iPhone 3G: After replacing glass home button doesn't work

[Racing.Ray]

Hi!

I just replaced my friend's 3G after he had dropped it. The glass was broken, so I replaced it with a glass/digitizer, the plastic frame and a new ear speaker (old one broke when trying to remove from old frame).

Everything was easy to replace, but now the home button doesn't work anymore. It wasn't damaged in the accident, as it used to work, and I installed it accordingly again, including the small metal plate between the button and the plastic frame.



Does anyone have an idea how to fix this? Or do I have to replace it with a new one too?



Thanks in advance.

[Racing.Ray]

So I ordered a new button connection strip, and it still doesn't work. Does anyone know how to fix it?

[back2thebeatof84]

make sure that ribbon #4 is completely attached, sometimes those ribbons are hard to tell if it's completely on or not.

[cpjr]

Most likely its not making a connection.

The home button "touches" the dock connector flex cable when the screen is placed on the phone. If you look at the under side of the home button at the end of the flex cable there are 2 tiny prongs.....they touch the dock flex cable on top at 2 tiny gold squares. Make sure its seated well and also make sure you didnt accidentally break those prongs off...as they are very fragile.

[Racing.Ray]

make sure that ribbon #4 is completely attached, sometimes those ribbons are hard to tell if it's completely on or not.

Weird. Everytime I put the screen in place and push it into the phone, Ribbon 4 detaches. I'm going to try and stuff a piece of paper ontop of it.

Most likely its not making a connection.

The home button "touches" the dock connector flex cable when the screen is placed on the phone. If you look at the under side of the home button at the end of the flex cable there are 2 tiny prongs.....they touch the dock flex cable on top at 2 tiny gold squares. Make sure its seated well and also make sure you didnt accidentally break those prongs off...as they are very fragile.

I can "use" the home button by touching both prongs with a screwdriver, so I'm sure they work. And the flex cable is right above them too... this is what's bugging me.

[cpjr]

Yeah but it only takes a millimeter gap difference when the screen is closed up to keep it from not touching the dock connector.

Try carefully squeezing the screen together on the left side right next to the home button then mashing the home button kinda hard........if it works then, its not connecting properly.

[Racing.Ray]

Okay I'm weirded out. I had to super glue the left corner of the bottom circuit board onto the black plastic below, because everytime you pressed on it (or the screen was put in place), ribbon cable 4 was unhooked. Glued it = problem solved.

Using a screwdriver on the gold contacts still works well as a "home button",m BUT the multimeter doesn't show ANY form of resistance change when testing the prongs on the home button's flex cable. There is no change between pressed and "open".

Is it possible that the new home button flex cable (HBFC) is broken now too? It wasn't bent in any way, only stuck onto the plastic button and put in place in the frame.



My friend is coming over for the weekend to visit, and I have to tell him that he still can't take is iPhone back with him, after three weeks of waiting

[mattrobell]

Glad mine didnt have this problem

[Racing.Ray]

[cpjr]

Well I guess it could be possible that the cable is bad....

[Racing.Ray]

Yeah I just ordered my third, but from a different ebay seller.

If that one's broken too, it can't be coincidence...

[Kingcyprus]

that is so true!!! lol

[bisman]

I had the same problem, so thanks for ur answer