Droid screen replacement

[vishnumrao]

First post here @ droidforums.

I have a Verizon Motorola Droid A855. Love it. Had CyanogenMod 7 running. Took a dip in the hot tub with the phone in the pocket. I was stupid enough to try to turn it on after and hour's worth of drying, rather than leave in a rice bag for 2-3 days.

Now the phone will turn ON and works, because I can see the new email sounds and the buttons work too because I can feel the vibration when the buttons are pressed.

But I can't see anything on the screen. I guess the screen is dead or shorted or some fuse the lights up the screen is blown up! What do I do to revive my beloved Droid? If the screen needs to be replaced, what part should I order? Any links? Any help appreciated. Thanks..

 

[xXGH05TXx]

Best bet is ebay. Type in droid a885 replacement lcd. Good price. Youtube the tutorial. PAY GOOD ATTENTTION WHEN REPLACING UR LCD. REQUIRES A LOT OF PATIENCE AND A CRAP LOAD OF SMALL PARTS

Broodcomb DX v5

 

[TyrantII]

The LCD/Digitizer combo replacements are about 2X just the glass/digitizer, around $50-60. It's also a real PITA to remove the LCD without messing up the ribbon cable that attaches to it.

The other problem is god knows what the problem is in the first place. Is it the LCD? The ribbon cable? The GFX chip or something in between?

Unfortunately, with water damage and without the right tools it be a shot in the dark to figure out. And for $50, you prob better off just spending the addition $50 to make it $100 and get a used one off craiglist / ebay / ect. Just make sure it has a clean ESN.

 

[vishnumrao]

Thats exactly the answer I am seeking. What could have gone wrong. I looked up on Google for answers. Is it the lcd screen or is it the digitizer? What exactly is the digitizer? and what is the GFX chip?

Anybody here fixed a Droid that has been water damaged?

 

[xXGH05TXx]

The LCD/Digitizer replacements are about 2X just the glass/digitizer, around $50-60.

The other problem is god knows what the problem is. Is it the LCD? The ribbon cable? The GFX chip or something in between?

Unfortunately, with water damage and without the right tools it be a shot in the dark to figure out. And for $50, you prob better off just spending the addition $50 to make it $100 and get a used one off craiglist / ebay / ect. Just make sure it has a clean ESN.

Double true. Ur best bet is too get a used one or pay 80 bux to Verizon inssurance and get a d2 as a replacement. Since d1 is discontinued

Broodcomb DX v5

 

[vishnumrao]

I already got the D2G. Honestly very disappointed with the D2G, with all that bloatware that Motorola has added and the locked bootloader. I can use the D2G, but I still want to revive my original Droid. Its the best phone I have had in my life!

 

[vishnumrao]

Here is some information that might help isolate the damaged part. When I turn ON the Droid, I can see the lcd backlight glow. Even after bootup I can see the contrast between screen ON and screen OFF.


Also when I swipe along the approximate location to unlock the screen it seems to work. I can feel the haptic feedback when I unlock the screen.

I am fairly comfortable with hardware thinking about buying this: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-OEM-Motorol...361?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1d051021


Any suggestions if I should go for this?

 

[TyrantII]

Thats exactly the answer I am seeking. What could have gone wrong. I looked up on Google for answers. Is it the lcd screen or is it the digitizer? What exactly is the digitizer? and what is the GFX chip?

Anybody here fixed a Droid that has been water damaged?

The digitizer is the glass and electronics in the glass that make it a touch screen. The LCD sits behind it and is connected to the motherboard via ribbon cable.

But like I said, the problem with water damage is it could be anything, and that anything might not be replaceable.

Thats why this would be a semi-easy fix if it was just a cracked digitizer, or you broke the LCD. Water damage.... who knows! If it's something on the motherboard, it won't be fixable, and I'm not even sure it's troubleshoot-able without expensive electronics to test the circuitry.

So, you could take a chance that it's the LCD that's fried, but there's no guarantee and it's $50-$60 (assuming the digitizer is messed too) + cost of tools and assuming you're good at taking apart and putting together electronics that aren't meant to be disassembled easy.

If you do try, you'll need prying tools, a T5 Torx screw, and a Phillips #00. Make sure you get thoes tools, as anything else will strip the soft screws and ruin any chance to open the droid up. I'd also recommend using a hair dryer or heatgun to loosen up some of the glue/stickers used to hold the thing together.

 

[Detonation]

Like what others have said, for the time/effort and money it will cost to replace the screen (which is no guaranteed fix) as well as the other possible long term effects from dropping it in water, I'd suggest just buying a used Droid. Looks like you can get a decent one for under $100. You could also then sell your damaged droid for parts and probably get at least $20 for it.