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I dropped my I-Mate SP5 in a mug of tea and, not surprisingly, some of the dial keys didn’t work after I dried it out. I sent it to the I-Mate repairers in the UK knowing it wouldn’t be covered by warrenty and they said it needed a new mainboard and screen and would cost £370 to repair.
Anyway, with many thanks for complete help to Fluffcat1(there's no way I could have done it without), I disassembled the phone and cleaned the keypad contacts and it works again.
I followed Richard’s already-posted instructions on how to take a C600 apart. The method for the SP5 differs slightly and he suggested I post instructions….so here goes. I’ve copied most of Richard’s instructions but changed the bits that are different between the C600 and the SP5.
As guru Richard points out in his post: DOING THIS WILL INVALIDATE YOUR WARRENTY. IT’S ONLY A GUIDE AND SHOULD ONLY BE DONE IF YOU REALLY HAVE TO AND AT YOUR OWN RISK. But it could be useful if you need to replace parts, including damaged facials.
You need a Torx T5 screwdriver, a small flat blade screwdriver and a Philips 0x50 screwdriver (you can get a set with all these in from Maplins for about £10). Also a plastic tool to prise open the covers (I used an old credit card) and some Isopropyl Alcohol (also from Maplins) to clean anything inside you want to.
1. Remove back cover, sim, storage card and battery.
2. Remove the plastic aerial cover (the top bit of the back of the phone) To do this, remove the rubber external aerial connector bung. Put the phone screen -down on a surface. You’ll see a hole in the top right-hand side of the battery compartment. Put your flat blade screwdriver in the hole to release the clip holding the aerial cover. Then use your plastic prising tool to prise the cover outwards and upwards. Eventually you’ll find it will slip off upwards.
3. Then remove four chassis screws, one in each corner of the back of the chassis, and the two mainboard screws in the battery compartment. You’ll need the T5 screwdriver to remove all these.
4. Then use the plastic prising tool to prise apart the chassis case from the front facia. It takes a bit of wiggling. I found it best to start at the top of the case, but eventually you’ll release the clips holding the chassis case to the facia. TAKE CARE…THERE IS SHORT RIBBON CABLE CONNECTING THE MAINBOARD TO THE CHASSIS CASE. When you’ve prised the two apart just enough, put the opening tool in and gently lift the ribbon cable connector from the mainboard.
5. Then remove the mainboard. First, using your plastic tool, gently lift off the ribbon cable connector connecting the mainboard to the keypad. The mainboard is held onto the front facia by two plastic clips, one on either side.
6. Once the mainboard, with LCD attached, has been removed, you can clean dust etc.
7. To remove the keypad for cleaning etc, put the front facia face down. You’ll see four screws at the back of the keypad near the edges. Remove these with your Phillips screwdriver. There are four more screws on the plate at the back of the joystick. Remove these with the Phillips screwdriver. You’ll now be able to prise the keypad from the front of the chassis, but be careful not to tear the ribbon cable. You can now gently peel back the white plastic keypad backing and clean the connectors.
8. To put it all back together again, reverse the procedure.
I’ll try to add some pics to this when I get a chance. Hope it's of use...and again many thanks to Richard (Fluffcat1)
Anyway, with many thanks for complete help to Fluffcat1(there's no way I could have done it without), I disassembled the phone and cleaned the keypad contacts and it works again.
I followed Richard’s already-posted instructions on how to take a C600 apart. The method for the SP5 differs slightly and he suggested I post instructions….so here goes. I’ve copied most of Richard’s instructions but changed the bits that are different between the C600 and the SP5.
As guru Richard points out in his post: DOING THIS WILL INVALIDATE YOUR WARRENTY. IT’S ONLY A GUIDE AND SHOULD ONLY BE DONE IF YOU REALLY HAVE TO AND AT YOUR OWN RISK. But it could be useful if you need to replace parts, including damaged facials.
You need a Torx T5 screwdriver, a small flat blade screwdriver and a Philips 0x50 screwdriver (you can get a set with all these in from Maplins for about £10). Also a plastic tool to prise open the covers (I used an old credit card) and some Isopropyl Alcohol (also from Maplins) to clean anything inside you want to.
1. Remove back cover, sim, storage card and battery.
2. Remove the plastic aerial cover (the top bit of the back of the phone) To do this, remove the rubber external aerial connector bung. Put the phone screen -down on a surface. You’ll see a hole in the top right-hand side of the battery compartment. Put your flat blade screwdriver in the hole to release the clip holding the aerial cover. Then use your plastic prising tool to prise the cover outwards and upwards. Eventually you’ll find it will slip off upwards.
3. Then remove four chassis screws, one in each corner of the back of the chassis, and the two mainboard screws in the battery compartment. You’ll need the T5 screwdriver to remove all these.
4. Then use the plastic prising tool to prise apart the chassis case from the front facia. It takes a bit of wiggling. I found it best to start at the top of the case, but eventually you’ll release the clips holding the chassis case to the facia. TAKE CARE…THERE IS SHORT RIBBON CABLE CONNECTING THE MAINBOARD TO THE CHASSIS CASE. When you’ve prised the two apart just enough, put the opening tool in and gently lift the ribbon cable connector from the mainboard.
5. Then remove the mainboard. First, using your plastic tool, gently lift off the ribbon cable connector connecting the mainboard to the keypad. The mainboard is held onto the front facia by two plastic clips, one on either side.
6. Once the mainboard, with LCD attached, has been removed, you can clean dust etc.
7. To remove the keypad for cleaning etc, put the front facia face down. You’ll see four screws at the back of the keypad near the edges. Remove these with your Phillips screwdriver. There are four more screws on the plate at the back of the joystick. Remove these with the Phillips screwdriver. You’ll now be able to prise the keypad from the front of the chassis, but be careful not to tear the ribbon cable. You can now gently peel back the white plastic keypad backing and clean the connectors.
8. To put it all back together again, reverse the procedure.
I’ll try to add some pics to this when I get a chance. Hope it's of use...and again many thanks to Richard (Fluffcat1)
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i do that as well!
