hyperspin | # 1 | 2010-05-24, 17:05 | Report

Hello everyone, this is my first post here. I've been a lurker for quite a while now and personally have have a wonderful experience with my N900 up until now.

Recently and somehow annoyingly my N900 got a lot of dust under the screen. Instead of taking it apart myself I took it to an apparently 'Authorized Nokia Service Center' (I won't mention names for the sake of discriminative purposes)

I asked them to remove the dust that was under the screen, I'm not just being picky about the occasional bit of lint under the screen, but there was a lot of this dust. The removal of this obviously wasn't covered by the warranty so I had to pay.

When I was returned my N900 all seemed fine until yesterday when the screen kept snagging and wouldn't open fully and felt loose. Then I noticed that one of the screw heads had been snapped off. I had read about screws prone to snapping elsewhere on the forum.

I was wondering what my options are now. It seems clear that the guys who worked on my phone were incompetent and were certainly not Nokia approved. To make it worse, when I confronted them I was shrugged off as I had no proof of purchase since they didn't supply me with a receipt.

Seeing as this now makes my warranty invalid, is there anyway that I could remove the broken screw(s) and replace them with new ones? Yes there's more than one of them broken. (Top left and bottom right of screen assy back plate

I was also curious. Since it's going to be difficult to drill out and re-tap a 2mm ø screws, is there anywhere I could just buy the screen assy (which contains the stand-offs for the screws), and also buy replacement screws so I can do a much more professional job myself?

I looked at here, but they seem to be out of stock of screen assys and don't have screws.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide me.

adi_adit | # 2 | 2010-05-24, 18:21 | Report

Don't be any kind of hurry with your device. Stop using it if possible. First of all follow the service manual for your N900 (I am just posting the link ...) to dis assemble your N900.

Our objective is to unscrew the remaining screws (which are not broken) and then to see if you can take the device apart. If yes, then it's great. If after unscrewing the remaining screws you can take apart the device, then you can see the remaining part of the broken screws easily and can then unscrew them with your hands.

Make sure that you follow the service manual in every step, and while unscrewing the broken screws with your hands, do it carefully and slowly.

Then you can go ahead and buy exactly the same screws from where ever possible. Do not try to use screws of different length or size as replacements for the broken screws.

Also, when you finally assemble the phone and tighten all the screws, make sure that you don't over tighten the screws at all. As soon as you feel that rotating the screw driver is tightening, just stop screwing then. Going further might damage the screw holes or break the screws.

adi_adit | # 3 | 2010-05-24, 18:27 | Report

when I say about removing the broken screws with your hands, you are supposed to unscrew the remaining screws and check if you can take apart the device. if yes, then from the underside of the screw holes, you need to remove the broken screws with your hands.

adi_adit | # 4 | 2010-05-24, 18:30 | Report

http://www.mediafire.com/?2kyfww22mwn

this is the link to the N900 service manual. follow it very carefully. if you find that your job is done without disassembling the device further. don't go ahead and disassemble what is not needed. if you cannot take the device apart after removing the screws that are not broken, the steps that I have mentioned so far won't work. I'll find another solution if this one does not work.

hyperspin | # 5 | 2010-05-24, 19:06 | Report

adi_adit, thank you for your informative posts. I've followed the service manual. I've removed just the screen from the device by undoing the 4 Philips screws that retain the sliding assy, tilted the screen forward and carefully detached the ribbon cable.

I now have the screen free from the device.

From the back of the device I have 6 screws. 2 have their heads missing. The top left and as predicted, bottom right of the metal back plate. The remaining 4 screws have had their screw heads significantly scrubbed. (Obviously the person who 'serviced' my phone used the same screws, although the service manual makes it clear to discard them and replace with M1.4x2.8 machine screws)

I've removed the remaining 4 screws (with great difficulty, they seem cross threaded). Detailing the screws shows that the thread is damaged. I've carefully removed the back of the display assy, and carefully removed the ribbon cable that attaches.

The remaining 2 screw threads that are stuck inside their holes have been broken off inside the hole, it would not possible to get any grip with plies on them either.

What are the next possible steps I can take to get the thread's out of their holes? Remembering that they, like the other screws are likely cross-threaded and the holes would need tapping out. (I don't have access to a tapper or a small enough drill bit)

Kindest Regards

ktchiu | # 6 | 2010-05-24, 19:21 | Report

You could try adding superglue to the top of the screw and sticking a drill bit to it. wait for the supeglue to harden and then try to twist it out. I had a similar problem when trying to replace the HDD for a macbook pro

adi_adit | # 7 | 2010-05-24, 21:58 | Report

you can try if ktchiu's way works. it might help in some cases, but the glue might not work always. you might get irritated in the process of extracting the screws but this will result in even more damage to the device. now, there is practically no solution to this problem without spending any money. you will have to get some tool extractor type of thing which won't be very expensive. I am just giving you the links for such products.

you have mentioned that "
I've removed the remaining 4 screws (with great difficulty, they seem cross threaded). Detailing the screws shows that the thread is damaged". the threads are still usable enough. if you find that either of the old screws are now damaged, don't use them, get new ones instead.

to remove those two screws, I'll quickly find some product for you. with great patience, you can finally extract them out also and can then use proper screws where needed for the entire phone.

I have some friends who work for Nokia Care and deal with such situations often. I'll ask them and report back in the next 12 hours. till then I'll find out some product which can be bought in UK

hyperspin | # 8 | 2010-05-25, 19:44 | Report

I would have a go at that method but its going to be too fiddly, and looking at how the other screws were jammed in, I'm doubtful that this method would work. I don't think the superglue wouldn't hold up to the effort required to remove the broken threads. Thank you all the same.


adi_adit, I've examined the 4 intact screws for the back plate of the screen. The threads are exceedingly worn and damaged. With the effort that was required to remove them and to do so without snapping them I wouldn't want to risk reusing these screws.

I've looked at stand-offs where these 4 screw are screwed into, although I cant see any damage I'm pretty sure there would be some.

I've searched the internet looking for something to remove the broken threads, although I couldn't find any product that deals with such small screws.The only advice I found was to drill and re-tap, but that's really not an ideal option as it could cause more of a mess.

I don't mind spending money where it is needed, in fact I am tempted to just buy a new touch screen assembly and a whole set of new screws just for the sake of using my N900 again.

It wouldn't be much of a problem, but I cant find anywhere that sells the set of screws (6 screen and the 4 longer case screws minus the 2 torx) or the touch screen assy which has the stand-offs for screen back plate screws.

If anyone could forward me to somewhere I can get these parts I would be most greatful since the process of removing the broken screws from the screen is really more hassle than its worth.

If you could find me something that I can buy here in the UK (I've looked and I cannot find anything of use) then I would be exceedingly grateful. I'm hopeful that your connections to people at Nokia Care maybe able to offer some advice.

Kindest Regards

sirfoxelot | # 9 | 2010-05-25, 20:15 | Report

Are you sure this was a Proper Nokia Authorised centre?

A true Nokia repair Centre would provide a receipt for repair and they would also have done the repair under warranty as dust intrusion is covered by the handset warranty

jflatt | # 10 | 2010-05-25, 20:28 | Report

I just recently bought a whole case from eBay for $15USD. It shipped from Hong Kong. It's obviously a fake, but it might have the parts you would need to replace it. When I get home in a few hours I can show you what came with the case.