Fix a White LCD Screen on Your Sidekick
Fix White LCD Screen on Sidekicks
The LCD screens on the t-mobile Sidekicks and Danger Hiptops are fragile. They have a thin ribbon cable(flex cable) that mounts to the LCD screen that transmits all of the data and power. If you drop your phone or are rough with it, the cable can wriggle loose. If it becomes even a bit loose, it can cause a white screen.
How do you know if you have a white screen on your sidekick? Well, the phone works fine. It will make and receive calls, but it looks like the backlight is on to the fullest extent. The screen will be completely white and you will not be able to see anything else.
The good news is that I wrote a how to guide to repair this problem. The bad news is it only works 90% of the time. Sorry, but it is free! =)
If your Sidekick 3, Sidekick ID, or Sidekick II (2) has a white LCD screen, I advise trying this repair guide first. If it doesn’t work, you just need to replace the sidekick lcd screen. Problem solved.
The following guide may be able to help you. I have used it successfully on a Sidekick ID, a Sidekick II and a Sidekick 3. No guarantees, but it is worth a shot.
The following procedure uses a Sidekick 3 but the steps are the same for all 3 of the sidekick models mentioned above.
Items needed:
T6 Torx driver, size 0 phillips screwdriver, and a small flat tipped tool for prying. I prefer plastic guitar picks but a small screw driver works too. (if you do not have a t6 torx, you can buy a set of them from a Hardware store for about 5 dollars, or you can use the flat tipped screwdriver.)
Directions
1. Power down your Sidekick.
2. Remove the back cover and take out the battery.
3. Flip your sidekick screen halfway to access the two screws that need to be removed. One has already been removed in this picture. Remove the screws using the T6 torx driver.
4. While still holding the screen in the half flipped position, gently lift the screen up and out.
Warning
Be careful not to touch the copper contacts of the connector. The pins on the connector of the base unit are very fragile.
5. Put the LCD screen assembly upside down on a soft surface (to avoid scratching). There are 4 screws that need to be removed before your can removed the old lcd screen cover. You will need a size 0 Phillips screwdriver for these.
6. Remove the two screws shown below.
7.Remove the other two screws shown below. You will need to rotate the flex cable/spring unit to access one of them.
8. Flip the screen back over and gently pry the two corners on the bottom of the side with the flex cable.
9. Now that both edges are loose, grab the edge and gently lift screen backwards.
10. Now that Sidekick lens is off, the removal of the LCD screen begins
11. Gently pry one of the corners shown in the picture below by the red arrow. Use a plastic pry device, my favorite is a guitar pick. The LCD is held down by a very sticky adhesive and will take slow, steady prying and lifting. Do not move the screen to far away from the base. 
12. When you get the LCD free from the adhesive, lay it down gently towards the flip assembly. See photo below for orientation. Be careful and do not pull LCD straight out from back housing as you may damage the flex cable.
13. Flip up the black clamp that holds the flex cable to the connector. See the red arrow below for location. 
14. Now that the connector clamp is flipped up, gently reseat the flex cable into the connector.
15. Close the black clamp on the connector down to fasten the cable in place. Make sure that the cable is seated snugly in connector.
16. Once the cable is seated into the connector correctly, gently lay the LCD into the back housing as shown below. 
17. Now install the Sidekick LCD screen cover in the reverse order. Put the screen back working from the top of the lcd.
18. Once the cover is on, press down firmly on edges to make sure they are snapped into place.
19. Flip the LCD unit over and install the 4 screws you removed earlier. Be sure to rotate swivel unit out of the way for the one screw. Once the screws are in, it is time to reassemble the your sidekick.
20. Prepare the Sidekick LCD screen assembly for installation. Make sure the spring unit is rotated as shown below. Fail to follow this step can cause the screen not to flip properly. If it is not aligned as shown, rotate spring assembly until it is.
21. Rotate the LCD assembly until in the half flipped position and install in base unit. See picture in step 4 for the proper angle to install. Once installed, slowly release the screen and allow to flip into position.
22. Rotate the LCD screen on the Sidekick to the half flipped position and install the two screws removed in step 3 and tighten them down.
23. Test the flip action of your phone. It if doesn’t work right, remove screen and go back to step
24. Once the flip action is working, it is time to reinstall the battery and back cover.
25. Power up your Sidekick and see if the screen is fixed.
Don’t be discouraged if it does not work the first time. It took me a few times when I was trying out this procedure.
If it doesn’t work after a few times, then you should replace the LCD screen on your Sidekick .
They run about 30 to 40 dollars and are easy to replace.
Check the following links to see the availability of LCD screens for your Sidekick.
Sidekick 3 LCD Screens for Sale
Sidekick II (2) LCD Screens for Sale
Sidekick ID LCD screens for Sale (These are rarely available)
Remember steps 3 and 4, well that’s the procedure for replacing the Sidekick LCD Assembly on a Sidekick 3, Sidekick II, or a Sidekick ID.
Originally posted 2008-11-05 22:28:39.
