My Problem

After 3 years, my iphone 4s dock connector finally got too damaged and the phone would no longer charge or connect to itunes for backup. Of course it became very dead.

My Fix

The repair went well by following your almost perfect online instructions - with one exception described below. My iPhone works perfectly again and even though the phone was COMPLETELY dead, all my information was still there once it charged (thank you flash memory!).

My Advice

This is the reason I'm telling my story. The instructions are very good, except the part about the microphone! Step 18 details removing the mic from the phone case. Step 21 has a secondary sub section about the mic case and reassembly, but it's not a "step" so I somehow missed it, and it doesn't have the necessary detail anyway. Therefore I didn't realize the rubber "case" holding the microphone was a separate piece until I had already put the new dock assembly in the phone. It would be SO much easier to put that rubber case on the mic BEFORE installing the dock in the phone! IMHO this should be a separate and last step, because it is important to a successful project and isn't (at least to me) obvious. You DEFINITELY want to install that rubber case onto the mic chip before you put the new dock in the phone because the mic chip has a glue strip to hold it in place within the rubber case, and it's rather difficult to get the mic aligned correctly in it's case with the glue strip sticking as you slide it in, all while working within the very tight confines of the phone case. I did it the hard way, because I didn't want to remove the just installed new dock assembly, thereby weakening the glue strips that hold it in place. My mic seems a little muffled compared to before, but I'm not sure. If there is a difference in quality, this is almost certainly the reason, as I couldn't tell if the mic "hole" on the chip was lined up with the hole in the mic case from the angle I had to work at with the dock in the phone case. For ADD people like me who don't necessarily read every word and like pictures, please add a separate step for the mic case installation at the end of your otherwise great instructions.

My Problem

Phone won't turn off, loss of sounds

My Fix

Took about 2 hours total, fixed the problem phone works normal

My Advice

Line up all the parts removed for easier reassemble

My Problem

Customer's iPhone wasn't turning on or charging, had to rush the order out based on the problem she described before receiving the device because I'm in New Zealand. Shipping was pretty quick nonetheless, received it the next week.

My Fix

Received the phone and before I started taking it apart I noticed a few things. Firstly, one of the external screws were missing and the other was a Phillips, meaning the device had been opened before. Secondly, a lot of screws internally were missing, and a few components were cosmetically damaged. Horrible job by either someone who previously owned the device or worse, a dodgy repair shop (which are plentiful here). The dock connector was also black, this was a white iPhone, so I'm guessing that component was replaced before. They either didn't bother checking iFixit or decided to do it without the proper tools.

I decided to go ahead with the repair anyways. Once I had the new connector in I just tacked on the battery and plugged it in. The device instantly powered on and the charging indicator was displayed. I then followed the guide in reverse to put the phone back together and the customer was very pleased with the professional and timely job.

My Advice

If you don't have enough business to maintain a stock of common parts (screws, connectors) for your customers' devices, be patient. Advise them that you would prefer to order the parts once you've seen inside the device. I lucked out, but I also had to tell my customer if she wanted her iPhone to last as long as possible I would need the device back once I ordered in some replacement screws. If you're a wholesale member on iFixit you're already going to be cheaper and more professional than the guys around your area, and most people don't seem to mind waiting for that.

My Problem

phone wasn't charging or connecting to computer

My Fix

replaced the dock was relatively easy, however, it was a bit delicate because some of the components use an adhesive that makes removal a delicate operation

My Advice

be careful and proceed with caution, don't rush, and you will be rewarded with fixed device

My Problem

After many years of use, the dock connector on my iPhone 4s had become corroded and was causing problems with the phone such as poor charging and not being able to shut the phone down (it would just restart itself when you tried to power it off).

My Fix

The repair went incredibly well. I've built and repaired computers for years but had never cracked a cell phone open until today.

First off, I absolutely love the Pro Tech Toolkit. When I first decided to do this fix myself, I debated on just buying the few tools I'd need for this specific repair or to get the Pro Tech Toolkit in anticipation of doing many more repairs in the future. I'm very glad I chose to get the Pro Tech Toolkit! It is compact but packed with just about everything I'll need in the future and the high quality of the Tool Roll and all the tools inside is obvious when you are holding and using them.

I received the Magnetic Project Mat as a Christmas present this year and it was integral to making my first repair successful by easily organizing and keeping the tiny screws and parts right where I put them. Being able to write right on the mat with the dry erase pen made keeping notes about specific parts a breeze.

My Advice

1. Before you do anything, read through the walk-through for your specific repair. There are lots of little pieces of info that make the repair easier.

2. Set up your work area and pull out the tools you know you'll be using so they are at the ready.

3. Lighting - The screws and some of the parts you will be dealing with are TINY so having good lighting is paramount. The lighting in my office is okay, but I hooked up a flexible USB reading light to an external battery and it worked awesome! It was easy to move around and position where I needed it which really helped.

4. Time - Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to make the full repair with as little distractions as possible. This really helped me get through the repair faster.

A few notes about the walk-through.

STEP 3 - The suction cup in the Pro Tech Toolkit is very handy here.

STEP 6 - When you pry up the battery, the adhesive makes a really horrible sound and tries to trick you into thinking you're doing something wrong. It lies, just go slowly and you'll be fine.

STEP 9 - When you are re-assembling your 4S, it is a little tricky to get the dock cable socket to fit correctly when you are putting it back in. My extra light helped a lot here and I used the tweezers to gently position the cable so the socket was oriented correctly before pushing it down with my finger. It should make a soft little snap and it won't wiggle around at all when it's seated correctly.

STEP 12 & 13 - When unscrewing the left side screw for the speaker enclosure, the small black spacer from STEP 13 came up with the screw. Be careful when you are removing this screw so the spacer doesn't get lost.

STEP 14 - During re-assembly, don't forget to clean the metal-to-metal points as directed in the walk-through. You can get a small bottle 99% Isopropyl Alcohol at VONS or Safeway. It is recommended to use 99% Isopropyl Alcohol for sensitive electronics because evaporates very fast so the parts are completely dry before you finish the re-assembly. I used a Q-Tip to apply it and gently scrub the parts.

STEP 15 - I saved this little piece of tape but didn't end up needing it because my replacement part had a new piece right where it needed to be.

STEP 18 - During reassembly, getting the little rubber tube back inside the plastic part was a little tricky but using the tweezers from the Pro Tech Toolkit I was able to get it back in after a moment of fiddling with it.

STEP 20 - This little piece of rubber is VERY tiny. One of the sides is shinier than the other and that is the side with the adhesive on it so be sure to put that side down during re-assembly.

STEP 21 - As the TIP in the walk-through says, you will need to transfer the little rubber casing from your old part to the new part. Lay both parts side by side and examine where you're taking the rubber casing from so you'll know where it goes on the new part. As the walk-through mentions, you can use the fine tipped spudger to loosen the rubber casing from the old part before you transfer it to the new one.

• IMPORTANT NEW PART INFO *****

Before you transfer the rubber casing to the new part, look carefully at the microphone nodule on the new part and you will see a clear protective film that sticks off the side of the nodule. The protective film can be easily removed with tweezers before you transfer the rubber casing.

There will be another piece of protective film on the section of the part that the microphone is connected to. Examine the rest of the new part and you will find several other pieces of protective film that you will need to remove as the re-assembly progresses. Some of the protective film covers adhesive that will keep the new part in the proper place when re-assembly is complete.

I hope these notes help you with your repair!

My Problem

My back panel had been cracked for a while, and the speakers eventually crapped out. But that didn't justify the expense. The charger was slowly working less and less until it basically finally stopped. I had a refurbished phone and I think that's why things went awry so quickly.

I quoted a shop, $50 for just the charging dock. For $80 I can get all the parts and tools to fix all three problems. No brainer.

My Fix

Dissassembly was a bit tricksy as it was my first time working on a phone, but it went off without a hitch.

Reassambly does NOT mean "follow steps in reverse order" unless you remember all the orientations of every part you dissassembled.

There were definitely additional steps in reassembly that I had to look up on youtube, in particular the orientation of the gold pin.

Also the microphone cover wouldn't fit anymore because there was an additional gold part on the charging dock. But the mic still works so who knows.

My Advice

I kept my screws organized by drawing a grid on paper and writing the step and the size of each screw in its individual cell. That helped a LOT.

Also, if you are new to this, do your best to note orientation of the smallest things you wouldn't expect because ifixit doesn't necessarily provide the information.

Youtube videos, somehow, illogically, will be blurry the moments you need to see clarity, and sometimes go off-screen when something intricate is going on. I.e. if you can FIND the job for the model, don't expect it to be professionally produced.

That all being said, fixing something yourself is doable and HIGHLY satisfying, and I couldn't be happier with my choice. Fiero is a powerful and fulfilling emotion.

My Problem

This iPhone 4s just stopped charging when turned on, it only charges when turned off. It also is not recognized by iTunes. After restoring it as a new phone, which did not solve the problem, I read that replacing the dock connector might fix it.

My Fix

It took me about an hour. The guide was strong, though some of the language was a little confusing. Occasionally it will mention a part, say a speaker or a microphone but with no labeled picture, so for a newby those comments aren't that useful. I managed to replace the part, but it did not fix the problem. The phone works just like it did before, so at least I didn't mess anything else up, but the problem isn't fixed and I don't know what to try next.

My Advice

Get out your reading classes, the guts of an iPhone are tiny.

My Problem

Battery drain (100% in 6-8 hours with everything off). Phone wouldn't shut off and kept restarting on its' own.

My Fix

I replaced the top two items recommended for my situations. You have to remove the battery to replace dock connector so I only used the dock how-to guide. It went very well. I'm glad Im technically a bit savvy being an auto mechanic. The tiny bits and pieces got intimidating but the guide and the pics helped tremendously. Having the right tools is also 75% of the battle becoming tremendously easier. There were a couple spots clarity on pics and descriptions would've been nicer but not really necessary if you have some technical savvy at least. All in all my phone is not only cured but actually has better cell reception. Not sure why that is but I'm not complaining. All in all a great experience. Definitely making ifixit my first stop for repairs in the future.

My Advice

Buy the recommended tools and a place to keep all the tiny tiny parts. Egg carton, pill boxes, etc. It's more than half the battle. Play relaxing music and schedule plenty of uninterrupted time so the stress of dropping tiny screws doesn't make you throw what you're trying to fix. And if you have zero ability to use common sense and a little ingenuity when fixing sensitive things like electronics, stay away. Bulls in china stores aren't going to be happy and may wrongfully blame others for lack of patience and proper care. If you're a handy type person a relatively easy task. I was in and out in an hour and I've never opened a cell phone before.

My Problem

My iPhone 4s was only charging when I shut it down completely. Could not synchronize with iTunes, nor charge it while on.

My Fix

It took me about some 40 minutes to replace the battery and the dock connector. I used the screwdrivers iFixit sent as well as the battery and dock connector replacement. I had no previous experience on opening up an iPhone so I was kind of nervous of screwing up big time. But nothing went wrong.

My Advice

I had to watch several videos on youtube before embarking on my little adventure. I chose the best ones to aid me while I did surgery on my iPhone. Also, not included on the iFixIt, but really useful as I have very big hands, are tweezers as many of things inside the iPhone are really small.

My Problem

One wouldn't charge at all other wouldn't hold charge. Replaced dock connector in one and battery in other.

My Fix

Went great Hardest thing was putting screw for speaker back in (the one next to vibrater). The magnet to the speaker pulled screw of screwdriver. What a pain. Dropped screw in process but found it 4 ft away.

My Advice

Watch the magnet it's a thief.