[Nexus 7 General] Darkrain13:
Fix for Screen Lifting - Serial CA0

Hi

I just like to share my experience with fixing the screen lifting on my Nexus 7. Saw the screen lifting right out of the box at the usual place - the left side in portrait mode where the pogo pins connector is. I read about the issue many months ago with the initial product runs but thought that it must be fixed by now. No, it seems the factory still has not fix the issue yet even with serial now running pass C90 to CA0. I'm pretty sure they did try because once you open up the back, two screws on the problem side are missing. The missing screws in fact adds to the creaking and flexing of the silver bezel and therefore the screen so eventually the screen peels away from the double sided tape with all the movement recreating the screen lifting issue. More is explained below.

After many tries and reading through all the solutions available out there, I finally succeeded in fixing the screen lifting issue so I would like to share my solution so it may help you too. I didn't like the solutions where you have put glue or washers on the screws as I like to keep my Nexus 7 in its original form without modifications and I believe the double sided tape used now is strong enough to hold it all together.

Pardon me if this is a bit long as I try to explain what's going on especially for those who have encountered this problem the first time.

Exchanging the tablet in the store is not a solution because all the tablets are manufactured the same way and without the two screws now. I can see how it could help the lifting issue technically but I believe the assembly workers were not properly trained to implement it perfectly. This is where you come in.

The missing screws are addressing an issue where some has raised before - that the screws were too long and therefore pushing against the screen on the other end against the double sided tape causing the screen to lift - so get rid of the screws. However this introduced another issue. The silver coloured bezel is now not held down by screws but tape only so you can in fact bend the screen and bezel and hear the creaky sounds.. Structurally this is less than ideal - it doesn't feel solid / right and in fact reintroduce the issue because when you bend the screen / silver bezel, it causes the screen to lift. As I mentioned before, I believe the tape is just strong enough to hold it down but over time, the flexing will cause the screen to lift.

So, here is my solution, after many tries and experimenting. By the way, don't worry about opening the back as I'll provide you with instructions below on the best way to open the back cover without damaging anything, without using brute strength and no special tools required, just your thumb and your thumbnail. You will also need a philips screw driver for tiny screws and a hair dryer once the back cover is off.

The usual disclaimer unfortunately as I could not be sitting beside you to fix the issue - if you choose to use this solution, it will be at your own risk of damaging the tablet. Everyone has different levels of carefulness. I'm very gentle with my devices.

Here we go:

1. Power off the Nexus 7.

2. Open the back of the tablet (there are no warranty stickers that will void the warranty). The easiest way to do it is from the corner closest to the headphone jack (which is the opposite side of the screen lifting or the right side when in portrait mode). Forget trying from the screen lifting side, it's how the cover is designed and besides, that side is not strong enough anyway (missing two screws remember?). Just use your thumbnail insert into corner and gap between silver bezel and back cover and pull / pry it open. In order to do that the corner should be facing your body / head (so you can see what you are doing). The amount of force required is about the same as opening the back of a Samsung Galaxy S II maybe just a bit more (It's easier on the S II as there are already a slot that for you to leverage it out but there is none here on the Nexus 7 other than your nail). The catches on the back cover is designed similar to the S II back cover (i.e. easy opening and closing without easily breaking). Do not use brute strength, it is not required and you may also break something. I pretty sure brute strength breaks almost all devices except those designed to be able to handle it.

Once you managed to pry it open, the whole right side, top and bottom will open (like the way a clam opens) leaving the left side of the cover still connected to the body. Gently push and lift the left / connected side free.

Once it's open, avoid touching your fingers on any contacts / copper shielding (as you may leave finger prints / human oil on it).

3. You will see where the two screws are missing! Remove all the remaining screws on the left screen lifting side from the top to the bottom including one black screw. Keep the tiny screws in a safe place / container. Again be gentle when loosening the screws be careful not to strip the head. We will need one more screw however - use one of the screws on the right side one between the middle and the corner where it is not critical to hold the body together. You will also notice that the right side is designed a lot better with a metal frame and no flex whereas the left screen lifting side all plastic and flex.

Once all the screws on the left are released. the silver bezel and screen now has a lot of play / movement available. Push the screen out of the silver bezel very slightly i.e. recreating the screen lift so hot air could go in and melt the adhesive on the double side tape slightly.

3. As you have already been alerted to, this is where the hair dryer comes in. Concentrate the hot air on the whole of the left side, silver bezel and screen. Heat up the left side of the glass on the black bezel also. Do it for about 1 minute or 2 (depending on the room temperature). The glass has to be nearly too hot to touch. Be careful not to burn your hands and fingers.

4. Once heated you have to press the screen down firmly into the bezel from top to bottom and bottom up so its all nice and flat and flushed. In fact the screen should sit 0.5 - 1mm below the silver bezel similar to the right / good side. Do it until the glass has cooled down.

5. Now comes the crucial part. I've tried the above quite a few times but it never really worked i.e. it came back after a while. I knew it must be the way the screws are tighten so I experimented with different ways until I found the optimum way. The screws have to be tighten in a certain fashion and order, starting from the outside to the inside i.e. top, bottom, second top and second bottom, leaving the centre one empty (remember the missing screws?)

But before you do that, there is one more very important procedure - you have to gently flex the screen and bezel downwards slightly (when the screen is facing up) while still pressing the screen against the bezel, just enough such that when you tighten the top and bottom screws, the inner black plastic frame is more on the inside edge of the screw hole rather than the outside edge resulting in a very slight bulge in the centre like the shape of an almond but very very slightly (because we are talking about 0.0 of a millimetre here in terms of the screw hole position). When you start to screw down the second top and bottom screws, you will notice that the bottom frame will now start to pull the silver bezel and screen flat and creates a tension so everything is tight with no flex. Leaving the centre screw missing balances out the tension.

6. Now pop the back cover back exactly the reverse way you open it and done! No more creaky noises, no more flex, no more screen lifting - exactly the way that it should be when it leaves the factory.