Repair experience on Lumia 920

[poit57]

So far I am 0 for 2 on successfully repairing Lumia 920's. I replaced a broken digitizer on my first 920 last year, and last week, I opened my current phone to bend the contact points for the camera flash because the light wouldn't come on. I've been repairing broken iPhones for several years and didn't think this should be a problem.

On both phones, I was able to take care of the issue in question, but it seems the simple act of removing the outer shell of the phone somehow causes the flex cable containing the power, camera and volume buttons to malfunction.

On my first phone, the volume up button acted like it was stuck. I could barely boot past the flash programming screen (power + volume up at boot), and when I did, I could not use the back button on my phone because the volume ribbon was always displayed at the top of my screen. All the back button would do was exit the volume ribbon, which would immediately pop back up on my screen.

On my current phone (a used eBay purchase), I didn't even disconnect anything after opening the phone, but after reassembly, the power button and camera button no longer function.

For both phones, I ended up replacing the flex cable, but they both continued to have the same issues with the same buttons on each respective phone. It seems that there is some kind of short or break in the circuitry of the mainboard, but I don't understand how that could occur on the most recent phone.

Has anyone else ever experienced this or have any ideas how this issue could be resolved? I don't know how the repairs could have been performed any differently as to not cause the issues I'm experiencing. I ended up selling my first phone for parts, but I am really hoping my current phone can be salvaged.

 

[Viracocha]

Yep. If you look at this thread, it will have more info:

http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...lume-up-camera-button-rocker-doesnt-work.html

Basically, for one phone, I accidentally tore the cable on one phone when replacing the digitizer. Power button and camera button still worked, but volume was non-responsive. Ordered a replacement and it fixed the issue.

Now, on another phone, my power button and camera button do not work. I bought two replacement parts, just in case. I'm going to install it tonight.

What did you use as adhesive for the cable?

 

[poit57]

On the first phone I replaced the flex cable, I'm pretty sure it has adhesive pre-applied to the back of the cable. For this most recent one, I used 2mm wide double-stick tape that I had previously purchased for replacing an iPad screen.

 

[SSflash]

Poit57, Don't mean to hijack thread but can you recommend where to order quality replacement parts? Just broke the screen (not LCD) on my phone and have read about the bad quality of replacement parts out there.

 

[AndyFZ1S]

I have repaired several 920s over the past year or so and have never had any issues such as yours, I always take extra care disassembling and re assembling, You tube videos from LE55ONS are very helpful.

 

[gordonfink]

Look to see that you didn't knock the little plastic insert out of the buttons on the board. East to do, but they are necessary to make the buttons push.

 

[poit57]

Look to see that you didn't knock the little plastic insert out of the buttons on the board. East to do, but they are necessary to make the buttons push.

Can you clarify? Are you referring to a plastic insert connected to the button on the flex cable, or something inside the button cover on the housing?

The latter seems to make more sense. The first phone that I had the issue with the volume up being stuck, it seemed to work a lot better when the housing was removed, but I never saw anything suspect on the button covers that would have been holding down the button.

If there is an insert missing from the underside of the button covers on my current phone, is there a way to replace what is missing? Are those button covers even sold as individual parts?

Poit57, Don't mean to hijack thread but can you recommend where to order quality replacement parts? Just broke the screen (not LCD) on my phone and have read about the bad quality of replacement parts out there.

For the Lumia 920, I haven't had any issues with the replacement parts ordered through eBay. I don't know the specific sellers. I've just looked for the best price and nearest seller.

I replaced the digitizer on my brother's Lumia 820 and had trouble with the touch not working properly on the eBay parts. I ended up finding one that worked through etradesupply.com.

 

[gordonfink]

I'm sorry, I completely blew this. The little insert things are on the 929, not the 920. I actually took the back off my 920 to take a pic, when I realized I was working on a 929 right before I posted this, not a 920.

I'm sorry to miss that, I hope I didn't throw you off track.

For screens on the 920, I've replaced about 10, with 2 failures - 1 was a bad digitizer, and one was me breaking the LCD in the process. The rest were ok.

Sorry again about the buttons - too many repairs lately.

 

[yeewiz]

I've opened the back of my 920 twice to re-bend the flash contacts (I didn't bend them enough the first time) and had no issue with the flex cable.

 

[Viracocha]

Both replacement volume/power/camera strips that I bought on ebay didn't fix the power/camera buttons. I just tried the second one today. I noticed something odd with the first replacement. In the beginning, the power/camera buttons were unresponsive. Just within the last few weeks, the power button remained unresponsive, but the camera button became hyper-sensitive. But, this was mostly just for non-direct pushes of the button, more of a glancing-type push. Basically, the camera would turn-on in my front pocket and take about a hundred glorious pictures of pocket lint lol.

Sadly, not only is the second replacement strip I just installed depriving the world of my wonderful pocket lint art, but the power button still doesn't work.

I'm 1 for 3 with the replacement strips. The one that worked, I purchased from etradesupply. Maybe, I'll try one more from them.

 

[gordonfink]

Gosh, I've opened more than a dozen 920's, and haven't had these problems. Of course, I'm probably now jinxed for having said it.

The only I've ever had, which I did again over the weekend, was pre-installing a touchscreen to make sure it works, then tearing the flex cable taking it back off prior to taping it down. I have to improve my test process to stop doing that.