Damaged USB port for KA1. Not taking a charge.

[Cootey]

TL;DR version: KA1 not taking a charge. Not seen by computer, either. I suspect the USB port is damaged. Can it be fixed?

My learning disabled daughter isn't always careful with her belongings. Recently, I posted about how her KA1 was stolen. After filing the police report and insurance claim, she found her KA1 at the side of her bed! That's life around here.

Unfortunately, days after finding her KA1, she complained it wouldn't take a charge. As far as I have been able to determine, no cables will connect. These same cables power my KA1 LE just fine. There is a hairline crack in the case just above the USB port. Since she had stripped the nubs off a USB cable last month, I'm thinking she was struggling to connect the cable into the unit again. I tried to firmware reset the device just in case it was a software issue, but the KA1 died halfway through. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

My girl's KA1 is out of warranty, so sending it to Kobo doesn't seem an option. Obviously, buying a new unit is the final option. The KA1 has Overdrive support, which is key to her reading habits and independence. I wish the Clara HD had that support. (Actually, all Kobo devices and apps support Overdrive syncing & downloading, but you need a KA1 using the same account to enable it. Libby isn't enough.)

Aside from selling it for parts online, what suggestions do you more experienced Kobo users have for me? I've been searching the web for a teardown with pics, but none available for this model. Is the USB port something I can repair? What do you suggest?

[PeterT]

I wonder if a local store that does cell phone / tablet repair might be an option?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[frostschutz]

Originally Posted by Cootey

I've been searching the web for a teardown with pics, but none available for this model.

https://mobile.hdblog.it/2016/08/30/...ne-recensione/ (have to scroll a bit to find the pictures)

if you open it up yourself maybe you can provide us with better ones

[Argle]

The first problem that I had with a KA1 in the first year was that the USB connection started to be flaky and not always connect. Then the charge also would not connect unless I bent the cable in one position, and it finally failed. So I had exactly this problem about two months after the one year warranty (in Canada) expired, but finally contacted Kobo. The service people walked me through a few basic steps and verified that I could not fix it. I was told that it was a warranty isssue and that they would replace the unit. They swapped the old for a new and now about four months later the USB has started to fail to connect whatever I do. As a careful professional scientist with several USB cables, this is not an issue of misuse or of cable failure. This is a software or design flaw with the KA1. Good luck, give them a call and see if they will replace yours.

[stumped]

" There is a hairline crack in the case just above the USB port. "

long shot, but if you squeeze that hairline crack /squeeze the case at that point, does it then start to charge. if so you can maybe superglue the crack. i did that once for a loose laptop charging port & it worked

[Readirect]

Originally Posted by Cootey

TL;DR version: KA1 not taking a charge. Not seen by computer, either. I suspect the USB port is damaged. Can it be fixed?

My learning disabled daughter isn't always careful with her belongings. Recently, I posted about how her KA1 was stolen. After filing the police report and insurance claim, she found her KA1 at the side of her bed! That's life around here.

Unfortunately, days after finding her KA1, she complained it wouldn't take a charge. As far as I have been able to determine, no cables will connect. These same cables power my KA1 LE just fine. There is a hairline crack in the case just above the USB port. Since she had stripped the nubs off a USB cable last month, I'm thinking she was struggling to connect the cable into the unit again. I tried to firmware reset the device just in case it was a software issue, but the KA1 died halfway through. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

My girl's KA1 is out of warranty, so sending it to Kobo doesn't seem an option. Obviously, buying a new unit is the final option. The KA1 has Overdrive support, which is key to her reading habits and independence. I wish the Clara HD had that support. (Actually, all Kobo devices and apps support Overdrive syncing & downloading, but you need a KA1 using the same account to enable it. Libby isn't enough.)

Aside from selling it for parts online, what suggestions do you more experienced Kobo users have for me? I've been searching the web for a teardown with pics, but none available for this model. Is the USB port something I can repair? What do you suggest?

That happened to me, too. My solution was to buy a new Aura One LE. Can't say that I was happy about that but I didn't have an alternative. I also had that happen to a Kindle Voyage as well, so it's not unique to Kobo. With Kindle, though, you can buy an extended warranty. Can't do that with Kobo.

[stumped]

Yes, if amazon still offer these, buy an extended warranty that also covers accidental damage, so you are covered if it is dropped or if cable is forced in the wrong way around

that is not AFAIK, a Kindle only option though. When I was looking at buying a new Kobo here in UK from John Lewis stores, as a Xmas gift for my son, they also were offering extended warranties with accidental damage cover for Kobo ereaders.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I wonder if a local store that does cell phone / tablet repair might be an option?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I actually hadn't thought of that option. It's worth a shot. Maybe it won't be too costly. I'll report back.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by stumped

" There is a hairline crack in the case just above the USB port. "

long shot, but if you squeeze that hairline crack /squeeze the case at that point, does it then start to charge. if so you can maybe superglue the crack. i did that once for a loose laptop charging port & it worked

Sure wish that worked. No effect.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

https://mobile.hdblog.it/2016/08/30/...ne-recensione/ (have to scroll a bit to find the pictures)

if you open it up yourself maybe you can provide us with better ones

Dang, those are low res. It gave me an idea of the area in question, though. Thanks. By looking them over, I now know I don't have the skill level to repair this. Heck, I don't have the gear to repair solder joints on circuit boards.

[deleted2]

Strangely, last night I plugged in my Aura One to my computer and the USB port was not working. But I know this port is working, as I can plug other stuff to charge. I had to plug the Aura One on the other USB port and then it was charging and seing my Kobo on my desktop. Weird.

Note that I had just reset my Kobo, because the last firmware (4.10.x) update was causing problems with the wifi. After the factory reset, the Kobo updated itself to the previous firmware (4.9.x)

[John F]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

Strangely, last night I plugged in my Aura One to my computer and the USB port was not working. But I know this port is working, as I can plug other stuff to charge. I had to plug the Aura One on the other USB port and then it was charging and seing my Kobo on my desktop. Weird.

Windows 10? I believe this happens to a lot of people. It also happened to me. I went so far as to start looking at things with Device Manager, but all of a sudden it started working.

[deleted2]

Originally Posted by John F

Windows 10? I believe this happens to a lot of people. It also happened to me. I went so far as to start looking at things with Device Manager, but all of a sudden it started working.

Nope. MacBook Air.

[Derf]

1) kobo has updated the latest firmware to support Overdrive direct on all the latest models including the Clara HD, H2O2, and Aura One. If you have to replace it, any model will work for your daughter’s needs.

2) find out if it’s a) the miniUSB port on the KA1, b) the cable, or c) the 12V adapter that is bad. Test other cables, or other chargers to verify that it is the KA1 that is defective. Also see my next point.

3) when I plug my Clara into my iMac sometimes the first time it doesn’t register. I often have to pull the plug out of the USB port and push it in again. I believe this may have to do with whether the Clara is connected to the cable first and then to the computer, or if the cable is connected to the computer first and then to the Clara. If it is the latter (as I often leave the charger cable in the computer) it happens more frequently. If it is the former it seems to happen less so. Bottom line, do not assume the USB port on the computer is bad if the first time you connect to it the device does not register.

4) If it IS the KA1 USB port that is damaged, do a google search in your area for cell phone repair shops. You aren’t looking for the ones that just do screen swaps, but often there will be a shop with a reflow soldering station that can fix bad components on cell phone / laptop / computer circuit boards for much less than a new device. You’ll probably have to call ahead and ask, but in my area the third place I called did it, and they replaced two bad OPAmps on a 3D printer main board in less than 10 minutes when I brought them in the board. Price was about $50, which is steep in the hourly rate, but cheaper than a $900 printer.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I wonder if a local store that does cell phone / tablet repair might be an option?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

As Peter originally suggested, I dropped by a phone/tablet repair shop about two days ago. They hadn't ever worked on a Kobo, personally, but it was in their database of repairs. They'd charge $79.99 for the repair. I suppose I could call around, but TBH, that's almost the cost of a ClaraHD and about ⅓ the cost of a replacement KA1. Now that Kobo has added Overdrive support to all modern Kobos, it's just not worth it to me to pay to repair the KA1, not if she's going to damage the ports like this (She has cerebral palsy). I'm sure a ClaraHD will be fine for her. Thanks for everybody's feedback!