FYI - Fix for S2s that won't turn on (eg from water damage) - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
I just thought this fix might be useful for people who have a Galaxy S2 that won't turn on at all - eg not even to download mode or charging mode... I applied the fix to a phone today and it went from brick, to booting up!
I stumbled onto a thread on gsmhosting, which points out a really common problem caused by water damage - a specific shorted out capacitor on the motherboard. As it turns out, this capacitor is only used for USB on the go - for USB tethering, mice and such - removing it doesn't affect any other function on the phone. So you can actually remove this capacitor, and the phone will boot up as normal.
Here's the GSM thread:
http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/f258/samsung-galaxy-s2-i9100-short-circuit-solution-1537757/
According to that thread can remove either the capacitor or the tiny IC next to it for the fix... they're on the edge of the motherboard and isolated at the end, so they're actually pretty easy to get to.
For my fix, I didn't have a soldering iron handy, so I just took the plunge and used a tiny screwdriver to carefully pop off the capacitor - I tried to pop it gently away from the IC, to minimize the damage. It popped off perfectly, and after replacing the battery, voila, the phone booted!!
*One weird note about my experience, that I didn't see anyone else report - after the phone booted, the touchscreen wasn't recognized. I thought maybe I'd dislodged one of the cables, but un/reattaching them all didn't seem to help. I then attached the phone to the PC, and used Kies to flash the latest firmware. After I flashed and rebooted, the touchscreen worked fine.
Hope this helps someone! It was such an awesome feeling seeing a dead phone come back to life

Awesome find mate.
Sent from my GT-P6200 using xda app-developers app

It worked for me without a glitch.
I was worried after rebooting cause I had problems with a puzzling "USB memory", but it turned out the MicroSD was not correctly inserted.
Thanks for explaining what the capacitor is for, I was not eagr to remove something that could possibly have a valuable purpose

You think this could be done with the t989 i was running pacman in kitkat i opened netfloix and blam the phone turned off and wont show anymore soigns of life i have found everything in the internet but nothing works

Many thanks
Many many thanks to OP and the original video uploader melanrz1
You saved my 3-year-old I9100! Wish it can last for another 3, all the best!

Is there a way to do this with the t989? Pm me and let me know. Trying to get my old s2 yo work. Thanks

what happen if i just take it off? no replace

Have u found a fix yet?
chacua358 said:
You think this could be done with the t989 i was running pacman in kitkat i opened netfloix and blam the phone turned off and wont show anymore soigns of life i have found everything in the internet but nothing works
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have u found a fix yet for the s2 t989

fadinggaming02 said:
Have u found a fix yet for the s2 t989
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nahh i never found a fix i just ended up giving the phone to my niece who uses it as a play phone

Related

[H] Phone thinks usb/ac is connected/~charging

**Please note, i have already searched this forum and found some similar threads as: charging paused, voltage too high, SGS2 charged all the time, Charging suspended. Voltage too high and Phone keeps charging after plugin off the charger but none of them had exactly my problems so i'll try to describe mine better here.**
Some background and possible cause first
I have been using Omega ROM @ 2.3.5 (yes it's old, but it doesn't matter) for more than 6 months now and i haven't had any problems with it, but a few weeks ago i decided to upgrade to ICS so i did a full backup with CWM and also backed up sdcard to pc. Did a full wipe, formatted sdcard and installed the AOKP ICS, hated the camera app, wiped everything again, installed normal ICS, it was looking ok but i needed my usual apps the second day so i decided to go back to my 2.3.5, restored backup, restored sdcard. I don't remember exactly if i had the phone plugged in before installing ICS or after going back to 2.3.5 but when i disconnected it, it showed that it was still connected and charging...
Please note that everything was ok before updating to ICS (which is one reason why i believe it's software related), i used the original mains charger / micro usb cables at home and i also used a cheap car charger but long before this started happening, and the last time i used the car charger was 2+ moths ago.
The thing is, i don't care if it things it's charging all the time, my problem is that when charging it keeps the cpu active, and even when setting it to 100 MHz the battery only lasts about 5-10 hours with low-moderate usage (see the screenshots of cpu spy, it is clear that the phone does not enter deep sleep while it "thinks" it's charging).
Symptoms
At first, it kept showing it was charging all the time, sometimes when reaching ~10% it went back to normal (YES, normal aka reporting as no plugged in and no charging (=discharging), so i don't think there's any short-circuit/something wrong with the usb connector (which i tried to clean up, as suggested, but the problem is still there) :
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Then (and currently) after 1-2 mins of disconnecting charger/usb cable it stops the charging animation but *#*#4636#*#* and some battery app stats show that it's still plugged in but discharging (also it reports over-voltage, which is weird because when it is still charging it shows health:Good).
Also, if it goes back to normal (aka not charging and not plugged) and i connect the mains charger then disconnect and connect usb cable it will still see/think that the mains charger is still connected and i can't connect the mass storage to pc (the dialog never shows, because it still thinks it's connected to mains) and vice-versa, but the battery is charged no matter where it thinks it's connected.
Now the weird part, and the reason why i don't think it's hardware (aka usb pin short circuit or anything else stated in the other threads) if i remove the battery for long enough (something around 10-12 hours) over night, in the morning the phone would be completely normal (i was able to do this 2 times so far and both times the phone clock&date were resetted which makes me think the "connected" state is stored somewhere in a temporary memory powered by a small battery which keeps track of the time and alarms?; also if the time isn't resetted, the phone would still think it's connected (yes, even after removing the battery for some 8+ hours)), but the problem reappears if i connect charger/usb cable (something to note here, if i connect the cable and it's not plugged in, the problem doesn't start so this excludes micro usb connector problem).
---
And also, as in some other posts, while the phone is shut down it keeps showing the charging animation along with some warning high temperature? triangle:
Here is a screenshot of Battery monitor widget showing some weird voltage spikes, is it possible to reach 5V?
The wakelocks (from Better battery stats app):
Also, something that i've wondered if all S2s do, when i remove the battery and plug in the charger (of any kind) the phone shows a no battery image:
One other thing that might worth mentioning is that sometimes, just a few seconds after i lock the phone, the screen just lights up for a second then turns back off for a few times (2-5 times), but this might be just an app problem and it's not really currently bothering me.
Also i just noticed when posting the screenshots that the battery is always pretty hot, is 32 - 37*C too hot or is it ok?
Conclusion
Well, it's been 3 weeks since this problem has started because i updated to ICS and i still didn't fix it. My plan is to order an Usb jig from ebay, get everything back to stock and send it to warranty, but this will take some 2-3 weeks until i get the jig and another 2-3 until the guys fix/replace it so i'm posting here hoping for some suggestions from more experienced members or people that also had this problem, because i ran out of ideas to try here.
It's a very nicely thorough post, very detailed. I like it.
However, I believe your conclusion that it isn't a hardware issue with the port is a faulty one. I think 100% of the times I've seen issues like this it's an issue with the port that is resolved either by cleaning it, (which will likely only be a temporary solution) or replacing it. It's VERY likely they will do just that (replace the port) if you send it to service. If you can get it covered under warranty, do it. Otherwise the part will run you probably $15 or so, USD.
But the fact that the problem comes and goes away without physical actions and also the fact that everyone started getting this after upgrading to ICS makes me a bit suspicious...
dany123i said:
But the fact that the problem comes and goes away without physical actions and also the fact that everyone started getting this after upgrading to ICS makes me a bit suspicious...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And the fact that anyone who experiences issues like this, when they replace the part, it fixes all these issues?
if it comes and goes, I'd check the port for something when the issue is present. There's likely something lodged in there when it's happening, which gets dislodged when it's NOT happening.
People tend not to protect the port. It can get damaged over time. Also, ICS versions will seem more sensitive to it, because of additional programming and error messages specific to charging and voltage errors added in.
ctomgee said:
And the fact that anyone who experiences issues like this, when they replace the part, it fixes all these issues?
if it comes and goes, I'd check the port for something when the issue is present. There's likely something lodged in there when it's happening, which gets dislodged when it's NOT happening.
People tend not to protect the port. It can get damaged over time. Also, ICS versions will seem more sensitive to it, because of additional programming and error messages specific to charging and voltage errors added in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or ICS screws something up permanently or maybe you're right, and it really is the port, anyway i'll still experiment a while until my jig arrives, if i discover anything i'll update the thread.
Btw, thanks for reading my entire post :highfive:
dany123i said:
Or ICS screws something up permanently or maybe you're right, and it really is the port, anyway i'll still experiment a while until my jig arrives, if i discover anything i'll update the thread.
Btw, thanks for reading my entire post :highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just wish everyone who had an issue that needed help was as thorough as you. Most often, posts in Q&A unfortunately look like: "Halp! My fone broked! Whut happen?!?!"
So while some may scoff at the length of your post, they need to understand; when troubleshooting issues, more than enough information is ALWAYS better than not enough.
Don't worry you're not alone.I'm having this issue for about a week and I don't think that it is a hardware issue because my problem appeared when I was doing a restore from backup from custom rom to stock rom and the only thing that I did is that I pulled off the charger while my phone was doing the restore process. The second thing that I think it is not a hardware issue is that my phone is new I bought it two month ago and the USB jig is so clean, I compared to my brothers phone he has sgs2 too and he's USB jig is full of dust and cockroaches and mushrooms and stuff like that but its working perfect. I'm so sorry that I don't have the answer for you but I'm so mad about this problem that I needed to say something and by the way good luck and pm to me if u find the fix
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
bennycop said:
Don't worry you're not alone.I'm having this issue for about a week and I don't think that it is a hardware issue because my problem appeared when I was doing a restore from backup from custom rom to stock rom and the only thing that I did is that I pulled off the charger while my phone was doing the restore process. The second thing that I think it is not a hardware issue is that my phone is new I bought it two month ago and the USB jig is so clean, I compared to my brothers phone he has sgs2 too and he's USB jig is full of dust and cockroaches and mushrooms and stuff like that but its working perfect. I'm so sorry that I don't have the answer for you but I'm so mad about this problem that I needed to say something and by the way good luck and pm to me if u find the fix
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please take note.
This is not a hardware problem. This is a Firmware/Backup related problem
Had this exact problem on a friends SGS2 and it kept on happening after he did a restore from Titanium. Not that Titanium is broken BUT your backup stored on your SD has a CRC somewhere. What can I say ... It happens.
Just do a complete wipe and install the Rom you want. DO NOT RESTORE YOUR BACKUP !!!
Install everything again as per normal and set it up and you should be good. If this then still occurs then you can be sure its the hardware but this resolved it for him,
toxicdust said:
Please take note.
This is not a hardware problem. This is a Firmware/Backup related problem
Had this exact problem on a friends SGS2 and it kept on happening after he did a restore from Titanium. Not that Titanium is broken BUT your backup stored on your SD has a CRC somewhere. What can I say ... It happens.
Just do a complete wipe and install the Rom you want. DO NOT RESTORE YOUR BACKUP !!!
Install everything again as per normal and set it up and you should be good. If this then still occurs then you can be sure its the hardware but this resolved it for him,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's a bit presumptuous to say it's DEFINITELY not a hardware issue. I've seen a TON of posts where people replace the part for the USB port and the problem disappears.
Maybe for someone its is a hardware problem but my problem appeared during restore from buckup.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Same problem
dany123i said:
Or ICS screws something up permanently or maybe you're right, and it really is the port, anyway i'll still experiment a while until my jig arrives, if i discover anything i'll update the thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you discover the source of the problem? I am having the same issue with my sgs2 (only 6 months old). I have all the same symptoms - it tells me the USB is connected and the phone is charging, and I get the same alternating symbols when the phone is off (battery charging/temperature warning). I have done nothing out of the ordinary - no system alterations, all is as it was when I got it, other than apps etc I have downloaded. The port doesn't look that dirty, although having read your posts I am inclined to think that this may be the source of the issue? Any help would be appreciated!
solved
Same issue after upgrade, was searching for days ...
Factory restore, but didn't work.
Forced to stop all services, cleared all cache and cleared Ram and after restart everything back ok. Was not a hw issue.
toxicdust said:
Please take note.
This is not a hardware problem. This is a Firmware/Backup related problem
Had this exact problem on a friends SGS2 and it kept on happening after he did a restore from Titanium. Not that Titanium is broken BUT your backup stored on your SD has a CRC somewhere. What can I say ... It happens.
Just do a complete wipe and install the Rom you want. DO NOT RESTORE YOUR BACKUP !!!
Install everything again as per normal and set it up and you should be good. If this then still occurs then you can be sure its the hardware but this resolved it for him,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with this guy over here, just wanted to congratulate you for this post.
And yes...back ups can be a BH.

[q] sgs2 wifi problem!

HELLO! My S2 Wifi can't be turn on. It keep showing "wifi is turning on". I have tried to change kernel and roms but problem still persist. I wonder what is causing this problem. I hope it is not a hardware issue.
Currently I am using : Resurrection Remix v3.0.9
4.1.1
19100XXLPW
Siyah v4.1.5
Any Solution? PLS HELP! THANKS! :laugh:
slemonf said:
HELLO! My S2 Wifi can't be turn on. It keep showing "wifi is turning on". I have tried to change kernel and roms but problem still persist. I wonder what is causing this problem. I hope it is not a hardware issue.
Currently I am using : Resurrection Remix v3.0.9
4.1.1
19100XXLPW
Siyah v4.1.5
Any Solution? PLS HELP! THANKS! :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am also using the same RRv3.0.9 ma8 and havent seen that issue for now, try restarting ur Rooter and see
Sun90 said:
i am also using the same RRv3.0.9 ma8 and havent seen that issue for now, try restarting ur Rooter and see
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm i don't think is my router problem as my other devices can connect to wifi. It is not a connection issue.The problem is that i cannot even turn on the wifi on my S2. it keep saying "Turning Wi-Fi on"
Wi-fi KO
Hi, im experiencing exactly the same issue. I was using RR for some time. Version 3.0.9 for the last couple of weeks and had no problem. Yesterday picked up the phone and tried to turn on wifi and the slider was kinda greyed out. Since then tried everything. Flash different kernels, whole ROMs, old, new, no difference. Whipes, restarts, leave the battery out for some time. Nothing. Tried to find answer, but also no luck. I am worried, that it is hardware. Can anyone bring some light to this issue? Thanks.
Edit: Problem found. Took the phone apart and to my surprise - the small button battery leaked and the acid f..up one resistor and its surundigs, that is responsible for wifi. So now i will try to repair it. Have resistors, but dont have enough patience..... I will share results as soon as i have them.
bamboochaxxx said:
Hi, im experiencing exactly the same issue. I was using RR for some time. Version 3.0.9 for the last couple of weeks and had no problem. Yesterday picked up the phone and tried to turn on wifi and the slider was kinda greyed out. Since then tried everything. Flash different kernels, whole ROMs, old, new, no difference. Whipes, restarts, leave the battery out for some time. Nothing. Tried to find answer, but also no luck. I am worried, that it is hardware. Can anyone bring some light to this issue? Thanks.
Edit: Problem found. Took the phone apart and to my surprise - the small button battery leaked and the acid f..up one resistor and its surundigs, that is responsible for wifi. So now i will try to repair it. Have resistors, but dont have enough patience..... I will share results as soon as i have them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow. so it a hardware problem? Hmmm hope to hear from you soon!
So finally problem fixed. Solder-out the BAT500 which was ruined anyway a took with it the resistors. Change resistor R205 and replaced it with another one from a old PC motherboard. Couldnt find one exactly the same size, but found two aproximatelly twice the size with the right specs. The soldering was the tricky part. Fist tried it just with magnifying glass, but that was not enough. So I ask a friend for help and got a microscope. Since then the job was much easier. But still took a lot of patience. Taking the parts out was pretty easy. After that I cleaned the rest of the acid and saw the real damage done by it. Battery BAT500 leaked out pretty bad and took with resistor R205, which was completely dissolved. One connecting pin was quite OK, but the other ano was gone as well. So I cleaned out everything. Took the new resistor and tried to solder it in place. In the process I screwed-up and burnd it. Good thing I had 2 The other one was little bigger and wouldnt fit in the original place. So I solder one end to the existing connection point and the other side directly to pin on the wifi chip with the use of a very thin wire from headphone cable. Not the cleanest job ive ever done, but its working. Checked for shorts, measured the impendaces and tried it.
Im very pleased, that its working. Sofar I couldnt find replacement for BAT500, so just left it without it. Not a biggie.
It took me about 2 hours of work (with many mistakes and resistors jumping all around the table ) But finally done. Hope it stays that way for a long time.
Wifi is working like a charm and to my supprise, I think that the phone is not heating up as much as before. But if Samsung would have put better quality battery inside, this would never happend. But I guess thats on purpose, because than nobody would have to buy a new things Right? Every piece of technology nowdays have some king of component that have only one purpose - to ..... things up !!!
slemonf said:
HELLO! My S2 Wifi can't be turn on. It keep showing "wifi is turning on". I have tried to change kernel and roms but problem still persist. I wonder what is causing this problem. I hope it is not a hardware issue.
Currently I am using : Resurrection Remix v3.0.9
4.1.1
19100XXLPW
Siyah v4.1.5
Any Solution? PLS HELP! THANKS! :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry wrong post..
slemonf said:
HELLO! My S2 Wifi can't be turn on. It keep showing "wifi is turning on". I have tried to change kernel and roms but problem still persist. I wonder what is causing this problem. I hope it is not a hardware issue.
Currently I am using : Resurrection Remix v3.0.9
4.1.1
19100XXLPW
Siyah v4.1.5
Any Solution? PLS HELP! THANKS! :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just adding my voice to this mine died after last OTA update... Have done factory reset - no change. Just going to re-install stock xwlpt..
to see if that works :crying:
bamboochaxxx said:
So finally problem fixed. Solder-out the BAT500 which was ruined anyway a took with it the resistors. Change resistor R205 and replaced it with another one from a old PC motherboard. Couldnt find one exactly the same size, but found two aproximatelly twice the size with the right specs. The soldering was the tricky part. Fist tried it just with magnifying glass, but that was not enough. So I ask a friend for help and got a microscope. Since then the job was much easier. But still took a lot of patience. Taking the parts out was pretty easy. After that I cleaned the rest of the acid and saw the real damage done by it. Battery BAT500 leaked out pretty bad and took with resistor R205, which was completely dissolved. One connecting pin was quite OK, but the other ano was gone as well. So I cleaned out everything. Took the new resistor and tried to solder it in place. In the process I screwed-up and burnd it. Good thing I had 2 The other one was little bigger and wouldnt fit in the original place. So I solder one end to the existing connection point and the other side directly to pin on the wifi chip with the use of a very thin wire from headphone cable. Not the cleanest job ive ever done, but its working. Checked for shorts, measured the impendaces and tried it.
Im very pleased, that its working. Sofar I couldnt find replacement for BAT500, so just left it without it. Not a biggie.
It took me about 2 hours of work (with many mistakes and resistors jumping all around the table ) But finally done. Hope it stays that way for a long time.
Wifi is working like a charm and to my supprise, I think that the phone is not heating up as much as before. But if Samsung would have put better quality battery inside, this would never happend. But I guess thats on purpose, because than nobody would have to buy a new things Right? Every piece of technology nowdays have some king of component that have only one purpose - to ..... things up !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same problem. Sometimes work, but don't fine. Do you have some pictures about this procedure? :good:
Thank you so much!
bamboochaxxx said:
So finally problem fixed. Solder-out the BAT500 which was ruined anyway a took with it the resistors. Change resistor R205 and replaced it with another one from a old PC motherboard. Couldnt find one exactly the same size, but found two aproximatelly twice the size with the right specs. The soldering was the tricky part. Fist tried it just with magnifying glass, but that was not enough. So I ask a friend for help and got a microscope. Since then the job was much easier. But still took a lot of patience. Taking the parts out was pretty easy. After that I cleaned the rest of the acid and saw the real damage done by it. Battery BAT500 leaked out pretty bad and took with resistor R205, which was completely dissolved. One connecting pin was quite OK, but the other ano was gone as well. So I cleaned out everything. Took the new resistor and tried to solder it in place. In the process I screwed-up and burnd it. Good thing I had 2 The other one was little bigger and wouldnt fit in the original place. So I solder one end to the existing connection point and the other side directly to pin on the wifi chip with the use of a very thin wire from headphone cable. Not the cleanest job ive ever done, but its working. Checked for shorts, measured the impendaces and tried it.
Im very pleased, that its working. Sofar I couldnt find replacement for BAT500, so just left it without it. Not a biggie.
It took me about 2 hours of work (with many mistakes and resistors jumping all around the table ) But finally done. Hope it stays that way for a long time.
Wifi is working like a charm and to my supprise, I think that the phone is not heating up as much as before. But if Samsung would have put better quality battery inside, this would never happend. But I guess thats on purpose, because than nobody would have to buy a new things Right? Every piece of technology nowdays have some king of component that have only one purpose - to ..... things up !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Can you please help me specs of the resistor, I mean R205 is of how many ohms ?
Thanks
You need the Samsung I9100 service manual, which has been posted here before. It has full parts lists & 'tutorials' of most of the common fixes their techs do. Try a Google or XDA search (You're could wait a long time for a reply from the person whose post you're responding to given they made it 9 months ago).
MistahBungle said:
You need the Samsung I9100 service manual, which has been posted here before. It has full parts lists & 'tutorials' of most of the common fixes their techs do. Try a Google or XDA search (You're could wait a long time for a reply from the person whose post you're responding to given they made it 9 months ago).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have manual but it does not specifies value of the resistor.
Attached is the screenshot of the manual, please let me know if you can make out the value of the resistor
slemonf said:
HELLO! My S2 Wifi can't be turn on. It keep showing "wifi is turning on". I have tried to change kernel and roms but problem still persist. I wonder what is causing this problem. I hope it is not a hardware issue.
Currently I am using : Resurrection Remix v3.0.9
4.1.1
19100XXLPW
Siyah v4.1.5
Any Solution? PLS HELP! THANKS! :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Change your kernel it will help you to connect wifi again :thumbup:
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
virgo79 said:
I have manual but it does not specifies value of the resistor.
Attached is the screenshot of the manual, please let me know if you can make out the value of the resistor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just fixed today my galaxy S2 I9100. It had the same issue BAT500 leaking acid. (wifi not working)
Since you ask for R205 value. I'm sorry didn’t saw your post earlier. But maybe you can measure it's value from R204, R206, R207 since in your own screenshot it seems they all have the same value.
Some people are using 20kohm smd resistor.
I'm also interested in replacing BAT500. I measured 1.2V in open circuit and 1.0V in closed circuit, with positive towards mainboard.
I will try to find a replacement battery.
smd0806 said:
I just fixed today my galaxy S2 I9100. It had the same issue BAT500 leaking acid. (wifi not working)
Since you ask for R205 value. I'm sorry didn’t saw your post earlier. But maybe you can measure it's value from R204, R206, R207 since in your own screenshot it seems they all have the same value.
Some people are using 20kohm smd resistor.
I'm also interested in replacing BAT500. I measured 1.2V in open circuit and 1.0V in closed circuit, with positive towards mainboard.
I will try to find a replacement battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried with using 47K resistor but it didn't work
---------- Post added at 12:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:37 AM ----------
I tried with AOSP 4.3.1 but still not able to start Wifi

[Q] i9100 Wifi completely dead. SOLVED

I've read a few posts here with similar problems but the solutions (if any) haven't worked for me.
My wifi started to switch off intermittently. The "switch" icon in Settings would move across to the "ON" position but would then move right back to "OFF". Then after several hours the wifi would magically work again. Now it has stopped working altogether. I tried going back to GB including wiping data and cache then went forward to JB 4.1.2. No luck. I even tried GS2ROMNuke in between and Siyah kernel. I'm now back where it all started with WanamLite Clean & Fast & Pure Stock Themed 4.1.2
I opened the phone and checked for internal battery leakage but there was only a tiny amount and that was still on the battery itself, none on the circuit board.
At this stage I have just about given up. Has anyone managed to recover from this situation?
Of course it happened just 3 months out of warranty
K0jak said:
I've read a few posts here with similar problems but the solutions (if any) haven't worked for me.
My wifi started to switch off intermittently. The "switch" icon in Settings would move across to the "ON" position but would then move right back to "OFF". Then after several hours the wifi would magically work again. Now it has stopped working altogether. I tried going back to GB including wiping data and cache then went forward to JB 4.1.2. No luck. I even tried GS2ROMNuke in between and Siyah kernel. I'm now back where it all started with WanamLite Clean & Fast & Pure Stock Themed 4.1.2
I opened the phone and checked for internal battery leakage but there was only a tiny amount and that was still on the battery itself, none on the circuit board.
At this stage I have just about given up. Has anyone managed to recover from this situation?
Of course it happened just 3 months out of warranty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey bro, sorry to hear about your problem. Have you tried testing the Wi-fi after installing a new ROM without updating or changing the stock kernel?
sandmoose said:
Hey bro, sorry to hear about your problem. Have you tried testing the Wi-fi after installing a new ROM without updating or changing the stock kernel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I have... not 100% sure though. Might go back to stock and try again though. Such a PITA... I was going to upgrade to a Note 3 and pass this S2 on to a family member. :crying:
Success!
I'm sorry to resurrect a long dead thread.
I just wanted to let you know I finally fixed my wifi issue. The problem was (as in many cases) the battery near the wifi chip, leaking. Although I had previously opened the phone and cleaned the PCB with isopropyl alcohol, I hadn't noticed that the track between one of the resistors and the wifi chip, had been eroded. I scratched some of the covering off the track and tried to measure continuity to one side of the resistor but got an open circuit. After clumsily soldering a piece of fine wire from the resistor to the scratched piece of track, wifi was restored.
I really can't believe it. I had previously inspected the board close up and thought that no erosion had taken place. But now after taking some time (and some beer) I found the fault.
Some feedback for Samsung... you *****es! How can you fit such a weakness to, what was, your flagship phone? This issue has hit so many users. I have read many many posts here and on other forums complaining about wifi problems with the SGS 2. Unfortunately for me this fault occurred when I was a few weeks out of my 2 year warranty
This was not an easy soldering job. I am fairly good at fine soldering but attaching a wire to a SMD resistor so small was really difficult. It may come off in the future but at least I now what and where the fault is now.
Once again, sorry to resurrect the old thread.
FYI the resistor that was affected was the one that sits by itself at right angles to the other 4. Unfortunately it is nearest the battery.

Continuous Issues with Gear VR apps rendering my phone useless

Aloha,
I have a Stock Verizon Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. I was sitting on my couch watching tv when my phone lit up. I thought I got a message, picked it up and it said the charger connected is not genuine and charging was stopped to protect the phone (not the exact message). It was not plugged into anything. I ignored the screen. After a few minutes the screen activated again but was completely black with the exception of a tiny "x" in the bottom left corner of the screen. A voice came on and said to connect my Gear VR and install the Gear VR app. I do not own a Gear VR and until this issue did not know what it was. There was nothing I could do to get out of the screen. I tried to restart the phone and couldn't. Finally did a hard reboot. After booting up like normal it was only a minute before it did the same thing again. It renders the phone completely useless. I booted into safe mode and uninstalled everything related to Gear VR. There were no less than 3 apps that I did not install (I am assuming Samsung pushed them to the phone). It seemed to do the trick but the next day the apps were back and it did it again. I called Verizon, they had no idea what to do. They had me wipe the phone. It worked for a day before doing it again. I called Samsung and they had never heard of the issue. I can't find a thread here of anyone else with the issue either, however there are at least 50 people on YouTube that have commented on the following video with the same issue.
Here is a video of the issue (not me but someone else with the same issue)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtdahXCetu4
Here is the deal... Samsung was unable to help. They sent me a new phone under warranty. Its been 2 weeks and now the new one is doing the same thing!!!! I don't understand how this is so persistent an issue and no one on xda has posted on it. To make things more complicated when I had the first issue I was able to go into safe mode then application manager and uninstall the apps. Now they are appearing are no longer appearing under "installed" apps, it appears with the system apps and cannot be uninstalled. I have never experienced anything like this.
So there it is, I am hoping the genius of XDA can help where Samsung has failed. Thank you in advance for all the great work you guys do!
i got the same problem on my note 4... i try falshing a lot of oficial firmwares but nothing work
Work-around fix
jir0x said:
i got the same problem on my note 4... i try falshing a lot of oficial firmwares but nothing work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to find a work around for the problem. I am not satisfied considering Samsung has offered no solution and taken no responsibility. However, if you boot into safe mode by holding the volume down and power button at the same time you can use your phone. Then go to play store and download Package Disabler Pro. This will allow you to disable the faulty Samsung Gear VR bloatware apps without rooting. It's a $2 band-aid but the solution worked for me. It has the added bonus of getting rid of all the other bloatware they load on the phone too. NFL app, I am looking at you! There was someone who said they cleaned the usb port and that worked. It didn't work for me though. So far no help from the XDA community, what's up with that?
I already install the app... thanks for the tip... but my USB port is not responding.... no charging, some times show me power sharing USB mode on... no OTG working... do you have and a idea of how to clean it?
jir0x said:
I already install the app... thanks for the tip... but my USB port is not responding.... no charging, some times show me power sharing USB mode on... no OTG working... do you have and a idea of how to clean it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use isopropyl alcohol to clean your electronics. Typically a q-tip works fine but it will not get into the port so you need to find something that will get in there. You might be able to use a cloth dipped in the alcohol and something narrow like the blunt end of a needle to work it in the port. Don't go too crazy. Rubbing the alcohol along the contacts is usually sufficient. Unless you got something corrosive on the contacts. Good luck to you.
my s6 edge was having the same problem every time i plug the cable in the micro usb port, samsug gear vr pops out and next black screen with x. additional problem 1. not able to recognize by pc 2. disconnecting while charging 3. fast charging is not working 4. sometimes it take 4 hrs to charge.
having this problem for almost a month now tried everything from hard reset , cleaning the micro usb port and i dont wanna wait for 3 months without a phone for the warranty
fortunately i was able to fix it by my self yesterday. the problem was the flat metal in the middle of the micro usb port was pushed downward (screen facing up) so i just needed to lift it up a bit by using some flat tweezers (pls be careful) and everything works fine now.. solved all the problems i mentioned above
work 100%

Does the usb jig work for Samsung Galaxy Light?

Hi, I have a problem with my T399n.
My phone doesn't turn on, I installed CM12 and it was good, then I flashed the stock ROM from metro again, everything was good about a month, one day I made a call, whatsapp, text and then I put it in my pocket, then when I pulled it out like 10 minutes later and it was rebooting, I didn't pay attention to this because sometimes my phone reboots itself, later It was power off. I pulled the battery, reinserted it and nothing, connected usb cable, nothing, tried to charge it and nothing, Its like my phone died. Looking for a fix, there is the usb jig that work with others galaxy's.
So I just want to know if I'm fried or if there's a last hope to revive this phone with the usb jig
Thanks!
Something similar to this happened to me, would love to know the answer...
just today...
just today, not 2 hours ago at most I was playing around with my galaxy light, deciced to root and mod it.. first step was to, ofc flash a custom recovery... well like most things I pursue I ended up fighting the damn thing for HOURS!! could not get it to register on my computer for the life of me.. now I'm far from a dev and probably one of the least experienced on/around here but something so trivial as lack of drivers, udev, faulty port/cords isn't my forte.. so eventually I whipped out my handy dandy usb jig and .... nothing... *head scratch* hmmm.... now its got my attention... so I get out the multimeter usb data/charging cable and it does show signs of life, easily registering 5.1v / 0.4 mah ... now I'm getting anxious.... so its time for the next test... usb-otg connected to dbl usb-type-A converter to connect to the pooter (it never works but I wish it would ) and nothing there... so otg to my main mobile, reverse it... hmmm seems this lil guy is taking in charge and no data xfer of any kind... since id already rotated various cables I turned my attention to the charging port.. under 6x magnification and too many lumens light I could hardly see any problems but persisted with the 99% isopropyl anyhow... end result "wtf is wrong with this garbage....?) and just as I went to throw it at the wall I spotted my personal "boneyard" where all of my former problematic/faulty devices end up and just in sight was another tmobile galaxy light, broken lcd but logic board intact.. so a quick flip of the wrist and a smack on the back and the 2 became one... fired her up, plugged it in and BAM.. instantly detected... and for some reason I cant quite seem to put my finger on, I had the urge to power it back off and insert my usb jig one final time to see if it infact would work with the galaxy light.... *device in left hand... jib in the right.... bead of sweat steadily sliding down my ruffled brow... time seemed to all but come to a screeching halt as the two came closer until the moment of trust had arrived... the initial contact, the penetration (lol) .. the pause... BOOM factory mode*
so, now that u read that half illiterate rambling from a barely educated redneck shut-in to determine if the usb jig works with galaxy light or not .. the answer is yes... it does unless its a piece of crap like one of the 2 I own is...
KatharsisSoul said:
Hi, I have a problem with my T399n.
My phone doesn't turn on, I installed CM12 and it was good, then I flashed the stock ROM from metro again, everything was good about a month, one day I made a call, whatsapp, text and then I put it in my pocket, then when I pulled it out like 10 minutes later and it was rebooting, I didn't pay attention to this because sometimes my phone reboots itself, later It was power off. I pulled the battery, reinserted it and nothing, connected usb cable, nothing, tried to charge it and nothing, Its like my phone died. Looking for a fix, there is the usb jig that work with others galaxy's.
So I just want to know if I'm fried or if there's a last hope to revive this phone with the usb jig
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does in fact work. If asking about the USB mount, from my knowledge you would've had to already installed them by turning the function on like I did in the first screen shot.
If you need them I can link them to my drive or mega. Whichever is best. Think I have drop box still too.
And yes. I have bricked this phone I'm using now for a solid 3 days when I first started with it. However cm12 has bugs, after the second time it rebooted and bricked on me I went back to Tigerlily I even had no SIM error but somehow fixed that when flashed back to stock. Cm12 caused me to flash back to stock about 3 times a day. Too much headache. Guess thats why we are not supposed to do this to our primary phones. on tigerlily ive Had a little trouble keeping super su in his place too, Got home last night and POOF, just gone for no known reason. finally got him to stick by installing him into the system with lucky patcher. Flashify, flashfire, and even rom installer all failed to keep him there. . I have also stripped down almost every file just for fun to see what other fine items I could damage, Finally found where they hide the dialer codes for the phone. They are not in any files that i have spent the last for years looking in. The codes are inside of the APK. The last place I decided to look. Everything I know is self taught and just recently started working with apps for windows 10 and merging android files into windows apps.
Now , I'm actually quite impressed with it's capabilities .
Really what's helped me dial everything in was the helped of an app called Mixplorer with all the ad-on's all of which are free.
Good luck with your brick. Myself, I have 3 other phones I'm currently working on unbricking. One of which is a hard bricked LG motion. Flashed th err wrong firmware to it a year ago. Just this week got the cup to recognize it. the code to get into the first service menu pictured here on the bottom left is *#0808#
Really what's helped me dial everything in was the helped of an app called Mixplorer with all the ad-on's all of which are free.
Good luck with your brick. Myself, I have 3 other phones I'm currently working on unbricking. One of which is a hard bricked LG motion. Flashed th err wrong firmware to it a year ago. Just this week got the cup to recognize it.
when youre ready to really see whats going on you can dial *#9900# for all the System Dump features.

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