iPhone 4 – Replacing the vibration motor
Duration: 15 min.
Steps: 8 Steps
Welcome to the world of DIY repairs! In this guide, we're here to help you swap out that pesky vibration motor that's been slacking off. If your phone is more of a wallflower and barely vibrates, it's time for a little motor makeover! Let’s dive in and get your phone buzzing again!
Step 1
- Depending on your iPhone's birthdate, you'll need either a Phillips or a pentalobe screwdriver to pop that phone open.
- These little screws are hanging out to the right and left of the dock connector, just waiting for you to give them a turn. Make sure to stash those screws in the same spot in your organizer tray—2 x 3.6 mm pentalobe/Phillips screws are what we're talking about!
Step 2
- Give the back cover of your iPhone a gentle nudge with your thumbs or the palm of your hand, pushing it about 4 mm away from the bottom where the dock connector is (check out figure 1 for a visual!).
- Once you've got it moving, you can easily lift the back cover from the end that's now sticking out past the phone (see figure 2 for extra help!).
Step 3
Heads up! The battery contact point on the logic board might just decide to take a little vacation. If it does break off but the soldering points are still hanging in there, no worries! You can simply solder that contact point back on and keep the repair party going!
- First things first, if your iPhone is still awake, let’s give it a little nap! Hold down the standby button for about five seconds and follow the on-screen instructions to turn it off.
- Next up, grab your trusty Phillips screwdriver and remove the screw on the battery connector (check out figure 1 for a visual!). Make sure to tuck that little screw away in a separate compartment of your organizer tray. Just a heads up, the battery contact point on the logic board might decide to take a little holiday. If it does break off but the soldering points are still intact, you can solder that contact point back on like a pro!
- Now, let’s gently lift off the battery connector! Use the pointed ESD spudger and slide it just below the silver cover plate (see figure 2). No spudger? No problem! Your fingernail can step in as a substitute.
- And remember, for the rest of the repair, feel free to use a metal laboratory spatula instead of the spudger if that feels easier for you. However, we do suggest sticking with the ESD spudger that's designed for precision electronics—it's a real game changer!
Step 4
- Time to say goodbye to the old vibration motor! Unscrew those two Phillips screws and gently lift the motor out. Don’t forget to stash those screws in the same spot in your organizer tray—1 x 6.0 mm Phillips screw and 1 x 1.3 mm Phillips screw are what you’re looking for!
- Now, let’s get that shiny new vibration motor in place and secure it with the screws (check out figure 1 for a handy visual!).
- Just a quick tip: make sure the adhesive film on the audio port doesn’t get too cozy with the vibration motor’s head, or it might not spin like it should (see figure 2 for guidance).
Step 5
- Alright, let's get that battery back into your iPhone!
- Next, it's time to dress your phone with the antenna cover (check out figure 1 for some visual inspiration!).
- Finally, snap the battery connector back into its cozy spot and secure it with a screw (see figure 2 for a little help). You’ll need 1 x 2.6 mm Phillips screw for this part!
Step 6
- Carefully place the back cover onto your iPhone and give it a gentle push towards the dock connector until it clicks into place. You're almost there!
Step 7
- Let’s get those two screws at the bottom of the enclosure back in place! You’ll need 2 x 3.6 mm pentalobe/Phillips screws for this.
- Once that's done, just give the SIM card tray a little push to pop it back in. You're almost finished!
Step 8
Heads up! When you take out the battery, your iPhone might just forget what time it is and reset to 1:00 a.m. on 1/1/1970. This could make it a bit tricky to connect to the cellular network, so be sure to set the time right!
- Let's get your iPhone in sync! Either connect it to iTunes or hop onto a WLAN network and hang tight until the time is set just right.
- Pop out the SIM tray, give that SIM card a little love, and then slide it back in like a pro.
- Time to take a quick flight! Turn on airplane mode and then switch it off again to refresh things up.
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