[Help] S3 stuck in infinite reboot/restart cycle

[BrainFlush]

So I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 SGH-I747 with 4.4.2 and after about a week running the KitKat it suddenly went into the infinite reboot/restart loop.

The phone is 6 months shy of 2 years. Never dropped and always in 2 different cases from Otterbox. I have 3 batteries in rotation. Phone is always dusted and cleaned etc. The phone is well taken care of. Lots of use daily. Lots.

I say all this because nothing I have done after searching for 2 hours has kept the phone on.

Here is what happens:

Put the battery in, phone automatically turns on with 4 possible outcomes.
First Samsung screen. Dead. 100% gets here no matter what.
But sometimes...
Goes to the Galaxy screen. Dead. 20% chance
Gets to the AT&T logo. Dead. 5% chance
Gets to the lockscreen and maybe the homepage after unlocking. Dead. 5% chance

On the rare chance it gets to the homepage after unlocking, the power options immediately appear and the phone dies.

This leads me to the conclusion that the power button is the actual issue and nothing more.
If that is the case, does anyone know of a solution?

And if that is not the actual issue, can anyone hazard a guess as to what the problem is?

If you need more details, just ask. And all and any help is appreciated. I hope I didn't leave anything out.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Have you tried a cache clear in recovery?
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...ing-into-recovery-mode-galaxy-s2-s3-tab2.html

 

[BrainFlush]

Have you tried a cache clear in recovery?
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...ing-into-recovery-mode-galaxy-s2-s3-tab2.html

I have been unable to get to that point and succeed. If I hold down the power/volume or the power/volume/home buttons I might get to the recovery/boot screen but the phone dies within seconds. About a 5% chance of getting there.

 

[Golfdriver97]

I have been unable to get to that point and succeed. If I hold down the power/volume or the power/volume/home buttons I might get to the recovery/boot screen but the phone dies within seconds. About a 5% chance of getting there.

I really don't know what to suggest. If this were one battery, I would say it's faulty, but you have 3. I am reminded of a quote, 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the answer', so take all of your batteries, and place them on a flat table without a tablecloth. Try to spin them. If they do, they are bad.

 

[BrainFlush]

I really don't know what to suggest. If this were one battery, I would say it's faulty, but you have 3. I am reminded of a quote, 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the answer', so take all of your batteries, and place them on a flat table without a tablecloth. Try to spin them. If they do, they are bad.

Thanks for the response. As to the batteries being bloated they are perfectly flat and not busted/ruined. They work flawlessly in another phone and is how I am charging them.

Update: I removed the sim and memory card and still am not able to keep the phone on.

 

[GSDer]

Welcome to the forums!

Put the battery in, phone automatically turns on...
On the rare chance it gets to the homepage after unlocking, the power options immediately appear...

Yep, classic symptoms of a stuck Power switch.

This leads me to the conclusion that the power button is the actual issue and nothing more.
If that is the case, does anyone know of a solution?

Various solutions, depending on how aggressive you want to be:
1. Replace the Power switch yourself (you can find the part online)
2. Send it off to get it replaced (ex. http://mobiletechvideos.mybigcommerce.com/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-power-button-repair/)
3. Just break it off and use an alternate method to power the device on
4. Clean the Power switch with compressed air, a toothbrush and then electronic contact cleaner (be sure to remove the battery first) [you can also pry the little white button part up in case it's just gotten stuck in the depressed position]
5. Clean around the Power button (the plastic piece that we press) in case it's jammed against the actual Power switch

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk

 

[BrainFlush]

Welcome to the forums!Yep, classic symptoms of a stuck Power switch.Various solutions, depending on how aggressive you want to be:
1. Replace the Power switch yourself (you can find the part online)
2. Send it off to get it replaced (ex. Samsung Galaxy S III Power Button Repair -)
3. Just break it off and use an alternate method to power the device on
4. Clean the Power switch with compressed air, a toothbrush and then electronic contact cleaner (be sure to remove the battery first) [you can also pry the little white button part up in case it's just gotten stuck in the depressed position]
5. Clean around the Power button (the plastic piece that we press) in case it's jammed against the actual Power switch

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk

So I tried cleaning the button area with an air compressor and it seems to have improved the power on rate. But it still shuts down. I even pressed my nail in between the button and phone shell trying to wiggle it around. Next up is just contacting AT&T for a repair since I have insurance on it. Hopefully it won't cost me anything but downtime.

Keep the responses coming and thanks to those who posted. Will update when resolved.

 

[BMukherjee91]

This nuisance got to my GS3 a couple of days ago. I finally contacted Samsung today, after the phone shut down three times within an hour this morning. After the initial round of questions about batteries, chargers and apps, they advised me to do a hard reset. It shut down once during the apps recovery cycle - but has been stable since then.

Perhaps the answer lies in the hard (factory) reset. I know it is painful, but is worth a try if it solves the problem. Will update later if it shuts down again. Thx.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[BMukherjee91]

Following up --> well over 24 hours since I did my factory reset yesterday, and the phone has not shut down once since the reset. Thx.

 

[BrainFlush]

Following up --> well over 24 hours since I did my factory reset yesterday, and the phone has not shut down once since the reset. Thx.

That's great. Unfortunately I finally got my answer after going to a few places. The button was the actual problem, it had been unseated/broken.

One place said they wouldn't do the repair as they can't guarantee it will last for any days. Another place wanted $70 with 90days warranty. And a few online places wanted $40-$50 with or without shipping.

At those prices I was better off using the insurance I pay for each month to get a replacement one sent out to me for $200, it just so happens I got upgraded to an S4 for free due to stock issues.

For those without insurance I think a repair would be ideal but that issue of not being guaranteed to last kind of keeps me from really saying yes. I also found out you can't just order the motherboard with the button already factory installed unless you go to Ebay to get it from someone's broken/dismantled phone etc. But the IMEI or MEID might be reported stolen/lost so the risk is also high in just doing a board swap but and at a cost of $100 minimum average for that board, it seems problematic and very risky.

Long story short, if your button breaks, you got 3 options. Insurance, new phone, repair. All expensive choices. Sadly.

 

[GSDer]

Long story short, if your button breaks, you got 3 options. Insurance, new phone, repair.

There's actually a fourth option - leave the button broken; use the charger to physically turn the phone on (which you only do once in a great while); use an app to turn the screen off; use the Home button to turn the screen on.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk