Your data cable (between the 2 sliding halves) has gone for a burton. It needs replacing. This is how you do it....
Firstly, get a replacement cable off ebay (search for "d500 ribbon cable"), mine only cost me £3. Once you have that in your hands....
Turn your phone off and remove the battery and sim card.
If you look where the battery was, you will see 4 small posidrive screws, remove them with a very small screwdriver.
Slide the phone open, and pry the top of the back off (the shiny part where the battery release button is), you should then be able to remove the back case, revealing the main motherboard.
With a small screwdriver, pry the small speaker off the top left of the case, and them carefully jiggle the motherboard out of the phone. Turn the motherboard over carefully.
Where the ribbon connects to the motherboard you will see some green sticky tape, remove it and put it to one side (you will need to use it again). This will reveal the ribbon connector which is beige with a tiny slither of a black clip holding the ribbon cable in place. Flick the black clip open and the old ribbon connector should just slide out. Put the motherboard somewhere safe.
You will now see the inner part of the rear shell (with the number pad in place), there are 6 screw holding this part of the case to the slide mechanism (3 on each side) remove them and that take that part of the shell off and put it to one side.
You will now just have the front half of the phone with the slide mechanism on.
Push the slide mechanism up (as if you are closing the phone) and remove the 2 screws at the bottom of the slide. Now, look where the camera, mirror and flash is. At the bottom corners of the chromed part you will see 2 screw hole covers, pry these out and remove the 2 screws. Pry open the rest of the clips holding the case on. With the rear of that case off you will see where the other end of the ribbon cable is attached.
Just like before, remove the green sticky tape, flick open the black slip and withdraw the old cable (noting which way it was inserted).
Now, just slide the new cable into the connector (the one you have just taken the old ribbon cable out of), make sure its well seated and close the black clip down then replace the green stickly tape. Press the backing case back on (obviously routing the new cable out of the hole in the back) and replace the screws.
Replace the inner shell (with the number pad) onto the slide mechanism and replace the screws (again routing the ribbon cable through the hole), take hold of the motherboard and insert the ribbon cable in the ribbon connector on the motherboard (just like you have just done with the other end) - This is VERY fiddely, take your time!!!!!! Once the ribbon is seated with the balck clip secured and taped, press the rear shell back on and repalce the 4 screws.
Stick your sim back in, along with the battery and turn your (now fully fuctional) phone back on.
Job done.
James Thompson, June 2007
