This iPad Pro 12.9 Gen 3 came in for "No Backlight". Usually these are easy to fix. It'll be something simple like a blown filter, diode or a short on a backlight cap
In this case, there was a blown filter, but also previous repair attempt.
One of the pads was just gone with UV mask over it all. After scraping off all the mask, i discovered there was a giant hole.
Turns out, the last tech dug a hole & couldn't salvage the pad. In turn, it had a short within the layers.
This is the worst! It's very difficult to clear a short when it's within layers, because there's tiny little bits of ground everywhere. The more you dig, the more layers of ground you expose & can bridge & cause shorts
After much attempts, I finally cleared the short. I tried to just attach the filter to the backlight line within the hole, but that wasn't working. It always ended up with a short
So I decided to just bypass the pad & run a jumper directly to the next part of the circuit & that worked!
Until..... I noticed the iPad was stuck at 0% battery & not charging with the screen off.
I checked the battery connector & sure enough, there was a bent pin.
I know that wasn't me. I never slide my tool under the batt connector. Always to the side of it, as you can lift it & separate the connector & battery.
Replaced the connector & finally got it all fixed & customer is happy!
With previous repair attempts, it always makes it tricky, because you never know what kind of damage the last tech did & you have to pray they didn't mess up things beyond repair.
I'm glad this one didn't have any serious issues & all were resolvable 🙌
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 👇👇
Had an S23 Ultra come in for a simple display connector issue… but it turned into a mess after someone tried to fix it themselves.
Glue all over the connector, uneven solder, no flux used, pads almost compromised… the whole thing was shifted and barely hanging on.
This is one of those repairs that looks easy on YouTube, but in reality takes a lot of control, the right temps, and proper prep.
Ended up doing a full FPC replacement and got it fully working again.
Curious how you guys approach these:
Do you pre-tin connectors or go straight install?
Hot air only or hybrid with iron touch-up?
What temps / airflow are you running for these Samsung FPCs?
Also… how often are you seeing DIY attempts make things worse lately?
Full video here:
Had an iPhone 11 Pro Max come in for no power. Device was in excellent condition, no cracks, no signs of impact. Customer said it just randomly died.
Honestly, this is one of those classic faults I used to see all the time, and still enjoy because of how straightforward it is once you know what to look for.
First step, as always with no power, was checking current draw on the DC power supply.
Boot behavior:
Current was jumping all over the place. It would bounce from 0 → ~500mA → 0 → a few mA → back up again. Just constantly pulsing with no stable draw.
That kind of behavior usually points to a short on a NAND cap
So I threw it under the thermal cam (Seek Compact Pro). Timing is key here, because you only see heat when current is actually being drawn. When it drops to zero, there’s no heat signature.
Caught it at the right moment and found a hotspot on the board.
Under the microscope, the area showed a slightly darkened cap under the underfill, classic sign.
Ended up being a shorted PP3V0 cap ...
This one came in as a no power data recovery job. Customer said it died overnight, no prior damage, and Apple told them the board was done and data wasn’t recoverable.
Physically, the phone looks clean. No bends, no cracks, nothing obvious. I’m honestly not sure how the board ended up cracked, there’s no visible external damage that would typically cause this.
Here’s what I found 👇
Initial testing:
- Able to boot with minimal setup (board + screen + battery + charge port)
- Stuck at 5V, very low current draw (not charging)
- No touch response
- Boot current draw looked normal
Direction I took:
- Focused on the touch issue first (since no touch = no data access)
- Using an LCD aftermarket screen:
- Got image
- Still no touch
- OEM/OLED behavior pointed toward a board-level display/touch issue
What I found:
- While removing the shield over the display IC… found a board crack
- Several display connector pins reading OL (open line)
- Traces route from connector → PMIC / display IC ...
