[smnc]

My trackball seems to be loosing the ability to select things.
It feels like it "clicks" fine when I push down on it, it doesn't do anything. I end up having to push extra hard and hold it down to get it to select stuff.

It started out just being an occasional problem, but now it's happening more and more, worse and worse.

Anyone else having this problem?

[Gaiking]

I assume you have done a battery pull.

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[Gaiking]

Sounds like the the trackball dome may have some corrosion. It is brass so if it became damp perhaps from having the phone in a humid area then the dome may have a layer of corrosion that creates the need to press hard on the trackball for it to work. You can replace it ....costs about a buck from CNN.cn.

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[mnlmn218]

Is if for sure a trackball problem or it the phone sluggish all together?

[papped]

Aren't the 83xx trackball's still easy to remove?

If so, just clean it out:
How to clean your 8300 Blackberry trackball(Pic and guide) - BlackBerryForums.com : Your Number One BlackBerry Community

Once you take the trackball out I'd blow some compressed air in there too.

[Coruptyed]

Either try the steps above ^ or you may need to purchase a new trackball they run around 6 to 10 dollars

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[editionfws]

Sounds like the trackball dome to me more than the trackball...there was recently a thread about it here somewhere

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[smnc]

I assume you have done a battery pull.

You assume right.

Sounds like the the trackball dome may have some corrosion. It is brass so if it became damp perhaps from having the phone in a humid area then the dome may have a layer of corrosion that creates the need to press hard on the trackball for it to work. You can replace it ....costs about a buck from CNN.cn.

Hmmm... That's possible, and it did start when it was really humid in August...

Is if for sure a trackball problem or it the phone sluggish all together?

My Curve has always been slow. I got it used, but did a full factory reset on it when I got it.
I've always assumed it's slow 'cause it's a slow old Curve... I don't think it's just lag, if that's what you mean. After attempting to click on things, I can still move my cursor around.

Aren't the 83xx trackball's still easy to remove?
If so, just clean it out:
Once you take the trackball out I'd blow some compressed air in there too.

I appreciate it, but that was the second thing I tried.
I probably should have mentioned I'm an IT Professional, and I dissect laptops, PDAs and phones with alarming regularity.

[andri mung]

My friend once had the same problem as you have and I tried to help him out by removing and cleaning the trackball. But be careful because it's a bit tricky. The problem temporarily solved. But it wasn't as normal as it used to be. So, we decided to purchase a new one and it was around 10 dollars including the delivery.

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[smnc]

Thanks guys!
I'm going to try the dome...

And now that I'm placing an order, I guess I may as well do a few cosmetic upgrades too... A slick new black trackball, a new black keyboard... a new trackball ring too...
Pimp my Berry time....

[xliderider]

It's not the trackball. It might be the dome switch cover, but it is probably the microswitch under the dome that is the problem. The exterior surface of the copper dome corroding isn't a problem, as the underside is the surface that contacts the microswitch underneath.

Here is a link to the dome switch covers:

http://forums.crackberry.com/f52/tra...le-now-300038/

If you get those, you can peel off your old dome and see if the microswitch can be cleaned out.

If the microswitch itself is bad, that is bad news. Because it is soldered onto the main circuitboard.

FYI, you should probably be using your Enter key instead of the trackball to make selections at this point. Most of the time, the Enter key will function the same as a TB click, but there are exceptions.

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[smnc]

It's not the trackball. It might be the dome switch cover, but it is probably the microswitch under the dome that is the problem. The exterior surface of the copper dome corroding isn't a problem, as the underside is the surface that contacts the microswitch underneath.

If the microswitch itself is bad, that is bad news. Because it is soldered onto the main circuitboard.

FYI, you should probably be using your Enter key instead of the trackball to make selections at this point. Most of the time, the Enter key will function the same as a TB click, but there are exceptions.

Yeah, I saw the switch when I was looking at the dome cover.
My soldering skills aren't good enough to do that job, but I know people who can.
I'm hoping it's just the dome...

And yeah, I figured out the enter key pretty quick when it started getting bad.
I still need to use the trackball sometimes, but not too often.

[FYDave]

Hm. I've been wondering how some of these trackball problems can arise and this thread has definitely been somewhat enlightening.