Breaking and Fixing my Asus Transformer Prime (TF201) LCD Screen (Part 1)

I had wanted to write this for quite a while, but never found the time.

My Asus Transformer Prime is now more than a year old... which means that I am no longer any sort of warranty. So it really does not matter if I choose to unlock my bootloader, flash a custome ROM and do whatever to my tablet.

However, I was in a dilemma over what I should do first: To flash a new ROM... or to pry open the device to attempt to fix the GPS.

There were numerous videos on how the device can be open up and there also many who modded their TF201 to fix the GPS. So, I guess if I installed a new ROM, I can't properly test the GPS as it might be a ROM issue. Thus I decided that if I ever want to open up my TFP, it would be before flashing a new ROM.

So as I was looking at the videos, the steps were simple enough. So I started doing it... a few days right before the new year of 2014. As I dig my tool onto the layer below the surface, I kinda find it odd that it seem so thin, and I did not hear click sounds. But I thought maybe if I go around the whole table... and maybe deeper, it might work.

Now... the bad news... I found that after I run around the whole tablet, I realised that I got onto the wrong layer! I have inserted my tool between the glass and the LCD screen! But I thought it wasn't a big deal as I did not really put my tool so deep and forcibly pry it open.

So I got onto the right layer, and manage to open as per all the video's instruction. Then, thinking of any copper wire would help me improve my GPS signal, I hook one onto the GPS pogopin. Then I turn on the tablet (yeah, I turned it off when I started the operations). Then I saw some odd vertical lines on the right hand side of the tablet. Hmmm... maybe it is nothing... and maybe it would go away later. No other problem on the screen at that moment.

After moving about the copper wire and see that there were no improvements, I guess that maybe the issue is with the copper wire. I did a little read up and there were such thing called GPS wires or that sort. So I guess I was ill equip to complete the job. Ok, then... time to restore the tablet.

So I reverse my steps and put the tablet together again. As I turn on the screen after I put them together... I notice the line on the side did not go away! Oh no.... :(

Then I start to notice there were horizontal lines as well on top... "Hmmm... this does not look good", I thought. Maybe if I open it up again and maybe it will go away. So there I was opening it again... and try to see if there were anything that I have wrongly installed. Nope. None whatsoever. So I put them back together again.

This time, the lines grew more pronounced. So I try to pinch the right side and some lines were gone. So I tried to google up information on this but nothing really appear. I suspected something is wrong with my LCD Screen, but not much clues. Found some videos for laptop that had similar lines and some of these videos suggested that twisting the screen may fix it. So I attempted. Nope, did not do the job.

So in desperate measures, I kept on pinching and pressing the surface... and the more I did that, the lines were even more permanent! :(. Then... as I looked closely, there seems to be a little tear on the right side of the screen, where all the horizontal lines were found. I continued pinching that area... I knew I have damaged the screen as the tear grew bigger. By now, the horizontal lines are completely permanent.

Over the next few days, I continue pinching the sides, hoping that somehow it would fix itself. Then I saw even the vertical lines have multiplied from a single red line to a few lines.

So, after doing much research, I came to a few conclusion:
1. My LCD Screen is indeed damaged
2. To fix it, I would have to replace it.

So I have just damaged my TF201 for no reason. GPS is not fixed and I now have a bigger problem.

Tried calling Asus and as I have suspected, the guy over the other end of the line estimate that this would probably cost me about RM800. Nope. No way I would spend such money on my own stupidity.

So I explored alternatives. Found that such lcd screen spareparts were easily available and it would cost around RM160, after conversion.

So I went and purchase the item using aliexpress.

Ok... have been ranting for too long. Will continue in part 2...