Repair Guides
Write-ups from our bench covering common board-level faults — what causes them, how we diagnose them, and what the repair involves. Most include video of the actual repair. These were written between 2016 and 2022, so devices and prices reflect their time; the diagnostic approach still holds.
iPhone (19)
Backlight, touch IC, audio IC, boot loops and no-power faults.
- Audio IC iPhone 7 Loop Disease Repair2018iPhone 7 with no mic, no speaker, a greyed-out record button, or stuck on the Apple logo. This is audio IC 'loop disease' — a pad called C12 has lifted off the board. It is repairable; here is how.
- Finding a Short on PP_VCC_MAIN on a No Power iPhone2016An iPhone that will not turn on and draws no current is often shorted on PP_VCC_MAIN, the main power rail. Here is how to test for it in diode mode and find the failed component without checking every part on the line.
- iPhone 11 No Backlight After DIY Screen Repair2020We've been seeing more and more of these iPhone 11 no backlights lately. Basically, the backlight goes out after a screen repair mainly because the…
- iPhone 11 No Power Logic Board Repair2020A dropped iPhone 11 that will not power on at all, with no shorted rails to point the way. Here is how we traced it to two cracked chips on the sandwiched logic board and got it running again.
- iPhone 11 Pro Max Boot Loop / Stuck in Recovery Mode — Repair2021iPhone 11 Pro Max stuck rebooting or looping in recovery mode, often after the smallest bit of moisture. The cause is usually corrosion on the ear speaker flex, and Apple's answer is a new phone. Ours isn't.
- iPhone 12 Boot Loop Repair — Cause, Fix and Data Recovery2022iPhone 12 boot looping after a little water or hand sanitiser. The flood illuminator on the ear speaker flex corrodes and takes the phone down with it. We have repaired hundreds of these, data intact.
- iPhone 6 Brightness Problem (Dim Backlight Solution)2016So, you repaired the backlight on your iphone 6, but the brightness doesn't go fully bright anymore? You probably replaced the diode and maybe several of…
- iPhone 6 Plus Touch IC Repair2017The flickering grey bar at the top of an iPhone 6 Plus screen, with touch cutting in and out. That is touch IC disease, caused by the case bending. Here is the M1 jumper repair that fixes it for good.
- iPhone 6 Weak Wifi Signal Problem and Solution2017Problem: You have an iPhone 6 where the wifi signal is very weak. It works when you are close to the router, but as you get further away, the signal goes…
- iPhone 6S No Backlight — Black Screen With Faint Apple Logo2017Screen stays black but you can see a faint Apple logo with a flashlight? That is a blown backlight filter (FL4211), usually from replacing a screen without disconnecting the battery first. Here is the fix.
- iPhone 6S Plus No Touch After Screen Repair2017Another common problem that we've been seeing is no touch on an iPhone 6S Plus after a screen repair. The screen works, the phone vibrates, everything…
- iPhone 6S Plus Touch IC2016By now, we've all heard about the touch IC disease that has plagued the iPhone 6 plus. How about the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus Touch IC? How come we haven't…
- iPhone 7 Slow Boot, Freezing and Hanging After Screen Repair2018The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7+ have been plagued by a slow boot problem, usually after a screen repair. There are a list of culprits that could cause this…
- iPhone 8/8+ Not Charging After DIY Screen Repair2018iPhone 8 Stuck at 1 Percent Symptoms : After a screen or battery repair, the phone boot loops a few times during boot up, then never charges. The battery…
- iPhone X Data Recovery - No Touch - No Power -Boot Loop2019The iPhone X splits its logic board in two, and when the halves separate you get no touch, no service or no power. Repair is hard — but data recovery is very achievable. Here is the process we use.
- iPhone X No Power After Screen Replacement2019iPhone X tests fine on the bench, then goes completely dead the moment you screw the screen back in. A metal tab on the screen shorts a capacitor on the PP1V8_IO line. Easy fix once you know where to look.
- iPhone X/Xs/Xs Max Face ID Repair with a Torn Ear Speaker Flex2020iPhone Face ID Repair So, you replaced screen on your iPhone X/Xs/XS Max and accidentally tore the ear speaker flex and now your face id doesn't work or…
- Response to Apple's iPhone 6+ "Multi-touch" Repair Program2016Apple finally acknowledged what the microsoldering repair community has known for months...the iPhone 6 plus has a "multi-touch" problem . Their…
- What temperature is best for iphone shield removal?2016The question every microsoldering beginner asks. There is no single correct number — here is how to work out the right hot air setting for your own station, and why 400°C is often safer than 300°C.
iPad (4)
Charge port, backlight, touch and battery connector repairs.
- iPad Air, Air 2, 5th, 6th, 7th Gen Charge Port Repair2019iPad Charge Port Repair Charging problems have become fairly common in these models of the iPad. The most likely culprit is the charge port flex because…
- iPad Pro 12.9" No Touch After Screen Repair2017We've received several devices lately with no touch on an iPad Pro 12.9" after a screen repair. After trying multiple screens, the touch still doesn't…
- iPad Pro 9.7 Charging Stuck at 1% After Screen Repair2018Problem Description We're starting common problem with these iPad Pro 9.7 tablets after a screen repair. It seems as though Apple decided to hold the…
- iPad Pro 9.7 No Backlight Repair2017The usual suspect for a backlight blowing out on an iPad Pro 9.7 is not disconnecting the battery before a screen repair. It's imperative to isolate the…
MacBook (1)
What to check before paying for service, and which repairs need a professional.
Samsung (2)
Display IC and NFC connector faults on Galaxy devices.
- Samsung Note 10 "Temperature Too Low" — Why Charging Stopped, and the Fix2021Your Note 10 says charging stopped, temperature too low — but the phone isn't cold. The real cause is usually a bent NFC connector on the logic board, not the battery or the weather. Here's how to identify it and fix it.
- Samsung S7/S8/S9 Black Screen, No Display — Display IC Repair2019Screen completely black but the phone still rings, vibrates and takes calls? On the S7, S8 and S9 that is usually the MAX77838 display IC on the logic board — a new screen will not fix it. Here is the repair.
Nintendo Switch (1)
Charge port repair on the Switch's USB-C connector.
Tools, Equipment & Software (12)
Rework stations, microscopes, flux, ZXW Tools and the kit we actually use on the bench.
- Amtech NC-559 Flux - Fake Versus Real2016Counterfeit Amtech NC-559 flux is everywhere and it behaves badly on a board. Here is how to tell a genuine bottle from a fake before you use it on someone's logic board.
- How to Install ZXW Tools 3.0 with an Existing Dongle2019If you have an existing zxw tools dongle with an active license and you want to install and use ZXW 3.0, then you've come to the right place. We're going…
- How to Renew ZXW Tools Dongle or Update to v3.02019New in ZXW version 3.0!! ( updated June 18, 2019 ) In version 3.0, the usb dongle goes away. Instead, you need to create an online account and then buy a…
- How to Renew ZXW Tools v3.x2020First off, you need to check when your license expires. In order to do that, you'll need to login to the software or your online account and check. If…
- How to Setup and Install ZXW Tools Dongle v2.x2017ZXW no longer requires the dongle. Please see our instructions on how to install version 3.x! /how-to-setup-and-install-zxw-tools-v3-x/ So, you recently…
- How to Setup and Install ZXW Tools v3.x2020ZXW Tools is the most essential piece of software for logic board repair because it contains schematics for most iPhones and point-to-point connection…
- Microsoldering Equipment that I Use2016Here's a list of the microsoldering equipment that I use: Amscope SM-TPZ Trinocular Simul-Focal Microscope ($556) Extreme Widefield 20x Eyepieces ($30)…
- Naviplus Pro3000 Nand Programmer Firmware Update and User's Manual2018For those of you who own the Naviplus Pro3000 Nand programmer, here's the latest update for the firmware v1.1302: [ddownload id="3440"] It's easy…
- Recording Video Through a Trinocular Microscope2016How we film microsoldering repairs through a trinocular stereo microscope: the camera and adapter choices that work, the ones that do not, and how to get usable focus and lighting on the board.
- Tools Required for iPhone Water Damage Repair2016So, you have a water damaged iphone and you either want to get it working or get the photos off of the iphone. Where do you get started? What tools do you…
- Where to buy ZXW Tools Dongle?2016ZXW Tools dongle is probably one of the most important software for iphone and ipad logic board repair. What it does is tell you where each pin on a logic…
- ZXW Dongle Crack Real or Fake?2016ZXW Tools Dongle is hands down the best software for iphone/ipad/samsung logic board repair. It's essential if you microsolder. The way it works is that…
General (1)
Learning microsoldering and getting started.
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