How to repair your Kindle Keyboard (NOT!).

montalex · 03-05-2013, 07:18 AM

First, I was given a frozen Kindle 3. I’ll call this Kindle A. I thought I was brilliant when, through much searching of this forum, I revived it, most recently using Kubrick, a great tool for installing a fresh O.S. (flashing the firmware). So, when I friend reported that his Kindle (Kindle B) was frozen, I gave him my resurrected one, which promptly froze on him. In the meantime, I did everything possible to revive his – his screen was frozen in negative, no signs of damage. When nothing worked (again, Kubrick was used to flash the firmware), I assumed the screen of Kindle B was the problem. In retrospect, I see how faulty my reasoning was – even a cracked screen will show some change when the Kindle is unfrozen.

Next step: take the good screen from Kindle A, and put it in Kindle B. I wasn’t careful removing the negative screen and broke it, because, or course, it was already broken, right? Wrong! Once installed in Kindle B, the good screen from the Kindle A is frozen. So now I have two broken Kindles, and, to top it all off, I had ordered a replacement screen. So I’m left with two good homeless screens.

Also, I realized that one can try out a new screen without going to all the trouble of pulling the Kindle 3 apart. One can simply remove the back, disconnect the screen cable, and plug in the replacement – the cable is long enough. I could have saved myself the eye strain of removing and reinstalling all of those tiny screws (which I did several times, just to make sure). Short of embarking on a detailed study of the circuit board, I think I’m done.

Edit: I ordered a replacement motherboard from here:
http://www.powerbookmedic.com/Amazon...p-1-c-694.html

Installed, works perfectly. No trouble registering, etc.

DuckieTigger · 03-05-2013, 07:53 AM

Sounds like your friend is allergic to Kindles if your newly ressurected one froze on him so quickly. Are you sure he didn't do something to break them accidentally?

montalex · 03-05-2013, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Sounds like your friend is allergic to Kindles if your newly ressurected one froze on him so quickly. Are you sure he didn't do something to break them accidentally?

These are Kindles from two different sources. Both continued their bad behavior while in my caring hands.

I did figure out a cool way to deal with the well-known Kindle 3 cover problem. Instead of covering the gold insert tabs with paint or tape, I opened-up the Kindle case, removed the lower tab contact (4 screws) and put electrical tape directly on the logic board over the contacts. That way, there is no worry about paint or tape wearing through and recreating the short.

hawhill · 03-05-2013, 12:15 PM

I think a bit underrated is the possibility to fry Kindles by electric discharges, most probably due to faulty USB cables, faulty USB chargers and even faulty USB host ports, either on USB hubs or computers. Where the last one is probably the most unlikely, I've seen weiiiiiird stuff going on with cables, chargers and hubs.

That said, a broken screen might show no sign of life at all. I think that's obvious this way around - where a screen that still shows some life might be broken nevertheless.

hunnymonster · 03-05-2013, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montalex

These are Kindles from two different sources. Both continued their bad behavior while in my caring hands.

I did figure out a cool way to deal with the well-known Kindle 3 cover problem. Instead of covering the gold insert tabs with paint or tape, I opened-up the Kindle case, removed the lower tab contact (4 screws) and put electrical tape directly on the logic board over the contacts. That way, there is no worry about paint or tape wearing through and recreating the short.

I've picked up several K3s recently (Gumtree/eBay/CL/local paper) with cracked screens for prices ranging from £/$/€0.00 to the price of a beer... Naturally I've repaired the screens and moved them on :thumbup:

montalex · 03-05-2013, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hunnymonster

I've picked up several K3s recently (Gumtree/eBay/CL/local paper) with cracked screens for prices ranging from £/$/€0.00 to the price of a beer... Naturally I've repaired the screens and moved them on :thumbup:

I'm on the hunt for one! Ebay isn't so great -- there are many, but the prices are way too high.

I just ordered a motherboard from here:https://www.powerbookmedic.com/xcart1/home.php?cat=641

Fixing this Kindle is getting expensive...

hunnymonster · 03-06-2013, 06:04 AM

Agreed - Gumtree has been most productive for me.

03-05-2013, 07:18 AM	#1
montalex Fanatic Posts: 556 Karma: 1283268 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: KindleDX,Kindle 4, Kindle Keyboard 3G	How to repair your Kindle Keyboard (NOT!). First, I was given a frozen Kindle 3. I’ll call this Kindle A. I thought I was brilliant when, through much searching of this forum, I revived it, most recently using Kubrick, a great tool for installing a fresh O.S. (flashing the firmware). So, when I friend reported that his Kindle (Kindle B) was frozen, I gave him my resurrected one, which promptly froze on him. In the meantime, I did everything possible to revive his – his screen was frozen in negative, no signs of damage. When nothing worked (again, Kubrick was used to flash the firmware), I assumed the screen of Kindle B was the problem. In retrospect, I see how faulty my reasoning was – even a cracked screen will show some change when the Kindle is unfrozen. Next step: take the good screen from Kindle A, and put it in Kindle B. I wasn’t careful removing the negative screen and broke it, because, or course, it was already broken, right? Wrong! Once installed in Kindle B, the good screen from the Kindle A is frozen. So now I have two broken Kindles, and, to top it all off, I had ordered a replacement screen. So I’m left with two good homeless screens. Also, I realized that one can try out a new screen without going to all the trouble of pulling the Kindle 3 apart. One can simply remove the back, disconnect the screen cable, and plug in the replacement – the cable is long enough. I could have saved myself the eye strain of removing and reinstalling all of those tiny screws (which I did several times, just to make sure). Short of embarking on a detailed study of the circuit board, I think I’m done. Edit: I ordered a replacement motherboard from here: http://www.powerbookmedic.com/Amazon...p-1-c-694.html Installed, works perfectly. No trouble registering, etc. Last edited by montalex; 03-15-2013 at 07:47 PM. Reason: fixed

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03-05-2013, 07:53 AM	#2
DuckieTigger Wizard Posts: 4,742 Karma: 246906703 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: USA Device: Oasis 3, Oasis 2, PW3, PW1, KT	Sounds like your friend is allergic to Kindles if your newly ressurected one froze on him so quickly. Are you sure he didn't do something to break them accidentally?

03-05-2013, 12:15 PM	#4
hawhill Wizard Posts: 1,379 Karma: 2155307 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Goettingen, Germany Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Mini	I think a bit underrated is the possibility to fry Kindles by electric discharges, most probably due to faulty USB cables, faulty USB chargers and even faulty USB host ports, either on USB hubs or computers. Where the last one is probably the most unlikely, I've seen weiiiiiird stuff going on with cables, chargers and hubs. That said, a broken screen might show no sign of life at all. I think that's obvious this way around - where a screen that still shows some life might be broken nevertheless.

03-06-2013, 06:04 AM	#7
hunnymonster Zealot Posts: 107 Karma: 1252022 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: K3 wifi, K3 3G, K Touch, K Paperwhite	Agreed - Gumtree has been most productive for me.

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