0711 Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance PDF
0711 Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance PDF
0711 Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance PDF
MAINTENANCE OF
MOBILE CELL PHONES
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Acknowledgements
This course was drafted at a Commonwealth of Learning workshop in Nairobi, Kenya in October 2013.
The participants worked with Professor Fred Lockwood to test the rapid course development model.
We appreciate all the course authors who provided relevant information during the design and
development of this course. In particular, we want to thank the following:
Commonwealth of Learning
© 2015 Commonwealth of Learning
This publication is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
(international): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Page 2
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Ta le of Co te ts
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ................................................................................................ 4
MOBILE CELL PHONE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE ........................................................................ 5
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 5
What is a hazard?....................................................................................................................... 9
GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................................. 45
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................. 46
END OF COURSE SELF TEST ......................................................................................................... 47
Page 3
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
A re iatio s a d A ro y s
3G: 3Rd Generation in Mobile Telephony
AC: Alternate Current.
BGA: Ball Grid Array
BSI: Battery Status Indicator
CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access
CPU: Central Processing Unit
DCT: Digital Core Technology
DC: Direct Current
ESD: Electro Static Discharge
FM: Frequency Modulation
GSM: Global System For Mobile phones
IC: Integrated Circuit
IMEI: The International Mobile Station Equipment Identity
LCD: Liquid Crystal Device
LED: Light Emitting Diode
MIC: Microphone
PDA: Personal Digital Assistance
PCB: Printed Circuit Board
PFO: Power Frequency Oscillator
RAM: Random Access Memory
RTC: Real Time Clock
SMD: Surface Mount Device
SIM: Subscriber identification module
Page 4
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
This widespread ownership and use of mobile phones has created a need for
professionals who can repair and service mobile phones. This course has been
developed to address that need. The course targets people who would like to start
and run a mobile repair and servicing business. By the end of this course you should
be able to disassemble and assemble a mobile phone, diagnose the problem, service
and repair a mobile phone with the help of proper tools and instruments.
This course is provided through distance learning and we trust that you will find the
material useful both for studying and as future reference. We welcome your
feedback on any issue relating to this course and wish you all the best. Happy
Learning!
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course you will be able to:
Identify different types of mobile cell phones
Recognise potential hazards in the repair of mobile cell phones
Identify the parts of a mobile cell phone
Use the correct hardware tools to repair mobile cell phones
Assembly and disassembly a mobile cell phone
Identify mobile cell phone faults and solve them.
Page 5
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Topic : ____________________
Types of Mo ile Pho es
Before we discuss the types of mobile phones, let us first look at the meaning of a
mobile phone.
Activity 1:
Types of mobile phones (3 minutes)
1. __________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________
Well done! We believe your answer included the following types of mobile phones:
Bar
Brick
Touch screen
Flip
Slider
Swivel watch
Taco
Mixed flip and swivel
Page 6
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Well, there is no general rule used to classify mobile cell phones. However, in most
cases they are classified on the basis of their form factor.
Let us look at each form in further detail starting with the bar phone.
Page 7
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
We hope you now understand the various types of mobile phones. Let us now look
at the potential hazards that are associated the repair of a mobile phone.
Page 8
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Topic : ____________________
Pote tial Hazards Asso iated
ith Mo ile Pho e ‘epair
Your physical well being is important not only to yourself, but also to others.
Therefore, as you embark on mobile phone repair, you should be aware of all the
potential hazards and how to prevent them.
What is a hazard?
A hazard is anything that has the potential to cause harm to yourself or those
arou d you. Before you lear the differe t types of hazards, let s start y defi i g
some of the terms associated with hazards. Write down the meaning of the terms in
the following activity.
Activity 2:
Meaning of terms associated with hazards (5minutes)
Term Meaning
Flammable
Corrosive
Toxic
Fumes
Compare your answers with those given at the end of this course.
Let us now look at the various types of hazards that you could encounter when
repairing or maintaining a mobile phone?
Page 9
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
There are quite a number of potential hazards that one can encounter when
servicing or repairing a mobile phone. These are listed in Table 1 together with the
preventive actions that you could take to avoid them.
Table 1: Potential hazards during mobile phone repair and their prevention
Having looked at potential hazards and how to protect ourselves during mobile
phone repair, let us now consider the parts of a mobile phone.
Page 10
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Topic : ____________________
Parts of a Co e tio al Mo ile
Pho e
A mobile phone has several parts or components. It is important for you to know the
parts and understand their functions so that you can easily diagnose and solve
problems. How many parts of a mobile phone do you know? Take a minute to think
about it and then complete the following activity.
Activity 3:
Parts of a mobile phone. (5 minutes)
Part Function
Flammable
Corrosive
Toxic
Fumes
Compare your answers with what you read in the following section.
A conventional mobile phone is made up of many parts. Table 2 below explains the
functions of the main parts.
Page 11
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Figure 5 below shows a printed circuit board (PCB) of a mobile phone showing the
different internal parts. As you can see from this diagram the PCB is divided into two
parts, the network section and the power section. The network section controls the
incoming and outgoing phone calls, while the power section controls the memory
and power related functions of the phone.
We hope you now know the different parts of a mobile phone and their functions.
Make sure that you learn them well and are be able to locate them easily before you
move on to the next section. Let us now look at the tools that you need to repair
mobile phones.
Page 12
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Topic : ____________________
Mo ile Pho e ‘epair Tools
There are hundreds of tools for mobile phone repair available in the market. It is
important to select the best tool that enables you to repair the phone easily and
comfortably. Before you continue reading complete the following activity.
Activity 4:
Factors to consider when choosing mobile repair tools (5 minutes)
List three factors that you would you consider when choosing mobile phone repair
tools?
1. __________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________
Now compare your factors with those we discuss in the following section.
1. Cost
2. Brand
3. Quality/ Durability
4. Availability
5. Suitability
Page 13
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Page 14
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Page 15
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Page 16
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Page 17
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
You now know the main tools that are used to repair a mobile phone. In the next
topic we shall discuss how to disassemble and assemble a mobile phone.
Page 18
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Topic : ____________________
Disasse li g a d Asse li g a
Mo ile Cell Pho e
What is to disassemble?
To disassemble is to take something apart or to break it down into pieces.
What is to assemble?
To assemble is to fit together all the separate pieces in order to form one whole.
Activity 5:
Disassembling a mobile phone (5 minutes).
What steps would you follow when disassembling a mobile phone? Write them
down in the space provided below
1. _____________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________
Compare your answer with what you read in the following section.
Page 19
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Page 20
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Page 21
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
So far you have learnt about the hazards of mobile phone repair, the parts of a
mobile phone, the tools to use and how to assemble and disassemble a mobile
phone. Now let us look at how to diagnose and repair a mobile phone.
Page 22
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Topic : ____________________
Diag osi g a d ‘epairi g Mo ile
Pho e Faults
The correct diagnosis of mobile cell phone faults is the key to successful and cost
effective repair of the phone. Let us start by looking at the skills that you need to
have to be able to diagnose and repair a mobile phone.
Soldering
Soldering is a process in which two or more metal items are joined together by
melting and flowing a filler metal into the joint. The filler metal has a relatively lower
melting point.
Page 23
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Steps In Soldering
Desoldering
Desoldering is the removal of solder and components from a printed circuit
board for troubleshooting, repair, replacement, and salvage.
Steps in desoldering
1. Use a solder wick (finely braided copper) to wick away excess solder from a de-
soldered connection.
2. Apply the solder wick and use the soldering iron to the de-soldered
connection. The solder wick will draw the excess solder off the PCB pad.
Page 24
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Display
Function and
Range switch
Common Jack
Black Probe
We shall now discuss how to measure resistance, voltage and current using a
multimeter.
a) Measuring Resistance
Take Note: Always turn off the power supply to your circuit before
measuring resistance.
b) Measuring voltage
Testing for proper supply voltage is usually the first step when troubleshooting a
circuit. To measure voltage you should follow these steps:
1. Select V~ (ac) or V (dc), as desired.
2. Plug the black test probe into the COM input jack. Plug the red test probe
into the V input jack.
3. If the DMM has a manual range only, select the highest range so as not to
overload the input.
Page 25
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
c) Measuring Current
1. Turn off power to the circuit.
2. Cut or unsolder the circuit, creating a place where the meter probes can be
inserted.
3. Select A~ (ac) or A (dc) as desired.
4. Plug the black test probe into the COM input jack. Plug the red test probe
into the amp or milliamp input jack, depending on the expected value of the
reading.
5. Connect the probe tips to the circuit across the break so that all current will
flow through the DMM (a series connection).
6. Turn the circuit power back on.
Jumper setting
Jumpering means to temporarily complete a circuit or to bypass a break in a circuit
by making a connection from one point to another.
A good conductor wire is used to make a jumper which by-passes the components
and passes on a signal or supply line for further uses.
When wire is used as a jumper, it must have some special specifications as required.
These jumper wires can mainly be of two types i.e. insulated and non-insulated. In
the mobile phone insulated wires are used for jumpers. The length of a jumper
depends on the two points connected in between.
Why do Jumpering
While repairing mobile phones, we find that certain faulty components are very
difficult to get from the market. To repair such mobile phones the only immediate
option is the use of jumpers. By use of jumpers we will bypass the faulty components
specifically.
How to Jumper
1. Disassemble mobile phone and place it on a PCB holder.
2. Using a multimeter, check track and find the fault or the missing track that
need jumper.
3. Apply liquid soldering flux to the points where you need to solder jumper
wire.
4. Cut jumper wire to desired length and remove its lamination using blade
cutter.
5. Hold one end of the jumper wire and solder it to one point of the faulty
circuit track. Use a good quality tweezers to hold the wire and good quality
of soldering iron and solder wire to solder.
6. Now hold the other end of the jumper wire and solder to the other point of
the track
7. Using a multimeter check the jumper.
Page 26
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
The Figure 31 Below shows jumper settings in of the jumpers may look like on
your motherboard. In this example, the jumper is the white block covering two of the
three gold pins. Also, next to the pins is a silkscreen description of what the pins do,
in this case when pins 1-2 are jumped the computer is operating normal, when 2-3
are jumped it is set into configuration mode, and when open the computer will be in
recovery mode.
You now know the skills that you need in order to diagnose and repair a mobile
phone. Let us now learn how to diagnose and repair mobile phones.
Page 27
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Hot Testing:
The hot testing method is adopted when the fault cannot be found or when the cell
phone cannot be repaired using the cold testing method. In this method, the
VOLTAGE of the damaged part or component is checked. The fault is found by
powering the mobile phone with a battery which has a DC power supply. Once you
power the phone, you should select the DCV (DC Volt) range of the Multimeter.
Then you should connect the BLACK probe of the Multimeter to the ground of the
pho e s PCB a d e sure the ‘ED Pro e touches the Testing Points. During hot
testing, the voltage of different part or sections should be as follows (all values in
Volt):
Page 28
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Activity 6:
Mobile phone diagnosis (8 minutes).
The following statements describe either the cold testing or hot testing methods
used for diagnosing mobile phone problems. Write the correct diagnosis method
against the statement that best describes it.
Compare your answer with what you read in the following section.
You now know how to diagnose a fault in a mobile phone using the hot and cold
testing method. In the next section we shall learn about the common mobile phone
faults.
Page 29
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Topic : ____________________
‘epair of Co o Mo ile Pho e
Faults
What is a fault?
A fault is a defect (a failure in a circuit) or an electronic device.
Let us discuss each type of faults and how they can be repaired.
Hardware Faults
There are many hardware faults that can occur in a mobile phone, but in this section
we shall discuss the following:
a) Battery charging faults/problems
b) Mobile phone battery problem (faults)
c) Network not working problem
d) Overheating problem
e) Sound faults
f) Ear piece, ringer and microphone problem
g) Display problems
h) Lighting or LED problems
i) Touchscreen problems
Page 30
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
j) Keypad problems
k) SIM faults
l) WiFi problem and internet connectivity problems
1. Change the charger and check. The voltage must be between 5 and 7 Volts.
2. Clean, resold or change the charger Connector.
3. If the pho e sho s FAL“E CHA‘GING the use a 3.6 Volt Ze or Diode a d
do direct charging as shown in Figure 32.
4. If the problem is not solved then change the battery and check again
5. Check the voltage of the battery connector using a Multimeter. The voltage
should be between 1.5 and 3.7 Volts.
6. If there is no voltage in the connector check the track of the charging section.
Refer to the diagram of the particular model of the mobile phone.
7. If the problem still persists, check the fuse, coil and regulator one by one and
change the faulty part.
8. If the problem is still not solved then heat or change the charging IC.
9. Finally heat, re-ball or change the Power IC.
+ + + -
3.6V Zenor Diode
- Battery Connector
Charging Connector
A mobile cell phone can have any of the following battery problems:
Low Battery
Battery Drains Fast
Battery Backup Low,
Battery Not charging
Page 31
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
1. Check the battery connector and charger plug to see if there is any problem.
2. Check if there is any dust or corrosion in the connector or any broken pin.
Clean the points using IPA or cleaning swabs.
3. Check the Interface Connector to see if there is any dust. If there is dust
clean or replace the interface connector.
4. If the battery problem is not solved then upgrade the software or operating
system to latest version
5. If the problem is still not solved then check the Mobile Phone PBA current
consumption.
6. Check for any short circuit.
7. If there is serious problem at the board level then it is better to replace the
whole Logic Board of the Mobile Cell Phone.
1. Ma ually sear h for the et ork. If the o et ork pro le persists, the
there is a problem with the Antenna Switch. Repair or replace it.
2. If the network resumes after manual search but the home network cannot be
selected, then there is a problem with the PFO. Repair or change the PFO.
3. If the Network gets disconnected during phone calls then you should repair
or change the Network IC.
4. Clean the antenna tips and point.
5. If the network problem persists, heat or change the 26MHz Crystal Oscillator.
6. If the problem is still not solved then heat or change the Antenna Switch. You
can also jumper if the Antenna Switch is not available.
7. Heat, Change or Jumper the PFO if the problem still persists.
8. Heat, re-ball or change the Network IC.
9. Heat, re-ball or change the Power IC.
10. Heat, re-ball or change the CPU.
Page 32
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
If a mobile phone is having network problems and dropping calls, then you
should use the following steps to solve it:
1. Check the SIM Card. Insert the SIM card in other mobile phone and see if the
et ork pro le or the all drop pro le is still there.
2. Alternatively, try to insert another SIM card inside the mobile phone that has
the network problem.
3. If the problem is caused by the SIM card, then you should change or replace
it.
4. If the problem is still not resolved then upgrade the operating system to the
latest version. You can also rewrite the IMEI Number of the mobile cell
phone.
5. If the problem is not solved then you may have to change the mobile phone.
A mobile phone may overheat either inside or on the body. To solve this
problem you should proceed as follows:
Page 33
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Take Note: If the sound is low or not clear during a phone call,
then you should change the speaker.
A Ringer is any type of electronic component that rings or plays a loud sound. It
is also called the I.H.F Speaker, buzzer, melody, etc. Figure 28 shows a picture of
a ringer.
Page 34
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
The following are the types of problems associated with the ringer:
Ringer not working
Low sound from the Ringer
Sound coming from Ringer but with interruption
Sound not clear
1. Check the ringer settings in the mobile phone. Check Ringer volume and
silent mode. Adjust or change the volume and /or mode if required.
2. If the problem is not solved then open the mobile phone and clean the ringer
point and ringer connector.
3. If the problem is not solved then check the ringer by keeping the multimeter
in buzzer mode. The value must be between 8 ~ 10 Ohm. If the value is not
between 8~10 Ohm then change the Ringer.
4. If the problem is not solved then check the track of ringer section. Do jumper
wherever required.
5. If the problem is not solved then check the Ringer IC. Heat or change the IC.
6. If the problem is not solved then heat, reball or change the UEM / Logic IC.
7. If the problem is still not solved then heat, reball or change the CPU.
Take Note:
If there is less sound from the Ringer then change the Ringer.
If the problem is not solved then heat or change the Ringer IC.
1. Check the Vibrator settings in the mobile phone. Check if the Vibrator is ON
or OFF.
2. If the problem is not solved then open the mobile cell phone and clean the
vibrator tips and connector.
3. If the problem is not solved then check the vibrator with the multimeter in
Buzzer Mode. The value must be between 8~16 Ohm. If the value is not
between 8~16 Ohm then change the Vibrator or Motor.
4. If the problem is not solved then check the track of the vibrator section. Do
jumper wherever required.
Page 35
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
5. If the problem is not solved then heat, reball or change the UEM/Logic IC
/Power IC.
6. If the problem is still not solved then heat, reball or change the CPU.
2. If all the settings are normal, then check and clean the Microphone tips and
connector.
3. If the problem is not solved then check the Microphone with the multimeter in
Buzzer Mode. The value must be between 600~1800 Ohm. If the value is not in
between that range, then change the Microphone. Note that only one side will
give a value.
4. If the problem is not solved then check the track of the Microphone section. Do
Jumper wherever required.
5. If the problem is not solved then heat or change the Microphone IC.
6. If the problem is not solved then heat, reball, or change the UEM / Audio IC
/Power IC.
7. If the problem is still not solved then heat, reball or change the CPU.
This is the part that displays information in a mobile phone. It is controlled by the
CPU. In some cell phones there is an Interface IC called the Display IC situated
between the Display and the CPU.
The following are the common types of problems associated with the display:
Display is blank.
Display not working properly.
Only half the display works.
White display.
Page 36
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Take Note:
In the slider mobile phone handset, the display problem is
mainly due to a faulty display track. Change the track to solve
the problem.
If the Display is upside down, broken or it displays information
on half the screen then you should change the display
If the Display is white even after changing it, then you should
reload the software.
The LED is the electronic component that generates light in the mobile phone.
There are 2 types of connections in the light section of a mobile phone:
Series Connection;
Parallel Connection.
Page 37
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
A Touch Screen (PDA) is an electronic component that allows you to input data
or control your mobile phone by touching the screen. It normally has 4 Points
namely:
(+),
(-),
(RX),
(TX).
The touch screen is normally controlled by the CPU. In some mobile phones
there is an Interface IC called PDA IC or Screen Touch IC.
The following are the faults associated with the Touch Screen
Touch Screen not working.
Only half the Touch Screen works.
When one key is pressed another key works.
1. Check the settings if the mobile phone has both a keypad and a touch
screen.
2. Clean and resold the PDA Tips and PDA connector.
3. Change the PDA.
4. Check the Track of the PDA section and Jumper if required.
5. Heat or change the PDA IC
6. Heat, reball or change the CPU
Page 38
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Take Note:
If the PDA problem is not solved by hardware solutions, then
reload the software to solve the problem.
Any PDA of the same size will fit in any mobile phone. Any one
of the 5 Jumper Settings shown in figure 37 below will work:
The keypad enables you to enter data, such as, phone numbers and names in
your mobile phone.
Row
Column
3. Using the multimeter in Buzzer Mode and check the Row and Column of the
Keypad. If there is a beeping sound then the keypad is working.
4. If there is no improvement, heat or change the Keypad IC or the Interface IC.
5. If still no change, heat, reball or change the CPU.
Page 39
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Take Note:
If you press a key and it takes a long time to work, then you
should reload the software to solve this problem.
In all Nokia mobile phones, if none or only a few keys are
working, then you should change the keypad IC to solve the
problem.
The following are the common problems associated with the SIM card:
“IM is i serted ut still there is a essage sayi g I sert “IM .
The mobile phone goes OFFLINE when the SIM card is inserted.
The SIM works for sometime and then stops working.
There is a essage that says I alid “IM
1. Check settings and see if the mobile phone is in Flight Mode. If it is i Flight
Mode the ha ge it to Nor al ode.
2. Clean the SIM Card Tips and SIM Connector.
3. If the problem is not solved then change the SIM card and check.
4. If the problem still persists then change the SIM connector.
5. If you still do not find a solution to the problem, check the Track of the SIM
section.
6. If the problem is still not solved then heat or change the SIM IC.
7. Finally, if there is no change, heat, reball or change the Power IC.
Page 40
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Take Note:
Check if the IMEI number is good or is corrupt by dialling the
number, *#06#. If the response reads as follows:
35826********220 OR *************??? OR
************000? OR ***************?
Then the IMEI number is corrupt.
Reload the IMEI Number to solve the SIM Problem.
Check the BSI Point of the battery. The middle Pin is the BSI
point. Change the battery and check. If the display shows
Not Chargi g a d at the sa e ti e there is a “IM ard
problem, then it could be either due to a BSI Problem of the
Battery or the BSI Track of the PCB.
If you need to change the SIM IC and the SIM IC is not
available then you can do Jumper. The function of the SIM IC
is just to complete the circuit.
1. Enable Wi-Fi and check if it is working or not. Make sure you are connected
to a wireless network. Make sure the password is correct.
2. If the Wi-Fi cannot be enabled and you are not able to use or access the
internet, then there could be problem with the mobile phone PCB and you
may have to replace it.
3. If the Wi-Fi can be enabled then there is no problem with the PCB. Just
upgrade the software of the mobile phone to the latest version.
You now know the common hardware problems found in mobile cell phones. Next
let us discuss the software problems and how to solve them.
Page 41
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Software Faults
A software is a set of programs, routines and symbolic language that control the
functions of hardware and directs its operations.
1. Check the downloaded applications and note when the problem happened.
2. Note whether the problem is happening when a certain application is
running.
3. Remove the application that is causing the problem
4. If the problem is still not solved then reset the factory settings of the mobile
phone and update the software.
You have now come to the end of our topic on common mobile phone problems or
faults. Before you move on, do the following activity to evaluate your
understanding of this section.
Activity 7:
Common mobile phone faults and their solutions. (4 minutes).
Match the cell phone problems or fault in Column A with the correct solutions in
Column B.
Column A Column B
Cell Phone Problem Solutions
Display not working Clean and resolder the PDA tips
Faulty ear piece Check the speaker volume
Close all the applications and run one
Phone is overheating
at a time
Network problem Change the charger
Vibrator is not working Repair the antenna
Phone dropping calls Rewrite the IMEI number of the phone
Touch screen problem Check if phone is in vibrate mode
Battery problem Resold the display connector
Compare your answers with those given at the end of this course.
Page 42
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Congratulations! You have come to the end of our course on mobile phone repair
and maintenance. Let us review what you have learnt.
Summary
We started this study by identifying the different types of mobile phones. We saw
that they include the bar, touch screen, and flip phones to name just a few. We also
considered the key hazards and safety precautions associated with the mobile
phone repair and servicing. The hazards included: burns, pricks, environmental
pollution and falls. We also discussed the factors to consider when selecting tools
for mobile phone repair. These factors included cost, suitability and quality of the
tools. In addition, we examined the tools used for mobile phone repair, such as
solder wire, PCB holder, jump wire, and screw driver. Next we determined the steps
that you should follow to disassemble and assemble a mobile phone and how to
diagnose mobile phone faults. Lastly, we discussed common hardware and software
faults and how to solve them.
Page 43
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Term Meaning
Flammable Easily set on fire or capable of burning quickly
Causing damage or gradual destruction of metal or skin by
Corrosive
chemical action
Toxic Poisonous
Smoke, vapour or gas that may be dangerous or irritating to
Fumes
smell
The following statements either describe the cold testing or hot testing methods for
diagnosing mobile phone problems. Write the correct diagnosis method against the
statement that best describes it.
Match the cell phone problems or fault in Column A with the solutions in Column B
Column A Column B
Cell Phone Problem Solutions
Display not working Resolder the display connector
Faulty ear piece Check the speaker volume
Close all the open applications and open one at a
Phone is overheating
time
Network problem Repair the antennae switch
Vibrator is not working Check if vibrator is turned off
Phone dropping calls Rewrite the IMEI number of the phone
Touch screen problem Clear and resold the PDA tips and connectors
Battery problem Change the charger
Page 44
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Glossary
Hazard Anything that has potential to cause harm to yourself and all
those around you.
A fault A defect (a failure in a circuit) of an electronic component
Switch An electrical component that can break an electrical circuit,
thereby interrupting the current or diverting it from one
conductor to another.
Jumper Jumpers are small blocks on a circuit board with two or more
pins emerging from them.
Boot To start or restart a mobile device.
Bluetooth A wireless technology standard for exchanging data over
short distances
Driver A program that operates or controls a particular type of
device.
Motherboard The main board that holds electronic components of the
system,(CPU) and memory, and provides connectors for
other peripherals.
Diagnose To identify the nature of a problem by examining the
symptoms.
Soldering A process in which two or more metal items are joined
together by melting and flowing a filler metal (solder) into
the joint. The filler metal has a lower melting point than the
adjoining metal.
Soldering Iron A tool normally used for applying heat to two or more
adjoining metal parts in order for the solder to melt and bind
them securely and conductively.
Solder A fusible metal alloy with a melting point or melting range of
90 to 450 degree Celsius, used in a process called soldering
where it is melted to join metallic surfaces.
Disassemble To take something apart; or to disconnect the pieces of
something.
Assemble To bring things together for a common purpose.
Voltage The difference in charge between two points or amount of
potential energy between two points Voltage is measured in
volts which uses the symbol V.
Current How much electricity is flowing through the circuit. A current
is measured in amperes. The symbol for amperes or amps in
short is described by the symbol A.
Resistance How difficult it is for electricity to flow through something.
Resistance is measured in ohms.
Reballing A process where the defective chip is lifted off and repaired
by applying lead based solder on the chip and placing it back
on the board or replacing the component with a new one
while also applying lead based solder on it before soldering it
back on the circuit board.
Page 45
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
‘efere es
Wikipedia. 2010. Form factor (mobile phones). [ONLINE] Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_factor_%28mobile_phones%29. [Accessed 04
July 15].
Shashilata D. 2012.mobile-phone-repairing-tools-equipment-tools-to-repair-mobile-
cell-phone.html. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mobilecellphonerepairing.com.
[Accessed 05 February 15].
Service manuals, Schematics . 2010. Service manuals, Schematics > Mobile Phones >
Nokia. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.s-manuals.com/phone/nokia. [Accessed 05 February 15].
allgsmtips. 2013. What Are The Parts Inside A Cell Phone. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://allgsmtips.com/. [Accessed 06 February 15].
Page 46
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
Page 47
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
9 Complete the table below by writing the possible causes of the phone faults in
the left hand column.
Software Faults
10. List any five phone software faults.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
Page 48
Mobile Phone Repair and Maintenance
A s ers: ___________________
Hardware faults
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
No: Phone problem Possible cause
1. Unable to send SMS No service centre number
2. Only incoming call Call barring enabled
3. Security code Wrong security code
4. No signal Service provider not selected
5. SIM locked message Wrong PIN/ SIM lock code
Sim card blocked by service
6. Contact service provider
provider
Software faults
i Display
ii No signal
iii Dead set
iv Test mode
v Not charging
vi Contact service provider
vii Hanging
viii Auto restart
ix White screen
x Ring out on its own
xi Select options on its own
xii Run extremely low
xiii Auto off
Page 49