Bionic Headphone Jack Failure?

[mcknigs]

The headphone jack on my Bionic has worked fine with a variety of 1/8" headphone plugs. Now it doesn't. The same plugs that worked last week do not work this week. The plug will not go all the way into the jack. Signal doesn't flow to the plug but continues to play out the onboard speaker.

This would appear to me to be a headphone jack gone bad. I've seen a few references to bad jacks on Bionics. Is this a common failure mode for the Bionic jacks? Is this something easily repairable, or do I need to ask for a replacement? I think I'm still under warrantee (got it in May or so?).

-Scott

 

[Satires]

The headphone jack on my Bionic has worked fine with a variety of 1/8" headphone plugs. Now it doesn't. The same plugs that worked last week do not work this week. The plug will not go all the way into the jack. Signal doesn't flow to the plug but continues to play out the onboard speaker.

This would appear to me to be a headphone jack gone bad. I've seen a few references to bad jacks on Bionics. Is this a common failure mode for the Bionic jacks? Is this something easily repairable, or do I need to ask for a replacement? I think I'm still under warrantee (got it in May or so?).

-Scott

I hope this doesn't sound too obvious.

Did you do a thorough check for obstructions? I had that happen to a friend of mine on a different model phone. He had something stuck in the jack.

 

[Thom]

From your description it sounds like the socket has something stuck in the bottom that is preventing the plug from seating properly.

Take it to any good appliance service person and get it cleaned.

... Thom

 

[mcknigs]

I've considered the possibility of something in the bottom of the jack. I've looked in the jack using sunlight through an open window to illuminate the bottom, and I've tried feeling the bottom for something unusual using a toothpick. I haven't detected anything. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's not there. Looking around this forum I've seen posts from others who experienced similar problems with other phones. Before I take it somewhere and pay for service I thought I'd check to see whether this is a known way for jacks to fail in a Bionic.

EDIT: So guess what? Immediately after replying to this it occurred to me to try cleaning again using one of those plastic toothpicks with the brush on one end. I stuck down the brush end in the hole, gave it a spin, and pulled out a wad of pocket lint. Thanks folks. The idea of an obstruction had occurred to me but your responses gave me the extra push needed to clean it right.

-Scott

 

[mswhite60]

Pocket lint has been the challenge twice for my Bionic. Frustrating...yet simple to fix once you realize what is going on.