Motorola Moto E5 Screen Replacement

Written By: Craig Lloyd

Comments: 6

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

30 minutes - 2 hours

Introduction

Follow this guide to replace a cracked or damaged screen on the Motorola Moto E5.

Before you begin, download the Rescue and Smart Assistant app to backup your device and diagnose whether your problem is software or hardware related.

This guide requires the removal of the battery. We recommend not re-using the old battery, as removing it can deform it slightly and potentially cause safety issues if you re-use it. Replace the battery along with the screen.

For your safety, discharge the battery below 25% before disassembling your phone. This reduces the risk of a dangerous thermal event if the battery is accidentally damaged during the repair.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Be sure to power off your phone before you begin.
Use a SIM eject bit, SIM eject tool, or paper clip to remove the SIM card from the phone.

Step 2

Prepare an iOpener and heat the back of the phone along one edge for about two minutes, or until it's slightly too hot to touch. This will help soften the adhesive securing the back cover to the phone.
You may need to reheat and reapply the iOpener several times to get the phone warm enough to cut the adhesive. Follow the iOpener instructions to avoid overheating.
A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the phone—the internal battery is susceptible to heat damage.

So what is the temperature Fahrenheit or Celsius that is too hot for the battery? There must be a maximum degree temp. in place… wouldn't you think? please speak/txt. in specific terms. That would be a great help. thank you

m. callo - 09/01/21

Hello! When you heat the device with the iOpener, the iOpener is designed to never get hot enough to damage the battery. Anything above 200°F is too hot for a lithium-ion battery and will heavily damage it in a very short amount of time. You can often set the phone on a heat pad at 170°F (~80°C) for a few minutes without issue.

Arthur Shi - 11/01/21

Step 3

Apply a suction handle to the back cover, near the middle of the edge you heated up.
Pull the suction cup with firm, constant pressure to create a slight gap between the phone's frame and the back cover.
Insert an opening pick into the gap.

….and how deeply, do I insert this opening pick into the phone ? a quarter inch, 16th? eight they're ought to be specifics for this type of performance on this repair. No?

m. callo - 09/01/21

For this phone, there are no cables near the perimeter, so you can insert the pick as deeply as you desire. If there are fragile cables that can be damaged near the perimeter, our guides will state how deep you can insert the pick (example).

Arthur Shi - 11/01/21

Step 4

Slide the opening pick along the edge of the phone, cutting through the adhesive securing the back cover to the phone's frame.
As you move on to cutting the adhesive around the rest of the phone, it may help to leave an opening pick in place here and grab another for the following steps.

Step 5

Use the iOpener to heat the back of the phone along its bottom edge for about two minutes, or until it's slightly too hot to touch.

Again..temp. please?

m. callo - 09/01/21

Step 6

Continuing sliding the opening pick down and cut the adhesive around the bottom of the phone.
If the adhesive is too tough to slice, continue to heat it until it softens enough to slice through it fairly easily.

Step 7

Use the iOpener to heat the back of the phone along the other edge for about two minutes, or until it's slightly too hot to touch.
Continue cutting through the adhesive along the side of the phone.

Step 8

Use the iOpener to heat the back of the phone along its top edge for about two minutes, or until it's slightly too hot to touch.
Continue cutting through the adhesive along the top edge of the phone.

Step 9

There are some areas around the edge that are held down with plastic clips. The opening pick should detach most of the clips. If not, insert an opening tool into the gap and pry the back cover up to release the clips.

Step 10

Once all the adhesive is cut, carefully lift the back cover off the back of the phone.
Don't fully remove the back cover yet. The fingerprint sensor cable is still connected to the phone, and it can rip easily with too much tension.

Step 11

Remove the following Phillips screws securing the fingerprint sensor cable cover:
One 1.6 mm screw.
One 3.8 mm screw.
Throughout the repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your phone.

Step 12

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the fingerprint sensor cable cover.

Step 13

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the fingerprint sensor cable connector.

Step 14

Remove the back cover.
Since the back cover is held down with clips, replacing the adhesive around the perimeter of the back cover is optional. Replacement adhesive comes in a pre-cut sheet to match the contours of the back cover.

Step 15

Remove the eleven 3.8 mm-long Phillips screws securing the midframe.
A couple of screws are hidden under "S" stickers. It may help to remove these stickers with a pair of tweezers before removing the screws.

Step 16

Insert your fingernail or the flat end of a spudger into the notch at the bottom of the midframe.
Pry up with your fingernail or the spudger to loosen the midframe and remove it.

Step 17

Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery connector.

Step 18

Use a pair of tweezers to peel up the two battery adhesive tabs at the bottom of the battery.
Be careful not to jab the battery with any sharp tools. A punctured battery may leak dangerous chemicals or catch fire.

Step 19

Slowly pull the battery adhesive tabs to release them from the bottom of the battery.
Be sure to pull very slowly, giving the strips time to stretch and separate.
Pull at about a 45-degree angle to prevent the strips from dragging too much on the battery or the phone's frame.
If the adhesive strips break off, move on to the next step for an alternative battery removal method.

Step 20

If the adhesive strips broke and you can no longer access them, insert a plastic card in between the bottom of the battery and the phone's frame.
Carefully push the card down and inward to wedge it underneath the battery and pry it up.
Avoid bending the battery while you perform this step. Go slowly and be patient with the remaining adhesive.

Step 21

If you successfully removed the adhesive strips, insert the flat end of a spudger in between the bottom of the battery and the phone's frame.
Lift up the battery to free it from its recess and remove it.

Step 22

Before installing the new battery, be sure to remove any broken adhesive strips that were left behind.

Step 23

Remove the four 3.8 mm-long Phillips screws securing the daughterboard.

Step 24

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the daughterboard cable connector from the daughterboard.

Step 25

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up the daughterboard and free it from its recess.

Step 26

The daughterboard is still attached to an antenna cable, so lift the daughterboard up from the left side of the phone and flip it over its right side to prevent ripping the antenna cable out.

Step 27

Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the antenna cable connector on the motherboard.

Step 28

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to detach the antenna cable from its groove along the side of the phone.
Remove the daughterboard and antenna cable.

Step 29

Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the daughterboard cable from the motherboard.

Step 30

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the display cable from the motherboard.

Step 31

Use a pair of tweezers to peel up and remove the tape covering the volume button connector.

Step 32

Use the point of a spudger to flip up the black locking lever on the volume button connector.

Step 33

Use a pair of tweezers to pull the volume button cable straight out of its connector.

Step 34

Slide an opening pick along the underside of the volume button cable to cut the adhesive and free it from the motherboard.

Step 35

Remove the two 2.9 mm-long Phillips screws securing the motherboard.

Step 36

Insert the point of a spudger anywhere in between the motherboard and the phone's frame.
Pry the motherboard up to free it from its recess and remove it, making sure it doesn't snag on any of the cables and connectors.

Step 37

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up and free the earpiece speaker from its recess.
The earpiece speaker is slightly adhered to the phone's frame, so a bit of resistance is normal.
Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to remove the earpiece speaker.
During re-assembly, be sure the two spring contacts on the earpiece speaker point upward and face the right.

Step 38

Insert an opening pick into the gap between the volume buttons and the phone's frame.

Step 39

Slide the opening pick along the volume buttons to cut the adhesive securing it to the phone's frame.

Step 40

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the volume buttons from the phone's frame.

How do the plastic volume buttons on the frame stay in place? I had to transfer them over. Each one removed easily. They go in fine on the new screen but fall out easily.

mcavil -

Step 41

Insert an opening pick underneath the daughterboard cable near the motherboard connector at a 45-degree angle.
Slide the opening pick along the underside of the cable, slicing the adhesive and removing the cable from the phone.

Step 42

Only the frame, the LCD screen, digitizer assembly, and display cable remain.
Compare your new replacement part to the original part. You may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow the above steps in reverse order.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Motorola Moto E5 Answers community for troubleshooting help.

Author

Craig Lloyd

Member since: 10/02/16

35240 Reputation

Motorola Moto E5 Screen Replacement

Introduction

Tools

Parts

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