Strange screen problem

[phr0z]

Hello xda community ive got a strange problem that i wish you could help me with, sometimes my HTC Wizard 2.x IPL freezes and the screen goes white with like a 'fading effect' for no reason, its most probably hardware problem right?

[Whazoo]

I am having the same problem. I have not been able to isolate if it is Flash memory problem, battery or some other hardware problem.

I was having some major problem with my early 2006 version of T-mobile MDA. I had upgraded to the official T-mobile upgrade ROM when it was released a couple of years ago.

The phone started flaking out this spring. at one point I had to buy a new battery and charger because I had discharged the internal battery too far. I've also "jump-started" the battery using a bench power supply to apply a constant current to get it up to speed when I had a dead battery at work.

And, when I busted the USB/power connector, one of the re-work techs soldered it back on after I dissambled the unit.

Anyway, I had been having lock-up problems before the latest dead battery issues, and had wanted to try a new ROM. When the unit did a hard reset of its own, I decided I had nothing to lose. It had been resetting itself several times a day.

I installed Slim Diamond, and enjoyed WM6 greatly. Phone worked more or less fine for more than a month, and then it started failing again. I found myself having to remove the battery to recover, and sometimes keeping the battery out for hours seemed to help. It got so bad it wouldn't even boot to a usable phone before giving me the White Screen of Death.

I managed to get it back to bootloader and re-install diamond. Worked fine getting booted, and I made some calls. then locking up in WSOD again. Blasted a Prodigy ROM onto it. Booted and let it sit connected by USB. Everything seemed fine, downloaded e-mail etc. Then, unplugged and left the house. When I tried to call, everything went fine until the point where the call should have stopped ringing and connected. Then, WSOD.

Is there a non-hardware fix for this, some ROM or tweak?
If it is a hardware fix, what is the likely culprit? I can do SMD work if needed.

Thanks

Whazoo

P.S. I should mention that when the WSOD would strike, the phone locks up completely, and if left like that, the battery gets warm.

[phr0z]

excactly what happens to me..btw for some reason i think its battery problem, because i got it off ebay and ive seen other similar problems with bad batteries for some reason..hope someone can help us

[Whazoo]

excactly what happens to me..btw for some reason i think its battery problem, because i got it off ebay and ive seen other similar problems with bad batteries for some reason..hope someone can help us

I was thinking that. I had noticed that it failed most often when trying to make a call, something that is power intensive.

I tried something today. I left the SIM out and just used it as a PDA. It seemed to work longer between reboots. However, it still rebooted while connected to a USB power source. Also, it seemed to not want to charge at times.

Even more interesting is this thread which may be related.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=444256
The excessive battery usage seems to fit with what I am getting. I wonder if something has been triggered which causes the system to drain th battery quickly, and lead to low-voltage conditions.

[ugachiaga]

I am having the same problem, sometimes the screen is filled with vertical lines and then fades to white. Only thing that helps is sliding out the keyboard. I think this is due to the faulty flex cable that connects the motherboard and the screen. I have ran some tests when my device was disasembled (but powered on). The screen was working fine, even when i was bending and streching the flex cable, but after asembling it back again, screen glithes continued. I've then reinforced the flex cable connector on the mobo with some rubber pads and electrical tape, and this seems to be almost working :) (screen jerks only happen 2-4 times a week)As Whazoo pointed out, those screen jerks used to appear more often during power intensive tasks, like receiving a call. Probably this is due to the loose cable connection. Less power than needed is flowing through the circuits and this causes the sreen to "crash".
BTW I have T-Mobile MDA

[Technical Tim]

I have the same issue with my xda mini s and have been contemplating disassembling my phone for a closer look.

It is difficult to take these phones apart ?

Cheers

TT

[Bebob_NL]

I've had the same issues. I suspect faulty hardware. Do you guys experience "dancing" pixels short before a WSOD? Those dancing pixels can be overcome when applying sufficient pressure to the bottom of the phone. I personally suspect a worn flatcable between motherboard en LCD unit which fails to make a solid connection between both. I have to mention that I too have jump started a "dead" battery once. WSOD problems started occurring several moths after. I doubt it is linked.
Currently, the phone is stuck in bootloader, being unable to flash a new ROM on to it since it keeps on rebooting itself every few seconds to minutes. I guess it is a total loss. The phone lasted only a few months when the stylus started to drop out and it took only 16 months before the dreaded WSOD started. At first only a couple of times a week while increasing after a few weeks. I recon a motherboard transplant could fix the problem.

[PTG]

Hi,

got the same problem. And i have also "dancing" pixels, the screen seems to "flicker"

[Whazoo]

oh dear!

I'l have to see if this is a simple flex cable issue. Of course I had just convinced the wife the MDA I have was a hopeless case. I replaced it this week with an 8925 off eBay that I unlocked and flashed to the HTC WWE for Kaiser. BTW, the Kaiser/8925 is a nice upgrade. So, I'll take apart the old phone and see if I can get it working. If so, I'll keep it for a backup.

One question I have is why does it seem to be related to radio usage and battery drain/short life.

[tzunlee]

flashing bluring and reboting.
i´m trying find a original rom to see if fix it...

after i upgrade to wm6 the old one (wm5) that was corrupted and missing files its draining the battery in few minutes.......
----------------------------------------- xx ------------------------------- xx --------------------------------------
7 days trying fix it....
My friend was think a batery problem... He buyed a new one and used the original rom on that. The defect not desapear. The screen still blur, flashing, and the batery begin to warm up to fast, one day the batery was near blow... the batery was too fat, like a pig near christmas!

He give me the Wiza200, I find a used batery, thats work for 4 days and begin to warm up, the celular was draining to fast, and the batery warm up to fasssssst tooo. after 2 days its just no signal...

Take of batery, wait 50 minutes on charging. Turning on, reboot, reboot, reboot, reset, then it begin to be normal, after 5 minutes, no signal, and flashing and bluring the screen and itelf reboot and lock on boot screen... Anoyed i used a ATX pc power suply direct on + and - contacts, soldered some capacitors on main board and same problem. Its draining near 500ma... with sim card its work fine. i can use the games for near 20 minutes, no blur screen just reseting. I take voltages near the processor and radio and sim card suply its almost stable... variation of 10mVolts - 50mVolt... I changed the capacitors for new ones... The mobile begin to be more estable, but bluring and rebooting when put the sim card, reseting near 4 - 5 times on windows... and be estable again... but no signal.


I made a full rom backup, radio etc... tryed to change ROM... nothing change, then I tryied change radio... used the hardcpl.... sucefull changed the radio and the the ipl and cpl.... puff its just reseting and reseting again... Just dont reseting when on it was on bot block screen. I lose time searching a original ROM... My friend send me last rom used... all software back to original and the problem.... Damn...
This device was used near a beach for 2 years...

Unescrewed, again open the case... lift the shields.... clean... clean and clean... this device stoped to reboot, but no signal... wi fi useful, windows ok... used it for 2 days with no problem... when its locked up, and i reset it... Damn dont turn on, just on boot screen, and blur and flash screen and reboot itself near 3 seconds...

I lose my mind. I dissasembled all, put all things on water and a little of a soap, washed all device... for 30 minutes.
warm up all device for 40 celcius for 40 minutes and reasembled... Nothing... warm up with 40 celcius for more 30 minutes...

Wow. its turn on again......!!!! And COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOlllll no more drain the batery!!!!!! Excelent signal and im using the fone! 40 minutes and its normal... y go to street, receive some calls and its alive!!!!

Resume: 90% of hardare celular problems is sweat of hands, just need clean.

I hope help someone with it

[mr.incredible]

I had the same problem a year ago. Sorry to say I never found a solution. I ended up buying another used one from eBay. ROMs won't help I flash my phones a lot looking for the perfect combination. I think you are on the right track with the connector between the display and MB. I think it has to do with condensation and heat. Explains why heavier powered use causes the problem. The more battery drain, the more internal heat. When I finally gave up on mine, It wouldn't boot anymore. Actually it does boot and everything is working. I've even received calls with the screen white. I picked it up a couple months ago, tinkering with it. I put a fresh battery in and it booted up and lasted about 10 min. I was excited for a while thinking time had fixed it. Bummer. Good luck. I hope you find your solution.

[seeteemahsuu]

i've been experiencing vertical lines & flicker with my tmobile mda especially within the submenus. found out that by lowering the overclock (omapclock) to a value near its default clock speed, the problems disappear. i'm guessing it might be related to overclocking my gadget.