Liquid damage can wreak havoc on smartphones, and even the robust iPhone X is no exception. If your iPhone X has suffered from water exposure and is still facing issues like random reboots, noise during calls, or a non-functioning vibrator, this repair guide is for you. In this article, we’ll walk through the entire troubleshooting process, from inspecting damaged components to replacing parts like the earpiece flex cable and dock flex cable. Let’s dive in and bring your iPhone X back to life with this step-by-step solution.
Device Details
Model: iPhone X
Announced: 2017, September 12
Defect Phenomenon
The iPhone X was water-damaged and sent to a repair shop, but some issues remain unresolved:
- There’s noise during phone calls.
- The phone keeps rebooting.
- The vibrator is not functioning.
Troubleshooting
Initial Inspection:
First, let’s take a closer look at the overall cosmetics and design of the phone to understand the problem
- The phone’s housing is slightly deformed.
- Dirt is visible inside both the front and rear camera lenses.
- The screen is slightly raised above the housing.
Repair Process
Check Booting Issue:
Press the power button to test. The phone reboots about 5 seconds after the Apple logo appears.
Disassemble and Inspect:
Open the phone and examine the internal components, revealing many previous repair traces.
Resolve Reboot Issue:
The rebooting problem is likely due to water damage, specifically affecting the earpiece flex cable.
Disconnect the earpiece flex cable and test again—the phone boots normally.
Corrosion on Earpiece Flex Cable:
- Inspect the earpiece flex cable and find that the flood illuminator is corroded.
- Remove the corroded part and clean the pads. Reball the flood illuminator and solder it back onto the flex cable.
- Reassemble with the motherboard and boot again. The phone boots successfully, but after 3 minutes of use, it reboots again.
Inspect Dock Flex Cable:
- Based on experience, the dock flex cable is likely the cause of the persistent rebooting and noise issues.
- Under a microscope, the vibrator connector on the dock flex cable appears damaged.
- Replace the dock flex cable and test the phone. The noise during calls disappears, and the phone no longer reboots.
Video Call Issue:
According to the device owner, the phone rebooted during the video call. Inspect the Face ID module, which was previously replaced, making it impossible to fully repair.
Replace the Face ID module along with the front camera for testing. The phone no longer reboots during video calls.
Vibrator Issue:
- Despite replacing the dock flex cable and vibrator, the vibrator still doesn’t work.
- The issue is likely related to the motherboard, specifically the PC-V0 version, which is known for instability. Heating it could cause internal rail damage, so it’s safer not to pursue further repairs on the vibrator function.
Summary
All the issues are almost caused by the parts damage
- Reboot issue is caused by the earpiece, front camera, and DOCK flex cable corrosive
- The noise during phone call issue is caused by the DOCK flex cable
- The vibrator not working, but the board is a PC-V0 board, which is easy to get unstable or even inner rail break after heating, so we decide not to fix the vibration function.
Conclusion:
Liquid damage can severely affect an iPhone X, leading to complex issues like random reboots, noise during calls, and malfunctioning components. Through careful inspection and targeted repairs, we successfully resolved the rebooting issue by addressing damage to the earpiece and dock flex cables. Although some issues, like the Face ID and vibrator function, were beyond repair due to the phone’s history and motherboard version, we restored most of the phone’s functionality. Remember, understanding the underlying causes of damage and proceeding methodically can often revive water-damaged phones.
Tools & Parts List:
- Microscope (for inspecting small components)
- Opening tool kit (for phone disassembly)
- Rosin (for cleaning corroded areas)
- Soldering iron and solder
- Hot air gun (for reballing components)
- Replacement earpiece flex cable
- Replacement dock flex cable
- Cleaning solution for PCB pads
