Weird Issues Replacing Cracked 3GS Screen

[Jiglet]

After cracking the glass on my iPhone 3GS, I ordered a replacement screen. I ordered one off of eBay, and other than some stripped screws, I had no real issues installing it... Until I went to connect the flex connector (?) for the digitizer.

There are 3 connections that need to be made between the phone itself and the replacement screen/digitizer. I believe that the connector that is attached to the replacement screen itself (the one that sticks out of the top) is for the digitizer - correct me if I'm wrong!

Anyway, this one didn't want to snap into place. I found that when I held it down with a small tool, the touchscreen was semi-responsive, but as soon as I took the pressure off, the connection was lost, the connector popped up, and the touchscreen stopped working.

The connector on the original (broken) screen looks just slightly different, and still snaps into place. So I figured I just got a cheap part.

I ordered a second one, hoping I'd have better luck. This time, I ordered it from Amazon.com.

Same deal. It didn't want to "snap" into place the way the original connector did.

I don't want to keep spending money on these parts when I don't know if they'll work with my 3GS or not. How can I order a part that is very similar (or identical) to the original part?

Any assistance here would be much appreciated - thanks in advance!

 

[Applejuiced]

http://www.ifixit.com/

 

[Jiglet]

http://www.ifixit.com/

So iFixit has a good reputation for quality parts?

I just want to make sure that there aren't several different versions of the 3GS that I'm not aware of or something - otherwise, I can't understand why parts would be available for the 3GS that just don't fit. A part being cheap is one thing, but non-usable and being sold on a mass scale doesn't really make sense to me.

 

[MaxBurn]

I think that link also has walkthroughs on how to do it. But anyway that ribbon cable has a little tiny lever that you lift up, then insert the ribbon cable and lock it in place by putting that lever back down. If it doesn't stay in it could be damaged or as you say just a cheap knockoff part where the ribbon cable is wrong.

I got my new digitizer off ebay pretty cheap and it functions perfectly but unfortunately the reflectivity isn't as good as OEM. That is to say it is lacking the anti reflective coatings the OEM one has. Not really a big deal as with the screen on you don't notice at all but side by side with a OEM phone the screen looks different when both are off.

 

[Hans Brix]

Not sure about the parts you ordered, but the ones from ifixit worked perfectly on my 3GS. It's a bit more expensive from that site though.

 

[Jiglet]

But anyway that ribbon cable has a little tiny lever that you lift up, then insert the ribbon cable and lock it in place by putting that lever back down. If it doesn't stay in it could be damaged or as you say just a cheap knockoff part where the ribbon cable is wrong.

Thanks for the reply, but we're not talking about the same connector. The one I am talking about either goes directly above or below that one.

I don't think it's damaged, because the connector for the original (cracked) screen still snaps into place perfectly, but the connectors on both replacement parts just don't seem to want to snap into place.