Anyway to fix the camera (it's not focusing) on your own?

[ackmondual]

When the camera tries to focus on something, half the time, it just keeps making a "whirling" noise, but can't focus, and picture comes out blurry. When you look at the back, the "black sensor" (on the left) has a small red dot that just keeps blinking.

I've seen advice to wipe all 3 lenses, but this hasn't helped. Were there any DIY solutions available?

I bought the phone on Ebay 2 years ago, so there won't be any warranty available. Am tempted to just buy another one of these, as I don't want to spend more than $250 for a new phone, and would rather not have to go back to being on contract again.