How To Fix Broken Ringer/Silent Switch - Forums at ModMyiFone.com - iPhone

kcisjojo · #1 (**permalink**) 03-07-2008, 02:01 AM

Alright so Ive been seeing alot of people asking for an app to fix a broken ringer/silent switch, well to be honest with you all, its not going to happen. The switch is a hardware switch.

So first off, you need to be willing to open your iphone up. Its not very difficult to do.
Things youll need:
#00 screwdriver philips (can get for under $5)
a new iPhone OEM Headphone Audio Jack Cable (can be found on ebay for less than $20 including shipping)
ipod opening tools (around $25 - $30) or flat blade screwdriver and razor blade

here is a walkthrough on how to remove the back and it shows where all the screws are located.

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone/H...ne-Jack/105/3/

this is a guide, you can use their tools or a razor blade and a small flat blade screwdriver works well if you dont want to spend $25 - $30 to buy the tools.

Follow along the guide above and just do one step at a time.

I find it is best to label or mark somehow on where each screw came from so when it comes to putting it back together you know where they all go and none get mixed up.

Take Out Sim Card Tray
So basically just pop antenna cover off
remove 3 screws holding back down and pop that off
remove screws holding the headphone, switches, etc down
gently peel up the flex cable that attaches power switch to rest of unit,
youll have to pull the little metal piece off your original ringer switch and place it on the new one, there is a small piece of plastic on the new one just pull it off and there is tape underneath to hold the new one down.
screw everything down, leaving power switch for last, then remove piece of plastic that is on the flex cable and tape it back down to where it was.
Screw down the power button
snap the back on again and replace the 3 screws
replace antenna cover

You can now use your ringer/silent switch once again.

To do this it took me like an hour, most of my time was spent trying to figure out how to get the antenna cover off. Its not screwed down at all so it just takes so work, its down pretty good so dont get discouraged if it takes a bit. Once I had that off though it was a piece of cake.

GnatGoSplat · #2 (**permalink**) 03-07-2008, 07:47 AM

I had to fix this very problem. I have disassembled many dozens of cellphones, smartphones, PDA phones, and always prided myself on leaving them with nary a tool mark. However, I found it almost impossible to open my iPhone even after watching the PDAParts video on Youtube and reading that guide on ifixit. The PDAParts video makes it look ridiculously easy, there must be some subtle trick I'm missing. The plastic part comes out easily enough and is not a problem. The metal back, I had a very hard time removing. It was possible to pry up the back a little to get a case opening tool in, but that metal case quickly chewed up and destroyed my nylon case opening tool. I won't go into my horror story, but a sliced up thumb, a lot of blood loss, and 3-hours later, I finally had the thing open. It's got stress marks, tool marks, and didn't fit back together as well as before I opened it.

So what's the trick? Did I use the wrong tool? I used one identical to the one on this site, not the green one sold specifically for iPods/iPhones. I also tried scrap credit cards with the edges filed down sharp when the iPhone destroyed my case opening tool. That works great for plastic phones, but the iPhone just chewed them up.

kcisjojo · #3 (**permalink**) 03-07-2008, 11:25 AM

I used the tools from ifixit, but trying to remove the antenna cover broke one of them. To get the metal back off, first remove the screws and then i used a small flat screwdriver and pried the back up just enough so i could slide something in the outside edges, i did that back and forth no each edge and had that part open in less than 5 minutes. Patience is key. If you try to force it chances are you will bend your rear cover.

If you bend your rear cover beyond saving, you can order a new one, Just go to ebay and look for an OEM Rear Iphone cover or something like that and you can order a new one for pretty cheap.

at004 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-07-2008, 11:35 AM

i have given a temporary software solution....search the forum if u want

GnatGoSplat · #5 (**permalink**) 03-07-2008, 03:21 PM

kcisjojo, funny thing is I did have a lot of patience after working on the metal part almost 3-hours, lol! I was able to lift the back enough like you, but I couldn't get my tool to slide very far at all, the case had no give. Next time I'll have to buy the proper green tool, maybe it's a lot better than the blue one I had. Either that or you have a really good technique!

iPhone back covers are something like $35+shipping last time I checked. Kind of expensive considering I got a whole housing for my iMate Jam (aluminum) for $6+shipping from a seller on eBay from Hong Kong. I guess considering the price of the iPhone that's not bad though.

The bad experience I had, it almost seemed it would have been easier and faster just to buy a new back cover and cut the old one off with a Dremel!!!

at004 - glad to see you made a software solution, good to know for next time!

I think the reliability would have been better if instead of a 2-position switch, they just used a momentary switch that you press and hold for 3-seconds to toggle ring/silent.

TheHK · #6 (**permalink**) 03-29-2008, 05:30 AM

I'm convinced my headphone jack is screwed up from the inside, anyone have any expertise with the jack? It happened when i put on a case that was too tight and it switched it into headphones mode. It's not the common software problem everyone is having, i'm pretty sure its just something that got "pushed in"

heath_rox · #7 (**permalink**) 03-29-2008, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by at004

i have given a temporary software solution....search the forum if u want

believe it or not but most of the ringer switch brakings happen when the phones on silent so your idea is useless

kcisjojo · #8 (**permalink**) 04-07-2008, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheHK

I'm convinced my headphone jack is screwed up from the inside, anyone have any expertise with the jack? It happened when i put on a case that was too tight and it switched it into headphones mode. It's not the common software problem everyone is having, i'm pretty sure its just something that got "pushed in"

This part will fix a headphone jack. It is all one part that does the power switch, ringer switch, headphone jack and volume.

Privento · #9 (**permalink**) 04-15-2008, 01:12 PM

Hi, I followed your guide, and it all worked, the switch is working now. But, there's a problem.

When there's a headphone in the iPhone, it thinks that there's not.
And when there isn't a headphone in the iPhone, it thinks there is.

Does someone know a solution?

Thanks in advance.

kcisjojo · #10 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Privento

Hi, I followed your guide, and it all worked, the switch is working now. But, there's a problem.

When there's a headphone in the iPhone, it thinks that there's not.
And when there isn't a headphone in the iPhone, it thinks there is.

Does someone know a solution?

Thanks in advance.

No idea, I have never heard of this happening before.

thelairster · #11 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 11:55 PM

Hey I've ordered the part from ebay but I am unsure if maybe the switch hat is broken or the switch itself. The switch hat is the button on the case itself and the switch is attached to that headphone jack assembly which i ordered. My switch is lose. It just slides freely back and forth between silent and loud but the phone is stuck in loud. Could the silent button be broken or would it be the switch behind it. I am only asking because i think there should still be some feel in the switch it should not just glide back and forth.

nilberg · #12 (**permalink**) 05-24-2008, 06:37 PM

I am curious if and how you solved the problem, because exactly the same thing happened to me:

- headphone inserted, phone acts if it is not there
- headphone not inserted, phone acts as if it is there.

So it is not stuck in one state, but behave opposite to what it is supposed to.

Alaalaala · #13 (**permalink**) 06-06-2008, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nilberg

I am curious if and how you solved the problem, because exactly the same thing happened to me:

- headphone inserted, phone acts if it is not there
- headphone not inserted, phone acts as if it is there.

So it is not stuck in one state, but behave opposite to what it is supposed to.

I have exactly the same problem. It seems that the Jack assembly I bought on ebay is the same as the one that was in my iphone, excepted for the jack plug, which seems to have inverted wiring... Can anyone confirm this?

To solve the problem I "manually" reversed the wiring by twisting the metal connections, i.e now, when the jack plug is in, the circuit is closed, and when it is out the circuit is open, and not the other way around as before. For the time being it works, but I don't know for how long...

FRANKOBL3 · #14 (**permalink**) 06-12-2008, 06:56 PM

I am having the exact same problem with two Jack replacments. Replaced the Jack assembly with one from Ebay because the on/off button did not work. Now the new headphone plug works in reverse. Bought another one from another supplier (more expensive) does the same. When I plug-in the old one, it works fine, but the on/off switch still broke. Anybody knows how to fix this issue?

Alaalaala · #15 (**permalink**) 06-15-2008, 05:02 AM

Hi, like I said, the only way that I could think of was to reverse the way the metal connections work. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures, but basically I twisted the metallic connection that was around the plastic jack casing so that now the two connections make contact when the jack plug is inserted and not the other way around as before. I wrote to the guy on ebay to know if it's a known issue, but he wasn't aware of it.
Hope this helps.