This iPad 7 came in for Bootlooping/Error 9 after battery replacement.
Error 9 is really common after battery replacement. The theory is that a fully dead battery will kill the NAND when it's stuck bootlooping for a long time.
Although I can't say for sure that's why. But almost every Error 9 I see, has a history of a battery replacement right before it happened.
Error 9 requires a NAND replacement. In this case, the NAND was fully dead. I could not read it on my P14 Pro. (My JC P7 wasn't working at all either).
But I was able to at least get the original Serial Number when it was stuck in Recovery Mode.
I replaced the NAND with a 32GB NAND from an iPhone 7. I wrote a generic SYSCFG from an iPad 6 (2018) due to the P14 Pro software not having iPad 7 for some reasons. And I made sure to edit the junk SN it created & write the original SN, even though I didn't have the original WiFi/BT Address.
I then soldered the NAND onto the board, restored it & it was successfully booting, but No Touch & would not activate (due to wrong WiFi/BT Address).
I then used Purple Mode to "Query original factory code" which gave me the correct SN, WiFi, BT for this device within seconds. Maybe like 30 sec or so.
I also noticed in Purple Mode, the P14 Pro software had iPad 7 generic SYSCFG option. So I also clicked "Write standard bottom layer", then edit in the correct SN, Wifi/BT Address, also edited the Model from "CH/A" to "LL/A" for USA region. Wrote all that in and then restored the iPad one more time.
Then the iPad had touch & was able to activate. Unfortunately, I am currently waiting to hear from the customer for their iCloud info. But it should be fully functional now.
This was the first time ever I've seen a bad SYSCFG cause no touch. I was certain it was actually a CPU issue, as I had tested another known good digitizer & these iPad 7 are notorious for touch problems due to CPU.
I hope you found this helpful!
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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.
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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 👇👇
This one came in completely dead with abnormal USB meter behavior. It would detect 5V but amperage was stuck and not ramping.
Power supply testing showed elevated current draw on boot compared to a known-good donor board.
Thermal camera confirmed heat at the USB-C charging controller under shield.
Replaced:
• Charging controller IC - ACE(SN20122027)
• ROM / SPI Flash IC
Restored proper 9V fast charging and normal current behavior.
Original battery was also fully discharged and wouldn’t take a jump.
Full diagnostic + board repair video here:
This iPad Pro 11-inch had already been worked on, but the real problem wasn’t the port.
Using a USB-C PD meter and Mechanic USB-C tester, I was able to confirm abnormal charging behavior and trace the issue deeper into the board. The fault ended up being a failed CD3215C00 charging controller IC and TriStar.
After replacing the ICs, recovering the battery voltage, and verifying proper USB-C PD negotiation, the iPad returned to full 15V fast charging.
This is why proper diagnostics matter. The charging port is only one part of the circuit.
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Repair techs: how often do you see charging IC failures after port damage?
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Watch the full repair video here 👀:
Just posted a new iPad charging port repair video for techs dealing with base model iPads and Air/Pro variants with soldered dock flexes.
This iPad 7 was a classic life but no charge case. In the video I walk through:
- Confirming it’s a charging issue and not a no-power board fault
- Using a USB charging meter to verify current draw
- Verifying the port with the Mechanic Lightning tester
- Confirming dock flex failure with the Blue Tristar tester
- The soldering technique I use to remove and replace these dock flexes without ripping pads or damaging surrounding components
This design applies to multiple iPad generations, so the diagnostic and soldering process carries over to a lot of models.
Curious who still struggles with replacing these dock flexes without ripping pads?
🔥Full video breakdown of diagnosing and replacing a soldered iPad charging port:
