c/diy-tech-fixes

I used to think you needed a full kit to replace a phone battery

Someone on here told me last month that using a hair dryer for 90 seconds on low heat works just as well as a heat gun to loosen the adhesive. I tried it on my old Galaxy S9 and it saved me buying a $40 tool I'd only use once. Has anyone else found a simple swap for a pricey repair tool?

My laptop screen went completely dark after a small spill last Thursday

I carefully took it apart, dried the board with a hair dryer on low heat for 20 minutes, and it powered right back on. Has anyone else saved a gadget this way, or did I just get lucky?

Finally got my old PS3 to stop overheating after a weekend of trying

Three years ago I gave up on it, but last week I opened it up in my garage and replaced the thermal paste for the first time. The fan is quiet now and it runs for hours. Anyone have a good guide for cleaning the power supply vents next?

Vent: My brother told me to just 'tap the back' of my phone to fix the camera...

He swore his old Pixel 3's blurry lens was fixed that way. I tried it for a week, tapping it every time the camera app opened. Nothing changed. Finally, I opened it up and found a tiny piece of lint stuck right on the sensor inside. A quick blast of canned air and it was perfect. Has anyone else gotten weirdly specific advice that just made things worse?

I was cleaning my laptop fan wrong for years

I always used compressed air straight into the vents, but my old ThinkPad kept overheating. A video from a repair shop in Austin showed you need to open the case and hold the fan blades still while blowing, or you can spin the motor too fast and wreck it. Anyone have a better method for cleaning without taking the whole thing apart?

Shoutout to the guy at the Dallas repair cafe who showed me how to fix a swollen laptop battery

I took my old laptop there last month, and the volunteer, Mark, walked me through the whole safe removal process with just a plastic spudger and some isopropyl alcohol. He stressed letting the battery sit for 24 hours before recycling it, which I never would have known. Has anyone else done a similar battery swap at home and found a good source for a reliable replacement part?

My brother-in-law said 'just take it to the shop' when I tried to fix my own laptop screen.

Had a real scare fixing a laptop in my kitchen last month

I was replacing a battery and a tiny screw fell into the open power supply. I now always put a towel over any exposed electronics before I start. Anyone have a better method for containing small parts?

My laptop hinge snapped on Tuesday and I was sure I'd need a pro, but a $15 part and a YouTube video saved me.

Overheard a guy at the hardware store say he fixes cracked phone screens with UV glue and a $20 kit from the mall. Always thought that was a scam.

My buddy swore a hair dryer could fix a wet phone, and I was desperate.

Phone fell in a sink full of water, and he said to put it in a bag of rice for a day, then hit it with low heat from a hair dryer for five minutes. It actually worked, the screen came back on. Is the hair dryer part safe, or did I just get lucky?

Changed my mind about those cheap phone screen kits from Amazon

Bought a $15 kit for my Pixel 6a. Followed the video, but the adhesive was junk and the screen had a green tint. Wasted an hour and the phone. Ended up paying $80 at a local shop to fix my mess. Anyone know a good brand for screen adhesive strips?

I finally swapped out the thermal paste on my old gaming PC after six years

I was using the stock paste that came with the cooler and my CPU was idling at 50C. Switched to a tube of Arctic MX-4 and now it sits at 32C, which is a huge difference. Has anyone else seen this kind of drop with just a paste change?

Spent $80 on a 'professional' phone screen kit before checking the obvious thing

My Pixel 6 screen went black last week, so I ordered a fancy iFixit kit with all the tools and a new display. After an hour of careful work, I plugged it in and...still black. Turns out I never checked if the brightness was just turned all the way down by accident. Has anyone else wasted money by skipping the dumbest, easiest check first?

A comment on my old laptop battery guide made me rethink the whole thing

I posted a video showing how to swap a swollen battery in a 2015 MacBook Pro, and someone pointed out I didn't mention checking the power adapter's voltage first. They said, 'A bad charger can cause that swelling, so you're just fixing the symptom.' I changed the guide to start with testing the charger with a multimeter. Has anyone else had a simple fix turn out to be a bigger problem?

TIL you can fix a laptop screen flicker by reseating the cable inside

My old laptop screen kept blinking on and off, and I was sure it needed a $150 replacement panel. After watching a video from a repair shop in Austin, I opened it up, pushed the display cable back into its socket firmly, and it's been solid for a week now. Has anyone else had luck with a simple internal cable fix instead of buying new parts?

Hot take: I'm done with those 'one size fits all' laptop battery replacement videos

Tbh, I tried to swap the battery in my old Dell Latitude last week, and the guide I watched skipped the part about the tiny ribbon cable under the trackpad. Ngl, I tore it trying to force the assembly out. Anyone know a good source for E5540 parts that won't cost more than the laptop?

My $20 'phone in rice' kit actually saved my Pixel 6 after I dropped it in the sink

I was super skeptical when my friend gave me this little pouch of special drying beads instead of using rice, but after leaving my phone in it for 48 hours, it powered on like nothing happened. Ngl, I thought it was just a gimmick, but the silica gel stuff really pulled all the moisture out. Has anyone else tried one of these kits and had it work, or did I just get lucky?

PSA: My 'easy' laptop screen swap turned into a 3-day parts hunt

I cracked my ThinkPad T480 screen and thought a $80 replacement would be a quick fix... but the first panel I ordered had the wrong connector type. Some forums say to always match the exact part number, while others say any panel with the same size and resolution will work. What's your go-to method for finding the right screen without wasting money?

I spent $80 on a 'professional' phone screen repair kit and it was a total waste

Last month, my phone screen cracked and I ordered a fancy kit online with all the tools and a 'guaranteed' OEM screen. The suction cup broke on the first pull, the plastic pry tools snapped, and the screen itself had a weird yellow tint. I spent three hours trying to make it work before giving up and taking it to a shop, which cost me another $120. The whole thing was a mess and I should have just gone to a pro from the start. Has anyone found a decent budget kit that doesn't fall apart?

Pro tip: I stopped using canned air on my laptop keyboard after a friend pointed out the obvious

For years, I'd blast my laptop keys with that canned air to get rid of crumbs and dust. I figured it was the best way. Then my friend, who fixes phones on the side, watched me do it and just said, 'You know you're just pushing that junk deeper inside, right?' I felt so dumb. He showed me how to gently pop the keycaps off my old spare keyboard with a plastic spudger, clean under them with a soft brush, and then put them back. It took maybe twenty minutes total and the difference was huge. I had no idea how much gunk was actually stuck under there. Now I do a proper key pull clean every few months instead of just spraying stuff around. Has anyone else found a better tool than a basic spudger for getting keys off without breaking the little clips?

Warning: I tried cleaning my PS5 with canned air versus a proper vacuum and the difference was huge.

The canned air just blew dust deeper into the vents (I could see it gather inside near the fan). Using a small USB vacuum, like the Opolar one, actually pulled everything out and my console dropped from 75 degrees Celsius to 62 under load. Has anyone found a better tool for this, maybe something with a brush attachment?

Shoutout to the $15 USB microscope I grabbed for my phone

My kid's laptop screen went dark but the computer still sounded like it was on... I was sure it was a total loss. I hooked up this little microscope to my phone and saw the tiny ribbon cable for the screen had come loose at the hinge. Took the back off, pushed it back in, and it fired right up. Saved me a trip to the shop and probably a couple hundred bucks. Anyone else have a go-to cheap tool that's saved your bacon?

My old laptop battery swelled up last month and I almost panicked.

I was cleaning out my desk and noticed my 2018 MacBook Air had a gap between the trackpad and the case. I looked it up and found out from iFixit that swollen batteries are a common fire risk and you should not try to charge the device. I carefully took it to a local e-waste drop-off in Austin instead of trying to pry it open myself. Has anyone else dealt with a swollen battery and how did you handle the disposal safely?

Pro tip: My old laptop battery swelled up last month and I almost panicked.

It was a 2017 MacBook Pro that I use for side projects, and the trackpad started clicking weird before I noticed the case was bulging. I followed a guide from iFixit, used a plastic spudger to disconnect the battery, and got it swapped out in about 20 minutes. Has anyone else dealt with a spicy pillow, and what's the safest way to store the old battery before recycling?