K3 won't charge...

speedlever · 07-19-2013, 08:08 AM

and now I know why.

This is my daughter's K3 which she got in December 2010... so it's about 2.5 years old. I bought her a lighted case for it, but after a while, she decided she preferred the K3 without the case and carried it in her bookbag without the case on it.

Recently she told me that it won't charge and only displays this screen:

[Image violates Posting Guidelines for size - MODERATOR]

I've tried charging, hard resetting, etc. to no avail. So I figured the battery had died an early death (my K3, same age as hers - in the lighted case - continues to charge and give me healthy 6 to 8 weeks of battery life).

I bought a new battery, took the back off her K3 and changed out the battery. No change in behavior.

I noticed when I took the back off that one of the motherboard screws was missing. I also recall hearing something loose in her K3 soon after she got it, but since it worked fine, I never bothered to investigate.

Since the new battery didn't help, I decided to dismantle her K3 and see if I could find that missing screw. Nope, no luck at all. However, I did find the reason her K3 won't appear to take a charge. The eInk screen is broken!

[Image violates Posting Guidelines for size - MODERATOR]

While not obvious from the outside, a look inside tells the tale that leaving off the case had fatal results. It certainly appears obvious from the inside that something pressed against the screen hard enough to break the internal eInk display while leaving the exterior glass unaffected.

I guess she gets a new paperwhite Kindle in the near future. With a protective case that she will NOT remove.

Here's what the insides of the K3 look like:

[Image violates Posting Guidelines for size - MODERATOR]

There are a fair number of tiny screws. Removing the back was the most tedious part of the process. Changing the battery is a non-event otherwise. However, I suspect changing out the eInk display will not be cost effective.

Speaking of a new Kindle, I have my workflow comfortably established when I get a new ebook. I download it to my PC, upload (and strip DRM) to calibre, then email the book to whichever Kindle it's going to.

Will a new Kindle break my comfy process?

pidgeon92 · 07-19-2013, 11:41 PM

I'm surprised that the Kindle won't charge with a broken screen.I

I am not surprised that the screen is broken. I can see it on your first pic, there is a distinct marking on the screen between the two paragraphs that indicates a broken substrate.

speedlever · 07-19-2013, 11:59 PM

She showed me where she kept the naked K3 in her book bag. It is a padded slot and she kept the screen facing a flat surface. We can't figure out what could have caused the screen to break.

The yellow charge light will come on for a while, then it goes out but the display never changes. I suppose I could put my multimeter on the old battery and see how it's holding up.

Edward_R · 07-20-2013, 12:01 AM

Since you've gone through the trouble of taking it apart you may want to look at the parts list on this post: http://www.powerbookmedic.com/Amazon...p-1-c-694.html

speedlever · 07-20-2013, 12:05 AM

$50 for a new eInk panel. But only $2 for a battery!

Thanks for that link. Not sure what I'm going to do at this point.

hunnymonster · 07-20-2013, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedlever

It is a padded slot and she kept the screen facing a flat surface. We can't figure out what could have caused the screen to break.

You mentioned something rattling before... Wedged between the screen and rear of the case, apply pressure to (flexible) rear and ping! The fragile screen would break especially if it was point pressure as might be exerted by pressing on a loose screw)

speedlever · 07-20-2013, 05:35 AM

True. But I never did find that missing screw I was searching for when I removed the mobo and found the cracked screen.

I'm tempted to remove the back of my fully functional K3 and check all the screws for tightness. Some of the screws on her K3 were not tight.

pidgeon92 · 07-20-2013, 12:00 PM

The break may also have occurred if the unit was torqued in any way. Easy enough to do even in a padded bag.

HarryT · 07-21-2013, 05:19 AM

Always, ALWAYS use a decent case. The K3 is not very rigid, and any flexing of the device will break the screen substrate.

speedlever · 07-21-2013, 11:25 AM

NOW you tell me.

HarryT · 07-21-2013, 11:31 AM

You've been here since 2010. I must have said it 100 times during those three years. It's not my fault if you don't listen...

speedlever · 07-21-2013, 12:55 PM

Now now Harry. You simply must pay attention to humor when you see it.

jineapple · 07-22-2013, 07:33 AM

The workflow should be fine with any Kindle

If you're buying a new reader (since repairing it probably isn't worth it regarding the cost of the screen alone), I'd suggest contacting Amazon's customer support, they will probably give you a discount on a new model, even if out of guarantee and regardless of whether it's your fault or not. You probably won't be able to get another Keyboard though, as those are discontinued - You'll most likely get to choose between a Kindle, Kindle touch and Kindle Paperwhite.

speedlever · 07-22-2013, 07:50 AM

That's a nice idea. Thanks for the thought. I agree that a repair is probably not worth it.

I was curious about the workflow issue as I didn't know if Amazon changed anything in the new readers that might interfere with my process. Thanks for that info.

terencek · 07-25-2013, 07:04 AM

The only reason some of us are determined to hang onto our K3 Keyboards is if we bought the model with lifetime free 3G. I love checking the BBC headlines when reading in bed etc., and as we know Amazon severaly curtailed this feature in its later 3G iterations.

07-19-2013, 08:08 AM	#1
speedlever Fanatic Posts: 592 Karma: 138200 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: PW2014, PW2012, iPad Pro	K3 won't charge... and now I know why. This is my daughter's K3 which she got in December 2010... so it's about 2.5 years old. I bought her a lighted case for it, but after a while, she decided she preferred the K3 without the case and carried it in her bookbag without the case on it. Recently she told me that it won't charge and only displays this screen: [Image violates Posting Guidelines for size - MODERATOR] I've tried charging, hard resetting, etc. to no avail. So I figured the battery had died an early death (my K3, same age as hers - in the lighted case - continues to charge and give me healthy 6 to 8 weeks of battery life). I bought a new battery, took the back off her K3 and changed out the battery. No change in behavior. I noticed when I took the back off that one of the motherboard screws was missing. I also recall hearing something loose in her K3 soon after she got it, but since it worked fine, I never bothered to investigate. Since the new battery didn't help, I decided to dismantle her K3 and see if I could find that missing screw. Nope, no luck at all. However, I did find the reason her K3 won't appear to take a charge. The eInk screen is broken! [Image violates Posting Guidelines for size - MODERATOR] While not obvious from the outside, a look inside tells the tale that leaving off the case had fatal results. It certainly appears obvious from the inside that something pressed against the screen hard enough to break the internal eInk display while leaving the exterior glass unaffected. I guess she gets a new paperwhite Kindle in the near future. With a protective case that she will NOT remove. Here's what the insides of the K3 look like: [Image violates Posting Guidelines for size - MODERATOR] There are a fair number of tiny screws. Removing the back was the most tedious part of the process. Changing the battery is a non-event otherwise. However, I suspect changing out the eInk display will not be cost effective. Speaking of a new Kindle, I have my workflow comfortably established when I get a new ebook. I download it to my PC, upload (and strip DRM) to calibre, then email the book to whichever Kindle it's going to. Will a new Kindle break my comfy process? Last edited by Dr. Drib; 08-27-2015 at 08:02 PM. Reason: added question about a new Kindle

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07-19-2013, 11:41 PM	#2
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	I'm surprised that the Kindle won't charge with a broken screen.I I am not surprised that the screen is broken. I can see it on your first pic, there is a distinct marking on the screen between the two paragraphs that indicates a broken substrate.

07-19-2013, 11:59 PM	#3
speedlever Fanatic Posts: 592 Karma: 138200 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: PW2014, PW2012, iPad Pro	She showed me where she kept the naked K3 in her book bag. It is a padded slot and she kept the screen facing a flat surface. We can't figure out what could have caused the screen to break. The yellow charge light will come on for a while, then it goes out but the display never changes. I suppose I could put my multimeter on the old battery and see how it's holding up.

07-20-2013, 12:01 AM	#4
Edward_R Zealot Posts: 111 Karma: 516224 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Pacific Northwest (about 35 miles northeast of Seattle) Device: K3 / HP 10" Tablet (FBreader Installed)	Since you've gone through the trouble of taking it apart you may want to look at the parts list on this post: http://www.powerbookmedic.com/Amazon...p-1-c-694.html

07-20-2013, 12:05 AM	#5
speedlever Fanatic Posts: 592 Karma: 138200 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: PW2014, PW2012, iPad Pro	$50 for a new eInk panel. But only $2 for a battery! Thanks for that link. Not sure what I'm going to do at this point.

07-20-2013, 05:35 AM	#7
speedlever Fanatic Posts: 592 Karma: 138200 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: PW2014, PW2012, iPad Pro	True. But I never did find that missing screw I was searching for when I removed the mobo and found the cracked screen. I'm tempted to remove the back of my fully functional K3 and check all the screws for tightness. Some of the screws on her K3 were not tight.

07-20-2013, 12:00 PM	#8
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	The break may also have occurred if the unit was torqued in any way. Easy enough to do even in a padded bag.

07-21-2013, 05:19 AM	#9
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Always, ALWAYS use a decent case. The K3 is not very rigid, and any flexing of the device will break the screen substrate.

07-21-2013, 11:25 AM	#10
speedlever Fanatic Posts: 592 Karma: 138200 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: PW2014, PW2012, iPad Pro	NOW you tell me.

07-21-2013, 11:31 AM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	You've been here since 2010. I must have said it 100 times during those three years. It's not my fault if you don't listen...

07-21-2013, 12:55 PM	#12
speedlever Fanatic Posts: 592 Karma: 138200 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: PW2014, PW2012, iPad Pro	Now now Harry. You simply must pay attention to humor when you see it.

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07-22-2013, 07:33 AM	#13
jineapple Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 107250 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Germany Device: Kindle Paperwhite	The workflow should be fine with any Kindle If you're buying a new reader (since repairing it probably isn't worth it regarding the cost of the screen alone), I'd suggest contacting Amazon's customer support, they will probably give you a discount on a new model, even if out of guarantee and regardless of whether it's your fault or not. You probably won't be able to get another Keyboard though, as those are discontinued - You'll most likely get to choose between a Kindle, Kindle touch and Kindle Paperwhite.

07-22-2013, 07:50 AM	#14
speedlever Fanatic Posts: 592 Karma: 138200 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: PW2014, PW2012, iPad Pro	That's a nice idea. Thanks for the thought. I agree that a repair is probably not worth it. I was curious about the workflow issue as I didn't know if Amazon changed anything in the new readers that might interfere with my process. Thanks for that info.

07-25-2013, 07:04 AM	#15
terencek Groupie Posts: 170 Karma: 1010944 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: The African bush Device: Kindle 3	The only reason some of us are determined to hang onto our K3 Keyboards is if we bought the model with lifetime free 3G. I love checking the BBC headlines when reading in bed etc., and as we know Amazon severaly curtailed this feature in its later 3G iterations.