I got an iPad Mini 4 Celluar version here for "charging port". Tristar tester passes port & passes tristar. The battery has also been replaced.
So when the battery is dead (low battery state), it will charge normally at 1.8A or so. But once it boots, it drops down to 0.0134A via USB. Since it's not charging, it is stuck at 1% and basically reboots every few minutes.
This is the telltale sign that PMIC is bad. This is really common on iPad Air 2 and Mini 4.
So the tricky thing with these Mini 4, there seems to be 2 versions, according to Mobile Sentrix
343S0674 "4G version"
and another that is "blank" - "Wifi version"
The original PMIC on the board was blank.
But the MS listing said the one with the markings was for 4G. This Mini 4 is 4G as well.
I installed it & no power. It would draw like 60mA via USB (with no battery) and just hang there. This is not normal behavior for no battery.
I tried another one, just in case it was defective. Same thing.
So I went ahead & decided to install the "blank" PMIC, which is labeled as "WiFi". Sure enough, it is now booting & charging properly. Also, WiFi is working! In the past, wrong PMIC on Air 2 has caused WiFi to be grayed out. So I was expecting to run into that being this is the "wrong" PMIC.
Cellular function works too!
My question now is.. what PMIC do I use for the Mini 4 WiFi version? Lol
I have done several PMIC replacements in the past for Mini 4 and Air 2. But I never really tried to keep track of which version i used for which. This post is basically to help me document this somewhere, so I know for next time lol
If you have a Seek Thermal Cam, you're missing out if you don't have a VCC Seek Stand: https://www.vccboardrepairs.com/buy-seek-stand
Injured Gadgets just got these back in stock, so get them while you can!
It can take us a while to build these out sometimes, so they're sometimes out of stock for a while, but we're working towards always having inventory ready to build more as they sell out.
This stand makes using a thermal cam so easy. So much better than any other thermal solution on the market.
It allows you to get real close up (using my Macro Lens), and easily find where the short is coming from.
Plus it's hard free, so you can have your hands free to try to boot the device from DCPS, while having an image that is in focus & not moving around.
You can even record a video through the app, while you inject voltage into the short, so you can go back & see exactly which component was it that was heating up.
Save yourself lots of time by getting a Seek Cam, Stand & Macro Lens! ...
Anyone who is doing game console repairs, knows how many screws you need to remove to access the motherboard.
Especially the PS5, with the 5,000 screws or so.
If you don't already have an electric screwdriver, GET ONE ASAP.
🌟 Cordless Screwdriver with T9 Bit: https://amzn.to/3E5duCj
🌟Extended T9 Bit: https://amzn.to/3c4YJac
It's rechargeable through micro USB and allows you to easily swap the tips out. You can also fold it to be straight or L shape.
Let me know below if you are already using an electric screwdriver 👇👇
Working on a new full length YouTube video right now, and it’s a good one.
iPhone 14 Pro Max – Water Damaged Data Recovery
This board was a tricky one with corroded caps & ICs and had a bunch of issues going on.
Not your typical “replace a part and it works” type of job.
I go through the full process step-by-step:
-
diagnosing the faults
-
finding the shorts
-
clearing the corrosion
-
and getting it stable enough to recover the data
Still editing it, but it should be posted soon ✅
If you’re into board level repair or want to learn how to troubleshoot stuff like this, keep an eye out.
Video link will be in the comments when it’s live.
This phone came in after another data recovery tech already attempted it and called it a no fix.
They even wrote “NO FIX” on the back of the phone.
The board had some water damage, and they tried running it through an ultrasonic cleaner, but it didn’t resolve anything.
What really bothered me was the CPU.
They scratched it for some reason (completely unnecessary), and it also showed signs of overheating.
At that point, I didn’t bother chasing partial fixes.
I decided to go straight for a full CPU swap to recover the data.
CPU swap was successful ✅
Phone booted.
Data is intact.
In this pic, I’m backing up the customer’s Inkpad notes.
Another reminder that “no fix” doesn’t always mean no data 😌
Got 2 new workbenches built out at my shop!
One is a larger & more robust shipping bench, where we do all the packing/shipping. So all the boxes, packing material like bubble wrap & packing paper, etc will be on there.
Then there's the actual workbench where I plan on hiring another associate to help us with handling all the shipping tasks & device intakes.
Was this a good investment??
