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Second generation of iPhone. Model A1241 / 8 or 16 GB capacity / black or white plastic back. Repair is more straightforward than the first iPhone. requires screwdrivers, prying, and suction tools.

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What could be damaged when power button doesn't work?

My iPhone 3G fell to the ground and after that the power button fails switching standby and power on/off. The button clicks like before the failure.

I followed all steps from your repair guides to open the case until I found and released the power button. The real switch inside is clicking if pressed but the ribbon cable connected to it seems to have a small scratch at one side ... maybe the wiring inside the ribbon is cut?!

What other reasons are possible that let the power button fail? And if the wiring really is broken, is it replacable?

Best regards,

Udo from Bonn, Germany

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Well the other functions on that ribbon cable are the headphone jack, vibrate switch and volume buttons. Test the functionality of those and see what you get. If they don't work either, it's possible that connector #5 just got lose or came off the board. If they do work then it's likely the ribbon cable needs to be replaced. If so, it can be difficult, but more so because it's tedious so just be careful with it. Good luck.

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Thanks Jarret, I'll check those functionalities when I'm back home ... I haven't tried the headphone jack yet but I know of vibrate switch and volume buttons working. I'll come abck to you when I can state the headphone jack.

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Now I've tested the headphone jack, vibrate switch and volume buttons: works all of them.

Before testing that I disassembled/reassembled the 3G again to take some detailed photos from inside:

1) here you see the fixed power button

2) and here is the unscrewed power button

On the latter you'll notice a white horizontal band in full length across the ribbon and a little bit above on the left ribbon side that's the scratch I mentioned earlier ... so as you say, the ribbon obviously has to be changed.

How can I get one of those?

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hi udo,

yes the cable would be replaceable, but how should it get scratched inside the phone ?

i agree with jarrett. check the connector. and be really careful.

it could really get pricey when you kill something inside the iphone.

and before you're getting into bigger trouble - let it be & ask for help.

greetings from middle franconia (lol - klingt irgendwie blöd, bin aus der gegend um erlangen ;-) )

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Hi Markus,

(na nun sind wir schon zwei die hier Deutsch verstehen :-)

Well, I don't know how the cable actually got the scratch from - maybe due to a shocked compression of the power button from outside. I should have made a photo while it was open ;-(

When you watch the ribbon going down from the internal switch down to the bottom of the back cover then you'll see only to thin wires, each on connecting to a SMD resistor. At the switches end there is a small curved 'S' and at its lower end I found a scratch from left to right that is about 1mm in width - that might be damaging the left of the two wires.

I think I'm going to reopen it tonight and post a picture to illustrate it better...

Cheers from Bonn

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i think it's teared - looks like that. get a new cable from ebay - a cheaper one: 380256060669 (but there might be some issues, read the feedback) and one for a few bucks more: 180532048622 (put the numbers into the ebay search ;-)) - surely there would be a way to get it fixed with conductive silver - but a pen or the smalles glass bottle would cost more than the new cable.

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Thanks :-) (I didn't know that getting such parts is really that easy!) Seems to be that issues were taken away yesterday ... anyway I've ordered the cheaper one and I'll return with a feedback when I fixed it.

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hi udo, it's sometimes easy. i order almost everyday on ebay - but i have a "few" more phones to take care of ;-)

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Hi Markus, ok I see ... normally I'm not used to open phones ;-) and my new iPhone 4 doesn't yet to be taken care of. Anyway I expect to receive the iPhone 3G spare part today ... and then it's a matter of time and patience...

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Udo Gerber will be eternally grateful.
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