Root Digitizer Replacement

[Yoinx]

Has anyone successfully replaced their digitizer?

I'm pretty sure that mine failed last night as the phone doesn't respond to touches in the rom or recovery. I tried the wringing method, to no avail.

I'm debating on trying to replace the digitizer, or if I should just try to move onto a new phone.

 

[HueyT]

http://androidforums.com/lg-spectrum/556674-how-fix-lg-spectrum-screen.html

 

[Yoinx]

Thanks HueyT, Im stuck with painfully slow internet for awhile so I couldn't really search.

The other part of the question was if anyone's done this successfully... Ie: the new digitizer didn't just go out a week later because of some cascading fault in the motherboard/power or something. OR if it was a lasting repair.

 

[Neph81]

Here's their actual YouTube video on how to do it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kPI3G28hDU), but here are the problems I think you'll run in to.
1) Not everyone owns a heat gun or a hair dryer that can melt the adhesive on the digitizer.
2) This could potentially take a few tries to align things properly (time) and the digitizer itself runs for $23+shipping(money) (Amazon.com: Verizon LG Spectrum VS920 Touch Screen Glass Digitizer Replacement Repair Part: Electronics) . A used Spectrum on Swappa goes for between $70-$100. (Buy LG Spectrum (Verizon) in US > Swappa).
3) At 2 years old, the Spectrum is still a great phone, especially with KitKat, but it's starting to show its age.

Personally, I would do it, just to say I did it, and because I got a new heat gun for christmas, but if your time is worth more than the cost of buying a replacement, you'll have to weigh your options carefully.

 

[HueyT]

You can buy used Spectrum on Epay for $50. May not be worth trying to fix Digitizer unless you like to do that sort of thing.

 

[Yoinx]

Here's their actual YouTube video on how to do it (LG Spectrum Touch Screen Replacement "How To" by RepairsUniverse.com - YouTube), but here are the problems I think you'll run in to.
1) Not everyone owns a heat gun or a hair dryer that can melt the adhesive on the digitizer.
2) This could potentially take a few tries to align things properly (time) and the digitizer itself runs for $23+shipping(money) (Amazon.com: Verizon LG Spectrum VS920 Touch Screen Glass Digitizer Replacement Repair Part: Electronics) . A used Spectrum on Swappa goes for between $70-$100. (Buy LG Spectrum (Verizon) in US > Swappa).
3) At 2 years old, the Spectrum is still a great phone, especially with KitKat, but it's starting to show its age.

Personally, I would do it, just to say I did it, and because I got a new heat gun for christmas, but if your time is worth more than the cost of buying a replacement, you'll have to weigh your options carefully.

Thanks Neph. I'm not too concerned with the time or procedure. As far as having all the tools, I work as an Electronics Tech anyway... So there's not much that I don't have access to for the repairs.

That said. I think what I may do is just pay the $50 for the insurance claim and swap the guts. Since most of the replacements people got, they had problems with the way they ran... and I know mine's ran fine... This seems pretty logical. This would give me the new screen/digitizer and preserve the quality motherboard I already had. My only concern with going that route is that the IMEI wont match the case if I do that.

I seem to recall somewhere though, that people were accidentally wiping their IMEI's and having to restore them. I might just try that to swap the IMEI's between the phones, or just try swapping the stickers so that everything matches.

 

[HueyT]

my contract is up 2/2014 so I can send you my used Spectrum if you want. I've been eyeing the LG G2 for "free" with 2 year contract with Verizon

 

[Yoinx]

Well....

I guess this is all moot.

I went ahead and ripped my phone apart. It looks liek the digitizer connection is apparently the black one in the upper right hand corner, with a barcode on it.

Unplugged it checked everything out... Looked fine. Booted the phone with the backing off of it, no joy. Turned the screen off, unplugged the connection and blew it out a couple times. Plugged it back in... phone's fine.

<3 the power of screwing with things.

The real question is whether or not it's just going to be a temporary fix.

 

[HueyT]

Cool, may be just a loose connection

 

[Yoinx]

Kinda what I'm thinking... But it doesnt work once I put the backing back on. Works perfectly fine while evertything's exposed.

It's a little weird.

 

[HueyT]

Must be shorting out when everything is pressed together.