Chosen Solution
Hello, The mute button on my iPhone 3GS isn’t working. It suddenly stopped, I think it’s the flex cable but what else could ik be? I isn’t the button itself because that still looks good and can go up and down. I could also make a picture of the inside if that helps.
The ribbon would be the cheapest option, however coming from experience that little ribbon is a real pain in the #@# to install and requires lots of patience. If you want you can just buy a totally new back assembly and that will have a new ribbon installed for your convenience, however this option does cost a little bit more. Here is a link to the Ribbon Here is a link to the Back assembly Also if you are unfamiliar with the repair process here is the link to a back assembly replacement guide, [invalid guide link] is the link to the ribbon replacement guide. Please note that the link to the Back Assembly guide does link to a Battery replacement guide but it still shows you all of the principles involved in the replacement. Hope this helps :)
The brackets around the power button on top of the 3G and 3GS are notoriously weak. When they break it can cause the power button to stop working. If this is the case (pun intended), you will need to replace the rear case.
It could easily be the flex ribbon. The mute button also does wear out itself over time too, but if you change the ribbon, it should be okay. It just wont be as crisp and sharp as it was when new. Change the ribbon and report back.
