[Q] How to repair a broken power button? - Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I posted in the at&t forum to no avail and thought I might try here.
My S4 automatically turns on when I put the battery and gives me the SAMSUNG logo and the custom logo under it and then after about 3 seconds it shuts off and no response from the phone afterwards. I'm pretty sure it is a power button problem because I disconnected the usb board and tried and had the same problem, and checked the continuity of the battery contacts and they were fine. I also was able to turn the phone for a short period of time by placing a piece of paper between the LCD housing and the power button (a fix I used for my Samsung Infuse) but it didn't stay on for long. The soldering is too small to do myself if I wanted to replace it, and all of the local "shops" only do screen repairs on galaxy phones.
Is going to Samsung to repair it my only option?
Also, if I were to remove the button completely, would I just be able to use the phone without a power button?
Thanks

Did you try visiting those shops? I'm sure they can also can fix the powerbutton if you ask them. You can get the power button for like 5 dollars on ebay.

Related

Power button stop working

I know that this questing was made thousand times...but my problem is a little bit different...
My dad has the N1 and he destroy the power button with his detestable streghness, and stubbornness to shoutdown the display everytime he did something...I hate his way to use phone and than blame me! -.-
So know I have to solve this problem...
First of all I have to power up the phone...I've follow the trick with the battery it started one time, then I can't start it anymore...
Then I'd like to know if I can take it to customer care also if there is a custom rom but I didn't unlock the bootrom just root it with "superoneclick root"
If my phone is not in warranty how much costs to replace the power button?
Can I repair it on my own? maybe the little power button inside is just moved and the button outside can't push it...
I've experience with a P990 that I've disassemble to change the cover...
Thanks a lot for your help...
Your problem is ABSOLUTELY THE SAME as any other "My power button died!" problem.
Please bother reading the zillion threads on the subject, looking at the price of flex cable on eBay, looking at the Nexus One disassembling guide on Youtube, and deciding what to do.
I don't see the fuzz about not getting the phone to boot up. Are you 100 % sure you're doing exactly as described?
First, plug in the USB cable or the charger, with the battery out. Insert the battery as soon as you see the led light lighting up. Now remove the battery and keep it out until you see the led light fading away. Now insert the battery again all while the charger or USB cable is still attached and it should boot up.
You might have to repeat it around four times, however.
When my power button first broke, I thought I was screwed and I tried the battery trick and it wouldn't work. Then I rechecked the how-to guide again, thoroughly this time and I managed to get it to boot up. It seems to boot up at a ranom amount of times. Sometimes, one single battery pull and insert is enough, while other times it takes two to four tries.
Now, though, I don't see the need of paying a lot of money to replace it as I have learned to live without it completely. With the use of either volume rocker wake or trackball wake. The latter I use all the time if it works well with the ROM I use. When I used Sense, I had to go with volume rocker, but it did the job. If I need a four-way reboot, I simply open "4ext recovery control" (which for the record is worth the money for the full app) and then enter "power menu" that way.
The power button on the Nexus One is really not necessary as there are plenty of workarounds.
This is like the millionth topic describing the same thing and I'm sure a simple search could have helped you more.
I've try your method and nothing I can't start my phone anymore, the light is always green and the last time I success to power on N1 was when the light was orange
I don't know what to do also because it's installed cyanogenmod and I think that is out of warranty....
If I just can power on the phone I can at least save the contact list
EDIT:
if I plug the phone to the charger with no battery, I have a led green and red that go on and off
This is normal and expected.
Green light means charged battery.
Alternating light means no battery.
Everything is just as it should be.
I guess you won't bother reading/trying, so I'm not sure why should anyone bother answering.
Jack_R1 I've read every topic on the board about the power button...so I don't want to make a bad discussion here with you...
I've read that I have to call htc or open it by myself...but I'd like to know:
1. the phone won't power on with green light... so the trick doesn't work?
2. can htc recognize that I have cyanogen if the phone doesn't power on?
3. can I repair on myself without buy a new power button that I can't find on ebay? or better I have to replace the entire flex mobo and the cpu?
RealPsygnosis said:
Jack_R1 I've read every topic on the board about the power button...so I don't want to make a bad discussion here with you...
I've read that I have to call htc or open it by myself...but I'd like to know:
1. the phone won't power on with green light... so the trick doesn't work?
2. can htc recognize that I have cyanogen if the phone doesn't power on?
3. can I repair on myself without buy a new power button that I can't find on ebay? or better I have to replace the entire flex mobo and the cpu?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Works for me.
2. Sure they can. They can also refuse repairing it or even charge you for it.
3. You only need to switch the flex cable. No need to replace both the logicboard and cpu.
I'm not sure why you can't get it to work. I think you're not exactly doing what you should with the battery trick. I'll try to explain as easy as I can:
1. Insert the USB cable or a charger and remove the battery.
2. The led will start to blink, but that is normal.
3. Insert the battery. Remove it again and wait until the led starts to blink
4. Now insert the battery again.
You shouldn't have to repeat this more than four times.
You can repair it yourself, if you search the forum, find the photo of the flex cable that someone posted with the exact point you'll need to solder to, disassemble your phone, and solder a very thin wire between this point and the power button. Personally, it took me 1 hour to do it for a friend, using lab microscope, super-thin wires and very thin soldering iron. If you have the equipment and the skills - go for it.
But if you had the equipment and the skills, you'd most likely be able to write "nexus one flex cable" on eBay and find this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-FLEX-CA...387?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a11775bcb
HTC quote for repairing out-of-warranty N1 with power button failure will most likely be equal to the price of used N1 these days.

power button stuck on "on"

Since yesterday my SGS is having a very strange issue: It seems that the power button is stuck on pressed state. When the phone was on I had the power menu appear and the phone shut down. Then it started again, only to turn off shortly after the second screen during boot, then looping in that state.
When I remove battery and put it back it automatically starts and then bootloops.
I can't get into recovery as it turns off before recovery can start. I can get into download mode but only for 3-4 seconds till the phone turns off again.
I removed the backplate and can't see any visible damage to the power button. Between the power buttons pins on the board there's a voltage of 7mv with battery removed, in case that means something to anyone.
So 2 questions arise:
- Any ideas on how to fix this? (apart from ripping of the power button which I'm not even sure would help)
- Any ideas how to get into a mode where I can backup my data or at least flash a stock rom? (Currently on CM9 with devil kernel and the devil logo shows for a second in the bootloop, not sure how the techs would like that if I was to sent it in for repair)
XlAfbk said:
Since yesterday my SGS is having a very strange issue: It seems that the power button is stuck on pressed state. When the phone was on I had the power menu appear and the phone shut down. Then it started again, only to turn off shortly after the second screen during boot, then looping in that state.
When I remove battery and put it back it automatically starts and then bootloops.
I can't get into recovery as it turns off before recovery can start. I can get into download mode but only for 3-4 seconds till the phone turns off again.
I removed the backplate and can't see any visible damage to the power button. Between the power buttons pins on the board there's a voltage of 7mv with battery removed, in case that means something to anyone.
So 2 questions arise:
- Any ideas on how to fix this? (apart from ripping of the power button which I'm not even sure would help)
- Any ideas how to get into a mode where I can backup my data or at least flash a stock rom? (Currently on CM9 with devil kernel and the devil logo shows for a second in the bootloop, not sure how the techs would like that if I was to sent it in for repair)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Has there been any water damage to the phone/button? Sometimes this can cause the button to short. Or it might just be stuck, does the button physically click in as normal?
It could also be worse and have an actual hardware issue with the motherboard/power button interface
there hasn't been any water damage. actually, it's been used in the rain but that shouldn't really hurt a phone... just in case i let it try for quite a while but the problem didn't go away.
the button clicks as it used to do, no sound of water or damage there.
problem hardly could have been worse as the phone is completly unusable in this state as i can't even turn it on.
Hi,
A friend has just handed me an abandoned SGS with precisely the same problem.
The power button itself feels fine, ie it doesn't feel stuck, and you can feel it clicking as normal. I too removed the backplate and can't see any visible damage to the power button.
I note however that the water damage indicator 'sticker' mentioned here: "samsunggalaxysforums.com/showthread.php/4674-Galaxy-S-I9000-Service-Manual-How-To-disassemble-your-Galaxy-S"
is completely white, indicating possible water damage at some point.
Any ideas for a fix, or do you think it would be economical to seek a fix from a hardware repairer?
I can replicate the problem as described by XlAfbk above, by simply holding down the power button on my working i9000.
i did sent to phone to the only service location samsung lists for germany. they claimed it was water damage and refused to repair under warranty. repair would have cost ~280 euro.
i'm waiting for the unrepaired device now and will try to fix it myself, in the meantime i got a gnexus
Ok thanks. Please keep me posted if you do find a way to repair it yourself.
Until then, I guess mine's spare parts!
no more warranty for you? if you're in germany PM me for a repair shop.
ebay has power button replacements for ~4€ that you could try soldering on, replacing the original one, if that's what's broken for you. I checked mine with a multimeter and as there's still resistance it's not the power button for me.
uhm, I actually did fix it... while it's not completly back to normal i can at least turn on and off the phone, just turning display on and off with power button still doesn't work
some dust had gathered on the board, apparently shorting a circuit. just grab a brush and some canned air and clean the board.
i cleaned the main board at the very top and the bottom one near the middle (PM me for a photo of the location)
Nice that it almost works now. Just thinking what an asshole Sammy is, they want more money for a maybe ~20€ repair than the device costs bought new.
the repair wouldn't have been 20€, they'd have replaced the whole mainboard for me, not just the power button. I have no idea whether just replacing the power button would help, just brought that up as that's the one item that could possibly be it and you can get for cheap.
my power button got worse again since my previous post btw. so something else must be wrong as well.
After my phone was on a rainy trip, I am suffering from the same issues as well. I checked the resistance of the power-switch, and the open-circuit resistance measured to 30 Ohms, while the closed resistance measured to 0. Of course, the open-circuit resistance will not measure the switch isolated, but still, I'd expect something in the range of at least some Kilos. Hopefully, the switch will function normally in some time (if the switch is the only problem).
if it doesn't fix itself remove the mainboard from the housing, check it using a strong magnifying glass for any traces of water (tiny white residue spots) and carefully clean them using with a small brush (and nothing but that!).
of course doing that will void all warranty!
I completely disassembled it in order to clean it properly, but it did not yield immediate results. However, however a few days of rest and it came back to life, and has been stable since. So it looks like the rest is the best advice for other unfortunates.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda app-developers app

[q] i need help urgent my samsung galaxy s4 overheated

does anyone here encountered this kind of problem and fix it?
last night i turn off my phone and charge it. after an hour i notice that its very hot. in sim card tray area and in memory card tray area. even the front screen suffer from that over heating but the battery didn't heat at all. the first time i try to turn on the device the samsung logo appears but immediately shutdown. then i let the phone cooldown for 4-5 hrs thinking the problem will be fixed. but after i try to turn the phone again nothing really happening. no vibration, no samsung logo nothing at all. and when i try to charge again it via pc and via power plug it's not charging and after 2-3 minutes the my phone is starting to become extremely hot again.
i already tried to press and hold volume down + menu button + power button
volume up + menu button + power button
holding all buttons + power button
removing battery and hold power button for 1 min and put it back again and power button
all that nothings happen.
can anybody here thell whats the problem of my samsung galaxy s4 i9505? i will be extremely grateful for your help. thankyou
blackscreenofdeath43423 said:
does anyone here encountered this kind of problem and fix it?
last night i turn off my phone and charge it. after an hour i notice that its very hot. in sim card tray area and in memory card tray area. even the front screen suffer from that over heating but the battery didn't heat at all. the first time i try to turn on the device the samsung logo appears but immediately shutdown. then i let the phone cooldown for 4-5 hrs thinking the problem will be fixed. but after i try to turn the phone again nothing really happening. no vibration, no samsung logo nothing at all. and when i try to charge again it via pc and via power plug it's not charging and after 2-3 minutes the my phone is starting to become extremely hot again.
i already tried to press and hold volume down + menu button + power button
volume up + menu button + power button
holding all buttons + power button
removing battery and hold power button for 1 min and put it back again and power button
all that nothings happen.
can anybody here thell whats the problem of my samsung galaxy s4 i9505? i will be extremely grateful for your help. thankyou
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you used Original Samsung charger? if not that might be the problem.
Your phone is probably damaged internally since you said it overheated.
Go to your nearest samsung store or carrier and ask there. hope your warranty isnt voided yet.
Good luck.
i borrow charger and im not sure if its original or not. im not sure if this still has warranty.
what might be the problem? how much will i pay if they fix my phone?
blackscreenofdeath43423 said:
i borrow charger and im not sure if its original or not. im not sure if this still has warranty.
what might be the problem? how much will i pay if they fix my phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
depends on samsung maybe its for free.
The charger isnt compatible with your device and maybe it overcharged and overheated the device.

i9505 does not turn on

Hi to everyone,
I bought my S4 in Germany and I live in France.
My phone, after 10 months started to exhibit strange behaviors:
- Turning off and then turning on by itself
- Turning off and then not turning on, so I had to remove the battery, reinsert it and it then vibrates and turns on for few seconds and then it turns off again
- Sometimes it is able to turn on and it worked
So, I sent it back to the reseller (it was not amazon directly). They told me it presented traces of water and they repaired it on goodwill even if the smartphone should not be repaired because water is not into warranty.
Anyway they sent it back to me, it worked for 1 month, and now I have a phone that doesn't turn on anymore. I told them, they told me it is not their problem and it is not anymore in warranty because I had ONLY one year of warranty (I bought it 'as new' on amazon). Anyway they sent me a new battery and I tried the battery on another S4, it is working, so the battery is not the problem.
I went to an authorized shop to get it repaired but they told me that they wanted crazily expensive money. So, I am a robotics engineer, I decided to repair it by myself and that is why I am here.
I want to ask you what could be the problem. I read until now 2 possible reasons:
1) The power button is faulty. In this case is there any way to connect the contacts the button connects with an hard connection?
2) The USB board is not charging the battery. I tested with a multimeter and the + - voltage on the battery was always around 2.62/2.64 V. I don't know if this is normal but I checked that the part is not expensive.
Thanks a lot for your help.
The USB board isn't expensive but I don't believe the USB board is the problem here. Lithium batteries come partially charged when new, so if the S4 didn't turn on after putting the new battery in it, then the only remaining issue is the power button. Buying a replacement power button should be just as inexpensive as that USB board. Plus, being a robotics engineer you should have basic knowledge of soldering, meaning you could replace the button yourself.
It does sound like a power button issue.
A set of 4 buttons is about 5 dollars on the internet.
I'd recommend opening the phone up and checking the power button with a voltmeter.
If it is the power button, then simply replace it. It doesn't seem hard. Here's a guy with a power button issue. You can see where to check and how to replace it.
Thanks. I will try with the voltmeter. Thanks a lot.
So, I unmounted everything and tested the power button. I am quite sure it is faulty. ( I will be 100 % tomorrow because I could test only with a really bad multimeter) .
Anyway I have a question in the meanwhile. Is it normal that the red charging led doesn't show up when I connect to the power supply ? I think it could be possible that the faulty button induces a problem like that but I would like your opinion about it.
Thanks.
I don't think the power button would affect the LED. A friend had a problem with the power button, but I don't think it cause any problems with the LED. I haven't noticed. But my friend would've noticed if there was any and would've told me, which wasn't the case.
I tested with the GOOD multimeter and it happens what it is showed in the video you posted me in a previous post.
The button has 3 pins:
pin1
pin2
pin3
If I check for continuity between pin2 and pin3 there is, as it should be in a working button.
If I check for continuity between pin1 and pin2 there is, as it should NOT be in a working button.
Having continuity on both checks means the buttons is continuously pressed. So I guess you will have to change it.
Yeah, I know. I already ordered it. It will arrive on Friday.
What I was wondering is if this could give also the problem of the LED. What do you think?
I removed the button. I placed the battery in the phone. Put the charging cable. But nothing is happening. This looks strange to me because without button it should at least appear the battery icon. What could it be ?
Thanks
Maybe your phone bootloader is so old that it came to a situation where samsung's signing for this bootloader version has expired then ABOOT doesn't allow you to boot.
Just a suggestion and nothing else.
But this could be else used by samsung to force you update your phone.
minidiable said:
I removed the button. I placed the battery in the phone. Put the charging cable. But nothing is happening. This looks strange to me because without button it should at least appear the battery icon. What could it be ?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not if the circuit isn't complete. The button completes the circuit, which would explain the lack of any indicators.
Killnolife said:
Maybe your phone bootloader is so old that it came to a situation where samsung's signing for this bootloader version has expired then ABOOT doesn't allow you to boot.
Just a suggestion and nothing else.
But this could be else used by samsung to force you update your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why should be that ? My phone was working perfectly before and at some point the bootloader is not good anymore. Anyway thanks for the hint
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Not if the circuit isn't complete. The button completes the circuit, which would explain the lack of any indicators.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. Thanks . This still gives me some hope. I will wait for the button and come back here soon.
Thanks a lot for your amazing help.
This community rocks

i9505 wont boot (power button?)

So my i9505 suddenly turned off one night and when the battery is inserted it turns on by itself and after a second cuts off. Its like the power button is jammed or something. I put some alcohol in the power button and pressed it lots. This made no difference. Anyone got any suggestions?
Do you have a multimeter to test the power button connections to the motherboard?
There should be three contacts for the power button.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq_bZELmSIQ
audit13 said:
Do you have a multimeter to test the power button connections to the motherboard?
There should be three contacts for the power button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ended up buying a note 3 to replace it. A shame, was planning on keeping the s4 for longer. Now I have loads of useless s4 parts and 3 batteries haha.
The note 3 is a nice phone too. Love the big screen and pen.
Maybe sell off your s4 parts or give them away?
When I have cell phone or computer parts that I no longer need and they have little value, I give them away using a local buy&sell forum in my city.

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