• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Root Nexus 5 Boot Loop

R

ravisvi

Lurker
Hi.
Background
I bought my nexus 5 around March this year. It was working perfectly fine. I had rooted my phone in May. Nothing fancy, just for some permissions.

Problem
I respond to a mail, check my phone after few minutes, it's gone into boot loop.
What it basically does :
1. Google logo.
2. Go to 1.
I tried going to recovery mode (Volume down + Power) but before I have a chance to clear the cache or restore it starts again.
I went to the LG service center, as I have bought it from U.S, he doesn't have the software to repair it, I either have to send it to U.S (I live in India) or change motherboard which will cost me around $180 (NOOOOOOOOO).

Is there anyway I can make my nexus work? I don't want to buy them motherboards. Can't I install the stock image and drivers via my laptop somehow? Any help is appreciated.

Update :
If I connect to my laptop, it goes into bootloop automatically. So it keeps getting detected on my mac. Don't have enough time to access the data or push anything to it.
 
ravisvi said:
I tried going to recovery mode (Volume down + Power) but before I have a chance to clear the cache or restore it starts again.
Click to expand...

So, when you go into recovery, it reboots without you can do anything? (that is very weird)
What recovery are you using?

Is it possible that your power button is stuck?
 
ravisvi said:
Hi.
Background
I bought my nexus 5 around March this year. It was working perfectly fine. I had rooted my phone in May. Nothing fancy, just for some permissions.

Problem
I respond to a mail, check my phone after few minutes, it's gone into boot loop.
What it basically does :
1. Google logo.
2. Go to 1.
I tried going to recovery mode (Volume down + Power) but before I have a chance to clear the cache or restore it starts again.
I went to the LG service center, as I have bought it from U.S, he doesn't have the software to repair it, I either have to send it to U.S (I live in India) or change motherboard which will cost me around $180 (NOOOOOOOOO).

Is there anyway I can make my nexus work? I don't want to buy them motherboards. Can't I install the stock image and drivers via my laptop somehow? Any help is appreciated.
Click to expand...

Hi ravisvi and welcome to AF! :thumbup:
I highly doubt that there is anything wrong with your N5's motherboard and no I would not replace it either.
Yes you can just fastboot flash the Google factory images through fastboot mode.
Just follow jhawkkw's excellent guide on flashing the stock images for the N5, it has everything that you'll need to get you back on track here - http://androidforums.com/android-system-mods-scripts-hacks/706533-guide-how-flash-nexus-factory-image-manually.html#post5702530

If you need any help just let me know!
 
jj14x said:
So, when you go into recovery, it reboots without you can do anything? (that is very weird)
What recovery are you using?

Is it possible that your power button is stuck?
Click to expand...
Sorry, I meant that when I press power and volume down button, before I can choose anything it reboots. Like at the max I could go to restart bootloader. (that is one volume down. ) It chooses that. And reboots.

I asked the service people, they said the power button is fine.
 
xdrc45 said:
Hi ravisvi and welcome to AF! :thumbup:
I highly doubt that there is anything wrong with your N5's motherboard and no I would not replace it either.
Yes you can just fastboot flash the Google factory images through fastboot mode.
Just follow jhawkkw's excellent guide on flashing the stock images for the N5, it has everything that you'll need to get you back on track here - http://androidforums.com/android-system-mods-scripts-hacks/706533-guide-how-flash-nexus-factory-image-manually.html#post5702530

If you need any help just let me know!
Click to expand...
Hi!
The current problem, I tried getting log of what's happening, but the phone doesn't get detected at all. Keeps rebooting. Error: Device not found.

I don't think I can flash the stock if this happens right?
I really thought it was the power button issue, but the service guys said no.
 
ravisvi said:
Hi!
The current problem, I tried getting log of what's happening, but the phone doesn't get detected at all. Keeps rebooting. Error: Device not found.

I don't think I can flash the stock if this happens right?
I really thought it was the power button issue, but the service guys said no.
Click to expand...

No you can't flash the factory images if it's not booting into fastboot and/or being detected by your pc.
I believe you have a faulty power button or it is stuck in and it is making contact with the main board and making it bootloop. This is not an uncommon problem with the N5.
I would try to keep pushing/mashing the power button while the device is trying to boot to see if it fully boots or boots further than what it currently is.
I would also try and smack the back of the device near where the camera and power button are while it is trying to boot to try and knock the power button loose and/or while repeatedly pushing the power button at the same time and see if it finally boots.
 
So I gave it to another LG service center. They also returned within a few days saying that the phone was from U.S hence they couldn't do much. They wanted to change the motherboard. I refused. Later I took the phone out of my pocket and was trying to start it again, when I felt a 'click' at the back of the phone, near the camera.
Once I clicked the power button on, voila, it started working. I did a factory reset. Cleared cache. Got a stock image and flashed it. Works fine as of now. :)
Thanks for all the help.
 
Since your device is rooted, I moved it to the root sub forum ;)
 
ravisvi said:
So I gave it to another LG service center. They also returned within a few days saying that the phone was from U.S hence they couldn't do much. They wanted to change the motherboard. I refused. Later I took the phone out of my pocket and was trying to start it again, when I felt a 'click' at the back of the phone, near the camera.
Once I clicked the power button on, voila, it started working. I did a factory reset. Cleared cache. Got a stock image and flashed it. Works fine as of now. :)
Thanks for all the help.
Click to expand...

Hey ravisvi, that's awesome! :thumbup:
I new that there wasn't an issue with the motherboard and it was due to an issue with the Power button.
The N5's, mostly the first manufacturer run of them had issues with the Power buttons, being loose/rattling and then would eventually get stuck-in and would make contact with the motherboard, which in return would cause the device to bootloop and/or not power on.

Anyway, glad we could be of help and that you got it figured out and working again!
 
I have the same issue. Nexus 5 on Bootloop. I cannot reset it, nor can I connect to PC.

When i hold volume up and down button and then press power button, boom, the restart loop starts again. And when i connect to PC it is never recognized as it never really comes up. I have tried hitting the power button, Keep pressing the power button etc.. nothing works. Phone is a brick now. LG says software issue and in call with google they say its hardware issue.

Any help is really appreciated.
 
Last edited:
xdrc45 said:
No you can't flash the factory images if it's not booting into fastboot and/or being detected by your pc.
I believe you have a faulty power button or it is stuck in and it is making contact with the main board and making it bootloop. This is not an uncommon problem with the N5.
I would try to keep pushing/mashing the power button while the device is trying to boot to see if it fully boots or boots further than what it currently is.
I would also try and smack the back of the device near where the camera and power button are while it is trying to boot to try and knock the power button loose and/or while repeatedly pushing the power button at the same time and see if it finally boots.
Click to expand...

Can confirm. Smacking it in the back near the camera worked for me.

Weird thing was that the boot loop only happened if my phone was plugged in. When I unplugged it, it'll just shut off. Lately there have been times that my phone just shuts off on it's own. Not sure if this is a lollipop thing or the fact that I've dropped it a few times lately, the latest one being pretty bad. Trying to see if I can hold off until OnePlus 2 or new Nexus. Thanks again!
 
I had this problem suddenly happen out of the blue on Saturday morning. I was happily using the phone when it just switched off. The only two unusual things that I noticed at the time were a couple of hours before I got the icon indicating my internal memory was nearly full and when I was using the phone at the time of switch off it was really hot, but I put this down to the fact I was sat in the sun.

The phone wouldn't switch back on and when I plugged it in it went into the boot loop as described here; Google logo would flash up for 1-2 seconds, then disappear and the phone switched off. I couldn't get into the safe rebooter screen long enough to do anything before it reset. Repeat ad nauseum.

I read a few threads on here and on reddit (http://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus5/comments/2edf6j) and watched this:
)

before I tried the following:

  • Left it off for a day: Didn't help
  • Whacked it on the side by the power button and on back near camera: Didn't help
  • Repeatedly pressed the power button during boot up: Didn't help
So then having read this https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/kMEBTRCadYE I decided to try taking the back off to investigate if there was anything obvious going on back there. I started following the video I've linked at the bottom and was in the process of clicking off the back cover when the phone powered up again despite not being plugged in and this time got as far as the Android boot screen before powering down and looping again.

At this point I tried the repeated pressing of the power button tip and it got me through the boot up screen. For some reason I was then presented the 'optimising apps' screen despite not having installed a new or updated OS but I was too scared to stop pressing it by this point and continued to do so while it optimised 155 apps (new finger needed today). Anyway, finally I got through this and it started up OK and was fine for the rest of the day and so far today.

Hope this is helpful for anyone who has the same issue. Can only assume it was a hardware related issue for me given the 'mechanical' solution. I have since freed up a load of memory just in case that was somehow contributing.

(
)
 
I can confirm what batri explains. Same problem and button waking fixed it after going through some optimisation....

it's all extremely weird! dues anyone know where's all this coming from? hardware? latest update? technological obsolescence?
 
Hello Guys, I've successfully managed to overcome this issue. This is a power key issue which causes the boot loop. LG service centre here in Chennai, India charges 1500INR to get the job done and its working fine now. Initially they also suggested for a motherboard change. But i was totally disheartened to spend 8000INR just after 9 months into buying the device. I waited patiently, did a lot of research and found that this is a common issue for Nexus 5 devices globally. Now they are aware of this issue and change the power key (internally, not the external button) and its done for 1500INR (which still shouldn't have happened in the first place from a Google device). After 6 months of idle, my phone is back.


LG Chennai service centre Address -

Forward Infosystems Pvt Ltd
No 293, Next to Power House and IOB Bank, Kodambakkam, Chennai 600024
Phone +91 44 24724666
+91 44 42047059


This place is quite close to Vadapalani Murugan Temple.

P.S : I'd also replaced my screen at 8000INR as i had dropped it..
 
Hello Guys, I've successfully managed to overcome this issue. This is a power key issue which causes the boot loop. LG service centre here in Chennai, India charges 1500INR to get the job done and its working fine now. Initially they also suggested for a motherboard change. But i was totally disheartened to spend 8000INR just after 9 months into buying the device. I waited patiently, did a lot of research and found that this is a common issue for Nexus 5 devices globally. Now they are aware of this issue and change the power key (internally, not the external button) and its done for 1500INR (which still shouldn't have happened in the first place from a Google device). After 6 months of idle, my phone is back.


LG Chennai service centre Address -

Forward Infosystems Pvt Ltd
No 293, Next to Power House and IOB Bank, Kodambakkam, Chennai 600024
Phone +91 44 24724666
+91 44 42047059


This place is quite close to Vadapalani Murugan Temple.

P.S : I'd also replaced my screen at 8000INR as i had dropped it..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom