Screen Assembly Replacement Ghosting Issues When Closing
crwdns2934249:0crwdne2934249:0:
I work for a device repair outfit and I've done my fair share of repairs. There are two devices I can never catch a break on. iPods and iPad minis.
Right now at the shop I have a white iPad mini that was cracked and needed to be repaired. I had two different white digitizer replacement screens so I proceeded with the repair. (assuming if one was defective I could just use the other)
I did the whole replacement, no mistakes. Made sure to seat the LCD and digitizer connectors properly. No missing screws, I even replaced the magnets on the corners.
I was just about to close the repair up so I tested the screen to see if everything touched okay. No dead spots. Looks perfect swipes good. Time to close.
I started to close it and after I applied a mild amount of pressure around the home button all !&&* broke loose and the screen started flipping out. Ghosting around like it was possessed.
I failed to see the issue. There were no cables being pinched. It looked like the tens of other ipad minis I've fixed before.
I said. Shoot, well I have this other screen let's try it as well. I proceed to follow all of ifixit's steps in their guide. I get all the way to the last step of closing the ipad. I check the screen. Swipes better than the last screen, very smooth.
I go to seal the edges, and again it flips out. The screen wont swipe and when it does its literally opens random programs, flips between pages, and ghosts like a madman has control over it.
I open the screen just a little, maybe half an inch to release some of the pressure from closing on the digitizer ribbon / home button and it works great again.
I figure I must have been pinching the cable that connects the digitizer and the iPad because that is almost ALWAYS the problem.
unfortunately this is something different. I can clearly see that the ribbon isn't pinched. And this issue is clearly reversible since every time I open it back up it works like a dream.
The problem with its ghosting is, this is only occurs after I completely close the screen. And only when I apply pressure to the bottom near the home button cable.
I have a little bit of protective yellow tape for resisting punctures, tearing over the home button to protect against damaging / shorting the resisters right next to the home button. But other than that its not any different than the other times I've done this repair.
I'm looking for a solution that I might be over looking. Like what would cause such a radical shift from, "works great" to "ghosts like crazy" as soon as the screen is flush with the ipad?
a final note - I think its worth mentioning that I can't replicate the problem if the screen is open. Only when its completely closed. And the device is almost completely unresponsive to touch inputs while its freaking out.