Fairphone 5 USB moisture error message

[Unyon]

My FP5 tells me that the USB-C port is moist or has debris in it, and it will not charge reliably.

I have installed /e/ OS on it, and it has been working fine for months. It was never wet, but recently it started showing the error message whenever a USB cable of any kind was inserted into the port. I assumed that the USB-C module was defective, so I ordered a replacement part and exchanged it. This didn’t change anything, the error message keeps appearing.

I can also connect to a PC via USB-C and transfer data, regardless of the message.

I did a factory restart, and that also did not fix the problem.

The only thing I have connected to the phone that does not result in the error message are some USB-C headphones, which obviously do not provide power. While typing this it also occurred to me that I have an XBOX controller, so I tried that out too, and no error message appears. So the issue has to have something to do with the charging process, or perhaps the battery. I don’t have a second fariphone battery to try out.

With the power off, I can get the phone to charge, but it does not consistently work, and sometimes it is constantly restarting, slowly charging a bit at a time. I’ve even tried a Laptop charger, which definitely has enough oomph to charge the phone, but this doesn’t work reliably. Also, none of this is really a fix for the problem itself.

So I am not really sure where this error message is coming from. My next step would be to reinstall fairphone OS (android 14), and see if that fixes the problem.

I’d appreciate any advice, maybe someone has seen this before, or has some idea I didn’t think of yet.

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[CraigHB]

I know you’ve already done some or all of what I’m going to mention, but this is what I would do to troubleshoot the problem, it may be of some help, but maybe not.

The general rule of troubleshooting is to try the easiest first. I’d say re-installing would be a last resort.

First I would try cleaning the socket on the phone. I use electrical contact cleaner (example). I mean the error you’re getting might actually be the problem. Charging requires contact with four pins for power and two for data so if any one of those was a problem it would interfere with proper charging. It’s pretty common for dirt or debris to interfere with contact on USB connections having some mileage on them.

Next try a new (not used) cable. I suppose you can try spraying out the old one, but USB cables are a dime a dozen.

Check the power brick is not causing an issue by checking things with another one.

If that still doesn’t address the problem you could try replacing the USB port on the phone Those are not particularly expensive or hard to change on the FP5.

I think lastly I would try re-installing. That’s a time consuming process by the time you get everything restored and configured.

[ram1]

I don’t know the solution… but I have encountered this issue for the first time recently. Out of all cables I have ever used, this happened only with my 5-inch cable that came with SanDisk external SSD disk. So I just know I have to avoid it.

[aibd]

I will link to a one year old thread. This was specifically about Samsung phones, but it may be worth following the method in the Samsung video in case it applies, or at least in part. Roll back on Samsung Galaxy S9 failed? Phone won´t charge - #2 by aibd.

… and …

@aibd

Speaking to the family member who had this issue, the idea of “Dew point” cropped up … together with this time of year.

Say the phone was in a cold dry place for a while (in transit?) then bought to slightly humid room temperature a dew point sensor might be tripped.

The sensor may be both sensitive and persistent [1], hence the Samsung recommended sequence of jobs to eliminate it (bearing in mind also that maybe the phone / usb port did actually get damp or dirty).

[1] Persistent here refers to a later last troubleshooting tip / method where the “fail” may seem effectively saved in software. (Settings > Apps and notifications > See all … apps > 3 dot menu top right > Show system > USB Settings > Storage & cache > Clear cache.)

• Note this is not the recommended early approach as clearing the cache too early in the process might mask a “real” physical issue remaining; not probably the case for you @Unyon

[linux_fangirl]

I always use port plugs to keep ports free of debris. Then is a there is a false reporting error, it saves you cleaning the port first before investigating other solutions.