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iPhone 5 charging cable has to be flipped after 5% to resume charging.

B

Brødskivar

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 31, 2013
5
0
Norway
This is very strange. Earlier the iphone could charge normally and it did not matter which way the cable was plugged in. Now, when my iphone 5's battery is dead, It will only charge if the cable is the right way. And when it boots after it has charged to 5%, I have to flip the lightning cable to resume charging.

In both accurances it will only charge with the cable the right way. I havent found anyone with similar problem so I'm posting here.
 
How can it be the pins if it works both ways? only problem is I have to switch after 5%. And to start with (0%) it only works one way.
 
Brødskivar said:
How can it be the pins if it works both ways? only problem is I have to switch after 5%. And to start with (0%) it only works one way.
Click to expand...

The pins are dynamic, meaning the function of each pin changes depending on what's plugged in. If some dust or debris is blocking a pin or two, it might confuse the internal software controlling pin assignment in weird and unpredictable ways. Either way, use a can of compressed air to blow the port out and if that doesn't fix it, bring it to an Apple Store. Something isn't right.
 
What I dont understand is why is the internal software that controls pin assignment switching? I tried blowing with mouth but nothing. :)
I dont have a can with compressed air.
I get what you said by unpredictable ways etc so maybe you already answered that one.
 
It really not a big problem. It's been like this for months but I finally want to fix it or figure it out. Its annoying if I'm planning to go to sleep and I have to do the old switcheroo first.
 
Brødskivar said:
What I dont understand is why is the internal software that controls pin assignment switching? I tried blowing with mouth but nothing. :)
I dont have a can with compressed air.
I get what you said by unpredictable ways etc so maybe you already answered that one.
Click to expand...

I'm not really sure what you're asking. But here goes. Apple's old 30-pin dock connector had a pin for every feature/function it supported. This was rather inefficient as time went on since many of the features/functions of some pins became outdated. So with Lightning, Apple put 8 pins (plenty) on the connector and each pin could be dynamically assigned depending on what the accessory required. This reduces the overall number of physical pins. Plus there is no longer a "correct" orientation for the connector.

At this point I have no idea what could specifically be causing your issue so I go back to advising you to take it to an Apple Store and have them check it out. Make sure to discharge the battery to 0% so you can reproduce the 5% charging issue.
 
It has fallen to the ground a couple of times. There are big cuts in the metal on the bottom left side. I suspect it may have something to do with it.
I will take it to an official reseller since there are no apple stores in norway. Eplehuset(applehouse) is a certified service provider so I'll pay them a visit.
 
SnowLeopard2008 said:
The pins are dynamic, meaning the function of each pin changes depending on what's plugged in. If some dust or debris is blocking a pin or two, it might confuse the internal software controlling pin assignment in weird and unpredictable ways. Either way, use a can of compressed air to blow the port out and if that doesn't fix it, bring it to an Apple Store. Something isn't right.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't a can of compressed air trip the water sensor
 
Do you have another cable? If so, try that before assuming it's the phone that has the issues. Cables are historically more failure-prone than built-in connectors, and the Lightning cables potentially are worse, as they're not simply wires connected to pins, there's additional circuitry - more things that might go wrong.
 
Use a hard wooden pick, like a dental stim u dent, or a wooden skewer stick, and get in there with a good light and make sure it is cleaned out. Sometimes air is not enough. Post results.
 
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