I bought the 8GB Fuze a week ago and somehow ive gone and completly broke the screen theres nothing at all i can see.Is it possible to repalce the screen?I only listen to it on “Artist-Play All” so i dont need the screen except to get to that menu point.If replacing the screen would be too hard could I get and modify the firmware with a line or 2 of code which causes the player to jump to this option on start up?
Thanks Ger.
Unfortunately, the Fuze is not repairable. One, you can’t open it up like you can with the e200 series with the back plate held on by 4 screws. Two, even if you could get it apart, the LCD screen is soldered on via a ribbon cable (I’m assuming because that’s the way the e200 series is). This would require “Micro-Soldering Skills”! And three, you can’t buy a replacement LCD even if you could sucessfully de-solder and re-solder one in.
Basically the Fuze is designed as a ‘disposable’ unit. It doesn’t even have a replacable battery! Sorry, but it seems you are SOL. 
@tapeworm wrote:
Unfortunately, the Fuze is not repairable. One, you can’t open it up like you can with the e200 series with the back plate held on by 4 screws. Two, even if you could get it apart, the LCD screen is soldered on via a ribbon cable (I’m assuming because that’s the way the e200 series is). This would require “Micro-Soldering Skills”! And three, you can’t buy a replacement LCD even if you could sucessfully de-solder and re-solder one in.
Basically the Fuze is designed as a ‘disposable’ unit. It doesn’t even have a replacable battery! Sorry, but it seems you are SOL.
No, that’s not true. The Fuze can be opened although you have to be careful about it, and the screen is attached to the mainboard with a socketed ribbon cable not a soldered one, so that if you can find a cheap or broken Fuze on ebay with a good screen, you will be able to replace it. It’s not easy by any means but it can be done. The most dangerous part IMO is the ribbon cable that connects the control wheel to the main board. It’s very short, and very fragile, so it’s easy to damage. If it’s damaged you won’t have any controls. Without extreme care and some skill there’s a good chance you’ll break something, but it can be done.
Oh, and of course if you do repair it yourself, your warranty is voided.
Message Edited by Riolist on 09-30-2008 08:12 AM
Ahhh, I wasn’t aware anyone had cracked the case on the Fuze. I know someone did it to their Clip (and buggered it up pretty bad in the process), but it’s interesting to hear that the ribbon cable is socketed rather than soldered, so at least theoretically, it could be done, provided of course you could find the replacement LCD.
Good to know, thanks for the info. I stand (or sit, actually) corrected! 
And regarding your point about voiding the warranty? Anybody that would risk taking the Fuze apart to try and fix it themselves while it is still under warranty in the 1st place, probably wasn’t voted class valedictorian anyhow! :smileyvery-happy:
Ye it seams way too much bother to take it part except for the interst sake.At the moment im just gussing where in the menu i am and leaving there once im at playAll ao it aint too bad, but still some sickner when i saw that the screwen was broke little over week after i bought it.
Tapeworm wrote:
And regarding your point about voiding the warranty? Anybody that would risk taking the Fuze apart to try and fix it themselves while it is still under warranty in the 1st place, probably wasn’t voted class valedictorian anyhow!
For the most part I agree, but for the fact that screen damage is most likely not covered under warranty, which leaves the user in the position of paying for a repair, buying a new Fuze, or attempting a repair. I think in this case the latter is worth trying because the warranty is already void in the case of a broken screen.
In my case the screen wasn’t broken, but I was never voted class valedictorian, so I went ahead. It was strictly for cosmetic reasons. I wanted a red 8GB Fuze. I already had the grey 8GB, so I bought a red 4GB and swapped the cases (or swapped the insides, depending on your point of view), but in the process I damaged the ribbon cable of the grey wheel. Luckily I found a broken Fuze on ebay and got it for $7 shipped, so now I have a red 8GB Fuze, and a grey 4Gb Fuze with a black scroll wheel, and no warranty in sight! Fun!!
@gleesog4 wrote:
Ye it seams way too much bother to take it part except for the interst sake.At the moment im just gussing where in the menu i am and leaving there once im at playAll ao it aint too bad, but still some sickner when i saw that the screwen was broke little over week after i bought it.
Well, if you find a broken Fuze on ebay with a good screen i’d be willing to replace it for you.
@gleesog4 wrote:
I bought the 8GB Fuze a week ago and somehow ive gone and completly broke the screen theres nothing at all i can see.Is it possible to repalce the screen?I only listen to it on “Artist-Play All” so i dont need the screen except to get to that menu point.If replacing the screen would be too hard could I get and modify the firmware with a line or 2 of code which causes the player to jump to this option on start up?
Thanks Ger.
When you say there’s nothing at all you can see are you sure it’s the screen that’s broken? Is it cracked or anything or just black? If the screen doesn’t light up and just looks like it’s off that might not be the screen, it could be a driver chip or other component that failed. If there’s no *physical* damage to the screen you’re probably covered under warranty and should get your Fuze replaced.
