Hey guys, I broke my digitaizer on my ipad 2 and replaced it, and while I was replacing it I noticed I tore the volume/power button flex ribbon. I replaced that as well. When I connect or disconnect the shiny metal end piece that I assume is the magnet for the sleep function, I makes the click noise you'd hear when you open or close the smart cover. Once I got everything put back together though, the smart cover won't trigger the sleep or wake function. I checked in my general settings and the option for the smart cover lock is on. I replaced the flex cable again, and still nothing. I've reset the ipad and finally restored it factory default settings. Now there is no option to turn the smart cover function on or off. I heard it appears when you attach a smart cover, but it's not appearing when I do. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

-ash

The magnet sensor in the iPad 2 is polarity sensitive. If you got it in backwards (have no idea if this is possible), it would stop sensing the cover. Or maybe you broke the connection to the sensor, and it no longer works. Either is possible.

I checked both flex cables and they seem to be fine. The sensor looks like it can only fit one way, but I checked it by swiping a magnet across both sides, and nothing. I'm afraid it might be the PCB board that holds the accelerameters, wifi sensor and rear camera. Though all of those things work, I guess it's possible for the sleep sensor connector to be shot.

Turns out the metal part that I thought was the problem is actually the connector for the whole flex cable. So that works. Here is something weird I just discovered. If I cut a piece of aluminum foil about an inch long and a 1/4 inch wide, then lay it across the sensor and press down with my finger, I turns the display off and when I let off it turns the display on. ??? This has also brought up the option in General settings to turn the cover sleep option on or off. I'm so confused.

Me too.

Please let us know what happen's next.

Hello,

I too have the same issue with an iPad that I did a repair on. I replaced the digitizer and also replaced the wifi cable and power, volume flex ribbon cable that had been damaged. I thought it was all working right until I found out that the magnetic sleep sensor was not functioning. I have ordered a replacement Flex ribbon cable but have not installed it yet because you your feedback. what is causing this issue? Your Aluminum foil experiment is bizarre. I wonder if china is making a batch of bad parts all of a sudden. I got mine from Wholesale Gadget Parts, Inc. ( amazon ) on May 4th. This is like trying to find out who made the bad tomatoes that got people sick. Help! what do we do?

PS What is the sleep sensor connector?

My Ideas

Bad flex ribbon cable
Bad something else
Poor connection at wifi cable
Poor connection at ribbon cable
poor connection at digitizer cable
damaged Flex cable connection port
aftermarket parts dont work correctly
software issue

Another thing, the replacement power flex ribbon cable that I got from amazon has a tiny square silver back side to the connector. The original flex cable had a black back side. When you said you removed this and it made a click sound like you were locking and unlocking, did you remove the whole cable from the port or just the silver backing from the cable connector? I don't think its detachable?

picture shown here: I think the magnetic sensor is in the red box. You can see the flex connector under the first "yellow +" has a black back side (or top). My replacement cable has a silver back. Could this be for the iPad 3 and it has a more specific polarity setting now? Maybe we just need an iPad 3 smart cover for this to work?!?!?


Good video demonstration of the iPad smart cover markshangout.com/blog/2012/3/17/ipad-3-smart-cover-sleepwake-feature-not-working .html

I went ahead and ordered another flex cable on the chance that I either had two bad ones OR I shorted the two I had with the oils in my skin. I feel like there is a short in the cable, because of the aluminum foil experiment. It seems like it's completing a ground between the solder points on the sensor and the ipad frame itself, and then triggering the sensor. Since I've ordered another flex cable, I may remove the flex cable and try a soldering experiment

Department Q, you are right, the red box indicates the sensor itself. The black part under the first + Magnet is actually tape covering the silver part. I believe you encountered the same tape if you replaced the wifi antennae. The silver part seems to be what allows the power button, volume, etc to function. This silver part just plugs to the PCB board.

I have no idea if this could be an ipad3 part. I hadn't thought of that. I got mine from BestDealUSA on Amazon and they say it's for ipad 2, but who knows really?

If I get the nerve to try a soldering experiment I'll post the results here. I'll also let you know how the new flex cable works out.

As a side note, one thing I've run across while messing around with the digitizer and flex cable, is sometimes once everything is connected and back together the back light won't work. Holding down the power and home button until it restarts fixes this. I don't know if you've already come across that and figured it out, but it scared the crap out of me the first time. Just saving you the scare

-ash

Originally Posted by ash303

I went ahead and ordered another flex cable on the chance that I either had two bad ones OR I shorted the two I had with the oils in my skin. I feel like there is a short in the cable, because of the aluminum foil experiment. It seems like it's completing a ground between the solder points on the sensor and the ipad frame itself, and then triggering the sensor. Since I've ordered another flex cable, I may remove the flex cable and try a soldering experiment

Department Q, you are right, the red box indicates the sensor itself. The black part under the first + Magnet is actually tape covering the silver part. I believe you encountered the same tape if you replaced the wifi antennae. The silver part seems to be what allows the power button, volume, etc to function. This silver part just plugs to the PCB board.

I have no idea if this could be an ipad3 part. I hadn't thought of that. I got mine from BestDealUSA on Amazon and they say it's for ipad 2, but who knows really?

If I get the nerve to try a soldering experiment I'll post the results here. I'll also let you know how the new flex cable works out.

As a side note, one thing I've run across while messing around with the digitizer and flex cable, is sometimes once everything is connected and back together the back light won't work. Holding down the power and home button until it restarts fixes this. I don't know if you've already come across that and figured it out, but it scared the crap out of me the first time. Just saving you the scare

-ash

Thanks for the iPad reset tip. That has not happened to me yet. I am going to go pick up an iPad 3 Smart cover and see if it works to activate the sleep sensor. Have you tried covering the silver backside of the flex connector with some electrical tape or the original black tape? Maybe it is reacting or causing a short?

Originally Posted by Department Q

Thanks for the iPad reset tip. That has not happened to me yet. I am going to go pick up an iPad 3 Smart cover and see if it works to activate the sleep sensor. Have you tried covering the silver backside of the flex connector with some electrical tape or the original black tape? Maybe it is reacting or causing a short?

I haven't tried the electrical tape idea. I will let you know how that turns out.