Square button not working on ps4 controller

[aSpoink]

So I bought a broken PS4 controller for $10CAD with the intention of fixing it. Everything on the controller works except for the square button. I've taken it apart and cleaned it with 99 isopropyl alcohol, and the square button still doesn't work. Nothing on the board looks fried or damaged, so im stuck right now. Hopefully someone has a solution?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[BloodyWaters]

Does the switch look ok?

[aSpoink]

6 minutes ago, BloodyWaters said:

Does the switch look ok?

What do you mean by the switch? It uses contact pads like this(Sorry for big picture)

[MadModder]

Since you took it apart for cleaning, double check the ribbon cable. It's really easy for them to become disconnected, especially the bottom end of it. You'll have to remove the top connection and pc board to get to the lower connection. Really poor quality components imo. I've only messed with one, which was my nephews, and the bottom end of the ribbon cable had pulled out a bit, even though he had never opened it up.

[aSpoink]

1 hour ago, MadModder said:

Since you took it apart for cleaning, double check the ribbon cable. It's really easy for them to become disconnected, especially the bottom end of it. You'll have to remove the top connection and pc board to get to the lower connection. Really poor quality components imo. I've only messed with one, which was my nephews, and the bottom end of the ribbon cable had pulled out a bit, even though he had never opened it up.

 

Just checked all the ribbon cables and they are all seated pretty good. Another thing that I noticed is that when I hold down triangle, square seems to work. So im assuming that there may be a ground issue somewhere.

[BloodyWaters]

11 hours ago, aSpoink said:

What do you mean by the switch? It uses contact pads like this(Sorry for big picture)

 

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Is there anything blocking the contact? Or is the contact shorting?

[MadModder]

You are probably correct in assuming it's a ground problem. Switches normally have constant voltage present at the switch, but no path to ground. This is called a "normally open" switch. Once you depress the switch, it closes the contacts and provides a path to ground, and thusly activates whatever device it is controlling. The normal path to ground for the touchpad may be disturbed, but it shares a path with the triangle switch. So when you press the triangle switch, it's providing an alternate path to ground for the touchpad. If you can figure out where the grounds meet in the circuit, the problem will probably be between that junction, and it's normal destination.

It's not a short.

 

EDIT:  Investigated a bit more, and found that you may have to press the left side of the pad to activate it. Also there's some issue with some versions of the software that allow it to work in some games and menu's, but not others. Disconnecting the battery may have reverted it to an earlier version.

[aSpoink]

On 8/24/2017 at 3:34 AM, BloodyWaters said:

Is there anything blocking the contact? Or is the contact shorting?

Nothings blocking the contact, and I don't think its shorting.