhatsApp-Image-20160710.jpeg?dl=0
GPS Connector
https://www.dropbox.com/s/egh4vjmpt96qdzp/WhatsApp-Image-20160710%20%281%29.jpeg?dl=0
romcio47 said:
Nice you've fixed it yourself!
I've already disassembled a plenty of Sony phones (from Xperia X10 pretty much to every single later Sony phone that was available in Poland) and the issue with bent connectors is very very common. I also had this problem in my Xperia PLAY where my WiFi and cellular network connectors were bent and were linked on the edges of the plates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a connectors map?
Hell. I had the same problem : suddenly the GPS signal became very weak, almost unable to catch any satellites and degrading over time, so since I still had 1 month warranty I sent it to the repair center and they changed my PBA (which is the motherboard, I believe.) It is now working like a champ again. If I were to get the problem back in a few month, after my warranty expiration, I'll definitively try to do what you did.
Thanks for the info.
gepp81 said:
Do you have a connectors map?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, no... but I recommend visiting iFixit site where some of the phones are nicely described.
Thanks a milion gepp81!
I ve ordered some replacement parts and tools and I will try to resurrect my z3 gps.
Yarymo said:
Hell. I had the same problem : suddenly the GPS signal became very weak, almost unable to catch any satellites and degrading over time, so since I still had 1 month warranty I sent it to the repair center and they changed my PBA (which is the motherboard, I believe.) It is now working like a champ again. If I were to get the problem back in a few month, after my warranty expiration, I'll definitively try to do what you did.
Thanks for the info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same with me.
I believe that since we got a new imei number e got new warranty. I have to check the law.
Enviado do meu D5803 através de Tapatalk
Can anyone confirm this please? It looks weird to me. According to service manual all antenna connectors are on secondary side of mainboard (accesibble without removing battery, just after opening rear cover and removing that frame around, which has 4 screws, if I remember correctly).
It works
IkE Blaster said:
Can anyone confirm this please? It looks weird to me. According to service manual all antenna connectors are on secondary side of mainboard (accesibble without removing battery, just after opening rear cover and removing that frame around, which has 4 screws, if I remember correctly).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It works. All the connectors are on one side of the motherboard (not the battery side). The picture gepp81 posted shows the antenna area where the connectors connect to, so not the actual gps connector.
Thanks a lot!
I had absolutely no GPS signal.
After trying every software tweak / wipe / rom.... (I was hopping it was a software issue) I finally tried your solution, straighten all the little contacts, and now my GPS has a wonderful signal!!!
I destroyed my back cover, but it doesn't matter I prefer that than no GPS
Wow, thank you. I can also confirm this. Despite that official service manual says something different.
Previously zero signal at all (23 satellites with 0 SNR), sometime 1 very weak satellite. Now 9 fixed, another 6 visible. Those 15 doesn't have very strong signal, but it's usable.
I am thinking about using some thin wire to improve it (like this: https://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xperia-Z3-Compact/GPS-issue/m-p/1006245/highlight/true#M12642 ).
Another successful story here - gps stopped working, i updated my rooted kitkat to slimm 2.4, opened phone, did the connectors trick, but gps was still dead. Then after few days i checked "Device only" in Location settings and GPS came back to life! Now works with "High accuracy" mode as well
lakicamm said:
Another successful story here - gps stopped working, i updated my rooted kitkat to slimm 2.4, opened phone, did the connectors trick, but gps was still dead. Then after few days i checked "Device only" in Location settings and GPS came back to life! Now works with "High accuracy" mode as well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also had problems with my gps. First I thought it was water damage. But pulling with the usb connector made it work again.
Did the trick with bending the connector. Now I have signal but is is not very strong.
Is there a way to make the signal stronger?
Is the copper strip the antenna?
Can I replace this with another copper strip that works as a better antenna?
Or .....?
If your gps antenna is somehow damaged, you could fix it using silver paint:
http://www.2spi.com/category/silver-paints-pastes/
I didnt try it, but friend of mine uses it to fix broken boards on laptops... Should work in phones too
Same problem. I sent my phone to service. They changed motherboard. Now GPS Works perfect. And my warranty is extended for 2 years, because of different motherboard and IME. Thanks Sony, very good service
Hi to all,
sorry for my english but i gonna try to explain how to fix GPS in LG G5:
1. you need to unsoldering 2 mhf rf connectors like you see in pic1.
2.after that you need to solder 2 wireup cabels like you see in pic2.
3.in the end this is how it gonna look, like you see in pic3 and pic 4.
Good luck!
Where to solder the two cables on the other side?
Inviato dal mio LG-H850 utilizzando Tapatalk
No where, they just attached to the frame with duct tape.
Can you explain a bit more, what are pic 1 and pic 2 are are you removing whatever is there. It look like pogo pin not sure...
In pic1 you see mhf connectors\pogo pins as you call it on the board as they comes from the factory. in pic2 I unsoldered them, so this is how the board looking like after I removed them. I marked with the yellow dots where I solder the wireup (wireup is marked in red).
I understand now that you are using a thru hole RF connector and place a wire that act as an antenna, I wasn't able to locate where is the normal antenna and why is it not connecting right at the first place. it seem that the RF connector is not used normally so it is probably there only for factory test purpose from the ifixit teardown pictures.
https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/KEVL1LUslTEBSoVO.huge
What kind of improvement did you get on the GPS, mine is working but not great so I am tempted to fix it but I am still not understanding what the fix does for now as I have to extrapolate that you are actually making an antenna with the wire. Lenght should matter quite a lot then, did you make a few test with various length to came up with the fix you documented.
There's another thread with a gps fix, but he's only putting more spring into some pins this fix may be better on the long run!
Thanks for the explanation
Before fix I barely get gps fix, I needed to wait about 5 min to get fix, after that the gps was not stable at all, it always get 5 satellites in max.
After fix I get gps fix after 10-15 sec, and I always get between 19-21 satellites, and gps works stable without any disconnections.
About the wire length, I didn't tried various lengths.
Getting yourself familiar with the insides always a good ideal. There's a good app in the play store called 'iFixit'. It's helped me with a lot of different devices opening up.
Sent from my LGE LG-H830 using XDA Labs
How bout does the iron need to be? What kind of solder should I use?
jkieffer46 said:
How bout does the iron need to be? What kind of solder should I use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The iron temperature actually depend on the solder you use, you ideally need something that melt fairly low like 63/37 alloy 63/37 Sn-Pb used principally in electrical/electronic work. 63/37 is a eutectic alloy of these metals, which: has the lowest melting point (183 °C or 361 °F) Other eutetic alloy without lead may be availlable in your area. You also need the type with Rosin flux not acid or water washable.
You will also need a small tip at the end of the soldering iron and a good magnifier, but working with multilayer PC board with no experience can easily lead to catastrophic failure.
I would recommend you start with easier mods than this one if you are not familiar with soldering and general soldering on PCB, this is a fairly easy thing to do for someone familiar with this type of work as the hard work is to figure out what to do
Maybe find a local cellular repair shop and ask them if they can do it for you.
@slavush - thanks for the info here. Can I ask how you determined which connectors were related to GPS? Any documentation about the PCB or similar?
There are different people mentioning different pins all over the G5 for GPS. I have opened up mine 3 or 4 times now, each time finding success for a short period. So I failed to determine which were actually the ones to focus on.
In your opinion, instead of welding the cable, would it be possible to plug it into the connector hole?
I tried to put the cable in on the phone as in the picture without connecting it. But when the cable is inside the phone does not turn on.
My gps does not work. It does not even hook up to a satellite
slavush said:
Before fix I barely get gps fix, I needed to wait about 5 min to get fix, after that the gps was not stable at all, it always get 5 satellites in max.
After fix I get gps fix after 10-15 sec, and I always get between 19-21 satellites, and gps works stable without any disconnections.
About the wire length, I didn't tried various lengths.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about now? Is this fix still working?
Also curious about. Any fix that really works?
I already fix my GPS without soldering.... But in order to fix it you should disassemble the G5 and look for 3 pins....
Sent from my LG-H860 using Tapatalk
I don't think the 3 pins mentioned are concerned with the gps. I tried myself lots of time to raise them up and the gps for a while worked, but, now i broke those 3 pins. No more volume...but gps works...extremely bad and slowly as before. If you look at the flex
you can see it is only related to the volume buttons. So...I don't have any idea.
About this soldering fix.....why shall I have to unsolder those two things?
the 3 pin worked for 6 month... and never worked again, 3 is crashed a bit now, also, i added aluminum foil to the 3 min, so volume up down still work.
I was going to try this fix mentioned here, untill i open the phone and found how Small the POGO pin is.
seems quite hard to remove as there is so many electronic around it.
i am going to just Plug in the cable and TAPE it in place and see if it can work this way..
Update:
Interesting enough, the phone refuse to turn on (with the 2 cable TAPED over the pogo pin. ) it just wont turn on.
Now, i removed the wire from lower pogo pin, with the upper remain. and the phone can turn on.
will go test the gps and see
@slavush, I see that you are from Israel. Any chance you're from Tel Aviv? I could use some help with this.
@scoobychau, did you get success in gps signal improve?
How did you it ?
scoobychau said:
the 3 pin worked for 6 month... and never worked again, 3 is crashed a bit now, also, i added aluminum foil to the 3 min, so volume up down still work.
I was going to try this fix mentioned here, untill i open the phone and found how Small the POGO pin is.
seems quite hard to remove as there is so many electronic around it.
i am going to just Plug in the cable and TAPE it in place and see if it can work this way..
Update:
Interesting enough, the phone refuse to turn on (with the 2 cable TAPED over the pogo pin. ) it just wont turn on.
Now, i removed the wire from lower pogo pin, with the upper remain. and the phone can turn on.
will go test the gps and see
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello scoobychau,
My LG G5's 3rd pin is also crashed, broken, destroyed. Can you explain me more about how you fixed it with aluminium foil ? It's my girl friend's phone, and I am so sorry having broken its volume buttons' spins or/and GPS feature.
Thanks a lot for your answers.
Concerning the soldering, I am so bad that I can't imagine doingit myself...
- Purshased a Battery from an online store.
- Tried opening the screw's from the phone, 3 screws came out easily, and with same ease stripped other screw, like butter.. you would not believe how easy was to strip those screw, like they were made to be stripped.
- Drilled the heads off the screws carefully, back plate came off easily..
- Slightly touched, Top Middle screw slot PCB, while drilling nothing serious, had some difficulty with reseating the case while checking as the screw heads were slightly wide due to drilling, but again not a prob, pushing slightly made it fit in..
- Now I was not able to remove the drilled screws, as the nose plier I was hoping to use was slightly wide and I was not able to remove screws except 2.
- All fuctionality appeared to be working fine..
- Finally decided to take the phone to a repair shop............... BIG MISTAKE... IDIOTS had NEGATIVE IQ.
- Said something did something else, Ruined my carefull drilling JOB, Widened the case screw sockets and used 'Display Glue' heat sensitive one to stick the CASE... @#[email protected]#[email protected]%@#[email protected]#$!
- I Said U have helped enough return the phone,
- Later after returning back found problems that were not seen earlier..
-- earpiece - no sound.
-- Landscape mode does not work in sensor test I am able to see that if detects all three axis.
-- Wifi and Cellular works but, show under battery usage cellular signal = RED all time though it is working fine.
-- Phone always stays awake. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<------------------- (not a software issue as reseting etc did not help)
-- Proximity sensor does not work.
-- Flash was working earlier, now it doesn't.
-- Display Glue.... How do I remove it at home ???
Help me with information if you know more than Flashing phones... Please don't tell refer ifixit.
-- I need details of hardware and how do I test each and every functionality and troubleshoot.
-- If I decide to use my Phone as a development board / computer / server, how and what do I do..
Regards..