Why Redmi 5's Disassembly Needs Caution
Removing the back cover of Xiaomi Redmi 5 is a simple operation that seems simple at first glance. In practice, 78% of self-repair failures are due to a careless opening of the body. The fact is that the back panels of Xiaomi budget smartphones are attached not only to the latches, but also to adhesive tape, which eventually loses elasticity. If you pull the lid "in the forehead", you risk tearing off the plume of the fingerprint scanner or damaging the antenna contacts.
Another feature of Redmi 5 is the brittle plastic frame under the metal panel, which can deform when heated unevenly (such as a hairdryer), which will later lead to a backlash of buttons or cracks on the screen. In this article, we will discuss a unique method of “cold disassembly”, which minimizes the risks to internal components, and show you what tools are really needed and what you can do without.
What tools will be needed to disassemble
Unlike the flagship models, the Redmi 5 does not require professional equipment, and the minimum set that can be found in any electronics store or ordered from AliExpress for 200-500 rubles is enough. The main thing is to avoid cheap plastic mediators: they often break down inside the case, leaving debris between the board and the battery.
- 🔧 Plastic mediator (thickness 0.15–0.2 mm) – to separate the cover and the body. Metal blades scratch the antenna tracks!
- 🔥 A hair dryer or a thermo-air station (not necessarily, but simplifies the process) will even suit a household hair dryer at minimum power.
- 🧲 Magnetic screwdriver. T3 — Important: the screws in the Redmi 5 with threads, they can't be lost!
- 📦 Suction cups (2 pieces) - help to evenly lift the lid. Alternative: wide tape, folded with a loop.
- 🧴 Isopropyl alcohol (90%+) — Acetone or solvent cannot be used to clean the adhesive residues!
If you're disassembling a phone for the first time, you should also use a tweezer with curved ends, which will be useful for carefully detaching the plumes, but the "Chinese sets for 100 rubles" should be avoided: their mediators are too thick and often break the latches.
Preparing the phone for disassembly: 5 mandatory steps
Even if you need to get to the battery or the speaker "very urgently," missing training causes 90 percent of the time, and this is what you need to do before you pick up the mediator.
Turn off the phone and remove it. SIM-memory-card
Reduce the battery to 20-30% (it is safer!)
Remove the cover and protective film (they interfere with uniform heating)
Prepare a clean workplace with good lighting
Take a photo of the phone from all sides (useful when assembling)-->
Pay special attention to the battery. If it swells (as you can see from the raised back cover), you can not take the phone apart, the risk of fire is too high. In this case, contact the service center. Also check if there are traces of moisture on the body: if the phone fell into the water, you need to dry it for at least 48 hours in rice or silica gel before disassembling it.
⚠️ Note: If you recently updated your firmware through Fastboot, wait 2-3 hours before disassembling.During this period, the power controller may be overloaded, which increases the risk of short circuits when the battery is disconnected.
Step-by-step: how to remove the cover from Redmi 5
Now, to the most critical point, follow the instructions in the steps, the order is important, and let's start with the cold method, which is the most appropriate method for most cases.
- Heat application (optional). If the lid is not amenable, warm it up evenly around the perimeter for 1-2 minutes. Keep the hair dryer at a distance of 10-15 cm, the temperature should not exceed 60 ° C (the hand should tolerate).
- Separate the lid. With suction cups or tape, gently pull the lid upwards, starting at the lower left corner (there are fewer plumes there). Once a gap of 1-2 mm appears, insert the mediator.
- Perimeter pass. Slowly drive the mediator along the body, separating the latches. In areas with antenna contacts (top and bottom), press less, there is easy damage to the metal tracks.
- When the lid is almost removed, you'll see a white fingerprint scanner connector. Carefully tap it by the black tongue and unplug it. Don't pull the wires!
If the lid doesn't work, don't put too much effort into it. It's probably too strong -- in which case, warm up the phone for another 30 seconds and try again. The average time for a beginner to disassemble is 15 to 20 minutes.
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If you don't have a suction cup, use a credit card: stick it with double-sided tape to the lid and pull it up. This method works just as well as professional tools!
| Typical mistake | Effects of consequences | How to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Use a knife instead of a mediator | Scratches on the body, damage to plumes | Buy a plastic mediator for 50-100 rubles |
| Heating above 70°C | Deformation of the plastic frame, detachment of the screen | Control the temperature with your hand or thermometer |
| A sharp lid-break | Breakage of the fingerprint scanner plume or antenna contacts | Move slowly, starting from an angle without plumes |
| Forgot to disconnect the battery. | Short circuit when touching the board | The first step after removing the lid is to turn off the battery! |
What to do after removing the cover: further actions
When the lid is finally removed, the internal structure of Redmi 5 will open up in front of you.
- 📱 Battery (15.5 Wh) - attached to duct tape. To remove it, pull the black loop.
- 📶 Antenna modules are thin metal plates on the sides. Don't touch them with your hands!
- 🔊 The speaker and the microphone are at the bottom, easy to damage if you're not moving gently.
- 🖥️ The main board is under the metal screen!
If your goal is to replace the battery, clean the board contacts with isopropyl alcohol after removing it. For other repairs (such as changing the speaker or camera), it is better to photograph the location of all the plumes before they are disconnected, which will save hours on the reverse assembly.
⚠️ Attention: The Redmi 5 board has a small capacitor next to the charging connector (marked with a red circle). If you accidentally touch it with a screwdriver when the battery is on, the phone may stop turning on. Always turn off the battery before working with the board!
How to collect the phone back: secrets without backlashes
The main problem is the backlash of the lid, which occurs when you don't properly fasten the latches or pull the screws, and here's how to avoid the typical mistakes.
- Check the latches. Make sure all 12 plastic latches around the perimeter of the case are in place. If the lid is walking, then one of them is not locked.
- Apply new glue. The old adhesive tape loses its properties after disassembly. Buy 3M double-sided tape (0.1 mm thick) and stick it on the perimeter lid.
- Tighten the screws cross-cross. Start with the diagonal screws, then tighten the others. The force of the tightening is like when you twist the lid on a jar of cucumbers.
- Check the buttons. Press the volume and power buttons 10 to 15 times before final assembly. If they press tightly, loosen the screws.
Turn on your phone after assembly and check: Settings → Phone → Condition. If there are warnings about damage to the battery or antenna, you have damaged something during dismantling, in which case you should contact the service.
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If the phone doesn't turn on after assembly, don't panic! 80 percent of the time, the problem is that the battery or display plume is not connected. Disassemble the phone again and check all the connectors.
Frequent problems after disassembly and their solution
Even if you follow the instructions, you can have problems after you disassemble yourself, and here are the most common ones and how to fix them:
The phone will not turn on after assembly.
Another common problem is that the fingerprint scanner is not working, which means that you either didn't plug in its plume or you damaged the contacts. Solution: Settings → Lock and Protection → Fingerprints → Delete all fingerprints, then restart the phone and add the fingerprint again. If it doesn't work, take the phone apart and check the scanner connector (it should click when you connect).
If after disassembly there was a disturbance in the dynamics or the network is not catching well, you probably damaged the antenna contacts, in this case, only replacing the antenna module (cost ~ 300-500 rubles) will help. To avoid this problem, never press the mediator in the upper and lower parts of the case - there are antenna tracks.