Introduction: Samsung Intensity 2 U460 LCD Replacement
Hello,
I recently had the need to replace my daughter's Samsung Intensity 2 lcd screen. Her dog chewed on the phone causing the screen to crack. Once that happened the screen was white and useless. I found a replacement screen for her phone on ebay for around $30. Her phone was under a 2 year contract without insurance so she was stuck with either buying a new one for big bucks or letting me try to replace her lcd. THIS INTRUCTABLE IS TO BE USED AS A LAST RESORT. IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE ON YOUR PHONE TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A NEW ONE. IF NOT IT CAN BE FIXED YOURSELF. JUST TAKE YOUR TIME AND DON'T FORCE ANYTHING ON THE PHONE. IT WILL COME APART FAIRLY EASY IF YOU FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK AND GOOD LUCK!
Step 1: The LCD
This is what you are replacing. You should have bought one that looks like this. If your phone does not have an lcd like this then you may have a different phone.
Step 2: Take the Phone Apart.
Tools needed:
A small eyeglass screw driver set. The set will need both phillips and standard screw drivers.
A clean work area that is static free. You should also have a nice bright light to work with.
Follow these steps in order and if you can take pictures with a digital camera along the way. Just in case you forget how you took the phone apart.
1. First take off the battery cover from back of phone.
2. Remove the battery and set aside.
3. Next with the phillips head screw driver. Carefully remove the 6 (brass colored) screws the surround the outer edge of the phone. Set these screws aside in a spot that you can keep them together. They are small and have to be used again as they came out. You don't want to mix the screws up.
4. Now very carefully and gently take a small standard screwdriver and slide it along the case of the phone. You want to stick it in between the grey outer case and the black inner part of the phone. You want the screwdriver to be pointed away from you and gently pry out on the outter case as you work around the edge of the phone. This will cause the internal clips to pop out so the you can remove the outer shell of the phone. You will end up with the items shown in the photo.
Step 3: Disassembly Continued....
5. Next you want to remove the 2 (silver colored) board screws and set them aside. This will allow you to remove the green mother board of the phone.
6. Now gently lift out the mother board of the phone. BE VERY GENTLE WITH THIS! The board is attached to the other side of the phone with a metal ribbon cable. You will see many of these ribbon cables in the phone. DO NOT bend them too far or pinch them.
7. Fold the board down toward you. Once you have the board detached from the base you will see the keyboard and key pad.
Step 4: Removing Keyboard/pad
8. Remove the flexable key board and set aside. You will see a black lattice or grid type plastic underneath it.
9. Ok now carefully slide the phone as if you were opening the phone to access the keyboard. You will see 4 black screws. You will access 2 of them through the black grid where the keyboard was sitting. Unscrew the 4 black screws and set aside with keypad.
10. Close the slider and fold the green motherboard back over onto the keypad. Temporarily re-install the 2 silver screws back into the motherboard to hold it in place. Don't tighten them down too much as you will have to take them back out in a few steps.
Step 5: Accessing the LCD
11. Now you are halfway there!! Give yourself a pat on the back and take a 5 min break and get something to drink. :)
12. Next with the phone still closed you want to take your small standard screwdriver and go along the edge of the outer case that covers the front of the phone where the lcd and number pad is. Do this just like you did on the back cover of the phone. Start along the edge and slowly work your way around until the front cover of the phone pops off. You will feel the internal factory clips pop as you go around.
13. You should be able to see the back of the lcd and number pad now.
14. In my picture you can see the lcd back, the speaker with ribbon cable and side buttons. If you slide the phone into the open position you can fold the top half that has the motherboard over out of the way. Do not bend the ribbon cables that you see. There is a larger gold colored one that is for the number pad. These ribbon cables must be gently lifted up away from the back of the lcd. Try not to pull on them just lift them up.
Step 6: Removing the LCD
15. Remove the green/blue tape that his holding down the ribbon cable lock bars and set aside. Now gently take the small standard screwdriver and lift up on the brown lock bar that hold down the lcd's ribbon cable. It will hinge up from the ribbon cables side. Then take the small screwdriver and genlty slide it under the ribbon cable next to where it plugs into the lock bar. Slide the ribbon cable out and pull up on the cable until it comes unstuck from the green board. LOOK AT THE PHOTO YOURS SHOULD LOOK LIKE MINE.
16. Next take the small standard screwdriver and pry out the lcd. Start at the corner noted in the photo and work around the edge until you get it lifted out. It is held in there with some adhesive so be careful and take your time. Once lifted out take a break. :)
Step 7: Installing the New LCD
17. Ok so now lets put the new LCD into the phone. Your new LCD will have a clear plastic film covering the screen. Grab the blue or green tab and remove the clear screen cover and throw away.
18. Now on the ribbon cable where the cable sticks to the metal area on the green board may have a sticker on it. Remove the sticker so the the ribbon cable will stick to the metal strip on the board.
19. YOU STILL HAVE NOT INSTALLED IT YET. We are at the most important part of the new lcd installation. Trust me you want to pay attention here, because if not you will have to take the phone apart again and thats not fun!!! Ok insert the ribbon into the slot where you took the old ribbon out under the brown locking bar. You must make sure that the ribbon goes in all the way so that the white line on the board is even with the white line on the ribbon. Once you have it in push the brown locking bar back down locking the ribbon in place.
20. Now attach the ribbon to the metal sticky tab on the board and then press the lcd into the frame. You can now re-install the speaker ribbon back onto the back of the lcd along with the key board ribbon if you moved it out of the way. (when I did mine the black button fell out of the phone that you use on the front of the phone next to the screen. There are 2 little black posts that this button sets behind under the speaker ribbon. Just re-insert it and make sure that it is in correctly.)
21. Once you have the LCD installed gently close the front face plate back onto the frame. Insert the top part where the headphones would plug in first then squeeze the front cover back onto the frame working your way around the edge. You will feel the factory clips snap back into place.
22. Remove the 2 silver motherboard screws and set aside. Carefully lift the board out exposing the area where the keypad sits.
23. Now slide the phone back open and put the 4 black screws back in where they belong. Take the rubber keypad and put it back correctly onto the black grid face down.
24. Fold the motherboard back over and re-install the 2 silver screws. ALL OF THE SCREWS ONLY NEED TO BE TIGHTEND JUST BEYOND WHEN THEY GET FIRM. DO NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OVER TIGHTEN THEM. THEY WILL STRIP OUT VERY EASILY.
25. Almost done. Take the bottom outer case and starting at one end snap it in place all the way around untill all the factory clips are back snapped in. Re-install the 6 brass colored outer edge screws. Insert the battery and battery cover.
26. Now cross your fingers and hope that when you power it on you see the home screen. If you don't and you see a black screen then you did not insert the lcd's ribbon far enough so that the white lines where aligned. They must be perfect. I know because I took my phone apart several times before I got it right.
I hope that this instructable helped you. I searched the internet and did not locate any instructions for screen replacement for the Inensity 2. Peace.
75 Comments
6 years ago
This has been so helpful!! Wouldn't have done it without you. How can I show you my gratitude for these great and helpful instructions?
Reply 5 years ago
Glad it worked out for you. Your kind words are gratitude enough. Sorry for the late response.
8 years ago
Yes you can replace the ribbon cable. It locks on both ends. Just make sure the lines are together.
8 years ago on Introduction
I accidentally broke the ribbon that connects the motherboard.
Is that easily replaceable as well?
8 years ago on Introduction
Awesome instructions! I had ordered a new lcd and flex cable too. I ended up replacing both pieces and found that my cable was ripped. Didn't take much more to put that in other than the lock tab swivels the opposite way. It just pops off the motherboard and away you go. Thanks for your help! My son is happy he got his "new" phone back!!
9 years ago on Introduction
I recently damaged the screen on my Intensity 2. D'oh, I didn't think of getting a replacement LCD. I bought a used phone and was going to pull the screen.
The LCD tape adhesive was very strong, to the point I might break the tape or have to use a razor or heat to remove it. I then just swapped my motherboard (and all my info) into the used phone. The end of the screen tape just plugs into the mobo.
I reassembled everything and put a battery in it, and got a poor display then a white screen. Grrr. I forgot to put the first six screws back in. Put 'em in and whatever connection was needed, it did boot to the proper display. Thanks for your post!
9 years ago on Introduction
Is there a need to apply new adhesive between glass and the new lcd?
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
No. I didn't add any to mine.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Thanks, I wasn't sure because both videos that I viewed did not show it applying any addition adhesive.
The place I order my lcd from asked that I test the lcd before applying the glue between the lcd and digitizer glass(?).
This was the reason for my question since I do not have to replace the "outer" piece of glass. suspect that there will be adhesive left in place if there is any at all!
Thanks again!
10 years ago on Introduction
I agree! Great instructions. I used this for my Samsung Intensity III. Everything was the same except there are 5 screws to get to the LCD and as white100 said "the mother board is latched to the case near the earphone plug and the microphone". It's nice to have my phone back.
Thank you.
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Great glad this one is getting more mileage.
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Hi had a question regarding taking the phone apart.... my defect is a little different as my phone was laying screen down on a ledge and an ice cube somehow landed near it...i picked up phone few minutes later and the screen was milky white. Ive tried all the gimmicks out there and the only thing that got accomplished was the keypad will light up on the slide out put not the screen. So...i don't know if the circuit board needs to be opened and cleaned or it blew the screen ....but i have serious information on that phone that i need off and my last ditch effort is to take it apart and clean the circuit board with alcohol and hope for the best. Was wondering if all the instructions you are giving will accomplish that for me? just curious
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Well my instructable will replace the screen. Your data should either be stored on a SIM card or on the on-board memory. You can plug that phone into a computer and pull your information off of it.
When I replaced the screen it was a milky white like you described.
if you really like the phone it would not hurt to try to replace the screen
10 years ago on Step 2
Great instructions, but my locking bar came off when I was installing the new ribbon, is the blue/green tape enough to keep it in place and work or any ideas what I should do? The locking bar is still intact, just no longer attached to the phone.
10 years ago on Introduction
Thanks for the great instructions. I have never seen any instruction better than this. I replaced an LCD in the intensity 3 like Jrock17.
Almost same with the instruction except that the mother board is latched to the case near the earphone plug and the microphone. It works perfectly!
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Thanks for the nice comments.glad I could help.
10 years ago on Step 7
Thank you so much. Love all the details. Worked great on my Intensity 2.
Reply 10 years ago on Step 7
Glad I could help
10 years ago on Step 7
Thanks for the great instructions. I had to replace an LCD in the Intensity 3.
Almost identical, except 5 black screws to hold case on......and the locking bar for the LCD cable is black....it lifts very easily by hand ( fingernail). Other than that, everything is exactly the same.
Thanks again, hope this helps anyone considering replacing the LCD in an Intensity 3.
10 years ago on Introduction
If my "flex" cable is ripped, should that affect my screen working or not? I replaced the LCD screen, but cannot get the screen to light up.