Attacking the CREAK

[tiki]

OK I've got a creaky black G1.

I did the tab removal technique and it worked- for awhile.

Then it came back.

I shaved it down again just to be sure- and still got a creak.

So I've come to the conclusion that its not a permanent fix.

I think the screen can kindof shift around in its position depending on the ambient temperature, and the temp of the device and various other factors, so sometimes it rubs in that corner, and other times it doesnt as badly.

Regardless, when it rubs, it creaks, so something needs to be done.

My first idea was a tiny piece of black electrical tape place strategically- that worked very well, but the tape can get warm and start sliding around.

So I tried a small dab of clear Polyseamseal Silicone. That worked too, but eventually got rubbed off.

So I'm thinking we need a powerful and durable, but not annoying, lubricant down in that corner/edge area.

I was looking for something common and cheap- so I thought maybe Chapstick applied with a Qtip would work.

I didnt have any chapstick around, so I tried Carmex in that little tub and it works fine. It's clear and stopped the creak. Not sure how long it will last.

This was my "DYI" on-the-cheap lubricant solution- a better choice is Teflon-based "Magic Lube" applied with a qtip to the corner of both the inside right edge of the unit and the edge of the screen when opened.

Magic lube is sold at pool supply stores as an O-ring lubricant. It's clear and stays "lubey" for a long time under harsh conditions. So it should do the trick- you may need an occasional re-apply, but its simple to do.

Right now my G1 is creakless using frikkin CARMEX and a qtip, so perhaps we won't need to go as far as "Magic Lube"

but once my phone starts creaking again, I'll try the magic lube and see how long it lasts. Teflon is good stuff- I'll tell you that.

So try some Chapstick or Carmex with a Qtip in that corner and on the bottom right edge of the screen and see how that works for you.

You can always wipe it off, no big deal.

[71CH]

Just to be clear did you apply over the nub?

[N3TWORK BURN3R]

We shouldn't have to do ANY of this. I cant believe how much Google let HTC slip up on their first ever device. Seriously....

[pathogen]

Probably because they knew it would not be the only device and it'll make later models seems so much more advanced. We'll be so grateful after dealing with this pos for a few months.

[xravexboix]

Put some felt on the area where you shaved (more along the other side of the hinge also). My phone creeks beyond belief while my brother's (also ordered and received by first pre-order delivery) is still creek-free. I noticed the screen alignment is different. Mine sits slanted slightly while his is almost completely straight. Adding felt on the inside "chin" area will help reduce the creek. Aside from that, we would need to realign the screen to fix it. That's why torque specs on screws (yea... even tiny ones...) matter. Overtorque one, and the alignment is thrown. Plus our ever-deadly curiousity makes it worse... we know the noise is there, but we still press the corner to check... lol

[tiki]

71CH-

I had already shaved my "nub" down, but I would try this before shaving yours down, as its easily undone, and my creak came back after removing the nub anyway.

Yup, we shouldn't have to do this.. but here we are, so.. you live in the world you have, not the one you want I suppose.

My opinion on the hardware of the G1 now is that its a bit of a joke. I'm just gonna try to get it to work as well as possible until a better Tmob android phone shows up. It still renders the web way better than my old Sidekick.

But yeah holy cow did HTC jump the shark.. wish SHARP was making these phone instead. I strongle feel that the outer edges of the phones should NOT move. there should be moving screen that is surrounded by solid sides- like a Sidekick or Slide.

Otherwise, when you hold the phone it seems too pliable.


Anyway try this and see if it kills your creak.

Dont put the lube in/over the slider mechanism- just on the edge of the screen and in the "nub" area

[CJ Chitwood]

You can always wipe it off, no big deal.

Unless you use one of those petroleums that the phone's plastic case was made from. They can dissolve. I don't know about this phone's case, specifically, but I have seen various oil-based products (anything with petroleum, including white petrolatum) weaken several plastics. I'd tread with caution putting chapstick or carmex or vaseline or anything else like that on a phone whether it cost $200 or $400.


A better solution would be to simply find some kind of teflon with an adhesive back -- similar to the pads on the bottom of your computer mouse -- and apply that to the sliver of real estate on the lip just above the Menu button. I did this with a screen protector film and it worked well enough for my taste. Now mind you, I haven't had it on that long, but it hasn't moved any and it's not like I ever touch or see it.

[Divest]

We'll be so grateful after dealing with this pos for a few months.

No, we won't. I will NOT be grateful for paying $400 for something that creaked like a cheap piece of crap.


We shouldn't have to do ANY of this. I cant believe how much Google let HTC slip up on their first ever device. Seriously....

I agree with this statement whole-heartedly.

[tiki]

update.. i wiped off the carmex.. got the creak going again and switched to the teflon magic lube.. works waaay better. i dont think its petrol based ill check tho. $3 a tube. ill see how long one app lasts. creaks is totally gone, and it took like 10 seconds. you cant see it.

[tiki]

So far the Magic Lube is working quite well. I just used a very slight amount on the corner edges that were rubbing- made sure not to get it in the slide mechanism, etc.

So far no corrosive effects- Magic Lube is made for use on pool O-rings which are seated in plastic pumps with plastic lids. On my pool, there is tons of this stuff slathered all over the ring areas of the pumps, and I've never seen corrosion of the plastics there.. so it may be a decent choice. I'll keep an eye on my G1 and report back the long term effect

in the meantime here's some info on it:

http://www.poolgeek.com/Aladdin-Magic-Lube-P2936.aspx

you can find this stuff at most pool stores, and probably even home depot/lowes


"Great for sealing and lubricating o-rings, gaskets, motors, bearings and water filters. Teflon based Magic Lube will not cause leaking like the old petroleum based products. It can be used in wet or dry applications and can withstand any temperature up to 425 degrees. Completely waterproof, Magic Lube is compatible with most kinds of metal, rubber and plastic. Specifically formulated for pool and spa uses, it forms a durable adhesive film that is chemically resistant."

http://www.waterwarehouse.com/poolsupplies/sku-1185.html

[rynosaur]

So far the Magic Lube is working quite well. Specifically formulated for pool and spa uses, it forms a durable adhesive film that is chemically resistant."

http://www.waterwarehouse.com/poolsupplies/sku-1185.html

It's silicone grease. The most common formulation used on cars is called Sil-Glyde which is really greasy (and I'll bet similar to your O-Ring grease), but I like 3M Silicone Grease which is more pasty. I'm not trying to one-up you and I see you've put a lot of of effort into these noise threads, but I have to side with Mr. Chitwood and his teflon coating ideas. Silicone grease does attract dirt, will disperse if not trapped and get rubbed off, and in some case damages paint! So it's friendly to plastic, but I've seen it discolor paint on airbag covers, so . . . . careful with it.

I was going to suggest KY for grease cuz we all gettin F**@#$@#$!

:D Kidding. Seriously I like the teflon idea. Obviously all but the most expert electrical tape job is going to fail (move) as well. We need someone at a teflon factory to make up a batch of little tiny self-adhesive shims to cushion the screen against the inside of the chin!

[tiki]

The problem is that anything self-adhesive ends up coming loose and slides around.

I tried many different "stick-ons" and they all did the same thing. Perhaps a bit of invisible shield might stay put..

[CJ Chitwood]

I can see the self-adhesive slide-around thing, but it really depends on the adhesive. After all, I've had my wireless mouse for... . idunno, I guess about two years now, and only in the past six months or so did one of the four pads start moving on its own (so you could call that a 75% success rate over the course of about 18 months). And this is a mouse, it's always getting moved around all over the pad, whereas the spot on the G1 between the screen and lip doesn't actually see so much side-to-side movement at the point where the pad would meet the screen (as soon as it starts to move, it's brought out and away from the lip), so really with the right adhesive backing a teflon strip should hold up here very well. I'd expect (in my mind's eye) for a thin pad with the adhesive they used on my mouse to easily last 3 to 5 years before getting to the point it just has to be removed, and I don't know if I'd expect anyone to keep a cellphone for that long. I know some do. I've been fortunate enough, though, to always have someone getting rid of a phone in favor of a newer one nearby, so I've always had hand-me-downs until the G1 with one or two exceptions.

But I digress...

The only thing is that the right adhesive may be expensive and/or difficult/impossible to remove from the phone. Not that you should need to -- if done right, you would hardly ever notice it's there.