C500 Intermittent "joystick" problem

[Guest spencetj]

OK I know its not really a joystick but you know what I mean!

I started playing some games recently on my C500. I found the problem in Street Duel Underground Racing, when I sometimes couldn't get the car to turn left. I push the left turn and the car looks like its starting to turn then just goes striaght on. Initially I thought it was something to do with the whole multi-press key issue, not being able to brake and turn at the same time because it required 2 buttons to be pressed, but I have had the same problem even just pressing one button at a time.

In the middle of a game the car will just refuse to turn left. It happens virtually every game, and quite often at the same point in the game if I follow the same route. It will be stuck for a while then after a few seconds, and maybe after pressing the right turn button, left turn will work again. I contacted the developers of the game who were surprised at all the problems I was having.

I thought the fault was limited to this one game but it has also happened when playing Sky Force (probably after playing Street Duel and giving up because I couldn't turn!). Similar scenario, move left doesn't work for a while then starts working again. Its always turn left that fails, turn right is fine (except maybe for one single time, I don't remember exactly.)

I don't understand if its a hardware or software/firmware problem. I read in some other posts that the joystick often causes problems and taking it apart to clean it might help, but why is it only the left turn that is a problem and why nearly always at the same point in the game?

Any suggestions? Anyone had a similar problem? I could take the phone apart but how easy is it to get to the inside of the joystick? I don't want to break it!