Help Gyroscope Issue (Failed Sensor Test)

boasher · May 7, 2016

My phone took a swim in a bathtub recently and was able to be brought back to life. Unfortunately, the only lingering side effect is that the gyroscope is completely going haywire. For example, in Google Maps, the triangle (just outside the blue dot that shows your location on the map) that points in the direction you're facing is continually moving around and doesn't stop "jittering" around the circle.

Is this gyroscope a software or hardware based sensor... or could the be caused by some other faulty sensor? Additionally, when I go into the hidden service menu (*#0*# from the phone dial pad) and click select the sensor submenu, followed by the gyro self test button, I get a failed test with the following results:

Initialized Temperature: 34

Noise Bias (dps)

X: -256.000
Y: -132.000
Z: 255.937

Noise Power (dps-rms)

X: 0.000
Y: 0.340
Z: 0.000

HW Self Test (%)

X: 100.0
Y: 96.1
Z: 100.0

Result: FAIL

Any information/assessment on the results would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

svim · May 7, 2016

The gyroscope sensor is indeed a hardware chip. Try installing 'GPS Status & Toolbox', in its Settings menu there are 'Compass calibration', 'Calibrate pitch and roll', and 'Manage A-GPS state' options that might help. There's also a 'Diagnose sensors' option that will list your phone's various sensors. I guessing 'Gyroscope' will have a red mark on it (should be a green check mark). Also in the Diagnose sensors window, if you move your phone around the sensors relative to movement will show their values change in real time.
If nothing the GPS Status app makes any difference, that doesn't bode well. How long ago did that accidental dip into the bathtub occur?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2&hl=en&gl=us
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpstoolbox.pro&hl=en

boasher · May 7, 2016

The phone went swimming back in July of 2015 and was immediately pulled out of the water in under a second, along with snapping the back off and immediately popping the battery out. At the time, the screen was off but there was music playing on it. Between then and January 2016, the phone remained untested, unused, and without a battery in it. I was lucky enough to find someone that repaired water damaged phones. She found a slight bit of corrosion inside that she cleaned up. EVERYTHING on the phone works perfectly, save for this one issue -- additionally, because of it, the phone is constantly locked in portrait mode. The only time landscape mode works is if a game forces the switch or watching YouTube videos full screen.

After downloading GPS Status & Toolbox & unlocking the Pro elements, I did the calibrations/state checks and everything in the diagnostic screen had green checks, minus the two sensors the phone doesn't have (temp. and humidity).

I've recorded a video showing the status screen of the app along with the diagnostic screen:

Given what's shown in the video, and the fact all the sensors get green check marks, could there be some other culprit?

svim · May 7, 2016

Hmm, so apparently it might not be a hardware issue. OK so this is mostly grasping at straws but if the gyroscope sensor itself is OK maybe there's a glitch in the system software.
a) Try wiping the system cache partition, the system cache is its own partition separate from the user data partition so it has nothing to do with your personal data. You need to restart your phone in Recovery Mode do it.
b) If that doesn't help any, try restarting your phone in Safe Mode, where your phone is running Android without any extras. If things like screen rotation and Google Maps (note apps take a lot longer to start in Safe Mode because they're starting up from an inert state) work in Safe Mode than there's most likely some app that has been interfering with the gyroscope or one of the other sensors. Tracking that app down could take some time but at least it a place to start working the problem.
c) If none of this works, there's always the last resort, a Factory Reset. Don't forget to back up any personal data first.

http://cellphoneforums.net/samsung-...-clear-app-phone-cache;-reboot-safe-mode.html

boasher · May 7, 2016

Once I got the phone back from the repair shop, the first thing I did was a factory reset. It wasn't until a few days after, when I tried to do a panoramic photo, that I noticed the issue. I'd not heard of the cache partition or safe mode items you listed above, but have tried both and neither has provided a solution.

While I'm very strongly tied to the curved edge + the S pen, I may just have to wait it out to see if they bring an edge variant to the upcoming Note 6.

Until then, I'm going to just make do since it's not really a deal-breaking issue. However, should you come across anything in the future about this issue, please don't forget this thread. I greatly appreciate all the information you've provided for me this weekend.

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