fortezza

Update, I figured out step 4 from a video that showed a screen replacement being done. The "clamp" is the brown plastic connector that is hinged so that you can flip it up. Once it is up, you can remove the ribbon cable.

I replaced my keyboard and it is working like a champ now.

johnsan

The thought of peeling the foil gives me the gibblies. Here are 2 possibly hare-brained ideas for non-invasive repairs
1. Some kind of dent puller for dimpled bumps - hot glue, super glue, strong tape (hot air would help remove)
2. Try heating the whole keyboard assembly in an oven - heat would loosen any weakly adherered dimples and expanding air would pop dimples out.
- actually, heating the board would likely make peeling the foil away easier to do with less chance of deformation.

I haven't tried any of these on my stuck "J" - I am awaiting my replacement keyboard before mucking with things.

Also, why does performance pda have this message on their site concerning replacement keyboards?:

"Due to the complexity of this repair, we normally do not offer this part for self installation. (The keyboard is easily damaged during installation). Due to repeated requests from our customers, we have decided to once again offer the part for sale.

If you do not agree with this statement, then please do not purchase this item:
By purchasing this part the buyer does so with the understanding that it may not be returned for any reason. And the buyer assumes all risks of damage to the keyboard and phone and will not hold PerformancePDA responsible for refund or replacement of the keyboard or phone. "

Sunenshi

I just wanted to let you know that you are a genious, and this thread saved my life by allowing me to get my phone back today.

Thanks!

tj$bags

Price on keyboard is NOW $45.....must be making money on this deal hand over foot.....?

peter_x

I dropped my Palm a couple of times and I have a problem. Sometimes keys don't work, for example the 'r' key won't work, but it starts to work if I press hard on the opposite side of the keypad. Also, the keypad light flickers on and off.

Do you suggest a keypad replacement, or to open it up and look for something else? A loose connection?

Thanks.

CCJ

I almost bought a new phone after my shift key stuck. I went to look at the 680s, and was about to buy one, but figured I would give this a try first.

The instructions above are nearly flawless. The only thing I did differently was that I only pried up the tape (it didn't look like foil) on the shift key a little bit -- not even enough to look under it. After I pried it up a little, it responded like the other keys; it would 'pop' a little bit when I pushed on the pad.

Also, for anyone who is interested, there's a "how-to" at:

http://www.geardiary.com/2006/12/30/...-instructions/

Although it's not specifically for changing or repairing keyboards, it shows pictures of the disassembly process, and gives more detailed info on how to separate the two halves of the phone for those of us without any computer repair experience.

RobertMfromLI

I *DID* buy a new phone because I was having tons of problems with the keyboard on my 650. Certain keys would work/wouldnt work... and squeezing the phone or pressing on the casing in certain places would restore functionality (temporarily) to some of them. Eventually, the semi-working keys included the center button - which makes the phone useless for all but answering calls (cant unlock the screen lock obviously - gotta wait for a call to do anything).

I went to eBay and bought a Treo 680 - which while it is pretty, and it is great actually having free RAM on it (unlike my Treo 650 with the same apps), the antenna is worse (I live on Long Island, and TMo has limited signal strength here - the 650 does a decent job of only losing signal in the main part of my house - and rarely upstairs or the outside edges of the main floor - while the 680 needs to be at my window upstairs or has no signal). The other "wonderful" issue is going from 4-5 day standby with radio on to the amazing 1 day on the 680 after all the updates.

As I am going away (far upstate NY) this week and will be in an area where I barely got signal with the 650, I decided to see if I could fix this damn thing once and for all (previously I had tried re-seating the keyboard cable with either only temporary results or no change at all).

Finding the instructions here and on the links provided to fully disassemble the phone has allowed me to clean out the keyboard unit, and re-seat the cable with the board out to ensure it is fully seated (and a piece of paper between the cable lock and the cable).

So far so good... all buttons work, and the phone is once again fully functional and ready to make the trip upstate this week... so...

...To one and all, my thanks,
Robert

__________________
___________________________________________-
Palm m505 -> Treo 600 -> Treo 650 -> Treo 680

edcard

Thanks ka1! My Treo 650 also had a stuck key (right shift) and I just finished "fixing it" following your instructions. So far so good, let's hope it lasts.

Thanks also to CCJ who posted the link to the disassembly steps on geardiary.com. Most helpful.

Shiney69rr

you can get it for approx 15$-20$ . do not buy th ehong kong merchants. Just is not worth the headache.
The P isprobably fine. it is the baord underneath the P location. It has been overpressed by force in your bag or pocket and it ruined the ability of the clicking spot under the letter.

goongafairy

Because my right shift key is stuck, I can't even get to the home screen or disable the keyguard to use the phone unless it reset. I also can't loosen it up. Looks like that keyboard is 40.00 now. Are there any 20.00 ones available? I hate to spend more than I have to since I'm planning on something new in a couple of months.

Renard

THANK YOU!!! I used this information to take apart my Treo 650 and look at the keyboard. As I had suspected, I had some moisture in between the foil and the rubbery sheet that was on top of it. I got it all dried and put back together and it WORKS!! It also gave me the opportunity to clean the dirt and grime that had collected on the edges of the screen behind the front trim. Beauty, eh?

Jeff_Byers

Thanks for this thread.

My Treo 650 fell out of its case, and must have
hit on its shift key as that was stuck depressed,
and I could barely unlock the phone. Exactly
as described in this thread!

I opened the unit up, and bent the shift keys
dome shaped metal plate and all is good now.

I did have a loss of touch screen functionality
for some reason, but on the third attempt to
reassemble, all is working again.

Thanks! I thought I was going to have to
upgrade, but I'm not ready to commit to
a different smart-phone platform and OS
just yet.

~ Jeff Byers ~