Did the Mylar tape work? I just replaced my ipad screen and broke both of the digitizer clips in the process. I tried putting the digitizer in with out the clips and the ipad powers on but the touch screen does not work. I am trying to find the mylar tape (looks like I need to buy it online). == Update == I got the screen working. With the help of Joe who suggested I find something thin enough to insert between the digitizer ribbon and the connector. This is what i did: 1) Insert the new digitizer connector. 2) Cut the old digitizer off of my old ipad screen and cut it to size. 3) Insert the old digitizer connector on top of the new one which locked and held it into place (I heard a click on both sides). 4) Cover with black electrical tape. Powered it on and it worked great! Thanks Joe and thanks I Fixit!!

John, Apr 15 2012

John and Joe,yall are life savers. My iPad was broken for the last year, and after replacing two digitizers i had given up hope. I had a feeling it was that broken tab the whole time but had no idea how to replace it. Your method worked wonderfully. Only one note, you kind of need to do things in reverse order (hooking the digitizer ribbon cable up first rather than last) to be able to have enough room to apply the force you need to get the second connector in on top of the first one.

andrew madson, Apr 24 2012

Joe has it exactly right! I bought Kapton tape off eBay (an insulator like Mylar), and cut a little strip to the size of the end of the ribbon cable. Here's an important part: I smoothed the tape out with my nail to get it as flush with the cable as possible so that it can clear the top of the retainer. I felt both sides of the cable hit home and the white guidelines met exactly where they had before I used the tape. Taped the back of the cable down with another inch of Kapton, and voila! Perfectly working digitizer! I have a whole roll of the tape now, so if anyone wants any just mail me at girl.luvzer.mac (-at-) gmail.com and I'll send you some. :)

Therese Stirling, Apr 27 2012

I must say that Joe's solution is a very brilliant solution that could save me a lot of work time and money. But I didn't understand something, the mylar or kapton tape should be taped (cuted to size) on the digitizer end ribbon cable and then sliding the ribbon to the connector or the tape are supposed to perform as a spacer that should be inserted AFTER the digitizer cable has slide in? If it's the other case then why using mylar or kapton tape at all? all we need is some kind of material like thin plastic that will hold with pressure the digitizer cable down to the conductive pins.

davduv, Jun 1 2012

Hi davduv! It's meant to be a spacer, basically wedging the contacts on the ribbon cable down onto the board below. There are two main reasons IMO for using Mylar or Kapton tape vs plastic. 1, Mylar and Kapton tape are both appropriate for use in electronics due to their insulating and temperature-stable properties. You wouldn't have that necessarily if you used something like cellophane like I did while waiting for my tape to arrive. The static off it (I suspect) caused the flakiest false-responses on my digitizer. 2. It's a real challenge to wedge a thin piece of plastic in at the same time as the cable unless they're adhered together due to the tiny amount of clearance there is to the sides and above the cable. This space restriction also requires the very thinnest of materials, and you'll have a hard time finding tape thinner than Mylar or Kapton. My above offer still remains... If you have a hard time finding either of these tapes, I can mail you some off the roll I bought. :)

Therese Stirling, Jun 1 2012