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

Help USB port is extremely loose

Apparently this is a fairly common problem with the N7. It also doesn't look that hard to replace.


I would recommend, however, that if you are still within the warranty period, you have it fixed under a warranty repair, rather than doing it yourself.
 
Since the main use you make of the USB port is to 'Charge' the device, I'd recommend that you invest the necessary $'s into a Wireless Charging port.
I got one from Amazon for both my wife's and mine and we really love it. We both get done reading at night and just drop the units onto the chargers even with cases on and they are good the next morning for whatever we need.
Really reduces the usage of the USB port to what is absolutely needed.
You can use WiFi to copy data to and from the system or the Bluetooth capability.
This is the one that I purchased two of, one for me and a 2nd unit for my wife's Nexus 7 (2013):
http://www.amazon.com/PowerHolic-OW...8&qid=1392585241&sr=1-108&keywords=qi+charger
 
USB's are a little different. I have a phone and old usb cable just fall out of the slot, white the one tgat came with the phone fits well. Try different USB's.
 
I had that on my dad's nexus 7 or I thought so, didn't really seam as a problem since it charged fine and it didn't fall out, I also found out the cable was kind of broken so It was kind of relieving, getting it fixed would be kind of hard but not impossible, they have videos now, plus if it isn't too loose and still working, it shouldn't a problem at all. Check your cable, it could be the same case.
 
Second (or third) on the wireless charging and file transfer for any phone or tab. And good Qi pads and receivers are cheap now. $35 buys you a pair.

The video leaves out one thing. Flipping the latch on the ribbon cable connector isn't "simple". If you've done it many times (as he obviously has) you can just about do it with your eyes closed. But I've seen many phones come in because something appears intermittent, and it's a broken latch on a connector, so the connector is loose. It's VERY easy to break the latch. So if you ARE going to repair your own phone or tablet (my standard advice, after years of repairing what someon else "repaired", is DON'T!) be VERY careful lifting the latches and connectors.

And if a device charges only if you hold the cable in a certain way, or it stops charging if you move the cable, that means a bad solder joint. That means that every time you move the cable and make or break a connection, you make a spark. It's hot. It damages the board that the connector is on. In phones where replacing the connector means replacing the board it doesn't really matter too much. But in phones where you can just resolder the existing connector, you can pay a good shop about what the board would cost to just touch up the solder connections, and the USB connector will be tight and safe again. (And you don't risk breaking anything.)
 
sethgoldstein said:
This happens to me too much but my N7 2013 has a very loose USB port. Any suggestions on how to fix or hack it?
Click to expand...

I ordered a new USB port (1554266-1-SI-ND) from Digikey.com with the intention of replacing the existing one but upon opening the Nexus 2013 I noticed that the solder joints on the USB port looked very poor. I tediously resoldered the tiny joints and now it charges without having to wiggle the connector around.
The resoldering fixed the bad electrical connection but the plug was still loose in the port so I used needlenose pliers to bend the metal housing of the port inward a bit to restore a tighter fit for the plug. So far so good!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom