How to bypass the power button when turning on a phone

February 17, 2008 2:14 AM

My phone's power button has shifted internally. Help me figure out how to turn on the phone one last time. I need someone with knowledge of circuit boards and the inner workings of electronics or someone who knows about sidekicks.

On a sidekick, the rubber parts on the top and bottom are called bumpers. Normally, you press the power button on the bumper and it hits something inside the phone.

I recently replaced the keypad and I think whatever the power button hits inside the phone must have been jostled or shifted at that time. When I press the power button on the bumper, I don't feel it catch on anything. I can press all the way down with no resistance. When I lift up the bumper, I can see inside the phone. I'm pretty sure it didn't use to be like that. When I called T-Mobile, the guy said something about a circuit board and basically that I was out of luck since the warranty has expired.

Here's my question: I can see something metal in the hole. Is there anyway I can trip that to make the phone turn on? Once it's on, I am fine with never turning it off again, so I only need to do this once.

Or do any sidekick owners out there know of any tricks for turning on the phone without the power button? (for example, I know you can reset the phone using a keypad combination, is there a combination that will turn the phone on?)

A new phone is at the top of the list of things I need to buy, but I don't have the money yet. Any help would be appreciated.

posted by Nickel to technology (3 comments total)

You could try poking gently around in there with the blunt end of a wooden toothpick and see if you can find the business end of the power switch. Don't use anything conductive (no paper clips please!) and don't continue to poke anything that feels like it might be bending. But really, the right thing to do is take the case apart, figure out where the circuit board concerned is supposed to be sitting, and arrange to put it back there.
posted by flabdablet at 3:20 AM on February 17

Which Sidekick do you have? On most of them, if you tilt your screen halfway to the side, you should see a small reset hole, which may not be labeled but should be toward the right hand side of the phone's base (as opposed to being on the screen portion). Stick a paper clip in there and it may turn itself on when it resets.
posted by lizzicide at 6:16 AM on February 17

flabdablet - I have tried poking around with the wooden toothpick but couldn't find anything.

lizzicide - It's a sidekick 2, I've tried using the reset key and it still doesn't turn on.

Thanks everyone. I guess I have to suck it up and buy a new phone.
posted by Nickel at 10:03 AM on February 17