About six months ago, I decided (foolishly) to try my S5's water resistance by taking it into the pool and taking some underwater pics and videos of my kids. They turned out great. My phone, however, was not happy. I didn't notice it until about 15 minutes after I took it out of the water. I turned it off, removed the battery, let it dry out for a few days, etc.
After that, it seemed to work again, with a few small problems. The first was that it started shutting down all my apps because it thought it was overheating. I installed an app that monitored the temp, and the numbers it was reporting were obviously wrong (way too high). The second problem is that it would no longer charge. It would either warn me that the battery was too hot, or too cold, to charge.
After some googling, it sounded like the problem might be the USB charging port daughterboard that was the problem. I took a look at the inside, and it did look like that was the only part that got wet. So I bought a new daughterboard and replaced it. I ended up destroying my screen in the process, and only just now was able to afford a new one, hence the six-month lag time.
So I finally have my phone back with a new daughterboard and new screen..... and I'm still seeing the temperature issues
Is there any way in the software to install a "hack" or anything to tell it to ignore those warnings, so that I can actually charge my battery and stop the OS from shutting down all my apps constantly? Could the problem be somewhere else besides the daughterboard? I'm really hoping that my phone isn't just dead, is all
If the back cover and/or usb cover were not securely in place when you took the device underwater, then something other than the usb port is most certainly the problem. That, or you had the phone under water for too long. The S5 is water-resistant, not water-proof. I think IP67 rating is less than 3 meters for less than 30 minutes exposure, or something. When you had it apart, did you look at the board? If you didn't, I think you can remove most of the board pieces from the back. Them them out, inspect them for oxidation, and give them a cleaning with a gentle toothbrush and rubbing alcohol. If you put it back together and you still get problems, there's nothing else you can do to fix it. It might be possible to make the hack you want, but I'm not aware of anyone having made one. Maybe you'd have to find someone who could do it for you, or learn yourself.
I also exposed my phone to water, but the microphone went out. That part is not shielded against water for obvious reasons. I guess Samsung expected the mic to handle more than just a little exposure. But mine failed. So I just warrantied it. None of my water stickers were set off. For you, I'd recommend just getting a new phone if you're with T-Mobile. $0 down on something newer. If you really love the S5, maybe just pay the insurance deductible.
I used to actually fix phones for a living, but I never do just glass on Galaxy phones bc IMO it's just not worth doing. So I would've replaced my own usb port/mic if it didn't require removing the glass.
I wouldn't recommend trying a free warranty even if your water sensors are white, because they'll probably be able to tell the screen was replaced... if they check. Will they? I dunno.
I'd sell you my new warranty but you've already invested a lot in to an aging phone, so I think it's better to cut your losses. I think I have around 300-400 left on it. It'll be unlocked and come with a case and glass screen protector, but it's still a lot on top of everything else.
LucentPhoenix said:
It sounded like the problem might be the USB charging port daughterboard that was the problem. I took a look at the inside, and it did look like that was the only part that got wet.
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I know for a fact that in the S4 the daughterboard with the USB also has this battery temperature sensor in it because this was a repair I performed many times. Just change the board and the phone will charge and function correctly again.
I, however, have NO idea if it's the same on the S5. And apparently not, judging by what you experienced. I'm sorry you had to go through that and I know how much you had to spend on a screen. That sucks.
Good Luck!
Related
So it happened this morning when my alarm went off and it vibrated. I heard a plastic part vibrating also. The sharp loud noise was disgusting. I shut off my alarm thikning it was my cheap SGP case.
Later today I played around trying to find out if the silicone had a hole or something where the plastic frame was touching the SGS2 phone itself. Nope. I took the whole case off. Each time it vibrates it sounds like... ahh what the hell. I will film it for you guys now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GoIrBmMC1U
WTF is that? I took the cover off. I took the SIM card out on another occasion too. It sounds like something on the upper left. If I push my finger down on the panel, it stops. If you notice the few seconds it is sitting on the table flat, it's fine. Just a little weight seems to calm it down. Not sure if its the vibrating motor itself because it is vibrating properly. Sounds like something is loose inside though...
Anyone experienced this before? Should I go for RMA?
Second part of the question:
Obviously being an XDA-er I'm rooted. I will flash back to stock and unroot. I bought this off of Expansys-USA so I should get *some* reasonable attempt by them to send it back. What are the chances that my warranty gets denied? I don't have a USB jig to reset the counter, but I'll of course get rid of the yellow triangle.
*grrrr... I need to dig up my Nexus S now if I have to go through warranty... I'm guessing I'll be phoneless for weeks*
I don't know if it would invalidate the warrenty or not (technically rooting/custom roms is supposed to), but when I had a problem with my stereo jack not working rather than risking it I just replaced the part myself.
The vibration motor, stereo jack and earphone speaker are all on the same part.
(I got it from this guy on ebay for about $7 if you're curious.)
Random6 said:
I don't know if it would invalidate the warrenty or not (technically rooting/custom roms is supposed to), but when I had a problem with my stereo jack not working rather than risking it I just replaced the part myself.
The vibration motor, stereo jack and call speaker are all on the same part.
(I got it from this guy on ebay for about $7 if you're curious.)
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Click to collapse
I see. I'm not sure whats broken really. When I shake my SGS2 I hear something rattling inside. I'm just afraid to open the thing up... is it difficult?
Just watched your video. It sort of sounds as if somehow the vibration motor came loose from its proper spot and is now moving around vibrating against the plastic. Its normally held in with some adhesive (basically double sided tape) within a cutout area.
When I had mine apart I actually took a photo, http://i.imgur.com/fgN9F.jpg, if that makes it any more clear.
I actually recorded the process of me reinstalling the new part (excluding the disassembly, there are lots of clips of that from other people on youtube) but havent gotten around to uploading it yet since my internet connection sucks and the file is nearly 2GB.
Edit to add:
No it wasn't really all that difficult to dissassemble, it was actually pretty easy. That said I enjoy taking things apart and trying to fix them. This was the first time I've dissassembled anything as small as a cell phone, but I'm used to taking things apart and trying to fix them when they break. If you don't have any experience taking apart electronics you might want to think twice or just pay someone who fix's cell phones to do it.
If you're thinking about it, heres a video where someone shows taking it apart to get a rough idea of whats involved.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKztg1ra4-0
I decided to try and upload the video I took, once it finishes (in about 2.5 hours) it should be viewable here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ud1upGzLBs
Random6 said:
I decided to try and upload the video I took, once it finishes (in about 2.5 hours) it should be viewable here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ud1upGzLBs
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thank you for your detailed writeup. im going to try this. ive taken apart my macbook pro to install an SSD before, and a few other electronics, but i'm not the very best (i feel clumsy sometimes), but i'm willing to give this a shot.
The only thing I'm worried about is that I could potentially mess up the phone in other ways in disassembly such that my warranty won't be honored if I need to resort to that... We'll see tonight. It looks like you used two screwdrivers? Which ones will I need? I have a #000 that I see will be needed for the back plate at least...
k. opened my phone up.
i just took the screws out and the backplate. i pushd around to make sure things are tight, and they seem to be.
put it together and the vibrate thing happens VERY rarely now..
I shook my phone around and still heard something shaking (please tell me if this happens).
I opened up my phone and the camera module seems to be loose. Is it supposed to be glued down?
Just to let you know, you say you don't have a USB jig so your Flash counter may make your warranty void, but, if you flash to an ice cream sandwich ROM (Cyanogenmod 9) you can install an app called 'Triangle Away' which will basically get rid of the Flash count and yellow triangle - it needs root by the way. (search it up on XDA, it's by chainfire')
Then you can flash stock and send in for warranty.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
dmo580 said:
k. opened my phone up.
I shook my phone around and still heard something shaking (please tell me if this happens).
I opened up my phone and the camera module seems to be loose. Is it supposed to be glued down?
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Click to collapse
I don't remember it being glued down. Its been a few month since I fixed mine but if I recall correctly it just fit snugly in place between some plastic fitted walls.
This is the camera module you mean right?
Edit: I also don't hear anything shaking with mine, did you mabe leave a screw loose inside?
Random6 said:
I don't remember it being glued down. Its been a few month since I fixed mine but if I recall correctly it just fit snugly in place between some plastic fitted walls.
This is the camera module you mean right?
Edit: I also don't hear anything shaking with mine, did you mabe leave a screw loose inside?
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Click to collapse
Yeah. Camera module. That's the one. The main 8MP shooter. It's not glued down or anything. It shakes around inside. I definitely did not leave a screw inside because I only opened the back panel and I put all the screws back in.
It's weird because something making noise while shaking the phone has been documented here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1254520
And I noticed that when you activate camera it goes away. Quite strange but as an engineer this makes me wonder HOW that even happens? Shrug.
I'm waiting for my Samsung Focus S phone to come from the Windows Phone challenge and I'm contemplating using that for a month while my i9100 goes out for warranty. Of course I can always use my Nexus S as a backup, but part of me wants to force myself on a new platform for a month and see how that goes... Hahahaha.
Random6 said:
No it wasn't really all that difficult to dissassemble, it was actually pretty easy.
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Click to collapse
Hey Random6, did you happen to find that after replacing the vibrator motor with a new one, the intensity is now less than when new? I used double sided tape, but with 1.5mm, I guess the motor won't vibrate AT ALL.
Also I found that if I don't screw the one that seems to be closest to the vibrator motor all the way in, it obviously vibrates harder, but not hard enough.
I also used two very thin copper plates to sandwich the motor between the plastic plates, but once again, that was too much and the vibrations were not transfered to the phone's body, but I could hear it doing its job.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Hi Everyone,
So I was on holiday with my beloved Ultra, and using it in the pool. Cool thing is, this phone is waterproof! That's what I thought until I got on the plane a few hours later and upon trying to use my phablet the touch screen stopped responding. It seemed to function OK, I just couldn't unlock it or use it as there was some kind of hyperactive spectre flying around inside making it seem like the touchscreen was possessed. I looked a little closer, and not only was there condensation visible in both camera lenses, but upon opening the usb cover there was also moisture inside there. I opened the other side, and the moisture indicator was still white, so I think the problem was specifically with the usb port cover.
Anyway, it's not covered under any kind of warranty as I bought it overseas, and I have taken it to a repair shop who confirmed that it's water damaged and that they would need to fix the damaged USB port and replace the screen to make it work again. I just want to buy a new one as it would be cheaper than getting it fixed, but I have some data/apps on the old one I don't want to lose. Any suggestions on the best approach? If the shop can read the eMMC and back it up, could I use that to restore data/apps onto a new phone, or am I better off just getting it fixed...
Advice/opinions appreciated.
it's a marketing trick. they are not actually waterproof.
I guess this guy's luck was bad. Mine had contact with water a couple of times and thankfully it lived upto its waterproofness promise
Sent from my C6802 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
tsiros said:
it's a marketing trick. they are not actually waterproof.
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This is a stupid reply. I brought it with me in the pool with my kids, made photos and videos underwater (touch block + volume rocker), no problems at all.
Same goes with my wife's Z.
Of course, if you go swimming with the USB flap open, well, you're an idiot. (Not that I accuse OP of being one, just that 80% of the time when I saw someone with a faulty phone/laptop/tablet it was not working because of THEM).
Sent from my C6833 using Tapatalk
Hopefully someone replies with some advice that is actually helpful... FYI I have used it in the pool (and had it underwater) multiple times before without problems. I always make sure the seals are sitting properly when I close them so I am doubtful it was user error...
The usb port is fully brpken?
I think it's corroded, but definitey doesn't work.
choasty said:
I think it's corroded, but definitey doesn't work.
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without usb and screen it will be difficult for you to get data off yourself.
fastest83 said:
This is a stupid reply. I brought it with me in the pool with my kids, made photos and videos underwater (touch block + volume rocker), no problems at all.
Same goes with my wife's Z.
Of course, if you go swimming with the USB flap open, well, you're an idiot. (Not that I accuse OP of being one, just that 80% of the time when I saw someone with a faulty phone/laptop/tablet it was not working because of THEM).
Sent from my C6833 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
good for you, you were lucky. on the xperia forums and on here, there are many MANY people who had their phones damaged from water. Are ALL of them at fault?
however, call sony and ask them (i did):
1) what *guarantee* is there that with the flaps closed the phone will not receive water damage? they will answer none. There is no case where the warranty will cover water damage. Whether it's your fault or the phone's fault, it is irrelevant to sony. they will NOT cover it.
2) what happens if, after *normal use*... notice this: *normal use*, NOT abuse, the flaps lose their sealing ability? Does the warranty cover it? No. Warranty does NOT cover "normal use wear". Which means the flaps WILL lose their sealing ability and you end up with a non-waterproof phone. How soon? NOONE KNOWS because there is no way to actually TEST it, at least not as a USER. You MIGHT be able to have it tested at sony... but that would mean testing it every. single. time. you close any of the flaps...
your phone, at any given point, MAY or MAY NOT be waterproof. However, since you have no way to test it, it means that you CAN NOT TRUST it to be waterproof, which is, of course, means you have to treat it as NOT waterproof.
which, in the end, means the phone is not waterproof.
as a sidenote, keep any and all profanities to yourself
Blah blah. The phone is waterproof. No need to be all technical and stuff. Can it be used in water for a certain period of time? Yes.
Your post reminds me of when ships were first being built. If a boat ends up sinking from wear and tear does that mean it wasn't a floating device? Also wear and tear....that's why we check our cars at a set time for periodic maintenance because of wear and tear.
I got lax with mine and took it in the shower and got water in it, USB flap is worn. Not the companies, because I didn't take the necessary steps to make sure my phone was periodically maintained.
Just my 2 cents...
Disclaimer: I am new to this forum and I realize this may not be the right place for this post, but I know there are a lot of cool people on here so here goes anyway:
Okay so here's the story: A friend gave me a water damaged Galaxy S6 Edge and tried his best to revive it beforehand (soaked it in 99% alcohol, etc). It was exposed to water and afterwards the display went south...or so we thought. I bought a replacement used display and installed it, but it did not fix the problem. The logic board is the only thing I haven't replaced yet, and it has signs of corrosion, so I believe it's the culprit. Weirdly enough the phone still boots, charges, makes noises and can receive calls presumably...just no display.
I went on eBay and other sites trying to find any motherboard at all for the phone, but I couldn't find any in my price range (only 2 listings I found were like $300). Does anyone know where I can get one? I don't care if the IMEI is bad, etc; I just want the phone to work again. I'd like to keep it under the $120-150 range. I already have about $125 into this phone so I don't want to spend a lot more.
If anyone can help me out that would be great.
I have broken my S6 twice (it's not a bad phone, I had a lot of bad luck). And the second time the phone went total loss. The repair guy explained to me the S6 Edge doesn't really have a normal frame, since most of the things are actually glued to the screen. Repairing it, will be extremely hard. I know this is not a direct answer to your problem, but please be sure you know what you're going to do, before dropping a couple of hundred dollars on a motherboard.
Thanks but I know what I'm doing, haha. And no, the only glue inside the whole phone is the back glass and battery. Everything else is held in by connectors or screws.
I work for Bell Canada, got this phone a week ago today. A couple of days ago, I was leaning over the toilet to clean it, and my cat jumped onto the counter, sending my BRAND NEW G5 into the toilet bowl (Sigh). Everything on the phone works except the LCD screen (LED works, sound, vibration etc) Opened the phone and took everything part (This phone looks amazing and really easy to repair) and put the motherboard in rice, along with the screen.
The water damage indicators on the battery and in the phone did NOT go off. So here are a couple of questions.
-If the water damage indicators didn't go off, could I say that the phone is defective and send it off without them noticing? Made sure to get all of the water out of the phone,
- The phone was working for 3+ hours after the fall, the only part of the phone that got wet the most, was the backside of the case
- Maybe it was a coincidence that the LCD stopped working after 3 hours? Maybe it was actually defective since no indicators went off, indicating water damage?
The phone was bought outright, I would be pretty upset if they couldn't fix it, or worse if I would do the repair myself, if they knew it was water damaged, Bought a new screen to only have it not work anymore.
Would very much appreciate answers!
Using my G4 for now that I bought a month before the G5 was announced lol.
I hate to say it, but a lot of OEMs (mobile and otherwise) use other indicators to tell if the device has been repaired/disassembled. Usually it's a sticker, but they can get creative with it. You could always try, but I cant guarantee that they won't be able to tell.
BTW, this is something you might want to be careful asking; people can get kind of picky about it since it is a bit fraudulent and, in essence, your fault.
Just Replace the Screen
LG is known for having much more inexpensive replacement parts than their competitors as well as being much easier to repiar yourself. youtu.be/SyP_cEpp2Zo
Looking at my problem, does it sound like it is the screen 199%???
If you work for carrier, you should know the question to your answer.
So, long story short, my phone's battery had a sudden death. After I had it serviced by a 3rd party company, it came back with the screen somewhat damaged.
Here are some pictures for example, using the display service test:
I can't prove they did it because I simply couldn't turn the phone up until they replaced the battery. The battery might have leaked or something. They obviously didn't take the blame for it, but they also messed up the usb port so they are definitely a potential suspect. But, if they did it, what could be it? Looks like it got stained or wet or something... Definitely weird.
That kind of display issue is typically caused by a polarizer that is warped, usually caused by applying pressure to the display when it is hot. It's an all too easy thing for an inexperienced or careless repair person to do while the phone is face down on the bench, especially if they heat the entire device to loosen the seals, not just the back, or if they cool it down too quickly. It's even more common if the LCD itself is removed, but they should not have needed to do that to replace your battery. You may be able to improve it some by putting if face up, using a hair dryer to slowly heat the display a bit (not too close and moving continuously), and then letting it slowly cool down. If you have a screen saver installed, remove it first. You may be tempted to try and "work out" the warping. You are much more likely to make it worse if you try, so I don't recommend it. If you do nothing, it may slowly reduce on it's own as well.
Tiger Shark said:
That kind of display issue is typically caused by a polarizer that is warped, usually caused by applying pressure to the display when it is hot. It's an all too easy thing for an inexperienced or careless repair person to do while the phone is face down on the bench, especially if they heat the entire device to loosen the seals, not just the back, or if they cool it down too quickly. It's even more common if the LCD itself is removed, but they should not have needed to do that to replace your battery. You may be able to improve it some by putting if face up, using a hair dryer to slowly heat the display a bit (not too close and moving continuously), and then letting it slowly cool down. If you have a screen saver installed, remove it first. You may be tempted to try and "work out" the warping. You are much more likely to make it worse if you try, so I don't recommend it. If you do nothing, it may slowly reduce on it's own as well.
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That might be the case. I can see the patterns shift a bit when I apply pressure to the screen. What is a way to confirm this? Could I do something with polarized sunglasses or something? If that is correct, the areas affected should darken/brighten differently from the rest of the screen.
I didn't try to mess with heating the screen up. Like you said, I might make it worse and I'm already really pissed about it. But I kinda want to try anyways. Where have you seen this before? Is it possible to fix it without opening the phone?
It's more common on tablets than phones, just because of size. I've seen it on screens that have been sat on but didn't break, but heat in combination with pressure is the more typical culprit. The sun or a hot car might do it if the heat was uneven, but I've not seen that. I'm not sure how you could confirm it. Maybe some sections will darken faster as a polarizer is rotated toward perpendicular to the polarized axis of the screen. Essentially, the glue layer between the polarizer and LCD panel is thinner in some places than others, so the polarizer is on a slight angle. In those areas, there is more polarization, and you see a darkness. The only real fix is to replace the screen assembly. The steps I gave will typically just help reduce, but never fully eliminate, the issue.
Unless they did a full, written inspection of the phone before you left it for repairs and you did a full inspection before walking out with it and noted the discrepancy then (which is always a good idea), your repair person is likely to continue to claim they did not do it.
The phone wasn't like that when the battery died. For obvious reasons, the screen couldn't be inspected before the company made the repairs. So I can't say it was their fault, although I'm pretty positive that it was. The suspicion is big because they also messed up the USB port pretty good. But, again, I can't prove it. It sucks because I wanted to sell the phone, and it was in pristine condition.