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iPad Fixing an iPad 2 - replaced digitizer, now power / home button won't work?

SPNarwhal

SPNarwhal

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 22, 2009
1,260
156
illinois
So I'm fixing an iPad 2 for a client. I ordered the new digitizer and have the original one removed. I installed the new one, and everything works aside for it won't power on or off using the power button. The home button won't work either.

I heard that you need to hard reset it first, so I tried that, but no go. It won't do it.

So, any ideas of what is going on here? Could it be a faulty digitizer? Could the home button be stopping the power button from working?

You might think it's the flex cable that is ripped for the home button, but the mute / volume buttons work fine, and those are all part of the same flex cable.

What is going on here? Any ideas before I order a new digitizer assuming this one is just faulty?
Could this be causing the problem?
 
SPNarwhal

SPNarwhal

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 22, 2009
1,260
156
illinois
No insight? Gee wiz. I'm grabbing at my last straws here.

Is a defected digitizer even capable of causing a power button to not work?
Also, if the power button's flex cable WAS in fact damaged, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the volume and mute toggle all not work as well? (Since they're all part of the same flex cable)?
 
K

knemonic

macrumors 6502a
Jan 14, 2009
682
153
There is too much sticker in between the contacts of the home button and the logic board.

See, the home button is attached to the glass and when you install the glass, there are two little contacts that connect to the logic board from the home button, they simply have to touch. My guess is if you push down harder than usual, the button will work, cause you will be pushing the contacts to connect as well.

I found that the left over glue/sticker from a previous glass creates just enough gap that the contacts don't touch, hence no home button.

If you can't get it to work, you will probably have to remove the glass again to remove the excess glue.

Also, and this is where it gets even trickier, if you had to reinstall the home button on the new glass, since there is no way to know exactly where it goes cause it uses glue to stick to the glass, you have to know what youre doing when puttin it in.

What I ended up doing is on ebay, found brand new glass that had the home button installed already. This allowed me to focus on removing the glue and the button worked great.

You might be able to remove the glass much easier this time though because it is not in full contact with the shell, more glue on glue.

Good luck.
 
SPNarwhal

SPNarwhal

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 22, 2009
1,260
156
illinois
knemonic said:
There is too much sticker in between the contacts of the home button and the logic board.

See, the home button is attached to the glass and when you install the glass, there are two little contacts that connect to the logic board from the home button, they simply have to touch. My guess is if you push down harder than usual, the button will work, cause you will be pushing the contacts to connect as well.

I found that the left over glue/sticker from a previous glass creates just enough gap that the contacts don't touch, hence no home button.

If you can't get it to work, you will probably have to remove the glass again to remove the excess glue.

Also, and this is where it gets even trickier, if you had to reinstall the home button on the new glass, since there is no way to know exactly where it goes cause it uses glue to stick to the glass, you have to know what youre doing when puttin it in.

What I ended up doing is on ebay, found brand new glass that had the home button installed already. This allowed me to focus on removing the glue and the button worked great.

You might be able to remove the glass much easier this time though because it is not in full contact with the shell, more glue on glue.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I don't really understand what you mean. Why does the digitizer have to be on all the way for the home button to work? It seems as if the home button on the digitizer is attached to a chip already, and the chip is what contains the button it pushes. Doesn't seem as if the home button interacts with the motherboard directly at all. ?
 
K

knemonic

macrumors 6502a
Jan 14, 2009
682
153
SPNarwhal said:
I don't really understand what you mean. Why does the digitizer have to be on all the way for the home button to work? It seems as if the home button on the digitizer is attached to a chip already, and the chip is what contains the button it pushes. Doesn't seem as if the home button interacts with the motherboard directly at all. ?
Click to expand...

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing+iPad+2+Wi-Fi+Home+Button+Assembly/8435/2

You see the two contacts that circled in red? Those actually touch the logic board when you put the glass in place.

If there is too much glue between the screen and the shell, that creates a gap between the contacts and the logic board, hence the button doesn't work, because the two contacts are what connect the button to the logic board.

I never replaced the power button, but from what I can gather from ifixits guide I read when doing my repair, you have to be super careful when removing the glass with the guitar picks because if you don't, you could cut the cable to the power cable, since it sticks up a little in the area of the upper right corner.

http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/dX1NAuIMq2KyZxTt.huge

Look at the photo by the volume rocker. There is a cable inside of the shell. If this cable gets nicked, I beleive it can hurt any of those buttons in the upper right corner.

I am sure you have heard this, but it is very difficult to repair ipads, and there is a lot of danger in breaking something else while trying to repair something.

In step 5 it states: "When prying up the glass take great care near the lock, mute and volume. The ribbon cable is fragile and is often glued to the digitizer. It will tear easily when the glass is pried up. Working from the lock button downward and staying flush with the underside of the glass will give you the best chance of not tearing the ribbon cable."
 
SPNarwhal

SPNarwhal

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 22, 2009
1,260
156
illinois
knemonic said:
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing+iPad+2+Wi-Fi+Home+Button+Assembly/8435/2

You see the two contacts that circled in red? Those actually touch the logic board when you put the glass in place.

If there is too much glue between the screen and the shell, that creates a gap between the contacts and the logic board, hence the button doesn't work, because the two contacts are what connect the button to the logic board.

I never replaced the power button, but from what I can gather from ifixits guide I read when doing my repair, you have to be super careful when removing the glass with the guitar picks because if you don't, you could cut the cable to the power cable, since it sticks up a little in the area of the upper right corner.

http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/dX1NAuIMq2KyZxTt.huge

Look at the photo by the volume rocker. There is a cable inside of the shell. If this cable gets nicked, I beleive it can hurt any of those buttons in the upper right corner.

I am sure you have heard this, but it is very difficult to repair ipads, and there is a lot of danger in breaking something else while trying to repair something.

In step 5 it states: "When prying up the glass take great care near the lock, mute and volume. The ribbon cable is fragile and is often glued to the digitizer. It will tear easily when the glass is pried up. Working from the lock button downward and staying flush with the underside of the glass will give you the best chance of not tearing the ribbon cable."
Click to expand...

Ah, well. That would solve the home button then, since I was trying it out before I put the digitizer back on, so no contact.

As far as the power button goes, I heard that a lot of the time you need to to a hard reset for that to come back into play. I don't think I nicked the cable, because the cable for the power button is the same cable for the volume and mute toggle, and those both work completely fine.

Gee, if all it is is that the digitizer isn't on all the way, what a waste of time. But at the same time, convenient for me.

I'll try that out, just have to go back to the client which is about half hour away. Gee wizz.
 
K

knemonic

macrumors 6502a
Jan 14, 2009
682
153
The power volume lock cable is a ribbon cable, so if you nicked the edge, you could of cut one of the many wires, rendering the power button dead but the other buttons fine.
 
SPNarwhal

SPNarwhal

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 22, 2009
1,260
156
illinois
knemonic said:
The power volume lock cable is a ribbon cable, so if you nicked the edge, you could of cut one of the many wires, rendering the power button dead but the other buttons fine.
Click to expand...

Have any images of where I may have knicked it?
I only see one place to where it is exposed, and it looks completely in tact.
 
SPNarwhal

SPNarwhal

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 22, 2009
1,260
156
illinois
Turns out I did actually break the flex cable.
New Problem:

I replaced the entire flex cable today, without a hitch, installed it perfectly. But then once installed, tried it all out, didn't work. The volume buttons still worked, but the mute toggle and the power button didn't. (Before I replaced it, the mute toggle worked.)

Took it apart again, and the ribbon cable is completely un-damaged. What gives? Could it just be a defected part?

I ordered a 2nd one. This iPad has been a nightmare.
 
F

Firesign3394

macrumors regular
Nov 28, 2011
117
0
Minnesota
Is fixing iPads worth your time and frustration? Why wouldn't the client just take it to an apple store and pay for a replacement instead of get theirs shoddily fixed for what I assume is close to the same price?
 
E

englandmark

macrumors newbie
May 11, 2013
1
0
Hi,
I know this is an old thread but just wondering if you found the solution?

I've checked the flex and it's not damaged but still the power button does not work. The lcd and new digitizer work fine but not the power button.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
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