1. theoneandonly94's Avatar
    Okay, as you can see, I'm a new Blackberry user. I used it for about 2 weeks and I love it. Just recently my phone has been on the fritz, my SPACE button has fallen out, my BACK key displays a 0 then deletes it, the GH & TY buttons double up when I try to text, and the unusual thing is that the TY uses WE. Any help?
    04-11-09 01:11 AM
  2. BigBadWulf's Avatar
    Welcome to CrackBerry, prepare to be an addict!

    Man o man, you've got some problem. Did the poor thing get hit by a truck? Since you've lost a key along with all the ones not working properly, I'm going to go with you needing a new key pad, and probably a new membrane. If you go to cnn.cn you should be able to get what you need. Make sure to get a T-5 torx driver, your going to need it to take it apart. This video should help with the disassemble process:
    04-11-09 08:07 AM
  3. skullgame45's Avatar
    Honestly, I would just get it replaced through warranty! You're still covered if the phone is new and your carrier should be more than happy to exchange it for you!

    Or if you don't wanna go that route, do what Wolf said. Good luck!


    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-11-09 08:10 AM
  4. BigBadWulf's Avatar
    Honestly, I would just get it replaced through warranty! You're still covered if the phone is new and your carrier should be more than happy to exchange it for you!

    Or if you don't wanna go that route, do what Wolf said. Good luck!


    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Hey SG, they really still selling new 8100's? I just presumed he purchased it used. Could be my-bad!
    04-11-09 08:12 AM
  5. skullgame45's Avatar
    Yeah, I know TMO still sells them new! But regardless of it being new or refurbished, the OP did say that he/she just got it a couple weeks ago. So it should be under some sort of warranty!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-11-09 08:21 AM
  6. BigBadWulf's Avatar
    Well dang me for thinking ebay. The model and fact that the keypad is completely fubar threw me for a loop! My 8100 is well over a long hard year old, and still got all its parts together. Seems built to take darn near anything you could dish out!
    04-11-09 08:27 AM
  7. skullgame45's Avatar
    Yeah, no kidding! My Pearl has been through he11 and back and still going strong! 14 different housings, 11 of them painted by moi. I would estimate around 120 drops to the ground. Some from a 10' ladder onto concrete, tile, wood, everything, but it still lives strong! They're some tough little turds! Tougher than Curves, I know that much!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-11-09 08:36 AM
  8. BigBadWulf's Avatar
    Why you gotta treat your Pearl like that men? Where's the respect? Well, eventually the OP will clue us into how his BB got in the state it's in.
    Speaking of respect and going off-topic, you should have swung by TBL last night.
    04-11-09 08:40 AM
  9. skullgame45's Avatar
    TBL??

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-11-09 08:47 AM
  10. theoneandonly94's Avatar
    What's the membrane? Is it the motherboard, or is the the front and the back part of the phone? And where can you find a t5 Torx? Can I find it in a hardware store?
    Last edited by theoneandonly94; 04-11-09 at 10:25 PM.
    04-11-09 10:22 PM
  11. BigBadWulf's Avatar
    Man, we've been waiting all day to hear back from you!
    The membrane resides beneath the keypad. It is both the contact to the PCB and the spring. I believe cnn.cn carries the T-5 you need, and can order it along with the other parts, but you might want to try a hardware store, such as ACE first. Better to disassemble and figure out what you need, then order.
    Could you tell us:
    What happened to your BB?
    Did you purchase it new, cause it would be warrantied then. Of course unless a truck did hit it.
    04-11-09 10:56 PM
  12. theoneandonly94's Avatar
    Okay, I switched the phones with my cousin, because she wanted my phone and I wanted her phone. Just recently, I got the Blackberry Data Plan, then like 6 hours after, it was on the fritz, i.e. the question. I bought a housing thing from eBay, is that good? and how can you change the keyboard PCB and the spring (even I don't know what that is...) to make it correct?
    Last edited by theoneandonly94; 04-11-09 at 11:24 PM.
    04-11-09 11:22 PM
  13. BigBadWulf's Avatar
    SkullGames thinks I'm confusing too.

    ebay should be fine, as long as it's from a trusted seller.
    The membrane is between the keypad or keyboard and the PCB or computer board. It's made of silicone and has little disks attached to each bubble, if you will, that resides under each key. It looks like this:



    So when you depress a key, the bubble compresses, it's really like a small thimble, and the disk then comes in contact with a particular point on the board. You could have a perfectly fine membrane that is acting up merely because the keypad is screwed, or there's dirt between it and the board. There is the potential, that your membrane is bad, that's why I mentioned it. A visual check can confirm whether it's ok. A damaged membrane should be obvious even to the untrained eye.
    04-11-09 11:48 PM
  14. theoneandonly94's Avatar
    Thanks! I bought a housing thing and also a membrane (just in case). Let's hope that It works.
    04-11-09 11:54 PM
  15. BigBadWulf's Avatar
    Well, with all that, it should. Got the keypad I presume. What happen to the poor thing? They just don't fall apart.
    04-11-09 11:58 PM
  16. theoneandonly94's Avatar
    I was typing on my phone, and then it suddenly double lettered! Like a TY to "we" I was like WTF? I think it's the membrane that's messed up... it's not the keys, its the membrane.
    04-12-09 12:02 AM
  17. BigBadWulf's Avatar
    When you said that your space button had fallen off, the visual for me went off the charts. If that button is missing, how are you getting around needing a new keypad?
    04-12-09 12:09 AM
  18. theoneandonly94's Avatar
    My parents threw my phone because they're already mad at me so I lost other buttons (like the TY and the GH buttons). So I checked it without the buttons.
    04-12-09 12:13 AM
  19. BigBadWulf's Avatar
    Nice, and whose the adults?
    04-12-09 12:14 AM
  20. theoneandonly94's Avatar
    Oh, well. I want this to work. I hope this works.
    04-12-09 12:19 AM
LINK TO POST COPIED TO CLIPBOARD