Reception cutting out followed by "SIM missing" message

[Guest]

This is pretty annoying. Two weeks back I took my Vario III in for warranty replacement as the screen had developed a major fault (totally blank but phone looked to be in operation). I was issued a new unit, but after a day or so of use it seems the signal drops out and takes data connection with it. Turning the phone off then on again then results in "your SIM is missing." Turning phone on then off again restores service after a couple of attempts. I doubt very much that the SIM is becoming unseated, it's very snug in it's enclosure.

Anyone experienced similar problems? I visited my local T-Mobile store but they were pretty useless ("it might be an aerial mast malfunctioning in your area"??!!), I'll see what I can find out on the web before it goes back. Coincidentally my first Vario III worked spotlessly so I'm confident the issue is handset-specific.

FYI my firmware versions are;

ROM - 1.56.110.4

Radio version - 1.27.12.32

Protocol version - 22.45.88.07H

[Guest Snooginsguy]

Yeah, the same thing happened to me when i first got the phone. It was a new SIM card too, and for some reason there was oxidation or something on the SIM card that was not allowing it to make good contact with the terminals in the phone. Try pulling the sim card out, and rub the gold side on your jeans a little bit, then put it back in. Someone on a similar thread suggested a pencil eraser, but anything to polish up the contact side of the SIM card. If that doesn't work, you might see about swapping the SIM for a different one, or perhaps a hardware issue if all else fails.

Edited February 19, 2008 by Snooginsguy

[Guest hotphil]

Some pure alcohol (available at chemists) or some budget nail varnish remover will work well to gently clean the contacts.

[Guest]

Cheers guys, embarrasingly enough I'd not tried cleaning the contacts as I could see contact marks so I assumed that the issue lay elsewhere. Giving the SIM a quick rub on my jeans does seem to have done the trick. :) :D