Motorola Moto Z Force Droid Volume Buttons Replacement

Schritt 1

Apply a heated iOpener to the lower glass panel on the back of the phone for five minutes.
The panel is extremely stubborn, and you may need to reheat and reapply the iOpener several times to get the panel warm enough. Follow the iOpener instructions to avoid overheating.
A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the phone—the display and internal battery are both susceptible to heat damage.

I was unable to get the iOpener to heat the glass panes hot enough to loosen the glue. I was able to use a heat gun. Just heat it on low setting for about 1.5 min. (Any longer and you risk damaging the phone.

Kimball Marston - 03/10/18

I heated the iOpener several times to no avail. Then when i switched from the pick to a box cutter (see my comment on next step) it turned out that the glue WAS heated enough.

Michael Roland - 05/10/18

I agree with the heat gun. Only needed to use it on low for a few seconds. iOpener did not work, ended up using an exacto knife and heat gun after breaking the bottom glass. Found the replacement glass on Amazon for 6.99 for both pieces.

zx12bullet - 11/12/18

I did this with the iOpener, about 45 seconds on a 1200W+ microwave. The mistake I made was not realizing how thin the glass is. Think paper thin. You do not have to dig far to get into it. I did peel off a protective outer plastic that was on both of mine. Shattered the top one, learned, bottom one came out without issues.

Paul Porter - 14/02/19

The iOpener was completely useless. use he heat gun as suggested above.

Patrick Connerney - 23/05/19

Before you start, get some 91% Isopropyl Alcohol from the drug store, find an 1800 watt hair dryer and a box cutter blade, and order the replacement glass pieces from ebay or amazon. Once you have it all, put some alcohol on the edges, wait a couple of minutes, heat the glass for 30-60 sec with the hair dryer, and bulldoze the glass pieces with the blade and spudger. Unless you value your time at less than $7/hr, you’ll be happy you didn’t bother trying the 1% chance to save the original glass.

Udo Dirkschneider - 15/09/19

Schritt 2

Insert an opening pick into the small gap between the rear case and the glass panel.
The gap between the panel and the frame is very tight, so it may help to rock or slide the pick back and forth as you push it down into the gap. Alternatively, you can use a thin blade or metal pry tool to lift the panel before prying the rest of the way with a pick, but work slowly and gently to avoid damaging the glass.
If you're having trouble inserting your pick, go back a step and heat the panel further. Loosening the panel requires significant heat, but avoid heating the middle of the phone where the battery is.
A few drops of high-concentration (at least 90%) isopropyl alcohol applied to the edges of the panel may help to loosen the adhesive as well.
Do not pry over the charging port. It is framed with plastic that can be damaged when prying.
With tip of the pick under the glass panel, carefully pry upward to slightly separate the rear case and the panel.

The opening picks are too thick and weak to accomplish this step. Plan on breaking the glass with a knife and replacing it with new glass from ebay. Search Dogxiong For Motorola Moto Z/Moto Z Force Black Back Rear Battery Housing Top if the following link doesn’t work: https://www.ebay.com/i/123308522723?chn=...

Mike Thompson - 01/10/18

This step was a challenge. The picks are quite thick. I ended up using a box cutter knife to carefully separate one corner. Then I used one of the picks to complete this procedure. Once I realized that this worked, I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I did the same thing for steps 5 & 6.

Michael Roland - 05/10/18

Agreed. There’s no way I could have done this without a heat gun, a ton of patience, and a really, really thin flat screw driver bit from my iFixit tool pack. I think it was the 1.3.

bennettr8 - 14/10/18

I used a single edge razor blade in a holder. This worked much better then trying to get a pick inserted. Also, you really have to get the panel warm to heat up the glue enough to break it loose.

Donald Whitaker - 06/11/18

I managed to remove the remove the panel without a heat gun, but I did carefully use a square end hobby knife blade to life the glass far enough to insert the pick. The adhesive is across the entire panel, so it does not feel like it is lifting correctly as only the local area will actually lift.

David Small - 16/12/18

IO found the Jimmy from my iFixit tool kit worked well with the iOpener and letting the opener sit for about 10 minutes then using a pick to keep the glass separated.

Dave Johnson - 19/03/19

Heat gun & Metal Putty knife will be your best friend. Use a lot of patience and not strength

Dan B - 23/05/19

iOpener then blow dryer. Used tweezers to lift the paper thin glass. Once I got movement I shoved the pick in to cut the rest of the glue.

If you use a back cover like me, don't worry about scratching these glass panels. They're entirely pointless and not visible to be honest.

Took maybe an hour to get through this part.

Alvin Liu - 07/06/19

Agreed. Hope you play guitar…because these picks are worthless for anything else. Use an exacto knife or razor blades of some sort.

Chad Albertson - 15/09/19

Boxcutter blade, hair dryer, and just bust the glass off. Not worth trying to save!

Udo Dirkschneider - 15/09/19

Schritt 3

Slide the pick in between the panel and the rear case.
Slide the pick across the length of the panel to slice the adhesive holding it to the rear case.

The entire underside of the panel has adhesive to all the edges.

David Small - 16/12/18

I used the heat gun and it worked great.

Kimberly Schroeder - 16/07/19

Schritt 4

Use the opening pick to carefully pry up the glass panel.
Remove the glass panel.

Schritt 5

Repeat the previous four heating and removal steps for the upper glass panel.
During reassembly, remove leftover adhesive from the panels and the rear case. Then clean those areas with high concentration isopropyl alcohol (greater than 90%) and a lint-free cloth. This will ensure proper adhesion of the panels.
Reinstall the panels using a pre-cut adhesive strip or double-sided tape.

When cleaning the Glass Panes, DO NOT use metal tools, This will scrape the paint off of the back of the glass and damage the glass. Use of Alcohol helps loosen and remove the glue. I used a small plastic scraper and alcohol. Just takes a little bit of time.

Kimball Marston - 03/10/18

I was unable to remove the top one with the tools provided. I ended up breaking the glass and had to take it piece by piece. It depends the age of the phone and how strong the adhesive was. You can buy replacements on eBay or Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/Dogxiong-Battery-... ). I bought it while I was fixing the phone since I broke the glass.

Charlie Gates - 06/12/18

The upper glass panel proved to be more tricky. The previous square end hobby knife blade kept breaking, so I had to get a new regular hobby knife blade, which still broke, but managed to pry the panel up enough to get the other blade and eventually the pick in it. Wear safety glasses when prying with a metal blade The entire panel has adhesive, but the right side when viewed in the above photo has less, so it should be easier to lift. Additional examination of the adhesive reveals that there is a small spot in the corner that does not have any adhesive, presumably to aid with disassembly.

David Small - 16/12/18

Got it off but it is all broken up, The top is definitely better adhered than the bottom.

Dave Johnson - 19/03/19

SO MUCH ADHESIVE!! Just break it off and get replacement glass for $7.

Udo Dirkschneider - 15/09/19

I was unable to get the adhesive off without breaking it using the iopener, but a heat gun did the trick real fast. would definitely recommend over the iopener

Daniel Malkowski - 20/05/20

Schritt 6

Remove the six 4 mm T3 Torx screws securing the display assembly.

Why did they give me a T5 when it clearly states a T3?

Good thing I had their other tool kit with all of the bits.

Dave Johnson - 19/03/19

what do you do if one of the Torx screw heads falls apart so you can’t turn the screw?

Dave Johnson - 19/03/19

I ground the head off with a very small Dremel grinding tip. I wil find out if I created any new problems when I connect the new battery. Not even sure the battery is the problem. My daughters phone just stopped working and wouldn’t turn on even when plugged in.

I guess if the battery isn’t the problem, then I cna’t make it any worse.

Dave Johnson - 19/03/19

I ordered the sjtek kit:

“Motorola Moto Z Force Droid XLTE XT1650-02 Screen Replacement LCD Display Touch Screen Digitizer Glass Assembly Parts 5.5" AMOLED Black with Frame”

It came with the wrong sized screwdriver as the previous poster described. By the time I could tell something was wrong with the screwdriver, I had two stripped screw heads. Don’t order this kit unless you have your own set of phone repair tools

Evan Bossonis - 24/06/19

@ewb62 The iFixit kit includes both the T3 and T5 driver bits—however, the T3 is commonly packed in the parts tray, rather than the tools tray with the other driver bits. Check the entire package carefully and you should find it. If not, contact customer support so they can ship the missing bit out to you ASAP. Sorry for the confusion!

Jeff Suovanen - 24/06/19

I have the T5!!! Where's the T3??? Unbelievable.

Kimberly Schroeder - 16/07/19

So now what?

Kimberly Schroeder - 16/07/19

Never mind. I ordered the wrong kit. The Z force has the 4 bits

Kimberly Schroeder - 16/07/19

Schritt 7

Insert the point of a spudger into the hole in the bottom right corner of the rear case.
Press the spudger into the hole to separate the display from the rear case.

Expect to bend the end of the spudger as the adhesive holding the display on is rather strong.

David Small - 16/12/18

Schritt 8

Use a finger to maintain separation between the display assembly and the rear case while you remove the spudger.
Reinsert the flat end of the spudger in the gap between the display assembly and the rear case.

Due to the display being hard to move, I push it far enough with the spudger until I was able to insert a pick to hold it while I shifted the spudger.

David Small - 16/12/18

I broke the display and had to buy another one because I didn't realize this part is 3- layered. I accidentally separated the glass from the digitizer. : ( so make sure you pop out the entire thicknesses with the spudger before you try lifting it away from the phone.

Ingrid Leidy-Hayden - 19/03/21

Schritt 9

Slide the spudger along the side of the phone until you get to the clip securing the display to the rear case.
With the spudger right next to the clip, carefully twist the spudger to pry the display away from the rear case and release the clip.

If it is being difficult, confirm that you have removed all 6 (SIX) screws. This is from personal experience.

Charlie Gates - 06/12/18

BECAREFUL twisting the spudger. You need to be right on the clip. If you are too far away from the clip you will crack the LCD screen from the inside (happened to me and ended up having to buy a new screen). I found a video where it shows working one of the picks all the way around the screen first to separate the glue / sealant that is used FIRST. then you can locate the clips easier Prying after all the glue is worked loose make it sperate a lot easier.

HINT - The clip on the button side is not in the middle of the side it is slightly higher towards the Power button. The left side (no buttons) the clip is directly in the middle of the side.

zx12bullet - 11/12/18

I recommend moving the supdges slowly to let the adhesive separate on its own.

David Small - 16/12/18

Schritt 10

Repeat the separation and prying process for the other side of the phone.
There is one clip on each side of the phone—make sure both are free before you continue.
Be careful not to separate the bottom edge of the display more than 0.5 inches (13 mm) from the rear case. The display cable is still connected and can be damaged if the bottom of the phone is opened too far.

On this side, I got the spudger 1/2 way up, and it wouldn’t give. I wound up working around from the other side, then down from the top to finally release it. It felt like the tension was released after everything else came out, and it popped right out. jml.

James Lang - 22/12/18

Clips are a broad term. No pictures of what to release and how. Ruined digitizer following these instructions.

Rick Miller - 03/06/20

Schritt 11

Tilt the top right corner of the display down to disengage one of the tabs that secure the top of the display.
Tilt the other corner down next, to disengage the other tab.
The display cable is still connected and can be damaged by too much display movement. Tilt the display carefully and stop if you encounter significant resistance.

I still don’t know how this was supposed to work, but there is some adhesive along the top. I used the pick to wiggle the top out and then proceed. Another site advised more heat in this area to loosen the adhesive. I didn’t need to.

bennettr8 - 14/10/18

I also agree with this. I just kept shaking things until it loosened. Getting it back on was just as a struggle and took some forcing.

Charlie Gates - 06/12/18

The tabs are two small bumps that are located roughly at either end of the speaker. Careful prying with the pick may help, but make sure you do not over extend the bottom of the display.

David Small - 16/12/18

On reassembly, not that the camera under the display may be loose. Putting some pressure on the speaker while pressing up on the display should cause the top tabs to snap back in.

David Small - 16/12/18

I snapped the tab located on the right of the screen. This step might be the trickiest because it’s not clear how to wiggle and budge this screen to open like a book. Fortunately the screen was still functional

Dan B - 23/05/19

I found the previous step wasn’t clear enough about prying the screen past the midway point once you get to those 2 side tabs. I used the pick to keep separating the screen past those side tabs up until I reached the top corners. Then I laid the phone down, screen side up. I held onto the metal frame with one hand, and with my other hand I grasped the screen near the bottom side (by the fingerprint reader) and gently wriggled the screen left and right, with slight pressure in the direction of the fingerprint reader, and a little torque in the direction of opening in the “book” layout shown above. Voila! Opened like a charm.

Kirk Lau - 01/07/19

Schritt 12

Lift the right edge of the display to hinge the phone open like a book, no more than 45°.
Gently lift the display enough to clear the clip from the edge of the rear case, maintaining the 45º angle.
Rest the display on the table behind the phone and open to 90º to allow access to the display cable.

Note that there are several strips of glue along the edges of the display which will need to be reapplied during reassembly.

Kimball Marston - 03/10/18

During reassembly (once you have put the display cable back into its socket), I recommend plugging the charger cable into the phone for a few seconds to see if you see the lightening bolt (charging indicator) on the front panel. This will allow you to be certain that, both, the battery and display connectors have been properly and securely connected.

Michael Roland - 05/10/18

Schritt 13

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the display cable connector up out of its socket.
Only pry up on the display connector itself and not the socket on the motherboard.
At this point during reassembly after the display is connected, turn the phone on and verify that the display functions correctly. If it does, turn the phone off and proceed with reassembly.
If it does not work, check that everything is assembled correctly and the connectors are clean. For further troubleshooting, visit our Answers Forum.

Note that the ribbon cable has adhesive beside the connector.

David Small - 16/12/18

When it is plugged into power on reassembly, it should show a lightening bolt. If it shows the restart screen, likely the battery was not connected correctly.

David Small - 16/12/18

Schritt 14

Remove the display.
During reassembly, if you wish to replace the display adhesive strips, first use a spudger to scrape away all the old adhesive, and clean the adhesion area with some high-concentration (at least 90%) isopropyl alcohol on a lint-free cloth.
Apply a thin, high-bond tape, like 1 mm Tesa 61395, or a strip from a precut adhesive card, where the old adhesive was.
If you're installing a new display assembly, note where the adhesive is on the original assembly and apply adhesive in the same places on the new assembly.

Schritt 15

Use tweezers to peel the black tape on the top of the battery up from the motherboard EMI shielding.
Applying a little heat to the tape before lifting it can help loosen its adhesive.
If your replacement battery does not come with this tape, note its position and transfer it to the replacement.

Someone way more delicate than me may be able to remove this tape without ripping it, but I would love to meet that person and verify they are working on a phone that is more than a few days old. the tape on my phone was glued way too much to get it to peel without ripping. Order more tape.

bennettr8 - 14/10/18

I personally gave up on the tape. I’m not delicate, that much became clear. But really, of all the things, I’d rather just replace the tape.

Ian Unger - 13/11/18

I ripped the tape as well, but was able to use it again (hopefully). I don’t know if it completed a circuit or not but we will see how important it is.

Charlie Gates - 06/12/18

By warming the tape with the iOpener, using the tweasers to start lifting it at the corner with the black triangle, and then using my hand to pull it, I was able to remove the tape in mostly one piece.

David Small - 16/12/18

Does anyone know what this type of tape is? I’m trying to find some to order as replacement.

Thanks!

Nick E - 09/05/19

Schritt 16

In the following steps you will only lift the battery, do not completely remove it—it's still connected to the motherboard.
Use tweezers to gently peel the battery pull tab up enough to grab.
Use your fingers to grip the battery pull tab and lift the battery up from the phone.
If the battery is hard to remove, applying a small amount of high concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol or adhesive remover under the battery may help.
If the pull tab breaks, use the flat end of a spudger or an old credit card to pry up carefully on the edges of the battery until it comes loose.
The battery can catch fire and/or explode if damaged so be extremely careful.
Never reinstall a damaged or deformed battery. Replace the battery.

The spudger will be your best friend in this, especially if your adhesive has become the devil.

Ian Unger - 13/11/18

I agree with the above comment. My battery came out bent after trying to pry it so much.

Charlie Gates - 06/12/18

Schritt 17

Fold the battery up to reveal the battery connector cover.
Use the point of a spudger to pry up and remove the plastic cover from the battery connector.

Schritt 18

Use the tip of a spudger to lift the battery connector up out of its socket on the motherboard.

It is really tricky reattaching the connection and sometimes likes disconnecting when the battery is put back in. There is actually a click when it is in correctly.

David Small - 16/12/18

Schritt 19

Remove the battery.
Before installing your replacement, remove any remaining adhesive from the phone, and clean the glued areas with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth.
Use a few strips of precut adhesive, or other thin double-sided adhesive tape to secure the new battery.

It is a good idea to reconnect the Display and check to see if the battery will charge and the system turns on prior to reassembly. This makes sure that your battery connection is good and that your display connection is good. You don’t want to reassemble the phone only to find out your battery connection isn’t good. Just note that the speakers only work once the display is in place and is making contact with the back board. Testing the battery and display may warrant being another step or section.

Kimball Marston - 03/10/18

totally failed. The display cable is ripped. Very Frustrated!

John Rovetto - 12/12/18

The second piece of black tape on the battery will be ripped when removed as it goes under the PCB.

David Small - 16/12/18

That happened to me as well. It was only after I tore it that I realised that I could have simply carefully peeled it off the battery first and avoided tearing it, or at least avoided tearing it completely.

Aaron - 17/02/19

I found the easiest way to remove adhesive was to use a plastic spudger as an applicator for 91% isopropyl alcohol. Then, I would use the spudger to scrape the adhesive off. Applying the alcohol to it as needed before hand loosened it considerably and it would come off relatively easily as a black goo. I also found that dipping the spudger in alcohol before and as needed while scraping helped accelerate what is admittedly a tedious process. Small, loose parts such as the battery connector cover can simply be soaked in alcohol to loosen the adhesive before scraping it off with a spudger.

Aaron - 17/02/19