Chosen Solution
The charging port on my Kobo Aura One is faulty, intermittent. How can I open the the case to give access to the port . Any advice / guidance as to replacing the port gratefully received.
Usually there is a plastic bezel around the main screen. If you look there should be a line between that bezel and the back cover. I use an opening tool to slide in between the front bezel and back to un clip the back panel. Go easy and don’t force anything.
I’ve poked around on the internet a bit, but there’s definitely a lack of information on opening and repairing the Aura One. A thread on the MobileReads forum seems to agree with @strongbow that no tools are required to remove the back, just use a thin piece of plastic or metal to separate the adhesive. According to the thread I mentioned, there are a couple of flex cables along the bottom edge you’ll need to be careful of to avoid damaging them. Kobo Aura One disassembly - MobileRead Forums Once you have the back off, it looks like there are several screws holding the motherboard in place that will probably need to be removed, and likely a few connectors that will have to be unplugged. I can’t speak definitively about the Aura One, but it appears the charging port coming off is a common problem with Kobo readers. What I’ve seen of the others indicates that there is generally not much in the way of physical mounting structures used; the only thing securing them to the board is the circuit board traces and solder, meaning they can’t take much in the way of physical abuse and still remain connected. That being said, my best guess at this point is that you’ll need to either resolder the old connector back down or possibly have to replace it. Look to places like Digi-Key or Mouser Electronics for parts if you can’t find someone selling the correct part. Also check connectors being sold for other Kobo models; manufacturers often like to reuse the same part to save on inventory costs. When I’ve found myself in a similar situation of finding a replacement part, I took the old one off and measured the footprint on the circuit board then looked at the data sheets to find a compatible footprint. I know that’s not something normal people do, but should you need a replacement and can’t find one (and can get the old one off), take a picture of it and the solder pads and we’ll see if we can match it for you.
My thanks to each of you. I’m just an old guy who has spent a lifetime working in and on electronics and therefore expect to be quite comfortable making the actual repair, if only I can get access. But I was confused by what I’ve seen and read elsewhere as to where I should attack: the back or the front. Having read each response here I attacked the top left corner of the front with the small blade of a penknife. The corner of a thin black plastic sheet curled up readily enough; about 1 cm along top edge and down the left side. But I hesitate to go further because it looks to be just the outer skin coming away from the guts of the thing. I’ve also, since, offered the knife blade to a corner of the rubber-looking back cover but nothing but resistance with no effect or progress. Do you think I should just persevere with that front top left corner? The eReader is scrap anyway unless repaired because it cannot be charged. T
