Breaking charging port during screen replacement

Question

Level 1

28 points

Breaking charging port during screen replacement

Hi,

I have an IPad 2 32GB (iOS 6.1.3) that I brought to an independent repair shop to replace cracked glass. The IPad was working flawless before the repair, but after I got it back it:

Shuts completely down randomly, so I have to boot it back up (Silver Apple symbol). The battery is not empty while it's doing it. I haven't seen it while it is connected to power, but if it is switched off & not connected to power it will at some point shut down.
When I connect it to the original iPad charger, it will only show the "Plug" symbol, not the "Lightning Bolt". This means the battery is not charging. The battery is only partially charged at 70%. It doesn't show the "Not Charging" text that is shown if the iPad is plugged into an inadequate USB port.

I brought back the iPad to the shop, but they claim that they don't even touch the charging port and other electronics when changing the glass, so they couldn't have possibly broken it. I'm not buying this.

Here are my questions:

Is it true what the shop is saying, or is there a risk of breaking the electronic parts of the iPad while changing the glass?
Do the symptoms I have described above point to a specific component failure?

Thanks,

Alex

iPad 2, iOS 6.1.3, 32GB

Posted on Dec 13, 2013 10:37 AM

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Answer 1

SergZak

Level 6

11,022 points

Dec 13, 2013 10:52 AM in response to yougoyugo2

I can't comment on whether or not it's possible to damage the 30-pin port while changing the front glass...that being said, the first thing I would personally do would be to inspect the 30-pin port on the iPad. It's notorious for having dust/lint accumulate within it and cause problems like you've been experiencing. Get a clean brush (paint, tooth, whatever, as long as it's clean and long enough to get inside) and brush out the port. It will also help to inspect it using a magnifier with a flashlight. You'd be surprized at how much gunk can accumulate in there...and if there is something inside, each time you plug it in, the gunk gets pushed in even more. With the internal conductors being as small as they are, it doesn't take much to cause a problem, especially with charging. With it being worked on by the service center, that leaves even more of a possibility that dust/link could've gotten inside.

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Answer 2

Skydiver119

Level 9

53,507 points

Dec 13, 2013 10:57 AM in response to yougoyugo2

If you can, I'd do a sync and back it up. Worst case if your device can't be fixed you've saved your data. But, once you do that backup, go into the settings and reset all settings. See if that helps. You might also erase all content and settings, which puts your device back to factory defaults. Then restore your device from the backup that you just made.

As I understand it, the iPad screen isn't just a piece of glass that you pop onto the device, it's connected to the innards, which is how the touch works. I have to wonder if the premise is like, if you get the motherboard or keyboard on your laptop replaced you then have to flash the bios to basically tell the computer 'see, this is the new part'. That's why I wonder if resetting it can allow the iPad's operating system to refresh itself, take stock of the new part and that might help.

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Answer 3

yougoyugo2 Author

Level 1

28 points

Dec 13, 2013 11:24 AM in response to Skydiver119

Thanks for the tips. I actually did a backup and then reset/erase of contents before I gave the iPad to the shop. Then after I got it back I restored it, showing that the 30-pin connection is good enough for data transfer. I erased everything again before I went back to the shop, but the symptoms have kept happening.

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Answer 4

Dec 13, 2013 12:27 PM in response to yougoyugo2

Here is a link on how to replace the front panel:

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPad+2+Wi-Fi+EMC+2415+Front+Panel+Assembly+Replaceme nt/5374

You can see for yourself what is involved.

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