Loose hinge

[itchy355 24]

Hi all. Been using my pro1 ever since this good community helped me to fix software hitches. Thanks again 😉

So now after about a half year, the right side hinge (at the screen) started to become loose at open position. It rattles about half a millimeter; I wouldn't care about it much but it's started about two months ago with a barely noticeable wiggle and has gotten worse. I am pretty sure out of warranty now (unless you get a new full year warranty with a replacement unit?). Did this happen to any of you? This is not related to any fall (experienced my first fall just two days ago, doh) or hard usage.. I always open the screen very slowly & carefully, too..

[Jacob_S 128]

1 hour ago, itchy355 said:

Hi all. Been using my pro1 ever since this good community helped me to fix software hitches. Thanks again 😉

So now after about a half year, the right side hinge (at the screen) started to become loose at open position. It rattles about half a millimeter; I wouldn't care about it much but it's started about two months ago with a barely noticeable wiggle and has gotten worse. I am pretty sure out of warranty now (unless you get a new full year warranty with a replacement unit?). Did this happen to any of you? This is not related to any fall (experienced my first fall just two days ago, doh) or hard usage.. I always open the screen very slowly & carefully, too..

I had that from the beginning. Sent my phone in and they exchanged the right mount of the hinge. Then it was good for a while, but now it is rattling again. I think the cause is a combination of the asymmetric design and the fact, that the pin of the hinge sits directly in plastic. I think @EskeRahn found a way to dampen some noise by adding felt at a certain spot, but I am not totally sure, if that was about the same problem and in which thread it was described.

Regarding the warranty:

"The Pro1 comes with a 2 year warranty on the device, which covers any manufacturing defects." 

[Doktor Oswaldo 904]

Try to tighten the screws first. That usually helps.
If not it depends on the part that wiggles and if it is in open state or not.
Usually some dampers help, or just shoving a tiny piece of paper under the hinge.

[EskeRahn 5,427]

Yes it is two different issues.

One is something gotten loose or worn, the last should be unlikely this soon. For the loose I too would check the screws as the first guess.

Another is that the support-arm when closed are free, and thus can rattle a little if you shake the device, a tiny piece of ½-1mm thick self-adhesive rubber or felt can be placed in the 'groove' for it. to inhibit its movement.

[pebert 98]

It seems to be quite big tolerances for the hinge screws, looked at mine 2 days ago. 1 of the screws where 1.65mm in diameter, the other one 1.78mm

Will do an attempt to make new screws to se if that helps. 

[itchy355 24]

IDK. Tried the screws; they looked pretty tight - was in fact scared to tight them much more. From my point of view it seems one of the hinge shafts is loose in the bushing. Tried to video it, with my old phone, sorry for the quality 😃 ..hope it works at all, never shared a video yet.

 

link

 

..the movement is very apparent front-back and less apparent top-down. Sometimes it makes a sort of low pitch squeaking sound..

 

Checking again in a half-open position:

- the top (display side) right hinge is loose

- the top left hinge is rock solid

- both bottom hinges rock solid

- the top helper arm (the small arm on left side below the main hinge) is solid

- the bottom helper arm hinge is loose

all of this only the main top right hinge is really noticeable as the control arm only goes to show when you keep the phone half open trying to move the display a bit.

Edited March 18, 2021 by itchy355

[Jacob_S 128]

15 minutes ago, itchy355 said:

IDK. Tried the screws; they looked pretty tight - was in fact scared to tight them much more. From my point of view it seems one of the hinge shafts is loose in the bushing. Tried to video it, with my old phone, sorry for the quality 😃 ..hope it works at all, never shared a video yet.

 

link

 

..the movement is very apparent front-back and less apparent top-down. Sometimes it makes a sort of low pitch squeaking sound..

 

Checking again in a half-open position:

- the top (display side) right hinge is loose

- the top left hinge is rock solid

- both bottom hinges rock solid

- the top helper arm (the small arm on left side below the main hinge) is solid

- the bottom helper arm hinge is loose

all of this only the main top right hinge is really noticeable as the control arm only goes to show when you keep the phone half open trying to move the display a bit.

Yup, that is exactly what mine was/is doing as well :/

[VaZso 1,997]

4 minutes ago, Jacob_S said:

Yup, that is exactly what mine was/is doing as well 😕

Mine also does this, however, I am satisfied how it works. It does not rattle in closed position and although it rattles a bit in open position, I feel it is absolutely okay.

However, I have a second Pro1 which is practically unused (never used by me other than a few times turned on which is much less than 10).
It is because I feel it rattles really too much in closed position which frustrates me to a point which caused me to not use it although I wanted to use it for testing alternative OSes. However, it is not rattling in opened position.

So, that one does not do this  movement like in the video, but as it is completely unused , it may be also related.
Currently I treat it as a spare unit, so if a big problem appears with my correctly working (not rattling) Pro1, like a mainboard issue, I may replace it using the motherboard of this phone... but it is very unlikely if I would ever use that phone as it is now.
It also came together with an injury of the display frame which F(x)tec has replaced, but did nothing with the rattling which was my biggest issue with it.
They have also caused disassembly signs on the circles above screws which I could avoid on my daily driver Pro1 when I have replaced its screen.

So, basically the rattling which makes problems for me is the one which exists when the hinge is closed (so when touch function is usually the main input method, it produces annoying sound and movement which plays on my nerves).
I have tried to put some pads under display frame but it is still not good and maybe it is currently a bit too high this way.

I suspect the part which holds the display part has some problems in my unit, maybe around the "support" behind the right arm which does not have the additional support arm. 😞 
However, I think a later revision has solved this issue, so probably it does not affect Pro1-X assembly.

[itchy355 24]

Well it's not a problem from using point of view, though I am scared it will get worse. I will check my purchase date and probably will send it back soon enough before it's expiration, if it worsens.

Thanks all.

[pebert 98]

On 3/18/2021 at 1:00 AM, itchy355 said:

IDK. Tried the screws; they looked pretty tight - was in fact scared to tight them much more. From my point of view it seems one of the hinge shafts is loose in the bushing. Tried to video it, with my old phone, sorry for the quality 😃 ..hope it works at all, never shared a video yet.

 

that's the isssue, there are no bushings. Maybe should start fabricating some, will be much more simple compared to making new screws. 

On 3/18/2021 at 8:10 AM, itchy355 said:

Well it's not a problem from using point of view, though I am scared it will get worse. I will check my purchase date and probably will send it back soon enough before it's expiration, if it worsens.

Thanks all.

couldn't agree more, and as a micro mechanics engineer and watchmaker it really bothers me

[itchy355 24]

I would be more than glad to buy them off you if you make something that would help.

[EskeRahn 5,427]

In open position I can -sort of- recreate the ratteling by moving the top of the display. BUT if I put a finger to the bottom of the display (near the keyboard) there are none. So it is clearly the support arm that is loose, not the main plate on mine.

[itchy355 24]

Just FWIW; after brief talk with support (wanted to claim warranty) they made me tighten the *inner* screws (didn't know about those - they act as the hinge axis). Now the rattling is back to something I agreed to call okay.

I tried to tighten the bottom screw too (the one holding the support arm) to no luck. Basically the screw is too thin or the hinge is too wide. Now I see a way out though; next time I will take the thing apart I'll try to get hold of some PTFE sticky tape, they come in different thicknesses and just stick it around the screw; hopefully that will keep the thing in good shape until the end of the world.

By the way, of course I broke off the fingerprint reader. Stupid me. During the reassembly, I noticed some rubber part fell off the phone and didn't bother putting it down while looking for it; of course the cover with the flex attached slipped out of my hand and broke off. Thankfully the fxtec can send me a new back cover (which includes the sensor) for GBP 46, which is manageable..

[DieBruine 397]

Next time buy some Loctite or equivalent and add that to those screws. I've had at least four Pro'1 in my hands with this "issue". I don't know which Loctite -equivalent they used during assembly, but I'll tell you it's pretty worthless. The screws in my personal phone came loose 2/3's!

Edited June 8, 2021 by DieBruine

[Jacob_S 128]

6 hours ago, itchy355 said:

Just FWIW; after brief talk with support (wanted to claim warranty) they made me tighten the *inner* screws (didn't know about those - they act as the hinge axis). Now the rattling is back to something I agreed to call okay.

I tried to tighten the bottom screw too (the one holding the support arm) to no luck. Basically the screw is too thin or the hinge is too wide. Now I see a way out though; next time I will take the thing apart I'll try to get hold of some PTFE sticky tape, they come in different thicknesses and just stick it around the screw; hopefully that will keep the thing in good shape until the end of the world.

By the way, of course I broke off the fingerprint reader. Stupid me. During the reassembly, I noticed some rubber part fell off the phone and didn't bother putting it down while looking for it; of course the cover with the flex attached slipped out of my hand and broke off. Thankfully the fxtec can send me a new back cover (which includes the sensor) for GBP 46, which is manageable..

Had I known it was that easy to fix, I wouldn't have sent my phone in back then. But good to see, that it can be solved at home.

[VaZso 1,997]

10 hours ago, itchy355 said:

Just FWIW; after brief talk with support (wanted to claim warranty) they made me tighten the *inner* screws (didn't know about those - they act as the hinge axis). Now the rattling is back to something I agreed to call okay.

Which are those screws?

I have a second Pro1 laying around which I have never used as I feel it rattles too much and I become very frustrated when I see it.
Also it was arrived together with broken display frame (they told it is a scratch but I think it broke in factory, maybe it was dropped but there were no other injuries), so I sent it back for repair but they have completely disregarded what I told him about the rattling and asked them several ways if they have also solved it which support gave a positive answer.

...but as rattling has not changed, I know they did nothing with that, so I put it to a corner of my table and it sits there since then.

I am thinking of it as a spare for a potential mainboard or other components replacement but initially I thought to use it for experiencing LineageOS or other things which I could not use it for because I always became nervous when I looked at it.
Also, stock screen replacement took visible traces on all screw covers while I could replace only the screen on my daily driver Pro1 without any visible traces on them.

So I may also open it if there is a chance for real solution to solve rattling, I have not even tested if all functions are working at all because of things above anyway.
Also tried to put some rubbers below the screen but I did not feel to be a real solution - I thought the base mechanic itself is a bit deformed, also thought it is because screen frame had that injury at factory.

As an opposite, I really love my daily driver Pro1 and I would like to move to LineageOS when I will be brave enough doing it on a daily driver, so it would be much better if I could repair my spare Pro1 so I may also use it for testing. (Experiencing and setting up Magisk, Magisk-hide, adapt own keyboard layout changes, etc...)
However, that is also an unexpected but good test for the amount of self-discharging caused by internal design of electronics...

Anyway, also my daily driver Pro1 is in good physical condition as I have a rubber case and also some foil guard installed.

Sorry for writing this so long.

[itchy355 24]

Hi, yeah, I guess you'd be a great book writer :-)

from the sound of it this won't help ya (my phone was rattling in the open position, not closed) but anyway.

You gotta open the phone, turn it upside down, you'll see 5 black circles in a distinct 'W' pattern on the back of it; carefully remove them with a razor blade or something, there are screws under it. Unscrew, carefully pop out the display from the back frame with a plastic prying tool. Make sure not to break the flex cable, which needs to be disconnected. After the display itself is gone, you'll see where the hinges are; and the screws that hold it in place (and act as axes to the hinges). You'll need a long tip mini phillips driver (as the screws are perpendicular to the hinges and you access the heads from the side of the phone, there's quite a long groove).

If those screws are tight (and the hinges don't rattle around that part), you will probably see the if the problem is in the bottom. In that case you can try doing the same with the bottom - the same screws are there. Just make sure to not break the fingerprint reader cable as I did.

There's a tutorial describing the process. The guy uses some weird soda can pieces to pry everything open.. this I don't understand, a normal plastic phone tools work just fine and you don't scratch anything. The body takes quite a lot of force to break apart; after all it's steel plate with aluminum cover...

If your problem is in the hinge itself (I can imagine it being bent in some part or just not machined precisely enough) you'll be out of luck. But at least you can see what the problem is and probably get a replacement for a small amount..

Good luck to you sir :)