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Hi to all who have dust between the touch screen digitizer and LCD.
I send my device 3 times to the authorised HTC service center because of this problem, they cleaned it (not perfectly) and the dust was back again after few days of use. This was really ennoying for me...
After several disassemblies, cleaning, research where dust comes in, then assembles I found the flaw.
The dust doesn’t come in via sealing foam between the touch screen digitizer and LCD.
There is a bump defect of phone housing around the volume keys. Inside of the plastic housing is a metal frame, where the touch screen digitizer is stacked on - that frame is a little bended and the touch screen doesn’t stick properly on it (around the volume keys only). When you look close on the phone you can see also a little wider gap between the touch screen top glass and silver plastic housing edge. (See picture)
WARNING
The following directions WILL VOID
your warranty - you are performing
this repair at your own risk.
So, now, what you have to do:
For those, who have already dust in, just simply disassembly your device (if you are brave enough, have all tools and precise hands - maybe some experience ) and remove PROPERLY all dirt with brush, compressed air and antistatic cloth, then assemble it back or send the device to the service center to clean it (wont void the warranty). Before sealing your TD2 (keep it in plastic bag away from dust) prepare a sharp wooden toothpick, neutral transparent or black silicone (you can purchase it from any building material shop) and cotton cloth.
Now you have to clean the gap between whole plastic silver housing frame and touch screen top glass with soft brush. Then use sharp wooden toothpick to impress the silicone into the gap (all gaps you can see, just in case) (silicone does not damage phone housing and TSCR surface and it’s easy to clean), then just gently and properly wipe off all the rest of silicone from phone surface. (be careful not to get silicone to the keys or phone receiver slot)
Leave the phone for several hours to get silicone dry.
Then you can use your TD2 in dusty environment and your display stays absolutely clean and dusty free. (TESTED on mine, for me perfect phone now and I am very happy with it...)
For those who have a little dust in and want to stop come more in and those who are planning to buy TD2 (dont wanna play the lottery faulty or not ), do the same procedure (silicone impress only) after unwrapping your device from plastic package.
GOOD LUCK!!! ENJOY YOUR ABSOLUTELY DUSTY FREE DEVICE!!!
Sorry for my English
I don't know about you guys, but I'm not crazy enough to void the warranty of my phone because of a minor thing like that. When mine gets dirty, I send it back and that's it.
If it gets dirty again, I send it back again...
But, it's a good tutorial for the "brave ones" anyway Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
HastaSSSS
I sent mine back over a week ago due to this dust problem (in fact I delivered it in person to HTC repair center in Milton Keynes) hoping for a quick turnaround.
I'm still waiting for it to come back and missing it terribly. I'm back to using my old Nokia E71 which is a great phone but I like my new one and want it back so I may go down the route of the OP just so I don't have to repeat the return each time I get a dust issue.....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=519463
i dont want to hijack this thread. if i am then i am sorry
but hopefully you can input your expertise into this thread or help form an opinion for a new thread
I just got a topaz and want to keep dust from getting in but I'm confused about the sillicon. Could you describe more clearly what it is and maybe post a picture so I have some idea what it should look like.
from the picture, for the second gap, apply the protective foil that comes with the phone. Should solve a bit the problem. Ber in mind that after apply, the touchscreen will not have the same sensitivity. You'll have to tap a little bit harder ...
i think you meant screen protector no?
anyway thx for the info,
if anyone knows how to disassemble this device pls help
yes, screen protector. Better not use the screwdriver ... remember warranty ...
I thought these dust under the screen issues had been fixed long ago, but now it seems the problem that affected my old c600 has come back to ruin my topaz after just 1 week.
Not impressed.
georgeono said:
from the picture, for the second gap, apply the protective foil that comes with the phone. Should solve a bit the problem. Ber in mind that after apply, the touchscreen will not have the same sensitivity. You'll have to tap a little bit harder ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I already use a screen protector. I'm more concerned about the first gap. I really don't want dust to happen since I bought my phone second hand and it doesn't have a warrenty.
you can always use a can of pressurized air to get the dust out. (same you use with PCs)
Wouldn't you need two holes that are connected if your blowing air into the device? One for the air to go in and one for the dust to go out? I don't have any dust under my screen currently and would like it to remain that way. The silicon method doesn't seem to difficult or dangerous which is why I'm interested in what silicon to use.
from what I understood (from the pictures in the 1st post), it's not actually a hole, but a free space = gap.
I opened the D2 (only the two upper screws - for lifting the inner part a bit) and did have a look for "gaps" somewhere around the volume controls - i did not really see a gap
But for getting out the dust: dont blow air into the D2 but get the air out - i actually used a vacuum-cleaner. If you remove the two screws it is possible to lift the LCD below the volume sliders *A LITTLE BIT* (=about 0,5 mm only!!!!!) with a small screw driver to create a gap. It worked quite well. (be aware of high air flow and possible static electricity)
But i really would like to know, where exactly to apply some supplementary sealing to get rid of the dust-problem. Any detailed pic would be appreciated.
axantas said:
But i really would like to know, where exactly to apply some supplementary sealing to get rid of the dust-problem. Any detailed pic would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah Me too!
OK, people, just put some neutral silicone between (in the gap) silver plastic frame and touch screen (there is just 0,2 -0,5 mm gap, almost invisible) and you wont get any dust under the touch screen. This is the best solution, you could do it from inside, but its much more complicated...
pedroo said:
OK, people, just put some neutral silicone between (in the gap) silver plastic frame and touch screen (there is just 0,2 -0,5 mm gap, almost invisible) and you wont get any dust under the touch screen. This is the best solution, you could do it from inside, but its much more complicated...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly is neutral silicone? Do you have a picture of it so I know what to buy?
I'm about to buy the TD2,
is it so big problem this dust under the screen?
Does it happen often?
luca T said:
I'm about to buy the TD2,
is it so big problem this dust under the screen?
Does it happen often?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had it for about a week and the user I bought it from had it supposedly for about 3 weeks and so far no dust. I'm still terrified its going to happen though.
pedroo said:
OK, people, just put some neutral silicone between (in the gap) silver plastic frame and touch screen (there is just 0,2 -0,5 mm gap, almost invisible) and you wont get any dust under the touch screen. This is the best solution, you could do it from inside, but its much more complicated...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the pic, pedroo - so they simply should have glued the digitizer surface a bit more careful to the housing...
...thinking a bit about applying the radical solution - not sure yet
To make a long story short:
I must have somehow put too much pressure on the digitizer to create a "newton ring" which in turn would not allow me to use the touch feature of the digitizer. I sent it to HTC USA to repair it. They noticed the "newton ring" as well as the modified ROM
They would not warranty the "newton ring" and said they would not repair the Digitizer due to the fact that it had been "hacked". They would replace the Digitizer, LCD and internals for $389.00. I told them they were smoking crack.
After paying HTC $25.00 for doing nothing they sent the phone back and I went online to order a Digitizer. I paid $17.00 which included shipping and I got it within 7 days.
The HTC service manual does not have a guide on how to replace the digitizer or the LCD. They really don't want you messing with it.
It was scary and I thought I had ruined the phone when I pryed the front of the unit open. At first the sticker to the digitizer came off(black framing) and then you have to pry the digitizer(its pretty stiff) from the frame. I destroyed the thin cable that led to the backside of the LCD but the new one has one already attached so I wasn't worried about that part. The LCD with a metal base plate is attached to the back of it. You have to slowly pry off the LCD from the backside of the digitizer.
Anyways I have assembled it back and everything is working perfectly. It was doing Micro-Surgery at times.
Just wanted to share my story.
Congratulations!!
mrmomoman said:
To make a long story short:
I must have somehow put too much pressure on the digitizer to create a "newton ring" which in turn would not allow me to use the touch feature of the digitizer. I sent it to HTC USA to repair it. They noticed the "newton ring" as well as the modified ROM
They would not warranty the "newton ring" and said they would not repair the Digitizer due to the fact that it had been "hacked". They would replace the Digitizer, LCD and internals for $389.00. I told them they were smoking crack.
After paying HTC $25.00 for doing nothing they sent the phone back and I went online to order a Digitizer. I paid $17.00 which included shipping and I got it within 7 days.
The HTC service manual does not have a guide on how to replace the digitizer or the LCD. They really don't want you messing with it.
It was scary and I thought I had ruined the phone when I pryed the front of the unit open. At first the sticker to the digitizer came off(black framing) and then you have to pry the digitizer(its pretty stiff) from the frame. I destroyed the thin cable that led to the backside of the LCD but the new one has one already attached so I wasn't worried about that part. The LCD with a metal base plate is attached to the back of it. You have to slowly pry off the LCD from the backside of the digitizer.
Anyways I have assembled it back and everything is working perfectly. It was doing Micro-Surgery at times.
Just wanted to share my story.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you attach the digitizer to the LCD? Aren't they glued together or something like that?
Because that's where my attempt went terribly wrong: Instead of getting the digitizer off my LCD, I broke my LCD... I bought a new complete screen unit because I didn't know how the LCD is attached to the digitizer!
The digitizer is semi-glued to the LCD panel which sits on the back along with the thin metal cover. The digitizer has a thin flat connector that connects to the back of the main board on the bottom. I slowly pryed off the LCD(grayish white in color) from the back of the Digitizer. It came off and I aligned it back up with the new digitizer and the glue residue left over from the LCD adhered to the rear of the new Digitizer. the tricky part is the thin connectors that attach to the mainboard. You have to get a pair of tweezers to pull it from the flat connector. When you get the digitizer you will see the new connector. Attaching that and the prying of the LCD was the hard part.
I read somewhere some guy said he broke the LCD but in truth it wasn't the LCD that he broke. He pryed apart the 3 layers of the Digitizer and thought he ruined the LCD. I thought the same thing orignally then I when the whole LCD/Digitizer was in my hand I was looking realized that the LCD was the grayish/white panel on the back. One can easily peel away the top 2 layers of the digitizer and would think that it could be the LCD they ruined.
I hope that makes sense. It was the first time I did this and I didn't see the video where someone removed the Screen. I only saw the Russian guy who didn't finish the job because he was stuck at the end. I just figured it out the hard way.
Also the T6 works but I think a t5 would be better. I only had a T6 and it did the job.
I am so glad I wore gloves or I would have had some major finger prints all over the unit
mrmomoman said:
The digitizer is semi-glued to the LCD panel which sits on the back along with the thin metal cover. The digitizer has a thin flat connector that connects to the back of the main board on the bottom. I slowly pryed off the LCD(grayish white in color) from the back of the Digitizer. It came off and I aligned it back up with the new digitizer and the glue residue left over from the LCD adhered to the rear of the new Digitizer. the tricky part is the thin connectors that attach to the mainboard. You have to get a pair of tweezers to pull it from the flat connector. When you get the digitizer you will see the new connector. Attaching that and the prying of the LCD was the hard part.
I read somewhere some guy said he broke the LCD but in truth it wasn't the LCD that he broke. He pryed apart the 3 layers of the Digitizer and thought he ruined the LCD. I thought the same thing orignally then I when the whole LCD/Digitizer was in my hand I was looking realized that the LCD was the grayish/white panel on the back. One can easily peel away the top 2 layers of the digitizer and would think that it could be the LCD they ruined.
I hope that makes sense. It was the first time I did this and I didn't see the video where someone removed the Screen. I only saw the Russian guy who didn't finish the job because he was stuck at the end. I just figured it out the hard way.
Also the T6 works but I think a t5 would be better. I only had a T6 and it did the job.
I am so glad I wore gloves or I would have had some major finger prints all over the unit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your explanation! But I'm still not going to attempt this on my own any time soon... We'll see... Maybe I'll change my mind if my digitizer is broken or scratched...
Respect man! You mentioned that you bought digitizer for $17. Is it possible to buy mainboard for Touch HD from that place? Can you please advise where I can get it. And how much it will be?
Got to love a bit of micro-electronics DIY!
This just shows that HTC are taking people for a ride - there are a lot of people who would have just paid the price they stated. As you've only replaced the digitizer, shows they were taking the mick with the LCD and otherwise, what are these "internals" that HTC said it needed I wonder...??
Just replaced the digitizer on my HD and it took about 1.5hrs. As long as you're very careful, it's not that hard at all.
Make sure you have the Service Manual though as it was a great help.
Have you got the link for the service manual?
Ive just had to order a Digitizer as my phone has decided it doesnt want to work anymore (6 months to go on contract too ffs).
Managed to get one from a UK seller with tools for £17 so im happy.
KickAssMoves said:
Have you got the link for the service manual?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's in the wiki.
WelshWarior said:
Just replaced the digitizer on my HD and it took about 1.5hrs. As long as you're very careful, it's not that hard at all.
Make sure you have the Service Manual though as it was a great help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi:
How did you get the digitizer separated from the LCD?
I was thinking of putting two suction cups (1 on the back of the LCD, and the other on the front of the digitizer), heating everything up for a couple of minutes with a heat gun, and then pulling them apart holding the suction cups.
Does that make sense?
Thanks.
mrmomoman said:
To make a long story short:
I must have somehow put too much pressure on the digitizer to create a "newton ring" which in turn would not allow me to use the touch feature of the digitizer. I sent it to HTC USA to repair it. They noticed the "newton ring" as well as the modified ROM
They would not warranty the "newton ring" and said they would not repair the Digitizer due to the fact that it had been "hacked". They would replace the Digitizer, LCD and internals for $389.00. I told them they were smoking crack.
After paying HTC $25.00 for doing nothing they sent the phone back and I went online to order a Digitizer. I paid $17.00 which included shipping and I got it within 7 days.
The HTC service manual does not have a guide on how to replace the digitizer or the LCD. They really don't want you messing with it.
It was scary and I thought I had ruined the phone when I pryed the front of the unit open. At first the sticker to the digitizer came off(black framing) and then you have to pry the digitizer(its pretty stiff) from the frame. I destroyed the thin cable that led to the backside of the LCD but the new one has one already attached so I wasn't worried about that part. The LCD with a metal base plate is attached to the back of it. You have to slowly pry off the LCD from the backside of the digitizer.
Anyways I have assembled it back and everything is working perfectly. It was doing Micro-Surgery at times.
Just wanted to share my story.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i just had mines fixed called them told them wat i did that i found an outer sreen and tryed to replace it myself and completely destroyed the lil black screen inside of the 4screens put together and that my device software was moded now i had 469 out going and another 469 incoming calls they only charged me 113 but wen we first talked about it they did say about 350 until they see the device and then they will call you before the repair it but the did wipe out my device and reinstalled the oem rom they also gave me a full new body and zero'ed out the incoming and out going calls which never changest unless they put in a new mother board which makes my phone brand new
sorry if ive missed it, but how do you get the lcd and digi out from the black outer casing frame to start with ??, from what i can see it comes out by somehow pushing from the inside to make it pop out ?? could someone please explain a little bit more on how to do this, ill try and make a vid of me getting it out as i have yet to find one that shows this, also my screen has that wierd pearl essance look to it?? does this mean its the digitiser.
Cheers
Mike
pickie said:
sorry if ive missed it, but how do you get the lcd and digi out from the black outer casing frame to start with ??, from what i can see it comes out by somehow pushing from the inside to make it pop out ?? could someone please explain a little bit more on how to do this, ill try and make a vid of me getting it out as i have yet to find one that shows this, also my screen has that wierd pearl essance look to it?? does this mean its the digitiser.
Cheers
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine had that pearl essence look to it for a good few months before it broke, not that im sure that has anything to do with it.
Just awaiting the delivery of the digitizer and hopefully I can repair it.
yeh mine had the pearl effect for a long time prior to it dyeing
ive followed the service manual and the video of the guy who gets stuck near the end, but how do you g et the screen out of the casing to get to the digitizer?
Its one hell of atight fit and i cant see anything o bvious.
Help
Hi Guys
Sorry about the late replies - had phoneline probs!!
Assuming you followed the instructions in the Service Manual to take the rest of the phone apart, you've just gotta be VERY careful and push the screen out from the back (where the Circuit Boards where) of the plastic frame. At first, it feels like it's not budging but be patient and it WILL start to push away.
It seems to be held in with some sort of hot glue or maybe a contact sort of adhesive and I didn't try it but some heat from something like a hair dryer may make the job easier.
Many people have cracked their LCD screen during the repair but as long as you're careful not to bend the screen too much when taking it out, you'll be fine.
I peeled the 3 layers (outer glass ones and then the Digitizer itself) off the LCD whilst removing it.
Good luck - it's really not that hard. Any more questions - just ask ;-)
ive got the phone apart to the point of the service manual/video
which part of the back do you push out? doesnt look obvious as to whats attached and what isnt
Once you get to the last stage (I thinks it's the Speaker Removal) you simply push on the metal protector of the LCD from the back. You will see small holes in the plastic of the back of the frame where you can push something blunt through and push very lightly on the LCD to push it out.
If I remember correctly, at the bottom of the phone where the circuit board with the vibrator and microphone on it was sitting, there is quite a large opening with the metal backing of the LCD visible through it. I started pushing there and gently went all around the phone in the various small holes dotted around it.
As I said above, it won't feel like it's working at first but it will - just be patient and not too heavy handed!
I picked up a cracked glass/working LCD S4 for $100. I've ordered replacement glass and watched several videos of the process and I've done this kind of thing before (careful delicate work with electronics that is.) Phone works fine, just the glass is cracked - but touch, lcd and all features seem ok.
The only aspect I'm unsure of is whether I really need to re-glue the new glass using something like this: LCD Glue
It sounds like a lot of people have just done the glass, no new glue and heated the phone slightly afterwards to re-adhere the tape. I'd rather not use new glue if I don't have to - looks like a messy step and one that could easily go wrong with too much glue and I don't have a UV curing light so that'd add to my cost of doing this.
Does anyone have firsthand experience with a phone whose glass has been successfully replaced either with or without new glue?
Thanks!
Loca is about the closest your gonna get to a oem experience, but if I was you, I would pay Samsung to fix the display.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
Andrew149 said:
Loca is about the closest your gonna get to a oem experience, but if I was you, I would pay Samsung to fix the display.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've completed the operation without adhesive and it was largely a success but there's a small bubble spot on the display. I like it better than the cracked glass but it's not perfect. I've got an S4 for slightly over $100 - even if I just have an S4 with a spot for $115, I can live with that. And I may redo it and use adhesive. I just got it because it was cheap - I have a Note 2 I'm still quite happy with and don't intend to switch over. If I pay Samsung for anything, it'll be a Note 3.
Considering how I felt part way through getting the glass off - I was fairly sure I'd destroyed it - I'm very happy with the result.
Thanks for the reply!
LanceDiamond said:
I've completed the operation without adhesive and it was largely a success but there's a small bubble spot on the display. I like it better than the cracked glass but it's not perfect. I've got an S4 for slightly over $100 - even if I just have an S4 with a spot for $115, I can live with that. And I may redo it and use adhesive. I just got it because it was cheap - I have a Note 2 I'm still quite happy with and don't intend to switch over. If I pay Samsung for anything, it'll be a Note 3.
Considering how I felt part way through getting the glass off - I was fairly sure I'd destroyed it - I'm very happy with the result.
Thanks for the reply!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's great glad you had some success!
This is from my personal experience with replacing glass on my S3.
1) replaced JUST the outer glass and all was well with how the phone worked. With just replacing the glass there were a couple cons to it. First con was it was VERY HARD/almost impossible to see anything on the screen when out in the sun. Second con was that you would either have what looked like a bubble under the glass. This was caused because the glass was touching part of the lcd and would look like it was wet in the middle of the phone. When you press on the screen the WET LOOK got worse. But heck for the $20 I spent on the new outer glass I had a functioning phone. Third the outer screen is now not sealed and you can get dust/debris/liquid in between the glass and lcd which in time will look bad.
Now onto the SECOND TIME I broke my glass on my S3. I used LOCA that cured using Uva light. Well it looked great but I did not have a Uva lamp with me at the time when I did it and the sunlight didn't cure it fast enough. So the phone LOOKED and WORKED perfectly like it was brand new for a few days . Then my lcd stopped working. Pulled phone completely apart and found that the uncured LOCA had made it in between the lcd and the electronics part if the phone and shorted it out. So this is where I went wrong and LEARNED from it.
LOCA is great and I would recommend it with these instructions. 1. Before applying LOCA remove EVERYTHING from the phone. And I mean everything. So you only have the front glass, lcd, frame/bezel. This is very easy to do and only held together with 10 or so screws. Then use LOCA and MAKE SURE to have a UVA LAMP on hand before attempting. Once it is full cured with the lamp (only takes a few minutes under the Uva lamp to fully cure) then you can reassemble the phone and it will be like brand new. Still for only about the price of $50 for the outer glass and LOCA.
Read in the ATT S3 forums and you can learn a lot before attempting it. You will see where things can go wrong and where things go right. I was one of the first guinea pigs to test out the LOCA and after making my mistakes other learned and we're able to complete it correctly.
When my lcd went out I just bought the S4. Finally I recently bought a lcd with a cracked outer glass, new outer glass, and already had some local still. Now my S3 looks brand new again and functions perfectly.
Sent From My Spiderman Themed I337
RockRatt said:
This is from my personal experience with replacing glass on my S3.
...
Now onto the SECOND TIME I broke my glass on my S3. I used LOCA that cured using Uva light. Well it looked great but I did not have a Uva lamp with me at the time when I did it and the sunlight didn't cure it fast enough. So the phone LOOKED and WORKED perfectly like it was brand new for a few days . Then my lcd stopped working. Pulled phone completely apart and found that the uncured LOCA had made it in between the lcd and the electronics part if the phone and shorted it out. So this is where I went wrong and LEARNED from it.
LOCA is great and I would recommend it with these instructions. 1. Before applying LOCA remove EVERYTHING from the phone. And I mean everything. So you only have the front glass, lcd, frame/bezel. This is very easy to do and only held together with 10 or so screws. Then use LOCA and MAKE SURE to have a UVA LAMP on hand before attempting. Once it is full cured with the lamp (only takes a few minutes under the Uva lamp to fully cure) then you can reassemble the phone and it will be like brand new. Still for only about the price of $50 for the outer glass and LOCA.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOCA, 2mm double sided tape and a UV Light on the way. Even with all that my cost on the phone isn't bad. And I can cure nail polish too!
I do plan to remove as much as I can from the phone to prevent the glue shorting anything.
LanceDiamond said:
LOCA, 2mm double sided tape and a UV Light on the way. Even with all that my cost on the phone isn't bad. And I can cure nail polish too!
I do plan to remove as much as I can from the phone to prevent the glue shorting anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you checked out the thread and are all ready to go. Good luck and let us know how it went for you
Sent From My Spiderman,Ironman,Red,Dark Blue,Green, GreyedOut BadAss Themed I337
RockRatt said:
Sounds like you checked out the thread and are all ready to go. Good luck and let us know how it went for you
Sent From My Spiderman,Ironman,Red,Dark Blue,Green, GreyedOut BadAss Themed I337
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the patient lived but he isn't entirely his out of the box brand new self...
I did remove the mid-frame and motherboard and I'm glad I did because if I hadn't, I'd have had adhesive in between the mid-frame and display assembly I suspect. I didn't use enough adhesive at first so before curing it, I pulled the glass back off and put more adhesive in. When I did this, it introduced a few bubbles and worst of all, some adhesive got up where it's barely obstructing the front facing camera. It still notices when you wave your hands at it and I haven't played with it a lot yet.
I didn't fully understand how LOCA cures - you can hit it with UV for a few seconds and it sort of "pre-cures" and then wipe away excess and whatnot. I didn't do that, put the UV on and left it curing the excess and gluing the phone to the bench with adhesive than ran out lol. A bit of scraping and clipping later I got it unstuck and cleaned up but had I just pre-cured, wiped up, then long cured it'd have been better.
Not unhappy considering it had broken glass, now it doesn't and it looks decent and is functional and I don't have much $ in it for having an S4 to play with!
Update: I took the phone apart again and removed the front facing camera and did a little cleanup with acetone & some q-tips. Front facing camera is now fine. Only diff between this phone & stock/new is there are several bubbles - but several bubbles is a hell of a lot better than broken glass! Touch is very responsive and contrast looks great.
Something else to watch for......
On larger phones, like Note etc. LOCA glue is NOT an option! If you don't use it,you will almost certainly have problems with the touch sensor. Part of the glass will touch the sensor, usually near the middle of the screen. This will cause all kinds of random behavior and can even cause the phone to appear to lock up or freeze.
My Ex droped her Phone and it had Spider Webs all accross. Her Provider send it in to see what it would cost to fix. The Phone also would stop working correctly in the middle of calls.
It turns out buying a new one would have come cheaper atleast thats what came back as a answear.
So I decided to bite the apple and try replacing the Screen myself. My Ex was not happy because she thought with the second Problem it is not worth the effort to fix the Screen and maybe loose everything. My reasoning was that when the Spider Web Screen touches the Digitizer it will react strangely. So I went ahead and searched the web on how to do it. I ordered a Screen for $9 on ebay (free shipping) which came with a couple of Tools. More on those later.
One of the first Problems I found was that all instructions that I found showed the beginning and the end. But in the middle how the phone will look like when the glass is finaly taken off, I was unable to find much Information about it. Also doing it Redneck style without Special liquids and or a heat guns was no where to be found.
I decided to just try it. Disasembly is well documented and easy enough to do on this device. Atleast to the Point where most electronics are removed so that you can apply heat without too much problems. I decided on using a blow dryer to heat up the Display. I layed the Blow Dryer on the Counter turned it on and Held the phone up to it. Thinking if my fingers get too hot chances are it is too hot for the Display too.. Might be a little incaccurate to read the temperature like that but hey it worked. But soon after I started to remove the first pieces of broken glass I ran into Problems.
As per instructions I found, I put a Piece of tape accros the Screen so that the individuall pieces stayed ogether. That did not work at all for me. It just made the individual pieces push against the valuable digitizer below it. My next Problem was that the Tools that came with the replacement glass, especially the Little plastic Tools did not hold up to the Job und the tip was soon useless. I had to Switch to a Raizor blade. A couple of times I sliped and hit the Digitizer. Thinking oh well I guess I Need to get a new one. Luckely on the end it all worked out much better then I would have hoped. The left over glue I rubbed mostly off with my finger which worked out nicely. To clean it completely from ist glue took some time. The black rubber allong the side of the phone allso suffered. You might want to look out that that does not get riped out completely. I had enough left over so that the glass would sit on it good enough luckely.
Take a look at these Pictures and remember it works perfectly again for $9. While it is not for everyone to seperate a Glass from a Digitizer it is acctualy less fragile as you might think. The third Picture Shows you how it looked with all the scuff marks from taking off the glass. You can still see a few little marks on the end but hard to notice and much better then before. I am sure next time I will be more carefull and use the blade from the beginning on.
I got more Pictures and will improve this Thread for others that have to go through it. Feel free to PM me if you have any Questions. A list of other resources will also be included. This is only to explain and Show the bare state.
Reserved for links
Additional Screen Replacement Links:
Do you know if we can replace the metal frame on the side?
My device is bent. I mean. I fell on a rock with my device in my pocket and the rock directly hit the phone. Luckily I had a hsrd case and the device is still alive.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
supreethms said:
Do you know if we can replace the metal frame on the side?
My device is bent. I mean. I fell on a rock with my device in my pocket and the rock directly hit the phone. Luckily I had a hsrd case and the device is still alive.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
You should be able to find a new Frame for a resonable Price. Now to remove the digitizer from the Frame that is another Story. Not sure if it was the Glue or what Held it in place but I could not figure out how to get that out. luckely the two Buttons at the bottom survived the Screen removal and so I did not hat to take the Digitizer out.
Useful information and explains why repair shops will usually only replace the complete assembly. Read many complaints that those cheap ebay screens are plastic and easily scratched, not genuine gorilla glass replacements?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150998824149?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
I've ordered one of these as mines a bit scuffed and what looks like a small crack in it.
boomboomer said:
Useful information and explains why repair shops will usually only replace the complete assembly. Read many complaints that those cheap ebay screens are plastic and easily scratched, not genuine gorilla glass replacements?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is definetly cheaper then the original but if you have done it once. Chances are You will be able to do it again much easier. So if the $9 Glass only holds for example a Year. You can just replace it again. Or spend a little more for a original replacement glass.
Now I should Point out if the rubber seal around it gets damaged in the process and if the 3M Tape that should come with the Screen is placed wrong it will Impact the sensitivity of the sreen touches. I guess I did it right because my Ex is happy how it performs and that is saying allot.
madmackem said:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150998824149?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
I've ordered one of these as mines a bit scuffed and what looks like a small crack in it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you get down to removing the digitizer from the Frame take a couple of Pictures and post them here.
Hi All
Picked up a Nexus 4 a few days ago and only just noticed (as result of a call) that the proximity sensor is reporting that its "blocked" at all times, so the phone things its against my head. I can workaround this by using the "Power button to hang Up" option but at present cannot access any in call features.
When I look under good light the sensor, there are 2 areas so not sure which is the sensor, I can see what looks like a bubble under both. if you imagine what an air pocket looks like under a screen protector thats what it looks like but its behind the glass, perfectly centred. I guess its possible that something has broken here as a result of the drop, the top left corner was the point of impact, does that seem likely?
I got the phone cheap as it had a broke screen so have a new one coming. Its the full screen, glass and digitizer. Does anyone know of the sensor is part of the screen or does it sit behind and then I could be really screwed!
Ta
bert682 said:
Hi All
Picked up a Nexus 4 a few days ago and only just noticed (as result of a call) that the proximity sensor is reporting that its "blocked" at all times, so the phone things its against my head. I can workaround this by using the "Power button to hang Up" option but at present cannot access any in call features.
When I look under good light the sensor, there are 2 areas so not sure which is the sensor, I can see what looks like a bubble under both. if you imagine what an air pocket looks like under a screen protector thats what it looks like but its behind the glass, perfectly centred. I guess its possible that something has broken here as a result of the drop, the top left corner was the point of impact, does that seem likely?
I got the phone cheap as it had a broke screen so have a new one coming. Its the full screen, glass and digitizer. Does anyone know of the sensor is part of the screen or does it sit behind and then I could be really screwed!
Ta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so I did a little more reading and it seems that a gorilla has changed the screen on this phone in the past and he / she has used compound to stick the screen down and some of it has gone around the sensor and the resulting press down on the screen has created a few air pockets.
Looking less forward to changing the screen now as no doubt with my luck the "technician" will have used some crazy heat resistant glue!
Also....missing the speaker grille....funny how you only notice things after you have bought them!
Search for proximity sensor fix after screen replacement here on xda. I've found out that if you switch sides of the little rubber /plastic cover that covers the proximity sensor, your problem will be solved. And the light sensor will work with no problems as well.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Sp_Ark said:
Search for proximity sensor fix after screen replacement here on xda. I've found out that if you switch sides of the little rubber /plastic cover that covers the proximity sensor, your problem will be solved. And the light sensor will work with no problems as well.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really?
From reading the thing to do is either make the height of the bushing a little larger, height wise. Or, to increase the diameter of the holes.
I like your fix the best though....no messing about, just rotate.
Will give it a go, thanks!
It will work for sure, I posted this fix on a YouTube screen replacement guide of octopus glues I think and its confirmed to work from a lot of people. Then if you use a custom rom go to brightness settings while having auto brightness enabled and try changing light sources from dark to very bright places to see the instant lux values you get. If you are not satisfied with the result try custom auto brightness values.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
bert682 said:
Really?
From reading the thing to do is either make the height of the bushing a little larger, height wise. Or, to increase the diameter of the holes.
I like your fix the best though....no messing about, just rotate.
Will give it a go, thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, I discovered this "fix" in a random youtube comment (was that you @Sp_Ark?) just a few days ago, and it worked for me. Then I found a thread here that confirmed that this could be a solution (which could have saved me a week of frustration).
If there's actually something on the proximity sensor, then you might be screwed. Well, not really, or $10 from China. The module is a snap-in piece with connector ribbon that also has the headphone jack. The prox sensor is the smaller one on the right side (when looking at the screen).
Disassembly of the Nexus 4 is pretty simple compared to many other smartphones. You'll need a T5 TORX wrench/bit for the screws at the bottom, and a very small Phillips driver for all the screws in the inside. You'll also need a tool to split the 2 halves apart (your screen replacement might have come with tools). You can find a couple videos on youtube, as well as a detailed teardown (pics) at ifixit.com. If you have a hairdryer (or an actual heat gun) you can make the process easier by softening the glue with heat, but it's not absolutely necessary. Just go slowly and be careful when prying the halves apart so you don't flex it too much and break the glass back.
Which screen assembly did you get? You can get it where it's just the LCD and the digitizer, and you can also get it that has the bezel and speaker with it. When I replaced the screen on my N4, I got the whole deal with the bezel and speaker, since it meant less work and fewer things to screw up.
Planterz said:
Yep, I discovered this "fix" in a random youtube comment (was that you @Sp_Ark?) just a few days ago, and it worked for me. Then I found a thread here that confirmed that this could be a solution (which could have saved me a week of frustration).
If there's actually something on the proximity sensor, then you might be screwed. Well, not really, or $10 from China. The module is a snap-in piece with connector ribbon that also has the headphone jack. The prox sensor is the smaller one on the right side (when looking at the screen).
Disassembly of the Nexus 4 is pretty simple compared to many other smartphones. You'll need a T5 TORX wrench/bit for the screws at the bottom, and a very small Phillips driver for all the screws in the inside. You'll also need a tool to split the 2 halves apart (your screen replacement might have come with tools). You can find a couple videos on youtube, as well as a detailed teardown (pics) at ifixit.com. If you have a hairdryer (or an actual heat gun) you can make the process easier by softening the glue with heat, but it's not absolutely necessary. Just go slowly and be careful when prying the halves apart so you don't flex it too much and break the glass back.
Which screen assembly did you get? You can get it where it's just the LCD and the digitizer, and you can also get it that has the bezel and speaker with it. When I replaced the screen on my N4, I got the whole deal with the bezel and speaker, since it meant less work and fewer things to screw up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got a "kit" off eBay, [URL="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181144377215?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181144377215?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT so it appears to be the complete screen. Ive watched a few videos but from the pictures it looks like the screen comes with the metal backing so I suspect I dont need to remove the old screen from the casing, thoughts?
Im expecting this to be the screen, bezel, and metal backing so I need to do is connect in my motherboard and all the other components.
Am I off in thinking this?
That's the full part. The one you've posted is the type I usually go for, they're good quality so far.
bert682 said:
I got a "kit" off eBay, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181144377215?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT so it appears to be the complete screen. Ive watched a few videos but from the pictures it looks like the screen comes with the metal backing so I suspect I dont need to remove the old screen from the casing, thoughts?
Im expecting this to be the screen, bezel, and metal backing so I need to do is connect in my motherboard and all the other components.
Am I off in thinking this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You made a wise choice, young padawan.
Yeah, that looks to be the entire front assembly, including the screen+digitizer, already installed in the bezel. Also includes the earpiece plus the speaker grill that you're missing. You'll have to swap over the guts, and that's about it. It's easiest to swap the power and volume rocker buttons first since it's a bit harder to get them where they go if you've got the logic board in the way. Just remember that the contact points need to make a ^ rather than a v when you're assembling it with the screen facing down. Tweezers are good to have, especially if they're very long and even better if they're curved. I also recommend doing this over a clean towel to avoid scratching the screen (there'll probably be a film over it too), and the fluffier the towel the better, to catch the tiny screws from flying and disappearing.
Honestly, getting the 2 halves apart is probably the hardest part. They make specialized tools for this, and often the sellers will include them, but it doesn't look like your purchase includes them (mine didn't either). Something plastic is the best choice, since you're less likely to cause cosmetic damage to the plastic (especially the bezel) if you slip (and you will slip). As I said before, GO SLOWLY. Work it apart a little bit at a time, alternate side to side, starting from the bottom. Eventually you'll be able to pull the 2 halves apart.
The battery will be stuck in pretty good and will need to be pried out. If I were you (and a week or so ago, I was you), I'd pop a new battery in while you're at it. At this point in the phone's life, it's probably had at least a few hundred cycles on the battery and has lost 10-20% of its original capacity. The other components shouldn't be nearly as hard to get out. Just pry in various points until the piece pops out. Do not force anything. Just work it out slowly. After you pop off the piece that covers the USB port, there's the board that has the port, and that can be slightly tricky to get out. Best way I found is to slip something small and flat (screwdriver?) into the port and push up and out, and the board should come out easily.
Thankfully, there's only 3 different screws used, and they're all easily differentiated from each other. There's the 2 T5 TORX that hold the halves together, the 2 very short screws with wide heads that hold the battery in place, and the rest that hold everything else are all identical to each other.
It looks like on your assembly, it comes with its own adhesives. Everywhere there's a blue film, pull it off and there'll be adhesive underneath. I'd recommend leaving the film on over the part where the sensor/headphone jack module goes until you're sure you can stick it in place with the proximity sensor not acting wonky. Download an app (I used Phone Tester) that can read the prox sensor. FYI, as long as everything is in place, and you've attached the battery, you can boot the phone without replacing the back cover, and test the sensor (just depress the center bit of the power button board). You don't need to screw everything in, but you should at least screw and tighten down the few that surround the sensor area. Once you've got it reading properly (best of luck), it's time to put all back together.
You should familiarize yourself with the teardown/reassembly guides out there. Go to ifixit.com and have everything ready to look at. This is the video that I used to guide me, and I watched it through a few times before I attempted it myself. You should be just fine with your phone after familiarizing yourself, but if you have any specific problems or questions, feel free to ask, and I'm all too happy to help.
Planterz said:
You made a wise choice, young padawan.
Yeah, that looks to be the entire front assembly, including the screen+digitizer, already installed in the bezel. Also includes the earpiece plus the speaker grill that you're missing. You'll have to swap over the guts, and that's about it. It's easiest to swap the power and volume rocker buttons first since it's a bit harder to get them where they go if you've got the logic board in the way. Just remember that the contact points need to make a ^ rather than a v when you're assembling it with the screen facing down. Tweezers are good to have, especially if they're very long and even better if they're curved. I also recommend doing this over a clean towel to avoid scratching the screen (there'll probably be a film over it too), and the fluffier the towel the better, to catch the tiny screws from flying and disappearing.
Honestly, getting the 2 halves apart is probably the hardest part. They make specialized tools for this, and often the sellers will include them, but it doesn't look like your purchase includes them (mine didn't either). Something plastic is the best choice, since you're less likely to cause cosmetic damage to the plastic (especially the bezel) if you slip (and you will slip). As I said before, GO SLOWLY. Work it apart a little bit at a time, alternate side to side, starting from the bottom. Eventually you'll be able to pull the 2 halves apart.
The battery will be stuck in pretty good and will need to be pried out. If I were you (and a week or so ago, I was you, I'd pop a new battery in while you're at it. At this point in the phone's life, it's probably had at least a few hundred cycles on the battery and has lost 10-20% of its original capacity. The other comments shouldn't be nearly as hard to get out. Just pry in various points until the piece pops out. Do not force anything. Just work it out slowly. After you pop off the piece that covers the USB port, there's the board that has the port, and that can be slightly tricky to get out. Best way I found is to slip something small and flat (screwdriver?) into the port and push up and out, and the board should come out easily.
Thankfully, there's only 3 different screws used, and they're all easily differentiated from each other. There's the 2 T5 TORX that hold the halves together, the 2 very short screws with wide heads that hold the battery in place, and the rest that hold everything else are all identical to each other.
It looks like on your assembly, it comes with its own adhesives. Everywhere there's a blue film, pull it off and there'll be adhesive underneath. I'd recommend leaving the film on over the part where the sensor/headphone jack module goes until you're sure you can stick it in place with the proximity sensor not acting wonky. Download an app (I used Phone Tester) that can read the prox sensor. FYI, as long as everything is in place, and you've attached the battery, you can boot the phone without replacing the back cover, and test the sensor (just depress the center bit of the power button board). You don't need to screw everything in, but you should at least screw and tighten down the few that surround the sensor area. Once you've got it reading properly (best of luck), it's time to put all back together.
You should familiarize yourself with the teardown/reassembly guides out there. Go to ifixit.com and have everything ready to look at. This is the video[/i] that I used to guide me, and I watched it through a few times before I attempted it myself. You should be just fine with your phone after familiarizing yourself, but if you have any specific problems or questions, feel free to ask, and I'm all too happy to help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, I saw some cheaper screens but that one notes that its LG compliant etc. I bought a set of tools separately so will have all the stuff needed. Didnt think about the battery, will order one as it does make sense!
Thanks for the info, will update as I go.
If you want to have a working battery like it used to be before removing it, you have to be very patient and extra careful while trying to remove it. Use some heat for the glue and try with something very thin like a nylon guitar pick. In anyway don't bent the battery and don't start from top. It will be easier to first remove the mother board. Iv already destroyed 4 5 batteries while trying to remove them. Sorry for my English, I hope you understand.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Sp_Ark said:
If you want to have a working battery like it used to be before removing it, you have to be very patient and extra careful while trying to remove it. Use some heat for the glue and try with something very thin like a nylon guitar pick. In anyway don't bent the battery and don't start from top. It will be easier to first remove the mother board. Iv already destroyed 4 5 batteries while trying to remove them. Sorry for my English, I hope you understand.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea was extra careful, used a little heat. Someone has definately replaced the screen on the phone before but seems to have been careful enough as no screws missing etc, except the lost the little speaker grille
New screen in and working well. The proximity sensor seems to be working but it reports all or nothing rather than varied. Is this correct?
bert682 said:
Yea was extra careful, used a little heat. Someone has definately replaced the screen on the phone before but seems to have been careful enough as no screws missing etc, except the lost the little speaker grille
New screen in and working well. The proximity sensor seems to be working but it reports all or nothing rather than varied. Is this correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah this is normal.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
bert682 said:
New screen in and working well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! See, it wasn't too bad, was it? Ifixit gives the N4 a 7/10 for repairability, and that's pretty high for them. After replacing my N4 screen, friend/coworker asked if I could do the same for his HTC One M7 with a completely shattered, yet functional digitizer. I said "HEEEEEEEEEEELL NO!"
Planterz said:
Awesome! See, it wasn't too bad, was it? Ifixit gives the N4 a 7/10 for repairability, and that's pretty high for them. After replacing my N4 screen, friend/coworker asked if I could do the same for his HTC One M7 with a completely shattered, yet functional digitizer. I said "HEEEEEEEEEEELL NO!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, not with the correct tools. I will admit had I not bought the plastic tools, tweezers etc I may have struggled.
The battery was my main concern, its really stuck down, even though this had been replaced before and likely a less tacky glue used it was still tough. Had to use some heat to soften it and the "battery cover" has seen better days. Next thing to replace is that, just for piece of mind.
All in all, pretty nice experience, the phone seems more modular that other phones I have taken apart which is nice.