FIELD LOGBOOK
UPDATED WEEKLY
FIX PROTOCOLS ON FILE

An issue earns a spot when it walks in three times.

We're not interested in one-offs. If three customers walk in with the exact same fault on the exact same model, we open the affected device, write a fix protocol, and log it here so the next person who searches for the symptom finds the answer.

Every entry is something we can fix on the spot, today, with parts on the shelf. Mention the issue number on the way in and we'll have the part ready.

HOW THE LOGBOOK WORKS

Three steps. Three customers.

01

Pattern observed

Same fault, same model, three or more visits. We're not interested in one-offs.

02

Root cause found

We dismantle the affected component and find the root cause — not just the surface fix.

03

Fix protocol written

Step-by-step bench procedure that's repeatable in under an hour, with parts on the shelf.

ALL ISSUES

Logged so far.

This page only lists the patterns we've seen often enough to write a fix protocol for. If your symptom isn't here, we still want to look — diagnostics are free.

#001
SYMPTOM STATUS · FIX KNOWN VERY COMMON

Earpiece dead — can't hear callers without speakerphone

Earpiece speaker that's gone silent — we see it every week on the iPhone 12 generation.

SAME PROBLEMS ON
iPhone 12 mini · 12 · 12 Pro · 12 Pro Max
WHY IT HAPPENS

The earpiece speaker on iPhone 12 generation models is on a shared flex with the proximity sensor and ambient light sensor. After ~2 years of use, the speaker itself degrades — but the sensors are still fine. The whole flex isn't the problem; just the small earpiece module on it.

WHAT MOST SHOPS DO WRONG

Most shops — and even Apple Genius Bar in some cases — quote you the "full sensor flex" replacement. That part is paired to your phone at the factory, so swapping it without proper transfer kills Face ID, True Tone, and auto-brightness. You pay $400 and lose features.

HOW WE FIX IT
  • Targeted earpiece swap only — sensor flex untouched
  • Face ID, True Tone & auto-brightness preserved
  • Replace only what's actually failing
  • Inspect & test sensor flex connectors before quoting
#002
SYMPTOM STATUS · FIX KNOWN SAMSUNG

Charging drops in and out — the charge flex or the port

Charge cuts in and out, and sometimes the SIM drops or the bottom mic goes quiet with it. This isn’t a dirty port — the charge sub-board underneath is on the way out.

SAME PROBLEMS ON
Galaxy S20 / S21 / S22 / S23 series · Note 20 · Z Fold
WHY IT HAPPENS

The USB-C port sits on a flex sub-board — it plugs into the main board at one end and carries the port at the other. It’s that flex between the board and the port, or the port itself, that wears out. And because the same flex often carries the SIM reader and the bottom microphone, a failing one can show up as no SIM or no sound too, not just dropped charging.

WHAT MOST SHOPS DO WRONG

Swap the whole assembly without testing whether it’s the flex or the port that has actually gone — and fit US-spec parts that aren’t region-matched to your Australian Galaxy, which brings its own signal drops a week later.

HOW WE FIX IT
  • Test the flex and the port before quoting — and rule out a simple dirty port first
  • Replace the charge-flex sub-board or the port, whichever has actually failed
  • Region-matched parts on Samsung (no firmware mismatches)
  • SIM and mic checked and confirmed working before it goes back
#003
SYMPTOM STATUS · FIX KNOWN VERY COMMON

Charging’s gone loose or cuts out — the port just needs a clean

The cable feels loose, won’t hold a charge unless you jiggle it, or drops out when you set the phone down. Nine times out of ten the port isn’t broken — it’s packed with lint.

SAME PROBLEMS ON
Every phone — iPhone (Lightning & USB-C) · Samsung Galaxy · Google Pixel · Oppo · any USB-C device
WHY IT HAPPENS

Your pocket feeds lint and grit into the charging port a little more every day. It compresses into a solid plug at the bottom, so the cable can’t seat all the way in — it sits loose, charges on and off, or stops holding altogether. The port and pins underneath are usually perfectly fine.

WHAT MOST SHOPS DO WRONG

Quote a full charging-port replacement — a paid part and an hour on the bench — for what’s often five minutes with the right tools. If your cable has gone loose, always ask for a port clean before you pay for a new port.

HOW WE FIX IT
  • Check the port under magnification first — packed lint, or a genuinely worn port?
  • Lift the debris out properly, without bending the pins
  • Test a full charge with your own cable before you leave
  • If it really is a worn or damaged port, we’ll tell you and quote the actual repair
#004
SYMPTOM STATUS · FIX KNOWN VERY COMMON

"SIM not detected" — signal drops in and out

Reception comes and goes. SIM card not recognised some days. Almost always the same hidden cause.

SAME PROBLEMS ON
iPhone 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 series · Galaxy S20 / S21 · Pixel 6 / 7
WHY IT HAPPENS

The SIM tray sits on the lower antenna assembly. Over time, the spring contacts inside the tray wear down (especially if you've swapped SIMs more than 2-3 times). The tray makes intermittent contact with the antenna pads — phone shows full bars one minute, "No service" the next.

WHAT MOST SHOPS DO WRONG

Shops blame the carrier first ("call Telstra"), then quote you a full logic-board diagnosis at $300+ when carrier checks come back clean. The SIM tray itself costs $15 and 5 minutes — but most shops don't think to check it.

HOW WE FIX IT
  • Replace SIM tray + contacts (5 min, $35 all in)
  • Test with both carrier SIMs we keep on hand
  • If tray fixes it, you walk out same day
  • If signal antenna itself failed, we quote that separately — no surprise
#005
SYMPTOM STATUS · FIX KNOWN

MacBook keyboard — sticky or repeating keys

One key won't press, or registers double-presses. Common after coffee/wine spills but also happens dry.

SAME PROBLEMS ON
MacBook Pro 2016–2019 (butterfly) · MacBook Air 2018–2019 · MacBook Pro 14"/16" 2021+
WHY IT HAPPENS

On butterfly-keyboard MacBooks (2016–2019), a single grain of dust can wedge under a keycap and trigger repeating or non-responsive keys. On newer scissor-switch MacBooks, the cause is usually liquid residue between the membrane and the keycap base.

WHAT MOST SHOPS DO WRONG

Quote you a full topcase replacement ($600+). Sometimes necessary on butterfly Macs, but on newer scissor-switch models a careful ultrasonic clean of the affected keys saves you $500.

HOW WE FIX IT
  • Diagnose single-key vs systemic failure first
  • Ultrasonic clean attempted on scissor-switch ($79)
  • Single-key replacement where available ($89)
  • Full topcase swap only when actually needed
#006
SYMPTOM STATUS · FIX KNOWN

iPad Apple Pencil — won't pair or only writes intermittently

Pencil 2 won't magnetically pair to iPad Pro. Or pairs but pressure-sensitivity is dead. Or works in some apps, not others.

SAME PROBLEMS ON
iPad Pro 11" / 12.9" (3rd gen onwards) · iPad Air 4 / 5 · iPad mini 6
WHY IT HAPPENS

Two distinct causes. (1) The Pencil itself: tip wear or internal pressure sensor failure. Solution = $29 new tip or $50 Pencil refurb. (2) The iPad's digitiser controller (separate from the screen) losing calibration after a hard knock or drop.

WHAT MOST SHOPS DO WRONG

Quote you a new iPad Pencil ($200) without diagnosing first. We test your Pencil on three of our iPads and your iPad with three of our Pencils — diagnostic costs us 5 minutes, saves you $170 when the answer turns out to be a $29 tip.

HOW WE FIX IT
  • Cross-test Pencil + iPad on our bench (free)
  • Pencil tip replacement: $29 while you wait
  • Digitiser controller re-flow on iPad: from $89
  • Pencil refurb (sensor + tip): $50
#007
SYMPTOM STATUS · FIX KNOWN VERY COMMON

Switch Joycon drift — character walks on its own

Left or right Joycon registers stick input when no thumb is on it. Mario starts walking. The cursor floats. Universal Switch problem.

SAME PROBLEMS ON
Switch (all revisions) · Switch Lite · Switch OLED · PS5 DualSense · Xbox Series controller
WHY IT HAPPENS

Nintendo's analog stick uses a small graphite-on-plastic potentiometer that wears down within 12-18 months of normal use. Once worn, the "neutral" position drifts off-centre. PS5 DualSense and Xbox controllers use the same kind of part and have the same problem.

WHAT MOST SHOPS DO WRONG

Try to clean the stick with contact cleaner — works for a week, fails again. Or quote a full Joycon replacement ($95). Both are wrong: the right fix is the analog module swap, which is the part that actually wears.

HOW WE FIX IT
  • Replace analog stick module (not the whole Joycon)
  • While-you-wait, 30 minutes for a pair
  • Same fix on PS5 DualSense and Xbox controllers
  • Hall-effect stick upgrade available for serial drifters
RECOGNISE YOURS?

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