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Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement

What you need

  1. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement, Battery: step 1, image 1 of 3 Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement, Battery: step 1, image 2 of 3 Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement, Battery: step 1, image 3 of 3
    • Slide the battery cover downwards while applying pressure to the center of the battery cover with your thumb.

    • Lift and remove the battery cover out from the phone.

  2. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 2, image 1 of 1
    • Grasp the upper left corner of the battery and lift it out of its housing.

  3. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement, Rear Case: step 3, image 1 of 1
    • Use a spudger to lift and remove the black plastic screw cover at the top of the phone near the camera.

    • The cover is attached by adhesive, so some force may be required.

    This is actually extremely difficult to do with the plastic spudger pictured. I was forced to use the thin sharp tip on a metal spudger to get any leverage, which slightly damages the plastic.

    Robert Ciaccio - Reply

  4. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 4, image 1 of 2 Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 4, image 2 of 2
    • Using the tip of a spudger, peel up one corner of the gold ribbon beneath the battery compartment.

    • Peel the ribbon up off the phone.

  5. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 5, image 1 of 2 Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 5, image 2 of 2
    • Carefully peel the device information label that covers the motherboard EMI shields.

    • This label contains important information specific to the phone. Remove it with care and keep it in a safe place.

  6. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 6, image 1 of 1
    • Insert the flat end of a spudger and pry the plastic camera cover up off the phone.

    • The thin plastic cover is attached to the phone with an adhesive. Work slowly and carefully.

  7. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 7, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the seven 5.5 mm T5 Torx screws securing the rear case to the inner case.

  8. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 8, image 1 of 1
    • Insert the flat end of a spudger and pry downwards to release the plastic tab holding the rear case to the motherboard screw.

  9. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 9, image 1 of 1
    • Gently insert a spudger between the rear case and front case at the top of the phone, near the audio jack.

    • Carefully pry the top edge of the rear case up from the rest of the phone.

  10. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 10, image 1 of 2 Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 10, image 2 of 2
    • With the spudger still inserted between the rear case and front case, slide the spudger along the right edge of the device, moving toward the bottom, prying as you go.

    • Continue prying along the bottom edge of the device from right to left, freeing it from the front panel.

  11. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 2 Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 11, image 2 of 2
    • Continue prying the rear case from the front case along the left side, moving from bottom to top.

    • Lift the rear case up out of the phone.

  12. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement, Speaker: step 12, image 1 of 1
    • Carefully lift and remove the speaker assembly up out of the phone.

  13. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement, Motherboard: step 13, image 1 of 3 Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement, Motherboard: step 13, image 2 of 3 Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement, Motherboard: step 13, image 3 of 3
    • Use a spudger to pry the antenna cable connectors from their respective sockets on the motherboard and the speaker/antenna board.

    • De-route the antenna cable by pulling it out of the metal clips along the side of the front case.

  14. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 14, image 1 of 1
    • Peel the black tape covering the side button and display ribbon connectors on the motherboard.

  15. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 15, image 1 of 1
    • Disconnect the power button/volume button connector from its socket on the motherboard using the flat end of a spudger.

  16. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 16, image 1 of 1
    • Disconnect the display ribbon connector from its socket on the motherboard using the flat end of a spudger.

  17. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 17, image 1 of 1
    • Remove three 3.8 mm T5 Torx screws securing the motherboard to the front case.

    • Don't attempt to remove the motherboard yet, it is still attached by the keypad ribbon connector.

  18. Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 18, image 1 of 2 Motorola Droid Motherboard Replacement: step 18, image 2 of 2
    • Carefully lift the motherboard from the front case and lay it next to the Droid, minding the keypad connector that is still attached.

    • Disconnect the keypad connector by prying it straight up off its socket on the motherboard.

    • Remove the motherboard from the phone.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

8 other people completed this guide.

Brett Hartt

Member since: 04/12/10

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One Comment

Hi all,

Can anyone please suggest me should I dump my motorola droid. I have taken it to fix-it shops and they all have the same answer the mother board is gone

So, is it better to buy a new mother board which would cost me as much as a new phone or just sell it for nickels on Ebay

please reply pbansal1@jhu.edu

prateek - Reply

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