Phone in despair? Send for repair.

Introduction

This article will look into our repair process to give a brief insight into how we recognize symptoms, identify issues, and decide on what repair the device requires.

?

Symptoms, Diagnosis and Standard Repairs

When we have a device with an issue, we note what symptoms the device is showing and try to draw a logical conclusion to what may be the cause of the issue. For example, if the screen is not displaying but the device vibrates when attempting to turn on, it is likely the screen needs replacing. If the screen is not working, even after having been replaced, we know the fault likely lays with a passive component relating to the screen.

If the device does not turn on at all or show any sign of life, the first thing to check is the battery. If it is below the required voltage, we can attempt to boost it. Otherwise, if the battery is fine but the device still does not turn on, the device may have a short-circuit. The device would be sent for a motherboard diagnostic to locate the issue. A thermal imaging camera can be used to identify faulty components giving off excess amounts of heat that could be the possible cause of the short circuit.

?

Advanced Repairs

Advanced repairs are any repairs that require soldering. Using our repair equipment, we can remove and replace ports and various other components on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) as safely as possible, but it still comes with its risks. To reduce risks, we use flux to concentrate heat to a specific area and use anti-heat tape to protect components in surrounding areas from the high temperatures.

?

Motherboard Diagnostic

Using schematic diagrams together with our multimeter, we are able to check what we call ‘passive’ components on the PCB relating to the faulty main component.

?There are various passive components, each with their own unique purpose and different methods to test them. For some examples, we will look at the purpose and testing of a fuse and a diode.

A fuse is used to prevent other components on the line from overloading by stopping too high of a voltage from passing through them. We test a fuse component by connecting a multimeter to either side of it and ensuring there is a connection.

Whereas a diodes purpose is to ensure electricity only flows in one direction and we test these by using a multimeter. With a multimeter point touching either side of the diode, we read the voltage. We switch the multimeter points and do the same. The reading should show a voltage in one direction but remain at 0 in the other.

?

Water Damage

What if you drop your phone in water? Is it salvageable? We can dry and we can hope. There is very little we can do with devices that have suffered from significant water damage. We start by removing the PCB, drying up any remaining water within the device. We then clean the PCB thoroughly with Isopropyl Alcohol and a small brush to remove any watermarks and corrosion that may be interfering with the circuit.