Dislodged a few pins on Ribbon #1 - Advice?

[Anthony1987]

Hi everyone,

My wife recently spilled a glass of beer on her iPhone (doh!) and the phones screen won't turn on anymore. I left it in a bag of rice for 3 days and tried turning it on but still the same problem.

The touchscreen still responds, you can still answer calls if they come in, the phones speaker works, but the screen won't come on. I imagine that there's something wrong with the LCD/Digitizer or ribbon #1.

I have replaced a screen on an iPhone before so I felt comfortable in opening it up and taking a look. When I opened it, I noticed there was some kind of residue on the pins on ribbon #1 and the place it connected to on the motherboard. (kind of looked like the stuff you see on old batteries)

So I told my wife that we would probably have to try clean it with rubbing alcohol when I got back from work. Unfortunately she didn't wait for me to come home and tried to clean it herself, thus dislodging some pins from Ribbon #1 (Doh #2!!).

Is there a way to replace those connectors or do I need to buy a LCD/Digitizer assembly for like $80? I have tried doing some research online but breaking ribbon #1 seems to be an uncommon problem...

Thanks for any help/advice you can offer.

Anthony

 

[kAoTiX]

Is it a 3G or 3GS? Either way, I don't see any way you can repair the tiny pins in the ribbon connector. If any have come off completely then its scrap. If you've bent them out of place you risk breaking them by moving them.

Your best bet is to buy a new digitizer, you said it's around $80. You should look on eBay as they are far cheaper, however the 3GS digitizers are more expensive but still probably cheaper than $80.

If you can get a picture of the ribbon connector I'd like to see the extent of the damage. I always like a challenge and if it can be repaired its far more fun than replacing

 

[Anthony1987]

Hey kAoTiX,

The phone is a 3G model.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I just get a new digitizer that would not help with ribbon # 1 because that controls the LCD and what lights up the screen right?

Because my touch screen still works, I just cant see anything on it (because I can answer calls and swipe to shut off the phone). That's what the digitizer controls right?

I guess what I really wanted to know if I was correct in my two assumptions and if I could just buy the ribbon #1 that attaches to the LCD or if I had to buy a whole new LCD display like THIS.

Either way I could be completely wrong. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Anthony

 

[apc0243]

That is exactly the piece that you need. R#1 is the ribbon that controls what is displayed on the LCD, the Digitizer is also known as the touch screen.

That is a pretty cheap one, hopefully its not a knockoff. I suggest ordering from DirectFix if you want to order another one (thought is about 10$ more).

 

[kAoTiX]

Yes sorry, connector 1 is the LCD. It was a long day yesterday

I don't tend to pay attention to the little orange stickers anyway seeing as I replace them all the time and the replacements never have the stickers on.

If you don't mind waiting 20-30 days for that LCD panel off eBay then go for it. It's from Hong Kong and says at the bottom that it will take 20-30 days for delivery lol. Pay more and get from someone in the US with it in hand, not drop shipped and not ordered from Hong Kong then sent on to you.
I always have parts in hand but even my deliveries from Hong Kong only take 4 days which is faster than most standard delivery within the same country.