LG ENV3 shutdown problem fix?

http://community.vzw.com/t5/Cell-Phone-General-Devices/EnV3-Shuts-off/m-p/134636#M20230

Just as an added note, after some research, I found this thread:

In this thread, the posters seem to suggest that the shutdown problem is actually caused by the battery connections on the phone.

Is this what most of you have found? Is the other option that I posted (told to me by LG customer support) not *really* the problem.

Again, I'm very close to buying this phone, but would really hate to be buying into a defective phone from the get-go.

SuzyQ

We just purchased 2 Env3's - in spite of the "shut down issue". My reading and research (and I do research!) seems to point to the battery connection, dirty contacts, and possibly loose door, as the back cover of the phone IS the battery. If the contacts are kept clean, and the door is made "tight" (sometimes wedging in a piece of paper or rubber), in most cases the shut down issue is resolved. As far as the memory issue, and using a 16 GB SD card - I dont' know how many folks do that. My kids use 2 GB, or 4GB cards, not 16, but maybe....I would lean more towards the battery/door being the culprit more often than the SD card.

We've only had the phones 3 weeks, but so far, so good - no shut downs, only one complaint of an echo on one of the phones on one call. It's a sweet little phone - qwerty keyboard is excellent for texting, camera is decent....

Choose wisely....

Thanks for the reply.

I agree that the battery and connection solution seems much more likely than what the customer service man told me. Which is why I decided to come ask the people who actually own the phone.

It bothers me to a certain extent that the phone itself would have an inate manufacturing defect to the extent it seems to. Phones shutting down on their own due to a loose battery pack would seem to be a big deal...at least I think so.

Then again, of the dozens of complaints of read, there are still hundreds of other people who don't have the problem...so I'm still considering this phone. In fact, it's between this one and one other, but that's for a seperate thread... :smileyhappy:

reallyniceguy

Hey, what software do you guys have? I have an env3 with version 6. Doesnt shut down, I did read on howard forums that theres version 3 and 4 that make it crash.

stryker221982

Ive had mine shut off on me simply by shutting the flip closed. also its random shut off without even touching it with a full battery sitting in the cup holder of my work truck. where can you update the firmware from?

Well, I guess that kills the accidental button pressing theory.

Sorry, I'm not sure exactly how to update it (I don't actually own the phone yet), but I've read that you can take it in to a verizon store and they do it for you. i think you might be able to do it yourself as well, but I'm not sure how. Maybe someone else can help with that.

stryker221982 wrote:
Ive had mine shut off on me simply by shutting the flip closed. also its random shut off without even touching it with a full battery sitting in the cup holder of my work truck. where can you update the firmware from?

Ok so here is one that shuts down without touching it and it's in no purse or pocket. I don't know how to do the update. When I activated my phone it said something about updating firmware or something and did it then. Mary

In regards to not carrying this phone in a case, a customer shared this experience recently in the comments section at verizon's website. I have no idea (un)common this incident is.

"“Grt Texting phone; hard case a mandatory buy”
Reviewed by , Atlanta, GA. on January 6, 2010

i recommend this phone for heavy texters. internal keypad is well designed and enables fast texting. phone works grt too. My only BIG caution is that you must buy a hard protective case that will prevent the internal screen from cracking. This is the reason i gave the Design only 2 stars - when you close the flip case the top case rests on 2 plastic tabs located on the left and right sides of the base; there is no tab to support the middle which means the phone flexes in the middle. The large internal screen cannot handle any amount of compression. So with only a small amount of pressure (like sitting down w/ phone in back pocket or placing books on top of phone) you will crack the internal screen. This is a design flaw, but can be easily helped by buying a good hard case (like Body Glove from Verizon). O/w, great phone.

Pros:
good texting phone very light & compact big front dialpad well designed internal keypad

Cons:
caution - must buy a hard case (like body glove) o/w light compression will crack internal screen"

As far as a recall, I think it's too hard to predict whether Verizon and LG would do that. Sales of the currently available push-to-talk phone the Motorola Barrage were temporarily suspended a few weeks after the release date to make a correction to the phone. But on the other hand consider the Samsung Glyde -- it wasn't until about one or two months prior to the discontinuation of the product that Verizon and Samsung quietly replaced in their stores the Glyde with the "Glyde Refresh" which addressed some of the shortcomings in the hardware.

You're in the dilemma that I was in for a long time with the env3. Finally, I decided to write it off and wait for something else -- two years is a long committment, and I want a surer bet than the env3.

I thought of three ways that you could mitigate your risk:

- buy the env3 with a one year contract extension instead of a two year contract extension. Yes, the one year contract price costs more. But after a year if the phone becomes too unreliable then you can turn around and be eligible for another phone at the discounted contract price

- buy the env3 if you're mentally and financially prepared to spend full price on a new phone if you buy the env3 at the two year contract price and the phone fails after the one year warranty has expired

- buy the env3 if you have a back-up phone that you already own that you can turn to if the env3 fails during the second year

You're asking all the right questions; I had those same questions too. But between now and when the env3 was first released, those questions still have not been satisfactorily answered in my mind. As a personal decision, for me there are still enough complaints on here, Verizon's website, howardforums, phonescoop, and cnet that I don't feel comfortable committing myself and my family to this phone for two years.

kegri64

I do not use any memory card. The phone shuts down when the back (or battery) is pressed. The power button does not need to be pressed. If there is any pressure on the back, it shuts off. Very annoying, since it happens often. If anyone has a fix for this, please let me know.

Rocko73

Try putting some paper in between the battery and phone. Enough so you can still lock the battery in place, yet it is tighter. This seems to help.

Kegri, how long have you had the phone, and how long before this problem started?

From my research there seem to be a couple unrelated problems that cause the phone to shut down.

One is the problem you explain, with the battery. The fixes for this, according to a few people, are to first clean the connectors on the battery and phone. And second, as the previous poster mentioned, try folding up a little piece of paper and putting it between the phone and battery (there are links earlier in this thread that explain this in more detail).

The other problem seems to be related to the firmware (which may or may not have to do with using an SD card in the phone). Supposedly this problem has been dealt with in the latest update, but there are still reports of people having the problem *after* updating the firmware.

One possible reason for this may be that they are having the battery issue like you, and *thought* it was a firmware issue.

Let us know how things work out for you.

momcos

I have had this phone for 4 months. It didn't cut off the first month or so, but over the last few months it increasingly cuts off. The phone has been in a rubberized cover since I first got it. I have never installed a memory card. The phone has cut off 5 times today so far. Once I just found it off when I picked it up, three times it cut off in the middle of my texting, and the last time it cut off just sitting on the counter. Software version VX920V03.

momcos,

I'm very sorry to hear that. I actually just checked and I have the same version number on my phone, and I just bought it today...

http://www.lgcommunity.com/forums/aff/6/aft/5541/afv/topic.aspx

momcos wrote:
I have had this phone for 4 months. It didn't cut off the first month or so, but over the last few months it increasingly cuts off. The phone has been in a rubberized cover since I first got it. I have never installed a memory card. The phone has cut off 5 times today so far. Once I just found it off when I picked it up, three times it cut off in the middle of my texting, and the last time it cut off just sitting on the counter. Software version VX920V03.

I didn't realize this was possible. But the firmware on the LG enV3 can be updated from home:

"You can't update the phone's software wirelessly.
You have to get the USB/Charger cable (should've came with the phone) and go to LG's website and look under the support section for the enV3 and download the updater. Then before plugging the USB cable into your computer, run the update program, it will automatically install the USB cable drivers, and then it will ask you to plug your phone in to the computer. When you do that, it will verify everything is ok, then it will download and install the newest software version and then reboot your phone.

There is a warning on this updater that you may lose all your personal data (contacts, pictures, music, etc) after the update is completed, but I've updated mine twice now (first to V05 then to V06), and I haven't lost anything.

Good luck!

Or if you don't want to do all of that, you can just drop your phone off at just about any Verizon store and tell them you want the software updated. And I think they do it for free. If there is a charge for this, it's probably not a lot. But I think it's free. "

deadsilenced

I've got the enV3 with a newly updated v6 firmare, and before getting a replacement, I had my enV3 for about two weeks. It worked fine with zero restarting problems, but today it started continuously power cycling (every 5 seconds or so). It did this without warning and days after my last download/data transfer/sync. It could remain on for a maximum of maybe 20 seconds without restarting. It would do so without being touched, but I didn't think to check whether the SD card was causing the issue. I took the phone to Verizon and they gave me a replacement, but the new phone instantly power cycled when the SD card was inserted.

I went home, formatted the SD card, copied back over the old files (minus the picture cache), and put the card back in the phone. Right away, instant restart. I took out the battery and restarted the phone. This time it stayed up for about 40 seconds and I could browse my pictures before it power cycled again. It went back to power cycling every few seconds, so I removed the SD card. I formatted it again and put it back in the phone. It's been 5 minutes so far and the phone hasn't power cycled. I'm going to try just copying photos, then just music, then fewer and fewer files, in an effort to locate the offending file(s). I don't want to wear out the flash memory with all that copying though... Regardless, I'll report back with my results soon!

By the way, flexing the phone did not cause a restart, even with moderate pressure.

Thanks for the info, Deadsilenced.

So am I to understand that when you remove the SD card, and leave it out, the phone works fine? And you have confirmed (with your phone at least) that it is something to do with the SD card that causes the restart?

This is what I was told by an LG associate at one time, but I've had no one here actually confirm it, and usually, people say that their SD cards have nothing to do with the shutdown...

To help figure out what files may be causing the problem, do you have any files that were downloaded direct from the net? The associate I spoke with suggested that sometimes the power cycling could happen because of music, games, or applications that were downloaded from the net, and may have some kind of spy-ware with them.

Also, what size SD card do you have, and what brand?

I've had my Env3 for only 5 days, but so far I haven't had any problems. I'm afraid to try flexing the phone, because I'd hate to actually *cause* a problem that night be avoided by gentle usage.

I don't have an SD card yet, as I might not bother adding many files to the phone. But if I do get one, I'll be sure to test it out and report here.

I've been hoping that through gentle use and the new firmware upgrades, the phone would function fine. But only time will tell I guess...5 days isn't very long in the grand scheme.

htcj07

onipar wrote:
Thanks for the info, Deadsilenced.

So am I to understand that when you remove the SD card, and leave it out, the phone works fine? And you have confirmed (with your phone at least) that it is something to do with the SD card that causes the restart?

This is what I was told by an LG associate at one time, but I've had no one here actually confirm it, and usually, people say that their SD cards have nothing to do with the shutdown...

To help figure out what files may be causing the problem, do you have any files that were downloaded direct from the net? The associate I spoke with suggested that sometimes the power cycling could happen because of music, games, or applications that were downloaded from the net, and may have some kind of spy-ware with them.

Also, what size SD card do you have, and what brand?

I've had my Env3 for only 5 days, but so far I haven't had any problems. I'm afraid to try flexing the phone, because I'd hate to actually *cause* a problem that night be avoided by gentle usage.

I don't have an SD card yet, as I might not bother adding many files to the phone. But if I do get one, I'll be sure to test it out and report here.

I've been hoping that through gentle use and the new firmware upgrades, the phone would function fine. But only time will tell I guess...5 days isn't very long in the grand scheme.

I didn't have any problems with mine shutting down until I actually put mp3's on a 2gb micro sd card. After having to take off the battery cover about 4 times to keep it from rebooting, it only stopped when the sd card was out of the phone. It was actually fine in the phone prior to adding the mp3's. I will try to reformat a different card and then see if it works.

htcj07 wrote:

I didn't have any problems with mine shutting down until I actually put mp3's on a 2gb micro sd card. After having to take off the battery cover about 4 times to keep it from rebooting, it only stopped when the sd card was out of the phone. It was actually fine in the phone prior to adding the mp3's. I will try to reformat a different card and then see if it works.

Were the Mp3's downloaded from the net?

I was told that if the MP3 files are "safe" (ripped from a cd you own, or I guess from itunes or something legit like that) it will work fine. But I haven't actually tested that myself...

jigglesticks12

I'm glad to see i'm not the only person that has had issues with the shutting down of my LG ENV3. but unlike almost all that I have read about, mine does it wether it is in my pocket, in my purse, or sitting on the counter. I clean it weekly and have tried everything to keep the battery from loosing. It cuts off when I am in the middle of a conversation, or if I sit it down gently on the counter. It has never been dropped and I try to be very gentle with it. I finally am getting to the point where I am borrowing my friend's old phone and switching service to that. On any given day it shuts off at least ten times. I have talked to some people that I work with who have the same phone, and they all have the same issue. Two of those people use a carrying case, and the three other barely use theirs, usually leaving it in the locker til the drive home. I'm not sure if this will help you, but I have had nothing but issues with my phone. I loved it til about the second month I had it, when all the issues started to come about.

I am very sad to report this because i've always loved LG phones. They are all that I've ever had, and I'd hate to turn my back on the company now.

Wow, so you know four other people that all have the same phone with the same issues?

And your issue is because of the loose battery it sounds like, right? Have you tried cleaning the connectors and using the piece of paper between the battery and phone?

Sorry to hear about all the troubles. I'm really starting to wonder how the phone has such a great rating. Every time I think that maybe the issue only effects a small percentage of the phones, I'll read a post like yours that seems to suggest it's every single one.

I try to keep in mind that when a phone works properly, the owners are much less likely to go on forums and talk about it. But I guess I'll find out for myself sooner or later. I mean, 8 or 9 days with a phone isn't long enough to know I guess, but so far it's been great. I'm trying to be very careful with it, which isn't really a problem for me, but i still worry.

I can see maybe how opening it over and over might do something... *shrug.* I'll keep coming here and updating for the sake of completeness.

SuzyQ

Well, Mary (acraftylady) and you, and I are so far all doing OK with the Env3's. We activated ours on Dec. 17 - my son's has been flawless for him, my daughter's shut off twice one day but hasn't done so again. Mary seems to be doing well with hers, and a little over a week for you, onipar.

It is those with problems that usually end up on the forums trying to get issues resolved; the majority of those without problems you never hear from. How many ENv3's have been sold and are out there, being used every day? And how many are malfunctioning? All we hear are the problems, and a few good reports - I'll bet there's a whole lot more working phones out there that we'll never know about, simply because they are working, just fine, thank you!

Very good points, SuzyQ.

SydneyK

Granted, I've only had my blue enV3 since Monday, but I could not be happier! I love everything about this phone so far, and I had a BlackBerry before the enV3. I've not had any shutdown issues; my software is version 5 and I ordered over the phone.

So far this week I've loaded music on it and listened via my Rocketfish stereo headphones ... great sound quality (right now I'm listening to Norah Jones while writing this). I only had to download the USB drivers from the LG site and syncing worked perfectly. I've also made calls via voice command while wearing my headphones, and that was superb call quality.

The battery life on this device is so impressive. It's been a while since I haven't had to charge my phone every day. I'm going on a couple days now, after talking, texting and typing in all my calendar entries and contacts, and I still have four bars.

Call quality was the most important factor to me, as I'm a freelancer. It is as good as my BlackBerry. Things I like better about my enV3 than my smartphone are the one-touch controls, durability, and smaller size. And the interior screen is huge and high-resolution ... texting could not be more enjoyable and I look forward to trying some games on it.

The ONLY thing I've found that is not quite as convenient on this phone is web browsing. I'm coming from a trackball though, so this navigation is hard for me to get used to. But I love everything else about my enV3. And I'll love my new billing amount too, after having a $30 data plan for the past couple years.

I will get around to posting a review on this site after I've had it a bit longer. Hope this helps someone.

jigglesticks12

yes the four people have found their own ways to get them to stop from shutting down as often. I have tried to put paper in with the battery and cleaning everything. The power of the battery itself is great, I love that I only have to plug my phone up every few days, but I also have to constantly check my phone to make sure it's still on. Hopefully it's just that I got a defective phone.

jigglesticks12 wrote:

yes the four people have found their own ways to get them to stop from shutting down as often. I have tried to put paper in with the battery and cleaning everything. The power of the battery itself is great, I love that I only have to plug my phone up every few days, but I also have to constantly check my phone to make sure it's still on. Hopefully it's just that I got a defective phone.

If by the four people you mean Mary, SuzyQ, and myself (the list SuzyQ mentioned earlier?), we actually haven't had a shutdown problem at all. Suzy was saying that it's very likely the number of people who have this problem is greatly exaggerated due to the fact that when something goes wrong, people are more likely to come here than when a phone works fine.

How long have you had your phone? If you haven't brought it in to replace, you should definitely try that. I know you posted earlier, and I can't remember if you said you have the newest firmware, but after you swap for a new phone (should be free as long as it hasn't been over a year I think...), make sure it has version 6 of the firmware.

Otherwise, I'm hoping if it turns out the Env3's have an innate, widespread manufacturers defect (a loose battery/bad connectors) that LG will do the right thing and offer extended warranties or replacements. But only time will tell if that is the case.

Good luck, and let us know how things work out with your phone.

woyala

This is a problem that happens to all LG phones on VZW. While I barely saw this issue on previous LG phones, I noticed that the new type of phones since the LG VX8300 have this problem a lot.... and I mean on all phones that came out after that one that have this problem.

connimc

Here is my experience with the ENV3 shutdown problem. I had my first ENV3 33 days with no shutdown problem until Verizon installed the software update, before I was out of the parking lot my phone was going on and off, which it continued to do even just sitting on the desk. After three days of fighting with them to get a new (not certified like new) phone, they sent me a brand new phone. I have had that phone (no software updates thank you) for about two months now and have had no problems until today. I have had a Kingston 2GB micro SD card, I just bought a 4GB SanDisk micro SDHC per LG customer service the micro SDHC card should work), put it in and formatted it and the phone would not recognize it. I put it in my husband's Chocolate 3, formatted it and it wouldn't recognize it, I put it back in my ENV3 and there it was just fine, but then the phone started turning itself off and on continuously just sitting on the table, I took that card out and put my other one back in and now it's fine again, no problems. I am very hesitant to get the software update after my last experience but wonder why the phone started doing that with the 4GB card, the card was empty nothing on it yet, so I'm not buying the rep's reason about large capacity cards full of apps. If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.

Thanks.

connimc wrote:
Here is my experience with the ENV3 shutdown problem. I had my first ENV3 33 days with no shutdown problem until Verizon installed the software update, before I was out of the parking lot my phone was going on and off, which it continued to do even just sitting on the desk. After three days of fighting with them to get a new (not certified like new) phone, they sent me a brand new phone. I have had that phone (no software updates thank you) for about two months now and have had no problems until today. I have had a Kingston 2GB micro SD card, I just bought a 4GB SanDisk micro SDHC per LG customer service the micro SDHC card should work), put it in and formatted it and the phone would not recognize it. I put it in my husband's Chocolate 3, formatted it and it wouldn't recognize it, I put it back in my ENV3 and there it was just fine, but then the phone started turning itself off and on continuously just sitting on the table, I took that card out and put my other one back in and now it's fine again, no problems. I am very hesitant to get the software update after my last experience but wonder why the phone started doing that with the 4GB card, the card was empty nothing on it yet, so I'm not buying the rep's reason about large capacity cards full of apps. If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.

Thanks.

Unfortunately, my only suggestion would be to get the update...but I totally understand your hesitance to do so.

Just for comparisons sake, I have a 4GB card as well, but mine is Kingston. Could you return the card you bought and get a Kingston instead? Because it sure does sound like it's the card (especially since there is nothing on the card yet), and if you want to avoid updating the firmware, this might be the best option (returning the card for a Kingston).

connimc

Thanks. I just spent 20 minutes on the phone with LG doing all kinds of things only to have him suggest that I call Verizon to find out what brands are compatible. He works for LG, the phone is LG and he can't tell me that? I talked to Verizon and they sell San Disk so apparently they should work. Is yours the micro SDHC or just the SD?

Thanks again.

connimc:

In the upper-right corner of your Sandisk 4gb microsd card, is there a number inside of a circle ? According to Kingston's website, the microsd cards with storage capacities ranging from 4gb to 16gb use a speed “class” rating that guarantee a minimum data transfer rate for optimum performance with devices that use microSDHC

class 2, 4, and 6 guarantees minimum data transfer rates of 2, 4, and 6 MB per sec, respectively

Amazon.com shows that Sandisk makes a 4gb microsd card with a rating as high as 6.

Maybe the enV3 only handles 4 to 16gb microsd cards with a certain rating ?

cheatedbyvz

No the shut down problems for enV2 and env3 have not been fixed. Verizon continues to insist there is no problem.

connimc wrote:
Is yours the micro SDHC or just the SD?

Mine is the Kingston Micro SDHC, class 4.

Ah, Gotcha, Mojave. You're right about that, in fact, the thing LG posted in that thread was an exact copy (partial) of what they sent me in the e-mail.

I just got the LG enV 3 (2/4/10) & it shut down several times, always when unlocked & it beeped once as it shut down.

I have the Verizon leather case & found if I squeezed the unit as I put in my pocket, it powered down.

THE FIX was to cut out the clear plastic over the END/pwr button.

mcmallett

The SD card has nothing to do with the shut down problem. I'm on my 3rd phone with a different model replacement on the way. I've have not had an SD card in any of them. Also the software upgrades do not solve the problem. In fact, after the upgrade on my latest phone this past Friday, the problem was much worse. The rep at the store assured me that this upgrade addressed the problem-----NOT! As far as the battery, I don't know. I did not notice anything loose on my phones and the problems started at different times with each phone. The 1st and 3rd phone after a few weeks, the 2nd phone after a few days. I believe the model to be a lemon that Verizon or LG refuses to acknowledge. Its really a shame because I really liked the phone.

BroMoney

The shut down problem has nothing to do with the SD card. I'm on my 2nd ENV3 and I can replicate the shutdown problem all day long my lightly tapping the bottom of the battery where the latch is - with or without and SD card inserted!! There is definately some issue with the battery or contacts, as even slight taps can cause it shutoff.

RSAUER

I have had my enV3 sine June and I have not had the problems discussed. Mine have been quite minor. Also, I did just do an at-home update to firmware v06 to see if my GPS software accuracy gets better.

Rocko73

Not all shut down problems are from the battery. Many are software/hardware related. If your phone shuts down during the night or when it's not being touched/used, it's prob. not the battery.

greg54js

My Env3 does not even have a memory card in and it still shuts down. I believe it is a whole long problem that LG needs to fix now. I am hopefully going to recieve a new phone but i can't go to a store because Ibought on line.

RGrochow

ENv3 shut down: so i keep mine in back pocket and even though keyboard on double (2 click) lock, the phone manages to shut down or dial a number etc; which means that the OK button is getting hit twice and then the "end" or "send" or some other button is being hit; what a pain in the "**bleep**" (no pun intended); verizon thought a silicone case would help which i tried and as i was driving, it dialed my friend-so i guess that is not a fix either; what they need to do is have a lock that requires a specific code to reactiviate the key pad, i.e. a few numbers in a specific sequence rather than the OK button; at least the odds of sitting on those specific keys in a specific order should greatly reduce the problem.

RGrochow wrote:
ENv3 shut down: so i keep mine in back pocket and even though keyboard on double (2 click) lock, the phone manages to shut down or dial a number etc; which means that the OK button is getting hit twice and then the "end" or "send" or some other button is being hit; what a pain in the "**bleep**" (no pun intended); verizon thought a silicone case would help which i tried and as i was driving, it dialed my friend-so i guess that is not a fix either; what they need to do is have a lock that requires a specific code to reactiviate the key pad, i.e. a few numbers in a specific sequence rather than the OK button; at least the odds of sitting on those specific keys in a specific order should greatly reduce the problem.

One user actually found that when certain buttons are pressed all at the same time, it inadvertently unlocks the phone. I don't remember what button combinations they were anymore, but I did test this and find it to be true back when I read his post. It must be a bug of some kind that I imagine can't be fixed without an upgrade.

To try and combat this problem, maybe you could keep the phone in a different pocket? Personally I'd be afraid that keeping it in my back pocket and sitting on the phone all the time would break it. I like to keep mine in my jacket pocket during the winter, and a loose front pocket during the summer, unless I have a bag with me, in which case I leave it in the bag.

Just a thought.

bikeridertim

Sounds Like B.S. to me! I have EVERY UPDATE on 3 phones WITHOUT CARDS even in them and they ALL still shut off!!!!!!!!!

And to be honest I dont think Verizon cares!!!!!!!!! :smileymad:

bugfixer

Hi folks. I believe I've figured out at least one reason that this happens. Just so you know you can trust me: I'm an electrical engineer who has spent 25 years in test engineering, focused on electro-mechanical device function, quality and reliability. I've worked in aerospace, commercial and medical device industries. I've seen alot of different kinds of problems like this. So when my wife and I bought twin env3's last fall, and she started to have shut down problems, I took a look. Including researching this problem online. Which led me to this site.

What I found was pretty simple. I had 2 phones to look at. One with the problem, one w/o it. I started by looking at the attachment of the battery. I found that her battery was not held as tight to the contacts as mine was. Both phones had clean contacts. You can see if this is your problem by looking at your phone from the right side where the battery rolls over the edge. Hold the phone closed as if you were going to make a call. then flip the top toward you and then turn it to the left. The parting line between the battery and phone s/b tight to the case. You should have an even gap from the left to right in that view, between the phone and battery. When you push down on the battery by the release latch, it should not move much. Mine did not move much, my wife's did. There is a noticable difference.

So this seems to be a simple mechanical fit problem between the battery, its latch, and the phone. That reduces the force between the battery and phone contacts, which limits the current and voltage the battery can apply and probably causes the phone to shut off. Its clearly a mechanical design defect, and all affected phones s/b replaced free of charge. I can't tell if the fit problem is on the phone or battery side. That would take precision measurement equipment that I don't have access to. So it is possible that a new battery may fix this. Regardless, it is up to the phone manufacturer to determine the root cause and provide a fix. And then up to Verizon to provide that fixed hardware free of charge to anyone with this issue, since the phone does not perform as any customer would reasonably expect.

I'm going to Verizon this week to show them what I found. I'm also going to try and contact LG and share this, to see what they might be willing to do. Regardless, I'll try and monitor this site and post my findings when I get them. In the mean time, **bleep** like hell and don't take no for an answer. This kind of problem was predictable, preventable, and needs to be completely owned and resolved by the manufacturer and service provider.

noyzsource

I too am an electrical engineer and came to the exact same conclusion today. I used sticky notes temporarily to wedge the battery tighter so it can't push the contacts down as much. I think the contacts lose connection inside the phone when pressed too much.

I believe there is more than one reason for the shutdown problems but this one so far has fixed my issue.

LG enV3 VX9200 phone power off shut down problem.

My phone has been randomly powering off for about a year. Everything on the web says it’s software, hardware, and various things fix it.

I normally store my phone in my jeans pocket which gets pushed, squeezed, twisted, and lots of different pressures during the course of my day. I would pull my phone out and realize it was shut off. I found that if I pushed on the battery near the bottom of the phone (close to charger connector) the phone would shut off instantly. My solution was to put sticky notes between the battery and the phone.

1) Remove battery.
2) Put 10 sticky notes in the battery slot. No folding, cut to size. Don’t cover the metal springy contacts.
3) Try to reinsert battery. It shouldn’t require a large squeeze to get it to latch.
4) If it is too hard to latch remove a sticky note and try again.

I kept going until I had 6 sticky notes in there. Now when I push on the battery it doesn’t shut off the phone. I think that solved my problem. Your mileage may vary.

My Fix for the enV3

Hi all. I found and read through this thread while I was trying to decide whether or not to get this phone. I decided to go for it and I've had the phone since yesterday. I love it so far !! I checked it over and the battery seemed to be tight, it didn't really move at all. I did also check right away and it did have the version 6 on the phone and it didn't say anything about updating the firmware when I activated it so I'm assuming that it was just made with this version. I'll keep checking in to let everyone know how it's going. I do have a coworker who has this phone and hasn't had any issues with it. Her son on the other hand also had this phone and had the shut off issues, he has had his replaced and hasn't had any issues since. I'm almost wondering if these issues have anything to do with where they're made. Almost as if one of their factories just has terrible workmanship. Not sure, but like I said I'll keep updating. Thanks

jenn244

i think that answer you got is a load of crap. i have been having problems with my LG ENV3 phone since this past Christmas. it just keeps shutting off for no reason. i don't download anything to my phone. i took my phone to the verizon store this past January and they said that i needed some type of software update and that should take care of the problem. well, it didn't. about a week after that, it started shutting off again. a few weeks ago, i took the phone back to verizon and told them that it shuts of randomly and told them that i already had the software update done. come to find out, my battery was loose for some reason. so, they took the phone and supposedly fixed the issue. yeah, they didn't. it still shuts off whenenver it feels like it. i'm not the only one that has had this same problem. a couple of my friends have had their phone replaced atleast 2 times. my boyfriends stepdad has the same phone i do and since this past October he had 5 different phones because it kept on shutting off. verizon finally replaced his phone back in January. i really think they need to come up with a better solution to fix this problem.

Well Mary, I guess that blows the theory regarding where the phone is coming from LOL It's strange though, either people with these phones have no issues or the phone is terrible. I don't think I've heard someone say that they only had one little problem with the phone. So far I still haven't had any issues. My phone was fully charged Friday and last night I was down to 1 bar so that's basically 5 days. It was off this a.m. but considering how low it was last night I think it's a legitimate shut off. With my old phone I only charged it about every 7 days so 5 isn't too bad and I honestly texted a LOT those first couple of days. I'll keep you all posted but so far so good ! I honestly wish that Verizon and LG could figure out what the issues are though because obviously something is going on for a lot of people and there's nothing worse than having an unreliable phone.

cthunder067

HKFAN,

you're right on with your comment "either the people with these phones have no issues or the phones are terrible. And that is exactly the case with my sister and her husband. While her phone turns off at times he phone absolutely has no problems. At least for my sister her shutoff problems aren't as bad as some of the users here. I really liked this phone and was my first choice, but since I use my phone as my landline the Env3 wouldn't work for me. Couldn't have a phone that constantly shuts it's self off nor did I want to risk the chance. So I settled for the Touch and I couldn't be more happier with my decision.

cthunder067 wrote:
HKFAN,
you're right on with your comment "either the people with these phones have no issues or the phones are terrible. And that is exactly the case with my sister and her husband. While her phone turns off at times he phone absolutely has no problems. At least for my sister her shutoff problems aren't as bad as some of the users here. I really liked this phone and was my first choice, but since I use my phone as my landline the Env3 wouldn't work for me. Couldn't have a phone that constantly shuts it's self off nor did I want to risk the chance. So I settled for the Touch and I couldn't be more happier with my decision.

My phone is my landline too now so I am lucky to have no issues with it. Mary

jrb061

Has anyone tried using the extended life battery and did that stop the auto shut down problem?

whizperz

Haha, yeah right!! I don't even have an SD card in my phone and neither does my husband. His shuts off ALL the time. Mine only shuts off about once a day, but it's still irritating because it doesn't make any noise when it does it, so you have no idea your phone is off. It makes me very mad, especially when my young children are with a babysitter or something. What if something happened to one of them and my babysitter couldn't even get a hold of me because of this unreliable piece of junk. And I also use my phone for an alarm clock, and have been late twice so far because it shut off in the middle of night. Don't get this phone. Even though it otherwise has been a great phone for me, it's not worth the headache.

staples04330

stryker221982 wrote:
Ive had mine shut off on me simply by shutting the flip closed. also its random shut off without even touching it with a full battery sitting in the cup holder of my work truck. where can you update the firmware from?

Mine shutdown on my while it was sitting on my coffee table. I bought my phone the first week of january 2010. My fiances phone shutdown all the time but he carries his in his pocket all the time. I havent tried cleaning the connectors yet but I already had to have my battery replaced because it swelled to the point where it almost popped out of the back of my phone......we'll see what happens next.

Wow, this thread is still going strong! :smileyhappy:

I notice some users seem to only be reading my first post in this thread, and ignoring all the other posts. It's important to note that since my initial post/question, we've found a number of reasons for the shutdown issue:

"If you're having trouble with your phone, I'd work my way through the fixes presented here in a logical succession from easiest to hardest: Update firmware, check SD card functionality (remove to see if shutdown error persists), check battery connections (clean), try the "paper fix", and finally, when all else fails, return the phone for a replacement."

I also wanted to jump in and note that it's been over 2 months (I think almost 3 now) since getting the phone and I still have no issues.

I do believe that if you have ruled out all other software possibilities (firmware, etc), it is most likely the loose battery. I use a case on my phone to keep from inadvertently pushing/shifting the battery, which may protect against the shutdown problem.

Keep the good info coming.

txtfanatic

I have tried everything and have had this problem for about a month now and just keep going back to Verizon and all they do is replace the phone and battery. Last time I was in however they did tell me that it is a problem with the software on the phone and an update will be available in 2 weeks (this was 2 1/2 weeks ago). They said it is nothing to do with a memory card or the battery but solely the software and memory on the phone.

sfejes

My wife currently has the ENV3 and is experiencing the same shutdown problems. After reading all the problem with the battery I am also inclined to think it is not the memory card as she does not have any memory cards installed at all. She does not even put music or any multimedia files on it at all. It is used for calling and texting only.

I flashed the software in it about a month ago and it has not solved the problem. My next step is the paper wedge and if that does not work I will get Verizon to replace the phone. My daughter has a ENV2 and does not experience this problem at all and they are very similar phones except it is a bit thicker but works very well.

Other that this problem it has been a really nice phone.

sfejes wrote:
My wife currently has the ENV3 and is experiencing the same shutdown problems. After reading all the problem with the battery I am also inclined to think it is not the memory card as she does not have any memory cards installed at all. She does not even put music or any multimedia files on it at all. It is used for calling and texting only.

I flashed the software in it about a month ago and it has not solved the problem. My next step is the paper wedge and if that does not work I will get Verizon to replace the phone. My daughter has a ENV2 and does not experience this problem at all and they are very similar phones except it is a bit thicker but works very well.

Other that this problem it has been a really nice phone.

There are complaints about the ENV2 also like the OK button breaks on the front. My sons broke but he doesn't need it so doesn't care. My husband's ENV2 which used to be mine does not have that issue but my husband hardly uses and my son uses his a lot. Mary

TheGreatOne

acraftylady wrote:
There are complaints about the ENV2 also like the OK button breaks on the front. My sons broke but he doesn't need it so doesn't care. My husband's ENV2 which used to be mine does not have that issue but my husband hardly uses and my son uses his a lot. Mary

Yup all true about the keys not working. First just some keys didn't work on my Env2. Soon to follow my OK key stopped working. I am not worried about it. I don't text from the outside anyways because it's harder to do for me. For answering a call I just have it set to press any key to answer. Some keys are working, so I just press any one that is working to answer. The phone is still functional. I don't get why people always made a fuss over the keys. You could still talk & message.

Danny999

I have the LG enV® 3 phone. I have had it for about 1 years so far. When mine started to shut down by itself I thought it was from being in my pocket. However I have had it shut down while sitting on my desk, or on my counter top. I have even had it shut down while I was holding it in my hand.

What I have discoveried is this. Once you have discoveried the phone is shut down, turn it back on. then If you tap the phone on the left side and sometimes it will shut right back off.

I also noticed the key lock will not lalways lock the keys. The CLR key will not lock, and with the keys locked, try holding the OK buttom down. Some times the phone will start dailing.

I am to the point of buying a new phone. I would not recommend buying this phone. Too many issue with the powering down, and it is very week comparied to my last phone.

Danny999

I would say no the problem is not the card. I went 6 months before I bought a card. My phone shut down almost from the start. I took it into verizon and they could find anything wrong. They said they would no replace the phone, but I could buy a different one. THANKS VERIZON.

This was posted the other day on another forum. FWIW ...

My store pulls people in need of technical service for hundreds of miles around us (many of the more rural parts of the west don't have Verizon stores). Personally, I have yet to troubleshoot an Intensity for issues since it came out. Env3, on the other hand, I probably see a few to a dozen per hour in my store.

The Env2 was about the same, too.

The Env3 has been riddled with random phone resets. We've been told in many communications that it was software-related, but no software update seemed to fix it. We noticed some were due to lose batteries, and we started putting a shim behind the battery for a more positive fit. But still, no fix.

Now, last week, we got a communication that it was a physical issue all along - the battery and the phone wear down not long after purchase, and don't make a positive fit. So they're going to release a physically updated warranty unit with an altered battery inside the box to fix the problem. Both will be brand new.

The last time Samsung had an issue like this was a couple years ago with the Glyde. LG has a handful of models with similar or somewhat similar issues, is always releasing new software, and is constantly in need of rework.

I tell people now that the LG I used to suggest to everyone might be more trouble than it's worth.

Knowing what I know, I wouldn't buy an Env3 or Env Touch at all, and I'd seriously consider the consequences of any other LG model.

drtar1

We have had 3 env3's for about a year without problems. About 2 months ago they started shutting off. We got the software upgrade about a month ago. The problem got worse. I took them back about a week ago. The tech said they had gotten an email about this problem. The tech grabbed one of the phones and "twisted" it. It shut off. He did the same for another one. It shut off also. He then ordered 3 "new" phones. He said they will come with new upgraded batteries. The new he was referring to is a like new certified replacement (referb). We just got them up and running so I don't know if this is the fix yet but apparently verizon thinks this is the fix.

blam812

I have added nothing to my phone from an SD card and even after a software upgrade at the Verizon store, the problem is back after one month so unfortunately as much as I like the phone I would not recommend it. I am probably going to go out and pay full price for a replacement phone that I can rely on it.

deeaal

Just got back from Verizon store took my sons phone in because it keep shuting down, they said it was because the compartment for the battery was bigger than needed and battery would shift. Says they we puting shims in battery compartment but now LG has issued a newly design, and orded a replacement. I hope it works, what realy upset me was that they now charge $20 to take his picture from one phone to the next, he does not have a memory card and at this time i can not afford one. Why should i have to pay when it was under warranty. It is LG's design that failed so why should i have to pay so he can keep his pictures, verizon should transfer every thing from one phone to the next.

deeaal wrote:
Just got back from Verizon store took my sons phone in because it keep shuting down, they said it was because the compartment for the battery was bigger than needed and battery would shift. Says they we puting shims in battery compartment but now LG has issued a newly design, and orded a replacement. I hope it works, what realy upset me was that they now charge $20 to take his picture from one phone to the next, he does not have a memory card and at this time i can not afford one. Why should i have to pay when it was under warranty. It is LG's design that failed so why should i have to pay so he can keep his pictures, verizon should transfer every thing from one phone to the next.

Does he have texting on the phone? If he does he can just send the photos as a text to his e-mail then e-mail then back to the new phone as text. You just use yournumber@vzwpix.com from your computer's e-mail. I agree though they should wiave the $20 since this is a defect issue. Mary

Guess I spoke too soon about not having the shut off issue. My phone shut off earlier this week and it was just sitting there. I went to look at it about 10 minutes ago and it was off. I turned it back on and let it sit for a few minutes. When I flipped it open to send a text it shut off again. This really sucks because I like this phone ! Of course I don't have a sd card in mine, all I do is tak and text. Ok, another weird thing just happened. I went to pick up my phone to see if it was still on and before I could hit the ok button the screen lit up.

Kamon_Keronji

ok now I am a little worried!. I happen to have a env3 model no vx9200m would mine have this same problem?

I bought it on april 17, 2010.

RSAUER

I have the 9200m, for 11 months, and have not had the problem. I have had two of them (lost the first one).

Kamon_Keronji wrote:
ok now I am a little worried!. I happen to have a env3 model no vx9200m would mine have this same problem?

I bought it on april 17, 2010.

If the phone is shutting off on you for no reason like just sitting on the table no one touching then that is probablly problem. I have had mine since January and don't have that problem or any others. Mary

TheGreatOne

Kamon_Keronji wrote:
ok now I am a little worried!. I happen to have a env3 model no vx9200m would mine have this same problem?

I bought it on april 17, 2010.

You can still do warranty exchange if it starts shutting off. :smileyhappy:

starmagik

This isn't the problem. My daughter has this phone and has had 3 of them replaced. Each time its a different excuse. Its the phone itself and I am in the process of trying to get her a different phone because of the aggravation with this particular model. It is never ending. It happens whether or not she has her memory card in and her memory card isn't 16GB its 4 or 8.

nana10

My phone was perfect for two months now it keeps shutting off in my pocket. I suspect that the door latch may be coming more sensitive as it gets looser, and any motion just disconnects the battery. It is a terrible design flaw with the battery door. DON'T GET THIS PHONE!

nana10

I WILL TRY PUTTING TAPE OVER THE BATTERY DOOR.

SuzyQ

Tape over the door, or a hard plastic case (Day Deal or Cellular Accessories are two online vendors that I use) that snaps on and protects the phone and battery door, and makes the phone YOURS! They run $10-$15 and are well worth the investment for the protection, and they make your phone uniquely different!

Check these out

TheGreatOne

SuzyQ wrote:
Tape over the door, or a hard plastic case (Day Deal or Cellular Accessories are two online vendors that I use) that snaps on and protects the phone and battery door, and makes the phone YOURS! They run $10-$15 and are well worth the investment for the protection, and they make your phone uniquely different!

Check these out

I find that tape itself kinda gets this slippery feeling. I wouldn't recommend using it on a cell phone!!

CeeTee9

Yes, the LG ENV3 has a serious design flaw and needs to be recalled. I'm on my 3rd one now in less than a year and it has started shutting down just like the other two before it. My phone is just an off the shelf version with no extra memory, I don't download apps, text, web surf, or do anything other than just talk on it. I keep the phone in my pocket, but I have witnessed it shutdown when it was just sitting on a table (nothing interacted with it). To Verizon's credit they have been very good about replacing it (twice), but I'm sure they won't continue to do so--even if I wanted to keep this unreliable phone. I hope Verizon will let me swap it for something that actually works for longer than a few months.

CeeTee9 wrote:
Yes, the LG ENV3 has a serious design flaw and needs to be recalled. I'm on my 3rd one now in less than a year and it has started shutting down just like the other two before it. My phone is just an off the shelf version with no extra memory, I don't download apps, text, web surf, or do anything other than just talk on it. I keep the phone in my pocket, but I have witnessed it shutdown when it was just sitting on a table (nothing interacted with it). To Verizon's credit they have been very good about replacing it (twice), but I'm sure they won't continue to do so--even if I wanted to keep this unreliable phone. I hope Verizon will let me swap it for something that actually works for longer than a few months.

It's not quite 6 months since I got my phone and it's still perfect. I still have to wonder how I got such a perfect working phone when all these other ones have the shut down issue. Mary

CeeTee9

To be perfectly honest my wife and I both bought the ENV3 at the same time and she hasn't had any problems with hers either--although we had her software updated when I had my first return. I'm pretty confident that the problem lies in the battery connection as many have stated. However, LG needs to make a phone that can be carried in a pocket without it eventually wearing the battery connections loose. Maybe some people are willing to wedge a piece of paper or whatever in the back to keep the battery fitting tight, but I'm old school. I think if a manufacturer produces a product that clearly has a problem, they should fix it and not rely on their customers jerry-rigging it to keep it functioning. I know, it's a crazy concept. :smileywink:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcWmi4v6lcI

I haven't had any shut off issues since I put the piece of paper in the battery compartment. My only problem now is trying to get the new Hallmark app on the phone.

hurricanefloyd

one more thing, if you want to know how to make your phone shut off for no reason, hold the phone with both hands so your thumbs are just to the left of the 7 and the right on the 9 and your index and middle fingers are supporting the bottom of the back of the phone. now, just squeeze a little and the phone will shut off.

this is why my phone shuts off so much more than my wife's phone. I keep mine in my pocket while she keeps hers in her purse. there is much more pressure put on my phone.

OOD0M711

This is what my Env-3 does Constantly wont even charge...(Note: not me in the video)

Idk What to do becuase i dotn have warrenty and i have had the phone for almost 1 year and it just started Doing this, But before this it kept turning off Randomly so Idk