Motorola Moto X Motherboard Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

Suggest a time??

Sections

SIM Card
1 step
Back Cover Assembly
9 steps
Lower Antenna Assembly
2 steps
Battery
5 steps
Motherboard Assembly
10 steps
Motherboard
2 steps

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BackMotorola Moto X 1st Generation
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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              SIM Card

Insert the SIM card eject tool into the hole in the side of the SIM card tray and push to eject the tray.
Remove the SIM card tray.
If the SIM card does not fall free from the tray on its own, simply remove it with your fingers.

Insert the SIM card eject tool into the hole in the side of the SIM card tray and push to eject the tray.

Remove the SIM card tray.

If the SIM card does not fall free from the tray on its own, simply remove it with your fingers.

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Step 2

              Back Cover Assembly

In the following steps you will be releasing the clips holding the phone’s cases together. However, the back case is also secured with an adhesive pad. After separating the clips you will use an iOpener to allow the case to fully open. Do not attempt to fully open the phone before loosening the adhesive.
Insert a plastic opening tool into the seam between the front and rear covers near the SIM card slot.
Slide the plastic opening tool along the seam toward the upper corner.

In the following steps you will be releasing the clips holding the phone’s cases together. However, the back case is also secured with an adhesive pad. After separating the clips you will use an iOpener to allow the case to fully open. Do not attempt to fully open the phone before loosening the adhesive.

Insert a plastic opening tool into the seam between the front and rear covers near the SIM card slot.

Slide the plastic opening tool along the seam toward the upper corner.

Step 3

Carefully slide the plastic opening tool around the corner, freeing it from clips.

Carefully slide the plastic opening tool around the corner, freeing it from clips.

Step 4

Pry around the top right corner of the phone between the two covers.

Pry around the top right corner of the phone between the two covers.

Step 5

Run the opening tool along the seam around all four sides, separating the remaining clips holding the cover on.
The plastic on the front cover is thinner near the buttons, and the buttons may move around. Go slowly to avoid damaging the buttons or the front cover.
Do not push the opening tool deep into phone, or you may damage internal components.

Run the opening tool along the seam around all four sides, separating the remaining clips holding the cover on.

The plastic on the front cover is thinner near the buttons, and the buttons may move around. Go slowly to avoid damaging the buttons or the front cover.

Do not push the opening tool deep into phone, or you may damage internal components.

Step 6

Heat an iOpener and lay it over the phone for approximately 90 seconds to loosen the adhesive securing the back cover.

Heat an iOpener and lay it over the phone for approximately 90 seconds to loosen the adhesive securing the back cover.

Step 7

Starting from the SIM slot side, carefully peel the back cover off of the phone.
The back cover is very flexible, but you don’t want to damage any internal components by being too hasty.
There is a chance that the NFC coil may remain stubbornly adhered to the back cover. If that’s the case, stop peeling the cover and reapply a heated iOpener to the back cover.
Do not separate the back cover entirely; it is still connected to the phone by the camera flash cable.
The flash cable is attached on the power/volume button side of the phone.

Starting from the SIM slot side, carefully peel the back cover off of the phone.

The back cover is very flexible, but you don’t want to damage any internal components by being too hasty.

There is a chance that the NFC coil may remain stubbornly adhered to the back cover. If that’s the case, stop peeling the cover and reapply a heated iOpener to the back cover.

Do not separate the back cover entirely; it is still connected to the phone by the camera flash cable.

The flash cable is attached on the power/volume button side of the phone.

Step 8

Gently set the back cover down in a way that exposes the camera flash cable connector, but does not put strain on it.

Gently set the back cover down in a way that exposes the camera flash cable connector, but does not put strain on it.

Step 9

Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the flash cable ZIF connector.
Be sure to pry only on the flap itself, not on the connector.
Pull the flash cable straight out of its socket.

Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the flash cable ZIF connector.

Be sure to pry only on the flap itself, not on the connector.

Pull the flash cable straight out of its socket.

Step 10

Separate the back cover from the phone.

Separate the back cover from the phone.

Step 11

              Lower Antenna Assembly

Remove the four 3 mm T3 Torx screws securing the lower antenna assembly to the phone.

Remove the four 3 mm T3 Torx screws securing the lower antenna assembly to the phone.

Step 12

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up the lower antenna assembly and free it from the phone.
Remove the antenna assembly.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up the lower antenna assembly and free it from the phone.

Remove the antenna assembly.

Step 13

              Battery

Insert the tip of a spudger under the battery cable near the connector to lift it straight up from its socket.
Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the NFC antenna cable connector.

Insert the tip of a spudger under the battery cable near the connector to lift it straight up from its socket.

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the NFC antenna cable connector.

Step 14

Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the ZIF retaining flap from the button assembly cable connector.
Slide the tip of the spudger under the button assembly cable near the connector to pull the cable straight out of its socket.

Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the ZIF retaining flap from the button assembly cable connector.

Slide the tip of the spudger under the button assembly cable near the connector to pull the cable straight out of its socket.

Step 15

Insert the flat end of a spudger under the interconnect cable to free it from the adhesive holding it to the battery.

Insert the flat end of a spudger under the interconnect cable to free it from the adhesive holding it to the battery.

Step 16

Use the flat end of a spudger to peel the adhesive pull-tab off the top of battery.

Use the flat end of a spudger to peel the adhesive pull-tab off the top of battery.

Step 17

Use the adhesive pull-tab to lift the battery from its recess.
The battery is secured to the motherboard with mild adhesive. Peel slowly, and be careful not to bend or puncture the battery.
Remove the battery from the phone.
When reassembling your phone secure the battery with double-sided tape or pre-cut adhesive strips.

Use the adhesive pull-tab to lift the battery from its recess.

The battery is secured to the motherboard with mild adhesive. Peel slowly, and be careful not to bend or puncture the battery.

Remove the battery from the phone.

When reassembling your phone secure the battery with double-sided tape or pre-cut adhesive strips.

Step 18

              Motherboard Assembly

Remove the five 3 mm T3 Torx screws from the headphone jack/speaker assembly.

Remove the five 3 mm T3 Torx screws from the headphone jack/speaker assembly.

Step 19

Insert a spudger under the panhandle of the headphone jack/speaker assembly and pry it up from its recess.
Remove the headphone jack/speaker assembly.

Insert a spudger under the panhandle of the headphone jack/speaker assembly and pry it up from its recess.

Remove the headphone jack/speaker assembly.

Step 20

Push the tip of a spudger under the microphone assembly clip to free it from the earpiece speaker.
If the assembly clip seems to be missing, check the speaker assembly that was removed from the previous step.

Push the tip of a spudger under the microphone assembly clip to free it from the earpiece speaker.

If the assembly clip seems to be missing, check the speaker assembly that was removed from the previous step.

Step 21

Use the flat end of a spudger to free the microphone assembly cable connector.
Use tweezers to remove the microphone assembly.

Use the flat end of a spudger to free the microphone assembly cable connector.

Use tweezers to remove the microphone assembly.

Step 22

Disconnect the front-facing camera cable connector.
Remove the front-facing camera from its recess with a pair of tweezers.

Disconnect the front-facing camera cable connector.

Remove the front-facing camera from its recess with a pair of tweezers.

Step 23

Remove the final two 3 mm T3 Torx screws from the SIM slot bracket.

Remove the final two 3 mm T3 Torx screws from the SIM slot bracket.

Step 24

Remove the SIM slot bracket from the motherboard.

Remove the SIM slot bracket from the motherboard.

Step 25

Insert the flat end of a spudger under the motherboard above the button assembly cable, and pry it out of the phone.
Be careful not to snag any cables.
The buttons may pop out of their recesses; take care not to lose them.

Insert the flat end of a spudger under the motherboard above the button assembly cable, and pry it out of the phone.

Be careful not to snag any cables.

The buttons may pop out of their recesses; take care not to lose them.

Step 26

Gently lift the motherboard out of the phone, rotating it from the SIM slot edge of the phone.
Do not attempt to separate the motherboard entirely; it is still connected to the display by the display cable.

Gently lift the motherboard out of the phone, rotating it from the SIM slot edge of the phone.

Do not attempt to separate the motherboard entirely; it is still connected to the display by the display cable.

Step 27

Lay the motherboard down to allow access to the display cable connector.
Use the flat end of a spudger to flip the retaining tab on the display cable ZIF connector.
Carefully pull the display cable out of its connector as you remove the motherboard from the display assembly.

Lay the motherboard down to allow access to the display cable connector.

Use the flat end of a spudger to flip the retaining tab on the display cable ZIF connector.

Carefully pull the display cable out of its connector as you remove the motherboard from the display assembly.

Step 28

              Motherboard

Use the flat end of a spudger to free the interconnect cable connector.
Remove the interconnect cable from the motherboard.

Use the flat end of a spudger to free the interconnect cable connector.

Remove the interconnect cable from the motherboard.

Step 29

Use the flat end of a spudger to flip up the retaining tab on the front-facing camera ZIF cable connector.
Remove the front-facing camera from the motherboard.

Use the flat end of a spudger to flip up the retaining tab on the front-facing camera ZIF cable connector.

Remove the front-facing camera from the motherboard.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                    Sam Goldheart

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evgenholkin - Sep 5, 2016

Where i can find motherboard scheme?

Akhilesh Amle - Dec 11, 2016

Where is the Bluetooth/WiFi filter?

Mine doesn’t work, I need to replace it. I’m from India.

What are the other alternatives for the filter? I mean, other filters that can be used (Replacement for the original one, ofcourse).

I’ve been using my Moto X (1st Gen) as an Mp3 player/Camera/Video Player. I don’t want to continue using it this way. This smartphone is one of the best mankind has ever manufactured. Any help is much appreciated.

Thank you.

Email: amleakhilesh@gmail.com

Brandon Sayareh - May 3, 2022

Where can I buy this motherboard?

Also where can I buy another back facing camera?

Introduction#

What you need#

Team#

Introduction

What you need

Team